The Best Mystery Books I Read in 2025

I have released a bunch of lists of my favorite books by various genres. But I haven’t yet covered the genre that was my most read. Which is why I will be sharing the best mystery books I read in 2025 so keep reading to find out what they are!

When I first got into reading, I would read a lot of mystery novels. My love for mystery novels started with the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine and those are the books that really got me into reading. And as I’ve grown, I’ve read various mystery novels and this is one genre that often overlaps with many others.

I have read almost 40 mystery novels this year and many of those novels were by Agatha Christie. But I did also read novels from other novels. And I came across a bunch of amazing mystery novels that I wanted to share with you. You can see them all below!

The Best Mystery Books I Read in 2025

• First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston 
• The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
• The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
• Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
• Drood by Dan Simmons

After seeing First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston on Goodreads weekly list a few times, I decided to see what the hype was about. I wanted to see if this list was filled with good books or not. As soon as I finished reading the first page of the novel, I knew I was in trouble.

The novel was exceptionally good and it was a phenomenal thriller and mystery novel. It has a ton of plot twists that keeps you guessing until the last page. I ended up reading the novel in one sitting and still can’t stop raving about this novel!

After seeing The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters get raving reviews, I added it to my reading list and finally got around to reading it in early 2025. This was easily one of the best mystery novels I read this year and I couldn’t believe the fact that this was Peters’ first novel.

Over the past couple of years, I have made it a focus to read more books centered around Native Americans after reading The Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. This novel is beautifully written and it will make you cry numerous times.

If you prefer a mystery novel with a bit more action, then you will love The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. Personally, time travel themed novels are either a hit or a miss. But Bradley’s novel is creative and has an original premise that is full of plot twists.

Like most people, I can never keep track of all the problems with time travel. But this novel makes it all easy to follow and the characters are interesting and based on true historical figures. After reading this novel, I will be checking out other works by Bradley in the future!

I love a novel with a mystery that is unresolved for most of the book. And Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy does that almost perfectly. Rowan washes ashore on an island that is occupied by four people, Dominic Salt and his three children. Neither party full trusts each other and have their own agendas.

But as they live together, they can’t help but feel like one big family. But the secrets between them may tear them apart. The writing, plot, and storytelling make this novel an amazing read and easily one of the best books I read in 2025!

Lastly, a novel that I was hooked on for a week plus was Drood by Dan Simmons. The novel is centered around writers Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins and draws on history to tell a fictional and chilling tale. Who says history is boring when Simmons is telling the tale?

After a close brush with death, Dickens pursues a mysterious figure named Drood. He calls on his good friend Willie Collins to search for Drood across London. But what was supposed to be a simple search turns into a nightmare for Collins. Who really is Drood and what is he after? There isn’t another novel like this and it is one more reason why I think Simmons is one of the best authors alive.

Conclusion

These are the best mystery books I read in 2025 that I loved. With over 30 plus books to choose from, I had a lot of options. But only these five are the ones that really stood out for me. Fans of mystery novels will love these novels just as much as I did. Happy reading!

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook