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The Best Mystery, Thriller, and Crime Novels of 2022
This year’s top whodunits, police procedurals, and domestic thrillers.
Pubblicato il 08 Novembre 2022
The Paris Apartment: A Novel
Lucy FoleyWhen Jess Hadley’s brother goes missing, she asks the tenants of his creepy, once-elegant apartment building about his whereabouts, but each one deflects her questions. She soon finds out the building residents share a dark secret. Between the eerie atmosphere and quickly paced plot, Foley (“The Guest List”) sweeps readers away on an exciting thrill ride through Paris with plenty of unexpected reveals.
Wrong Place Wrong Time: A Novel
Gillian McAllisterAfter witnessing her teenage son commit a brutal murder, Jen awakens the next morning with another shock: It’s the day before the crime. Each morning thereafter, Jen travels further back in time, giving her a chance to get to the root of her son’s actions (and stop the attack before it happens). McAllister’s thrilling mystery explores the repercussions of our choices, offering a fresh twist with each time-hop.
Reckless Girls: A Novel
Rachel HawkinsAfter quitting college to take care of her terminally ill mother, Lux MacAllister wants to get away from it all. Sailing around the Pacific with her hot new boyfriend sounds like just the antidote to put her dark past behind her, until there’s trouble in paradise. Sexy strangers, secret islands, and skulls abound in this soap opera-y thriller full of outrageous twists you won’t see coming.
Heat 2: A Novel
Michael MannMann pens his first novel, a followup to his 1995 film “Heat” starring Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, and Val Kilmer. This crime drama begins right where the movie left off and follows Chris Shiherlis (Kilmer’s character) as he flees the LAPD. It also takes us back in time, acting as both prequel and sequel while adding rich depth to the “Heat” universe. Action, thrills, and compelling characters show that Mann is skilled at translating his vision to the page as well as the screen.
More Than You'll Ever Know: A Novel
Katie GutierrezGutierrez’s debut taps into society’s preoccupation with true crime. Fledgling journalist Cassie Bowman becomes intertwined in a 20-year-old case when she begins interviewing Dolores “Lore” Rivera, who lived a double life before one of her “husbands” murdered the other. The more details Lore reveals, the more hazy the truth becomes. “More Than You’ll Ever Know” is atmospheric and tantalizing, made even more impactful by rich character development.
City on Fire: A Novel
Don WinslowThis trilogy starter by Winslow, the bestselling author of “Savages” and “The Force,” is set in 1980s Providence, Rhode Island, where two mob families have coexisted peacefully for generations, until an assault sparks a feud. Danny Ryan, who’s married into the Irish crime syndicate, wants to break away from crime, but the rising tensions pull him even deeper into a web of violence. “City on Fire” takes its time developing rich characters and relationships while still managing to be a fast-paced and energetic crime thriller.
The It Girl
Ruth WareIn Ware’s (“One by One,” “In a Dark, Dark Wood”) latest release, a woman re-investigates the murder of her college friend after a journalist uncovers new evidence. Passages from past and present slowly flesh out the characters (and suspects) to keep readers guessing. “The It Girl” is a must-read domestic thriller by the author considered the modern day Agatha Christie.
The Family Remains: A Novel
Lisa JewellEerie twists and turns abound in Jewell’s standalone sequel to “The Family Upstairs.” Characters Libby, Lucy, and Henry return, but their reunion is short-lived when Henry disappears in search of an old childhood friend. Meanwhile, a fresh face unravels another dark (but not altogether unrelated) mystery after her abusive ex-husband is found murdered. Jewell expertly weaves between the stories as she slowly reveals the truth, gripping readers’ attention all the while.
Fox Creek
William Kent KruegerThe latest in Krueger’s “Cork O’Connor” series (which began in 1998 with “Iron Lake”) blends Native mysticism with modern detective work. Private Investigator O’Connor pursues a pair of mercenaries through the Minnesota forest as they hunt Henry Meloux, an indigenous healer, and two women he’s trying to protect, including O’Connor’s wife. A cat-and-mouse dynamic ramps up the thrills while Meloux’s ancient wisdom and the claustrophobic setting create a rich atmosphere.
Nine Lives: A Novel
Peter SwansonNine strangers receive an identical list of names (including their own) in the mail from an unknown sender. Some are spooked by the anonymous correspondence while others don’t bat an eye — that is, until the seemingly unconnected recipients start dying one by one. Inspired by Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None,” this fast-paced reincarnation does the classic justice.
Blood Will Tell: A Novel
Heather ChavezFrankie Barrera’s world is rocked when a description of her car is mentioned in an Amber Alert associated with the disappearance of a 17-year-old girl. She questions her sister, the other person with access to the car in their small town, but gets nowhere. Between the realistic portrayal of the bonds of sisterhood and sharp plot twists, this psychological thriller is an enjoyable ride with plenty of depth.
A Flicker in the Dark: A Novel
Stacy WillinghamChloe Davis, along with her friends, family, and neighbors, are left traumatized by the serial murders of six young girls around Chloe’s age — especially when Chloe’s father pleads guilty to the crimes. But when history begins to repeat itself years after her father is imprisoned, Chloe must determine if it's a copycat or the original culprit at large. “A Flicker in the Dark” reveals the ripple effect of violent crime on those close to the perpetrator, as well as victims and survivors.