The year is drawing to a close, and it’s time to finalize your reading list. If you’re searching for the Best Mystery Books of 2025 or the Top Thrillers of 2025, you know that one list is never enough! I’ve scoured the web to compile the definitive collection of year-end book lists from top publications, critics, and reader communities. Whether you’re looking for an award-winning literary suspense novel or a fast-paced psychological thriller, use this comprehensive guide (or some of my others) to find your next must-read crime novel.

2025’s Essential Year-End Best Mystery & Thriller Lists

• The best crime and thrillers of 2025 (The Guardian)

• Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2025 (Kirkus Reviews)

• 100 Must-Read Books of 2025 (Time Magazine)

• Best thriller books to read in 2025 (The Independent)

• The 38 Best Books of 2025 (So Far!) (Real Simple)

• 100 Notable Books of 2025 (New York Times)

• The Best Mysteries & Thrillers of 2025 (BookBub)

• Best Mystery & Thriller Books of 2025 (Amazon Editors via Jen Ryland Review)

• Best Mystery & Thriller Books of 2025 (Barnes & Noble)

• Best Mystery & Thrillers of 2025 (Publishers Weekly)

• Best Mysteries & Thrillers of 2025 (NPR)

• Readers’ Favorite Mystery & Thriller Books 2025 (Goodreads Choice Awards)

• Book Awards 2025 (BestThrillers.com)

• Best Thrillers of 2025 (Washington Post)

• Best Mystery & Thriller Books of 2025 (ELLE Magazine)

• 15 Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2025 (Audible Audiobooks)

• Best Books of 2025 – Mystery, Thriller & True Crime (Book Riot)

• Aggregation of Financial Times, Karen MacPherson & others (The Rap Sheet)

• The Best Mystery Books of 2025 (Five Books)

• Best Mystery Novel 2025 Finalists (Edgar Awards via Tertulia)

• Best Mystery Novels of 2025 (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

• 13 New Thrillers to Read Right Now (The Boston Globe)

• The 10 Best Books of 2025 (Chicago Tribune)

• 5 Mystery and Thriller Books to Look Forward to in 2025 (The Seattle Times)

• The Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2025 (CrimeReads)

• The Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of Summer 2025 (CrimeReads)

• The Most Wanted Crime Novels of 2025 (Crime Fiction Lover)

• The Best New Crime & Thrillers Books to Read in 2025 (Tertulia)

• 21 Best Thriller Books (Harper’s Bazaar)

• 24 Best Mystery-Thriller Books of 2025 So Far (Marie Claire)

• The Best Crime & Thrillers of 2025 (Waterstones)

• Best Crime Books 2025 – CWA Dagger Awards Longlists (LoveReading)

• Crime & Thriller Winner & Shortlist (British Book Awards)

• Best Books of 2025: New Thrillers and Crime Novels (Dead Good Books)

• New Psychological Thriller Books for 2025 (Dead Good Books)

• Unmissable New Thriller Books of 2025 (Pan Macmillan)

• Seven Mysteries to Get Cozy With This Fall (The Globe and Mail)

• Eleven Mystery Novels for Your Summer Reading List (The Globe and Mail)

• 2025 Winners (Australian Crime Writers Association – Ned Kelly Awards)

• 2025 Crime Highlights (Readings Bookstore)

• Aussie Crime 2025: Recent Australian Crime Novels (Murder Mayhem and Long Dogs)

• Books of the Year 2025: Authors and Critics Pick Their Favourites (The Irish Times)

• Books for 2025: Best of Irish Fiction and Non-Fiction (Irish Examiner)

• The 2025 Anthony Award for Best Mystery (Tertulia)

• The ITW Thriller Awards Winners 2025 (The Poisoned Pen)

• 2025 ITW Thriller Award Nominees (The Poisoned Pen)

• 2025 Anthony Award Winners (The Poisoned Pen)

• Our Favorite Mystery and Thriller Books of 2025 (Celadon Books)

• The Best Mystery and Thriller Books of 2025 (So Far) (Barnes & Noble)

2025’s Most Acclaimed Titles: Cross-Source Consensus Picks

These books appeared most frequently (five or more lists) across the “best of” lists.

S.A. Cosby, King of Ashes — This “Godfather-inspired” Southern noir was the genre sites favorite and received universal acclaim across sources including Chicago Tribune, CrimeReads, and multiple year-end lists for its blend of tragedy and pulp thrills.

Liz Moore, The God of the Woods — Winner of the 2025 Anthony Award for Best Novel, this atmospheric thriller appeared on more mainstream lists like NPR, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and multiple UK award longlists.

Holly Jackson, Not Quite Dead Yet — The adult debut from the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder author dominated lists including Waterstones, Dead Good Books, and entertainment publications eager to highlight her genre transition.

Abir Mukherjee, Hunted — A rare double winner, maybe more popular in Europe, taking both the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and the British Book Awards Crime & Thriller prize, featured prominently on UK lists.

Lisa Jewell, Don’t Let Him In — This domestic suspense novel appeared consistently across entertainment outlets (ELLE, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar) and trade publications (Barnes & Noble, BookBub).

Richard Osman, The Impossible Fortune — The beloved cozy crime series’ latest installment earned mentions across Waterstones, Real Simple, and multiple “comfort read” roundups.

Amity Gaige, Heartwood — The thriller for non-thriller fans, similar in spirit to God of the Woods. Called “the best thriller of 2025 so far” by The Boston Globe, this wilderness thriller also appeared on Harper’s Bazaar and literary-focused lists for its literary suspense approach.