The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time

This is one of the 748 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

About this list

Time, 100 Books

With a panel of celebrated authors—Megan Abbott, Harlan Coben, S.A. Cosby, Gillian Flynn, Tana French, Rachel Howzell Hall, and Sujata Massey—TIME presents the most gripping, twist-filled, satisfying, and influential mystery and thriller books, in chronological order beginning in the 1800s.

This list was originally published in 2023 and was added to this site over 2 years ago.

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Cover of 'The Woman in White' by Wilkie Collins

The Woman in White

Cover of 'Crime and Punishment' by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Crime and Punishment

Fyodor Dostoevsky

Cover of 'The Leavenworth Case' by Anna Katharine Green

The Leavenworth Case

Anna Katharine Green

Cover of 'Daisy Miller' by Henry James

Daisy Miller

Cover of 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Arthur Conan Doyle

Cover of 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd' by Agatha Christie

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Agatha Christie

Cover of 'The Crime At Black Dudley' by Margery Allingham

The Crime At Black Dudley

Margery Allingham

Cover of 'The Patient In Room 18' by Mignon G. Eberhart

The Patient In Room 18

Mignon G. Eberhart

Cover of 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett

The Maltese Falcon

Dashiell Hammett

Cover of 'The Conjure Man Dies' by Rudolph Fisher

The Conjure Man Dies

Cover of 'A Man Lay Dead' by Ngaio Marsh

A Man Lay Dead

Cover of 'Gaudy Night' by Dorothy L. Sayers

Gaudy Night

Dorothy L. Sayers

Cover of 'The Hollow Man' by John Dickson Carr

The Hollow Man

John Dickson Carr

Cover of 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier

Rebecca

Daphne du Maurier

Cover of 'The Mask of Dimitrios' by Eric Ambler

The Mask of Dimitrios

Cover of 'Double Indemnity' by James M. Cain

Double Indemnity

Cover of 'If He Hollers Let Him Go' by Chester Himes

If He Hollers Let Him Go

Cover of 'In A Lonely Place' by Dorothy B. Hughes

In A Lonely Place

Dorothy B. Hughes

Cover of 'The Daughter of Time' by Josephine Tey

The Daughter of Time

Cover of 'Beat Not The Bones' by Charlotte Jay

Beat Not The Bones

Cover of 'Casino Royale' by Ian Fleming

Casino Royale

Cover of 'A Kiss Before Dying' by Ira Levin

A Kiss Before Dying

Cover of 'The Long Goodbye' by Raymond Chandler

The Long Goodbye

Raymond Chandler

Cover of 'Beast In View' by Margaret Millar

Beast In View

Margaret Millar

Cover of 'The Quiet American' by Graham Greene

The Quiet American

Cover of 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' by Patricia Highsmith

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Patricia Highsmith

Cover of 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' by Shirley Jackson

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Shirley Jackson

Cover of 'The Spy Who Came in From the Cold' by John le Carré

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold

Cover of 'The Honjin Murders' by Seishi Yokomizo

The Honjin Murders

Seishi Yokomizo

Cover of 'Where Are The Children?' by Mary Higgins Clark

Where Are The Children?

Mary Higgins Clark

Cover of 'Misery' by Stephen King

Misery

Cover of 'The Last Good Kiss' by James Crumley

The Last Good Kiss

Cover of 'The Name of the Rose' by Umberto Eco

The Name of the Rose

Cover of 'The Hunt for Red October' by Tom Clancy

The Hunt for Red October

Cover of 'A Dark Adapted Eye' by Barbara Vine

A Dark Adapted Eye

Cover of 'The Decagon House Murders' by Yukito Ayatsuji

The Decagon House Murders

Yukito Ayatsuji

Cover of 'The Silence of the Lambs' by Thomas Harris

The Silence of the Lambs

Cover of 'Devil in a Blue Dress' by Walter Mosley

Devil in a Blue Dress

Cover of 'Mean Spirit' by Linda Hogan

Mean Spirit

Cover of 'Postmortem' by Patricia Daniels Cornwell

Postmortem

Patricia Daniels Cornwell

Cover of 'Faceless Killers' by Henning Mankell

Faceless Killers

Henning Mankell

Cover of 'Dead Time' by Eleanor Taylor Bland

Dead Time

Eleanor Taylor Bland

Cover of 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt

The Secret History

Cover of 'Smilla's Sense of Snow' by Peter Høeg

Smilla's Sense of Snow

Cover of 'When Death Comes Stealing' by Valerie Wilson Wesley

When Death Comes Stealing

Valerie Wilson Wesley

Cover of 'Fade Away' by Harlan Coben

Fade Away

Cover of 'Killing Floor' by Lee Child

Killing Floor

Cover of 'Lady Joker' by Kaoru Takamura

Lady Joker

Cover of 'Morituri' by Yasmina Khadra

Morituri

Cover of 'Out' by Natsuo Kirino

Out

Cover of 'Inner City Blues' by Paula L. Woods

Inner City Blues

Cover of 'A Place Of Execution' by Val McDermid

A Place Of Execution

Cover of 'Those Bones Are Not My Child' by Toni Cade Bambara

Those Bones Are Not My Child

Toni Cade Bambara

Cover of 'Blanche Passes Go' by Barbara Neely

Blanche Passes Go

Cover of 'Death Of A Red Heroine' by Qiu Xiaolong

Death Of A Red Heroine

Cover of 'The Redbreast' by Jo Nesbø

The Redbreast

Cover of 'Mystic River' by Dennis Lehane

Mystic River

Cover of 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Shadow of the Wind

Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Cover of 'The Surgeon' by Tess Gerritsen

The Surgeon

Cover of 'The Emperor Of Ocean Park' by Stephen L. Carter

The Emperor Of Ocean Park

Stephen L. Carter

Cover of 'Fingersmith' by Sarah Waters

Fingersmith

Cover of 'The Ice Princess' by Camilla Läckberg

The Ice Princess

Camilla Läckberg

Cover of '2666' by Roberto Bolaño

2666

Roberto Bolaño

Cover of 'Case Histories' by Kate Atkinson

Case Histories

Cover of 'The Devotion Of Suspect X' by Keigo Higashino

The Devotion Of Suspect X

Keigo Higashino

Cover of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' by Stieg Larsson

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Cover of 'The Lincoln Lawyer' by Michael Connelly

The Lincoln Lawyer

Michael Connelly

Cover of 'Snakeskin Shamisen' by Naomi Hirahara

Snakeskin Shamisen

Cover of 'Queenpin' by Megan Abbott

Queenpin

Cover of 'What The Dead Know' by Laura Lippman

What The Dead Know

Cover of 'The Yiddish Policemen's Union' by Michael Chabon

The Yiddish Policemen's Union

Cover of 'Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead' by Olga Tokarczuk

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

Cover of 'Wife Of The Gods' by Kwei Quartey

Wife Of The Gods

Cover of 'Bury Your Dead' by Louise Penny

Bury Your Dead

Cover of 'Faithful Place' by Tana French

Faithful Place

Cover of 'The Plotters' by Un-su Kim

The Plotters

Cover of 'The Sound Of Things Falling' by Juan Gabriel Vásquez

The Sound Of Things Falling

Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Cover of 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl

Cover of 'The Round House' by Louise Erdrich

The Round House

Cover of 'Six Four' by Hideo Yokoyama

Six Four

Cover of 'Ordinary Grace' by William Kent Krueger

Ordinary Grace

William Kent Krueger

Cover of 'Big Little Lies' by Liane Moriarty

Big Little Lies

Cover of 'Everything I Never Told You' by Celeste Ng

Everything I Never Told You

Cover of 'Land Of Shadows' by Rachel Howzell Hall

Land Of Shadows

Rachel Howzell Hall

Cover of 'The Sympathizer' by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Sympathizer

Viet Thanh Nguyen

Cover of 'Bluebird, Bluebird' by Attica Locke

Bluebird, Bluebird

Cover of 'Hollywood Homicide' by Kellye Garrett

Hollywood Homicide

Cover of 'My Sister, The Serial Killer' by Oyinkan Braithwaite

My Sister, The Serial Killer

Oyinkan Braithwaite

Cover of 'The Widows Of Malabar Hill' by Sujata Massey

The Widows Of Malabar Hill

Cover of 'Miracle Creek' by Angie Kim

Miracle Creek

Cover of 'The Need' by Helen Phillips

The Need

Cover of 'The Other Americans' by Laila Lalami

The Other Americans

Cover of 'The Turn Of The Key' by Ruth Ware

The Turn Of The Key

Cover of 'Your House Will Pay' by Steph Cha

Your House Will Pay

Cover of 'Blacktop Wasteland' by S. A. Cosby

Blacktop Wasteland

Cover of 'Djinn Patrol On The Purple Line' by Deepa Anappara

Djinn Patrol On The Purple Line

Cover of 'Mexican Gothic' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mexican Gothic

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Cover of 'When No One Is Watching' by Alyssa Cole

When No One Is Watching

Cover of 'Winter Counts' by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

Winter Counts

David Heska Wanbli Weiden

Cover of 'Survivor’s Guilt' by Robyn Gigl

Survivor’s Guilt