Thrilling Mystery Books Kindle Readers Can't Get Enough Of
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
If you've read our pro tips on how to read more and are ready to put what you've learned into action, you've come to the right place. Especially if mysteries are at the top of your reading list, because there is a boatload of gripping mystery novels in the ether that Kindle readers are absolutely loving — which isn't too surprising considering the country's love affair with them. The Happy Guys Writing Services found that, in 2022, mystery was the second most popular book genre in the United States. An impressive 40% of readers revealed they liked to pick up something mysterious, which was 7% more than those opting for the genre globally. Prefer fantasy books? That's cool too, because we've got you covered for Kindle books there as well.
Even if mystery maybe hasn't been your thing before, we've still got something for you here. Whether you're looking to feed your mystery appetite with a thriller, something with grisly murders afoot, or to uncover the disturbing secrets that lie within a broken family, there is something for everyone on our list of the top Kindle mysteries.
How we determined the current most popular Kindle mystery books
To determine the most popular Kindle mystery books right now, we took a look at which books were featured on Amazon's Kindle Store Best Sellers Chart for the overall top 100 paid books and the overall top 100 free books. We also took into account Amazon's user-based star rating for each series, and only included books on our list that were rated four out of five stars or higher at the time of writing. We also excluded any books that don't have at least a four-star rating on Goodreads.
To find out what people are saying about their favorite mystery books and to determine just how popular they are and why, we also checked out the reviews book lovers left about them on Goodreads. The mystery books we chose are presented below in descending order based on their Amazon star rating.
The Vacation Rental by Katie Sise
Katie Sises' new book "The Vacation Rental" isn't even out yet, but it's already heating up Amazon's Paid For Kindle chart on pre-orders alone. Ahead of its May 1, 2024 release date, the book already has a 4.2-star rating on Amazon based on over 3,400 reviews from early adopters. Clearly, "The Vacation Rental" has quite a few customers ready to check in! The book is just one of the many hot new books coming in May 2024, too.
Georgia's holiday with her husband and their daughter unfolds in the book. While they're away on their trip, they decide to rent out their own home to a woman named Anna. Anna is looking forward to a few days to herself, as she's hoping to use her time in their family home to get her head straight about her difficult relationship. But what was supposed to be two much-needed vacations quickly turns sour in the most devastating of ways.
"A thrilling read to say the least. An affair, three deaths, and mysteries galore. Who wouldn't want to read a thriller with this combination," one person wrote of the novel on Goodreads. Another book fan went into detail about the entwining stories of the main characters, writing in their review, "The relationship between Anna and Georgia is complicated and only gets more confusing as the story goes. Each character is entwined with their current background and history." Consider us intrigued.
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
Almost a decade after it was released, Karin Slaughter's "Pretty Girls" is another of the most popular Kindle mysteries in the country right now. But that's no surprise given the gripping mystery that runs throughout it. Sitting pretty with a 4.3-star rating on Amazon, the book is about teenager Julia who disappeared two decades ago. Her sisters, Claire and Lydia, drifted apart shortly after. The two estranged sisters now live very different, separate lives, but are brought back together when Claire's husband suddenly dies. It turns out there may just be a connection between Julia's disappearance and the death of Claire's spouse, but what the heck could link these two tragic — and very separate — events? Well, it turns out the family has some secrets that have been buried for years...
As for what fans of the book had to say about this one? "I loved the layout of how the story was told; the diary entries interwoven between chapters of the current storyline. I had to go back once to reread because it was so clever," one person wrote of the book on Goodreads. Another shared how they felt the story compared to other top novels, writing, "This tops 'Dark Places' and 'That Night' and I never thought that would happen! For any book to triumph over those is a win for me." Sounds promising!
Vanishing Day by Valerie Davisson
Despite first being released in 2019, "Vanishing Day" is still going strong today. At the time of writing, the book is at the top of Amazon's Best Sellers list for the top 100 free books on the Kindle Store and has an average of 4.4 stars out of five from 148 reviews. This story is all about Logan's neighbor, Lori, who was involved in a hit-and-run accident that left her in the hospital in critical condition. Readers discover that Logan knows a mysterious clue about the person behind the wheel that day, but she's faced with the very real danger of knowing that the knowledge she holds could prove extremely dangerous for her. If all that sounds somewhat familiar, that may be because the novel is part of the popular Logan McKenna series.
Many fans shared their reviews of the novel on Good Reads, with those who were up-to-date with the other books in the series particularly sharing praise. "This story kept me gripped from beginning to end as the storyline was action-packed and fast-paced and the mystery element of the plot kept me guessing," one reviewer shared. "The characters are all well-defined and interesting in their own right but Logan really does bring the story together for me," they added. However, the consensus amongst readers is that you'll benefit from having read the other books in the Logan McKenna series first to get the most out of this mystery thriller.
Never Lie by Freida McFadden
One of the most popular mystery books on the market right now has to be Frieda McFadden's "Never Lie." On Amazon, the 2022 book boasts a seriously impressive almost 150,000 reviews, averaging 4.4 stars out of five. Written by the woman behind the psychological thriller "The Teacher," the book tells the story of newly married couple Tricia and Ethan who find themselves in an odd situation. When they get stuck at an old estate due to a serious storm, they start to learn more about the man who used to live there; a therapist named Dr. Adrienne Hale. Tricia quickly discovers he has a lot of skeletons in his closet ... and the mystery begins to unfold. It turns out he has quite the odd past, full of lies that seemingly led to his equally mysterious disappearance. Tricia uses clues in the house to sieve out the years of deception, but will she be able to find out the truth about the odd goings-on?
Over on Goodreads, one reader wrote in their review, "Edge of your seat suspense! A captivating psychological thriller that has twists and turns galore. I thought I had it figured out but I was so wrong." They added, "Very well written with an intricate plot and well-developed characters" before calling the book "A must read." Now, switch on that Kindle and see for yourself!