Masters of Suspense: My Favorite Mystery Authors

Mystery is one of my favorite genres to read. In this post, I want to share my favorite mystery authors along with books I recommend reading.

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Agatha Christie

I started reading Agatha Christie’s books when I was a child, and she is known as the Queen of Crime and Mystery. Christie was an English author, and she is most known for her detective novels, especially those featuring Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She published her first detective novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, in 1920.

Agatha Christie Recommendations:

And Then There Were None

The book follows 10 strangers who are invited to a mansion on an isolated island. Each member of the party is accused of having a guilty secret. Then one of the party dies, and the others realize there is a murderer among them.

Murder on the Orient Express

In the book, Hercule Poirot is on board the Orient Express. An American tycoon is then found stabbed to death in his compartment with the door locked from the inside. Poirot has to identify the murderer before they strike again.

Alice Feeney

I began reading Alice Feeney’s books this year, and she is a British mystery and thriller author. Feeney is referred to as the Queen of Twists, and she published her first book, Sometimes I Lie, in 2017.

Alice Feeney Recommendations

Beautiful Ugly

In Beautiful Ugly, author Grady Green is struggling with the disappearance of his wife, Abby, a year prior. Grady then travels to a tiny Scottish island to get his life back on track, but he sees a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Daisy Darker

Daisy Darker’s family assembles for Nana’s 80th birthday. At midnight, Nana is found dead, and an hour later, another family member dies. The Darkers have to confront the present mystery along with their past secrets.

Riley Sager

I started reading Riley Sager’s books in 2024, and he is an American thriller author known for having unexpected twists. He published his first book, Final Girls, in 2017.

Riley Sager Recommendations

Final Girls

Final Girls follows Quincy, the sole survivor of a massacre. Quincy, along with Lisa and Sam, are known as Final Girls. 10 years after the massacre, Quincy is doing well, but Lisa is found dead, and Sam appears on her doorstep, causing Quincy’s life to whirlwind.

The Only One Left

In the book, Kit becomes the caregiver for Lenora Hope, a woman accused of murdering her family when she was 17 years old. Lenora is now in her 70s, confined to a wheelchair, and mute. One night, Lenora uses a typewriter to tell Kit she wants to tell her everything, but Kit starts suspecting Lenora could be more dangerous than she thought.

Uketsu

I first read Uketsu’s book this year. Uketsu is a Japanese mystery and horror author who incorporates visuals into his stories. He published his first novel, Strange Pictures, in 2022.

Uketsu Recommendations

Strange Houses

The book is about an acquaintance of a writer who wants to buy a home, but the floor plan reveals a dead space between the walls. The writer seeks the opinion of an architect friend who discovers more strange spaces in the home.

Strange Pictures

In Strange Pictures, a university student discovers a blog with a pregnant woman’s drawings that have a chilling warning. The mystery deepens when more drawings are uncovered.

Ruth Ware

I began reading Ruth Ware’s books in 2016, and I have previously ranked most of Ware’s books. Ruth Ware is a British thriller author, and she is often compared to Agatha Christie. She published her first thriller novel, In a Dark, Dark Wood, in 2015.

Ruth Ware Recommendations

The Turn of the Key

The Turn of the Key is about Rowan, who becomes a live-in nanny for four children. However, one of the children dies under her care. Now Rowan is in prison awaiting trial for murder, and she is writing to a lawyer to prove her innocence.

The Woman in Cabin 10

Lo Blacklock is a travel journalist who is tasked with covering the maiden voyage of a luxury cruise ship in Norway. However, the first night on board, Lo witnesses a woman being thrown overboard, but all the passengers and staff are accounted for in the morning.

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Do you enjoy mysteries? Who is your favorite mystery author?