Award category archive

Kirkus Best Books of the Year – Mysteries and Thrillers Winners

Browse Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers winners and nominees by year. This archive follows one award category across the full Kirkus Best Books of the Year history.

Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers Cross-year archive

2025

Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers results for the 2025 award year.

View full 2025 awards

Buried Above Ground

Ripley, Mike

Standalone · General Fiction

Sep-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Clown Town

Herron, Mick

Slough House Series · Book 9 · Thriller

Sep-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Dark Maestro

Slocumb, Brendan

Standalone · General Fiction

May-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Dentist

Sullivan, Tim

DS Cross Series · Book 1 · Police Procedural

Jun-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Detective Aunty

Jalaluddin, Uzma

Standalone · Police Procedural

May-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Fog and Fury

Hall, Rachel Howzell

Haven Thriller Series · Book 1 · Police Procedural

Jul-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

King of Ashes

Cosby, S.A.

Standalone · Thriller

Jun-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Librarians

Thomas, Sherry

Standalone · Thriller

Oct-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Man Who Died Seven Times

NISHIZAWA, YASUHIKO

Standalone · Mystery

Aug-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Marguerite by the Lake

Carter, Mary Dixie

Standalone · Thriller

May-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Murder Takes a Vacation

Lippman, Laura

Standalone · Cozy Mystery

May-2025 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

2024

Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers results for the 2024 award year.

View full 2024 awards

All the Colors of the Dark

Whitaker, Chris

Standalone · Cozy Mystery

May-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Cahokia Jazz

Spufford, Francis

Standalone · General Fiction

Oct-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Close to Death

Horowitz, Anthony

Detective Daniel Hawthorne Series · Book 5 · Cozy Mystery

Apr-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The God of the Woods

Moore, Liz

Standalone · General Fiction

Jul-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Guide Me Home

Locke, Attica

A Highway 59 Novel Series · Book 3 · General Fiction

Sep-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Hero

Perry, Thomas

Standalone · Thriller

Jan-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

It's Elementary

Bryant, Elise

Standalone · General Fiction

Jul-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Joe Hustle

Lange, Richard

Standalone · Thriller

Jul-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Two Times Murder

Oyebanji, Adam

A Quiet Teacher Mystery Series · Book 2 · Cozy Mystery

Nov-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Under the Storm

Carlsson, Christoffer

Standalone · Police Procedural

Mar-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Unwedding

Condie, Ally

Standalone · Thriller

Jun-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Who to Believe

Hill, Edwin

Standalone · Thriller

Jan-2024 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

2023

Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers results for the 2023 award year.

View full 2023 awards

Blaze Me a Sun

Carlsson, Christoffer

Standalone · Thriller

Jan-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Bright Young Women

Knoll, Jessica

Standalone · Thriller

Oct-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Code of the Hills

Offutt, Chris

Standalone · Literary

Jun-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Crook Manifesto

Whitehead, Colson

Ray Carney Series · Book 2 · Literary

Jul-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Every Man a King

Mosley, Walter

A King Oliver Novel Series · Book 2 · Private Investigator

Feb-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Green for Danger

Brand, Christianna

Inspector Cockrill Mysteries Series · Book 2 · Suspense

1944 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

A Line in the Sand

Powers, Kevin

Standalone · Thriller

May-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Lost Americans

Bollen, Christopher

Standalone · Psychological Suspense

Mar-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Night Will Find You

Heaberlin, Julia

Standalone · Thriller

Jun-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

One Last Kill

Dugoni, Robert

Tracy Crosswhite Series · Book 10 · Police Procedural

Oct-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Reykjavik

Jonasson, Ragnar

Standalone · Mystery

Sep-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Stolen Coast

Murphy, Dwyer

Standalone · Mystery

Jul-2023 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

2022

Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers results for the 2022 award year.

View full 2022 awards

The 6:20 Man

Baldacci, David

The 6:20 Man Series · Book 1 · Thriller

Jan-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Berlin Exchange

Kanon, Joseph

Standalone · Thriller

Mar-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Bullet That Missed

Osman, Richard

A Thursday Murder Club Mystery Series · Book 3 · Cozy Mystery

Sep-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Christie Affair

De Gramont, Nina

Standalone · General Fiction

Feb-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Diablo Mesa

Preston, Douglas; Child, Lincoln

Nora Kelly Series · Book 3 · Thriller

Feb-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Killers of a Certain Age

Raybourn, Deanna

Killers of a Certain Age Series · Book 1 · Thriller

Sep-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Maid

Prose, Nita

Molly the Maid Series · Book 1 · Mystery

Jan-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Secret Identity

Segura, Alex

Standalone · Cozy Mystery

Mar-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Two Nights in Lisbon

Pavone, Chris

Standalone · Thriller

May-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

What Happened to the Bennetts

Scottoline, Lisa

Standalone · Thriller

Apr-2022 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

2021

Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers results for the 2021 award year.

View full 2021 awards

Billy Summers

King, Stephen

Standalone · Thriller

Aug-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Corpse Flower

Hancock, Anne Mette

A Kaldan and Schafer Mystery Series · Book 1 · Mystery

Oct-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

False Witness

Slaughter, Karin

Standalone · Police Procedural

Jul-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Harlem Shuffle

Whitehead, Colson

Ray Carney Series · Book 1 · Literary

Sep-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Infinite

Freeman, Brian

Standalone · Thriller

Mar-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Lady Joker, Volume 1

Takamura, Kaoru

Standalone · General Fiction

Apr-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

A Lonely Man

Power, Chris

Standalone · Literary

May-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Man Who Died Twice

Osman, Richard

A Thursday Murder Club Mystery Series · Book 2 · Cozy Mystery

Oct-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Northern Spy

Berry, Flynn

Standalone · Thriller

Apr-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Other Black Girl

Harris, Zakiya Dalila

Standalone · Psychological Suspense

Jun-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Razorblade Tears

Cosby, S.A.

Standalone · Thriller

Jul-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Unthinkable

Parks, Brad

Standalone · Thriller

Aug-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Untraceable

Lebedev, Sergei

Standalone · Thriller

Feb-2021 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

2020

Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers results for the 2020 award year.

View full 2020 awards

All the Devils Are Here

Penny, Louise

Chief Inspector Gamache Series · Book 16 · Police Procedural

Sep-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Bourne Evolution

Freeman, Brian

Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne Series · Book 15 · Thriller

Aug-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Dead Land

Paretsky, Sara

A V.I. Warshawski Mystery Series · Book 21 · Private Investigator

Apr-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Eight Perfect Murders

Swanson, Peter

Standalone · Thriller

Mar-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Fair Warning

Connelly, Michael

Jack McEvoy Series · Book 3 · Thriller

Jun-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Golden Cage

Lackberg, Camilla

Faye's Revenge Series · Book 1 · Thriller

Jul-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

The Kingdom

Nesbo, Jo

The Kingdom Series · Book 1 · Mystery

Nov-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

One by One

Ware, Ruth

Standalone · Thriller

Sep-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Precious You

Takhar, Helen Monks

Standalone · Thriller

Mar-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

A Shadow Intelligence

Harris, Oliver

Standalone · Thriller

Apr-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Take Me Apart

Sligar, Sara

Standalone · Thriller

May-2020 Kirkus Best Books of the Year Mysteries and Thrillers

Browse Award Categories

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