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

YA Fiction Archive Middle-Grade Fiction Archive Debut Fiction Archive YA Fantasy and SF Archive Picture Books Celebrating Family Archive Book Club Fiction Archive Short Fiction Archive Middle-Grade Fantasy and SF Archive Middle-Grade Graphic Fiction Archive Mysteries and Thrillers Current page Historical Fiction Archive Romance Archive

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