There are two kinds of lists you see popping up at this time of year: Summer Reading and Best of Year (So Far). I’m here with the latter list with a focus on mystery, thriller, and true crime. Over at Book Riot, everyone chimed in (shouted loudly) across all genres on what our picks for Best Books of 2025 So Far should be. And I’ve pulled a fellow Rioter’s pick along with one of my picks from the list. And then, being my little corner is all crime, I’m going to list my other favorite/best picks of the year so far.
As of writing this, I’ve read 150+ books, and 65% of them have been in the crime genre. Out of what I’ve read so far this year, these have been standouts for me: a past and present murder mystery, a YA missing person mystery, a MG murder mystery, an after-the-crime novel, a family crime novel, a true crime, and four new releases in existing series.
From Book Riot’s Best Books of 2025 So Far
Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson
The queen of YA mysteries and thrillers has moved effortlessly into middle grade mysteries! Tiffany D. Jackson has a different topical focus with every book, which leads to gripping stories, while her characters’ voices always shine. And those are just two of the reasons she’s listed in The Best Mystery Books of the Past 10 Years. In Blood in the Water, we follow Brooklyn native Kaylani to Martha’s Vineyard. While trying to find her way in a place she doesn’t want to be, she ends up investigating a suspicious death, unaware that the more she digs, the more she’ll upset the residents and their deeply-held deadly secrets…I know! —Jamie Canaves
They All Fall the Same by Wes Browne
Organized crime boss Burl Spoon rules over Jackson County, Kentucky, with a firm hand. But when his daughter disappears, seeming to have relapsed in her drug addiction, Burl’s life begins to unravel before his eyes. In this gritty Appalachian thriller, Wes Browne establishes himself as a new voice in crime fiction. Spoon stands out as a complex villain we love to hate and cheer on, despite his misdeeds. Browne’s portrait of Eastern Kentucky is a complex one, teasing out the small cultural details that make this region unique. With its multifaceted take on its characters and setting, They All Fall the Same is a must-read thriller of 2025. —Kendra Winchester
Unusual Suspects
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My Best Mystery, Thriller, True Crime of 2025 So Far
A Murder for Miss Hortense (Miss Hortense #1) by Mel Pennant
I love the way readers are taken into a Jamaican community in England, with all their different personalities and lives in the past and present. Bonus: the audiobook narrator, Debra Michaels, does a fantastic job of subtly changing between all the characters, and it’s lovely to hear the Jamaican accent.
Miss Hortense, who emigrated from Jamaica to England in the ‘60s, was once part of the Pardner group which came to be (after a disastrous funeral) in order to financially help the local Jamaican Brits. But Miss Hortense was kicked out following her sleuthing in a series of attacks on women in her community. Now there’s a dead man and a lot of questions to be answered, which Miss Hortense—a fellow nurse with a no-nonsense attitude and a police officer nephew—is going to get to the bottom of.
Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours
I love that the inside of the book is as good as its gorgeous cover, that it has a tiny “magical” element that is introduced in a way that feels like it exists in our current world, and that the character’s voice grabs you from the opening.
High schooler Sariyah has a tiny power that is really a curse: she can always hear what everyone needs. As you can imagine, it can be very overwhelming to be in a room and hear that the person next to you needs a pencil, and someone else needs money, all overlapping each other. On top of that, her mom is currently depressed and Sariyah’s doing her best to look after her younger brother when her best friend goes missing. Now she’s willing to put herself in danger using her power in order to help…
The Man Nobody Killed: Life, Death, and Art in Michael Stewart’s New York by Elon Green
Between Last Call and The Man Nobody Killed, Elon Green has become an automatic buy author for me. The true crime genre (nonfiction books, the world) needs more journalism that is deeply researched and that reads like narrative nonfiction. In my original review, I wrote, “If this isn’t on Best of Lists and award lists at the end of the year, it’s because judges/writers didn’t read it.” and I fully stand by that. Plus—I’m not sure I’ve ever said this before—even the author interview at the end of the book is worth reading.
This is a thoughtful, insightful dive into Michael Stewart’s life, killing, and the court case against the officers charged that took place in NY in the ‘80s. The book has everything from a juror who had to face the judge after being caught playing amateur sleuth to Madonna, Spike Lee, and the ‘80s NY art scene. Bonus: Dion Graham narrates the audiobook!
The Death of Us by Abigail Dean
I love a well-done exploration of the long arm of crime/trauma without sensationalizing or feeling like trauma porn, and books that mix genres like The God of the Woods.
Isabel is sexually assaulted by a home intruder while her husband Edward is tied up. Now, 30 years later, they are divorced and facing the attacker’s trial. How does a traumatic experience change you, your life, your relationships, and the way others see you and treat you?
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby
S.A. Cosby’s writing makes me feel like I’m physically along for the ride, including when I’m screaming nooooooooooooooooooooo! I love that I deeply know his characters even when they break my heart, and especially when I don’t like their choices.
Some things to know about Roman Carruthers’: his family runs a crematorium in the town he grew up in; his mom disappeared when he was a teen and rumors have always pointed at his father; his sister has been running the crematorium because his father is in a coma. The latter is why Roman returns home, clearly with a ton of baggage to face. What he’s not expecting is to have to save his brother from a bad decision that ultimately will pit Roman against the local crime boss. But Roman thinks he’s always in control and can fix anything for his family, so he keeps trying to dig them out as the danger continues to escalate and he refuses to think that he’s been cornered…
Favorite 2025 Release In An Already Existing (and Favorite) Series
- The Library Game (Secret Staircase Mystery #4) by Gigi Pandian: I especially love the central family, how intricate each puzzle mystery is, and the love of Golden Age mysteries.
- Dead in the Frame (Pentecost and Parker #5 ) by Stephen Spotswood: I especially love Will and Lillian individually and as a duo, the humor, and the setting of The Women’s House of Detention.
- Kills Well with Others (Killers of a Certain Age #2) by Deanna Raybourn: I especially love a group of women (doing anything, including killing), and the way we see them young and learning the ropes and now middle-aged and learning how to navigate things in different ways.
- Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping [On a Dead Man] (Vera Wong #2) by Jesse Q. Sutanto: I especially love the humor, meddling, and the found family.
Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf and see upcoming 2025 releases. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations! Until next time, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Goodreads, Litsy, and Multitudes Contained.
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