Family Centered Mystery, Thriller, and Crime Novels

The mystery: Readers don’t know at the beginning of the book exactly what has happened, but a tragedy has occurred, and a family is in the spotlight. Everything we learn is from neighbors, investigators, friends, community members, strangers who interacted with the family, and public opinion — everyone but the family has something to say.

The family: The Sharafs are an Afghan American family living in Virginia. Rahmat and Maryam had four children as Rahmat built up a life of wealth and comfort for his family. Their oldest children, Omer and Zorah, are complete opposites, especially in academic achievements, with Zorah being the darling. But the more people recount their experiences with the family members and what they know, the more muddled the picture becomes. The more certain people are about what happened, the more you’ll question what you actually know.

Bonus: If you audiobook, absolutely choose that format, as the audiobook has a wonderful full-cast narration.

The mystery: In the present day, two women are being hounded by the media, which wants to know which of them killed a kid nearly 15 years ago.

The family: Lacey Bond grew up with her parents and older sister in New Hampshire. Her parents, who run a day care center in their house, are accused, tried, and convicted during the Satanic Panic of the ’80s/’90s—all of which happens before a murder…

The crime: A wife kills her abusive husband—with her sister and baby as witnesses—and calls a friend to help hide the body.

The family: We start with an Italian family in Brooklyn in the mid-’80s. Risa, her husband Sav, her baby Fabrizio, and her sister Giulia. After Sav is killed, we watch Risa, Giulia, and a family friend who helped bury Sav’s body navigate a neighborhood with theories on what happened to Sav. All as they raise Fabrizio.

The mystery: Mal’s sister disappeared years ago in high school, which remains an unsolved case. Now Mal’s coworker has disappeared, and she won’t be the last…

The family: Mal is one of four siblings. Her sister Elena disappeared in high school. Her older brother Esteban is now going by “Steve” as he throws himself into political life, and her younger brother is a police officer. Her family has never recovered from what happened to her sister, and her relationship with her mother is especially strained. Add to that Mal’s two daughters, who have never learned who their real father is.

Unusual Suspects

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The mystery: A whodunnit murder mystery. After a tense Easter dinner, the matriarch and patriarch are found murdered, and their children are among the suspects detectives are investigating.

The family: Fred and Sheila Merton raised three children, Catherine, Dan, and Jenna. The oldest is waiting to inherit her parents’ home, and the youngest still relies financially on her father. They’re all upset when their parents announce they’re selling the house and downsizing. There’s also Aunt Audrey, Fred’s sister, who was too sick to attend Easter dinner but sees herself as the family’s secret holder.