“What are the best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller books released in 2019?” We looked at 199 of the top Mystery, Horror, and Thriller books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 20 books, all appearing on 3 or more “Best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller” book lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The remaining 175+ titles, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.

Our other Best Of 2019 Articles:

• The Best Young Adult Books
• The Best Science Fiction And Fantasy Books
• The Best Science And Nature Books
• The Best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller Books
• The Best Nonfiction Books
• The Best History Books
• The Best Fiction Books
• The Best Cookbooks
• The Best Graphic Novels And Comics
• The Best Biography And Memoir Books
• The Best Art And Photography Books
• The Best Kids, Children, and Youth Books
• The Best Poetry Books

Our Other Years: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015

Titles appearing on 2 or more lists have been added to a Bookshop list as well!

Happy Scrolling!

Top 20 Best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller Books From 2019

20 .) Agent Running in the Field written by John le Carré

Lists It Appears On:

• Guardian
• Telegraph
• NPR

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ‘Le Carré delivers a tale for our times . . . a demonstration of the British spy thriller at its unputdownable best’ Robert McCrum, Observer ________________________________ Nat, a 47 year-old veteran of Britain’s Secret Intelli

19 .) An Anonymous Girl written by Greer Hendricks

Lists It Appears On:

• USA Today
• Goodreads 2
• JoelBooks

The next novel of psychological suspense and obsession from the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed. When Jessica F

18 .) Disappearing Earth written by Julia Phillips

Lists It Appears On:

• Dead Good
• Goodreads 2
• NPR

A stunning debut from an acclaimed travel writer, Disappearing Earth is about two sisters who go missing on the remote volcanic peninsula of Kamchatka. Clues to the crime lie in the lives – and stories of violence and loss – of twelve women in the girls’ r

17 .) The Border written by Don Winslow

Lists It Appears On:

• Guardian
• Telegraph
• NPR

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE YEAR “A big, sprawling, ultimately stunning crime tableau.” – Janet Maslin, New York Times “You can’t ask for more emotionally moving entertainment.” – Stephen King “One of the best thriller writers on the planet.”

16 .) The Chestnut Man: A Novel written by Søren Sveistrup

Lists It Appears On:

• Kirkus
• Amazon
• Library Journal

IF YOU FIND ONE, HE’S ALREADY FOUND YOU The heart-pounding debut from the creator of the hit Scandinavian television show The Killing. A psychopath is terrorizing Copenhagen. His calling card is a “chestnut man”—a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two

15 .) The Twisted Ones written by T. Kingfisher

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Grit Daily
• Library Journal 2

When a young woman clears out her deceased grandmother’s home in rural North Carolina, she finds long-hidden secrets about a strange colony of beings in the woods in this chilling novel that reads like The Blair Witch Project meets The Andy Griffith Show.

14 .) Your House Will Pay written by Steph Cha

Lists It Appears On:

• Publishers Weekly 2
• Kirkus
• Library Journal

‘A touching portrait of two families bound together by a split-second decision that tore a hole through an entire city.’ Attica Locke ‘Steph Cha fearlessly explores the duality of LA’s promise and betrayal, its vision of new beginnings and the brutal divis

13 .) Growing Things and Other Stories written by Paul Tremblay

Lists It Appears On:

• Grit Daily
• Booklist 2
• Goodreads
• Library Journal 2

A chilling short story collection by the Bram Stoker Award-winner author, including stories set in the world of A Head Full of Ghosts and Disappearance at Devil’s Rock. A thrilling new collection from the award-winning author of A Head Full of Ghosts and T

12 .) Lady in the Lake written by Laura Lippman

Lists It Appears On:

• BookPage
• Publishers Weekly 2
• Kirkus
• NPR

‘Haunting… extraordinary.’ STEPHEN KING A stunning, multi-voiced, period piece – tackling race, gender politics, and the volatility of mid ’60s America – from the author of SUNBURN Cleo Sherwood disappeared eight months ago. Aside from her parents and th

11 .) Lock Every Door written by Riley Sager

Lists It Appears On:

• SheReads
• Story-eyed Reviews
• Goodreads 2
• Amazon

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Parade, “The Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2019 ” and “The Best Beach Reads of Summer 2019” Good Housekeeping, “Best New Books for Summer 2019” PureWow “The Best Beach Reads of Summer 2019” BookBub “Books That Will

10 .) The Family Upstairs written by Lisa Jewell

Lists It Appears On:

• Guardian
• SheReads
• Dead Good
• Goodreads 2

“Rich, dark, and intricately twisted, this enthralling whodunit mixes family saga with domestic noir to brilliantly chilling effect.” —Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author “A haunting, atmospheric, stay-up-way-too-late read.” —Megan Miranda, New Yo

9.) The Turn Of The Key written by Ruth Ware

Lists It Appears On:

• Reader’s Digest
• SheReads
• Dead Good
• Goodreads 2

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, and The Death of Mrs. Westaway comes Ruth Ware’s highly anticipated fifth novel. When she stumbles across the ad

8.) The Whisper Man written by Alex North

Lists It Appears On:

• Guardian
• SheReads
• Goodreads 2
• Amazon

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ‘THE BEST CRIME NOVEL OF THE DECADE’ Steve Cavanagh, bestselling author of Twisted If you leave a door half-open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken . . . Still devastated after the loss of his wife, Tom Kennedy and his young

7.) American Spy written by Lauren Wilkinson

Lists It Appears On:

• Guardian
• SheReads
• Telegraph
• Amazon
• NPR

“American Spy updates the espionage thriller with blazing originality.”—Entertainment Weekly “Gutsy . . . challenging boundaries is what brave fiction does.”—The New York Times “So much fun . . . Like the best of John le Carré, it’s extremely tough to put

6.) Conviction written by Denise Mina

Lists It Appears On:

• BookPage
• Publishers Weekly 2
• Telegraph
• NPR
• Observer

A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK A true-crime podcast sets a trophy wife’s present life on a collision course with her secret past in this thriller from Denise Mina. The day Anna McDonald’s quiet, respectable life exploded started off li

5.) Heaven, My Home written by Attica Locke

Lists It Appears On:

• BookPage
• Guardian
• Readings
• Kirkus
• NPR

Nine-year-old Levi King knew he should have left for home sooner; instead he found himself all alone, adrift on the vastness of Caddo Lake. A sudden noise – and all goes dark. Ranger Darren Matthews is trying to emerge from another kind of darkness; his ca

4.) The Chain written by Adrian McKinty

Lists It Appears On:

• Amazon
• Guardian
• Goodreads 2
• Kirkus
• Observer

YOUR PHONE RINGS A STRANGER HAS KIDNAPPED YOUR CHILD TO FREE THEM YOU MUST ABDUCT SOMEONE ELSE’S YOUR CHILD WILL BE RELEASED WHEN YOUR VICTIM’S PARENTS KIDNAP ANOTHER IF ANY OF THESE THINGS DON’T HAPPEN: YOUR CHILD WILL BE KILLED. YOU ARE NOW PART OF THE C

3.) The Institute written by Stephen King

Lists It Appears On:

• Publishers Weekly
• USA Today
• Goodreads
• Grit Daily
• Amazon

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King, the most riveting and unforgettable story of kids confronting evil since It—publishing just as the second part of It, the movie, lands in theaters. In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet st

2.) The Lost Man written by Jane Harper

Lists It Appears On:

• BookPage
• Dead Good
• Goodreads 2
• Kirkus
• Observer
• Five Books 2
• Library Journal

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Two brothers meet in the remote Australian outback when the third brother is found dead, in this stunning new standalone novel from Jane Harper Brothers Nathan and Bub Bright meet for the first time in months at the remote

1.) The Silent Patient written by Alex Michaelides

Lists It Appears On:

• Amazon
• Publishers Weekly 2
• SheReads
• USA Today
• Dead Good
• Goodreads 2
• JoelBooks

Read the No.1 New York Times bestselling, record-breaking 2019 thriller that everyone is talking about – soon to be a major film. ‘Terrific’ – THE TIMES Crime Book of the Month ‘Smart, sophisticated suspense’ – LEE CHILD ‘Absolutely brilliant’ – STEPHEN FR

The 175+ Additional Best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller Books Released In 2019

26 Best Mystery, Horror, and Thriller Book Sources/Lists