What LGBTQ+ Romance Murder Mystery Books Are Highly Rated?

Honestly, if you're just dipping your toes into romance-leaning murder mysteries, I’d start with books that balance atmosphere, believable relationships, and a solid whodunit to keep you hooked. 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier is a classic for a reason: it’s gothic, romantic, and quietly murderous. The slow-burn tension between the narrator and the lingering presence of Rebecca creates both romantic unease and a mystery that unravels like a fog lifting. It’s perfect if you like moody settings and unreliable narrators. For something lighter and cheerier, try 'Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death' by M.C. Beaton — cozy, funny, and full of small-town romance vibes. It’s a great palate cleanser if you don’t want anything too dark. If you prefer modern domestic intrigue with relationship dynamics at the core, 'Big Little Lies' by Liane Moriarty blends friendship, marriage, and a central violent event in a way that reads like gossip with teeth. For historical mystery with family secrets and romantic threads, Kate Morton’s 'The Secret Keeper' is a lovely introduction: it leans into atmosphere and intergenerational secrets more than gore. And if you want something witty and warm that still deals with a murder, 'The Thursday Murder Club' by Richard Osman mixes friendship, gentle romance, and puzzle-solving — highly addictive and very approachable. My tip: pick a mood first — gothic/romantic, cozy/funny, or domestic/noir — then choose a title. Pair 'Rebecca' with a rainy evening and tea; pick 'Agatha Raisin' for a weekend with snacks. Each of these will teach you different rhythms of the genre while keeping the romance believable and the mystery satisfying.

Honestly, some of my favorite guilty-pleasure crime shows started off as books, and a few that blur romance and murder into deliciously tense TV are impossible to skip. 'Big Little Lies' by Liane Moriarty became that glossy, painfully intimate HBO event with Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman — it takes suburban friendships, messy romantic entanglements, and a central murder mystery and makes each episode feel like tearing open someone’s diary. Then there’s 'Sharp Objects' by Gillian Flynn, which turned into a slow-burn HBO miniseries where the romance is more fractured memory and tangled desire than a neat love story, and that actually deepens the mystery rather than softening it. On the weirder side of romance-plus-homicide you’ve got 'You' by Caroline Kepnes: the book’s stilted-but-brilliant internal monologue of an obsessive narrator became a bingeable Netflix series that expands and corrupts the romance into something downright chilling. And if you like historical atmospheres with romantic undercurrents wrapped around a suspected murder, 'Alias Grace' by Margaret Atwood translated into a haunting miniseries that keeps the ambiguity of motive intact. I usually read a book first and then watch, but sometimes the show flips my feelings about characters — which I secretly love.

Okay, if you like your mysteries with a slow-burn romantic current underneath the forensic bits, here are a few underrated picks I keep telling friends about. First, try 'Nine Coaches Waiting' — it’s classic romantic suspense with gothic vibes, heirloom estates, and poisonous social webs. The romance isn't glossy; it’s tense and full of emotional stakes, which makes the eventual mystery feel personal. Then there's 'The Devotion of Suspect X' by Keigo Higashino, which many treat as a straight puzzle but it quietly explores devotion and unrequited love as motives, and that emotional depth makes the whodunit heartbreaking rather than just clever. Finally, pick up 'The Last Mrs. Parrish' if you want domestic manipulation married to romantic ambition; it reads like a slow-burning duel where attraction and deception feed each other. These books deserve more readers because they treat romance as part of motive and atmosphere, not just decoration — the love threads complicate choices, and that yields twists that linger with you long after the reveal.

Oh, I get giddy talking about this—there’s something about a slow-burn romance sitting on top of a murder mystery that makes for irresistible audio. For full-throttle performance, start with 'Gone Girl'—Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne split the perspectives in a way that feels like eavesdropping on two very different people. Their chemistry (through voice alone) heightens the marital tension and the slow reveal of the plot, and I found myself rewinding scenes just to catch a nuance I’d missed. If you crave a multi-voice experience, try 'The Girl on the Train' read by Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey, and India Fisher. Each narrator gives a distinct personality to the three women, which helps when the plot loops and misleads you. For something darker and moodier, 'Sharp Objects' read by Ann Marie Lee creates an unnervingly intimate atmosphere; her delivery leans into the book’s unsettling family dynamics and the way romance and self-destruction intertwine. Finally, for gothic vibes where romance and mystery braid together, the versions of 'Rebecca' read by Juliet Stevenson (there are a few editions) are worth hunting down—her voice carries the creeping dread and fragile longing perfectly. These picks are my go-to when I want a story that’s both a love story and a puzzle; they double as masterclasses in how a narrator can become part of the story itself.

Okay, if you want something that wraps you in a warm blanket and hands you a cup of tea while a gentle whodunit unfolds, there are a few favourites I reach for again and again. Start with 'The Thursday Murder Club' by Richard Osman — it’s funny and tender, full of a gang of retirees solving crimes with wry observations and unexpected heart. For a more romantic tilt with a quirky sleuth, the 'Agatha Raisin' books by M.C. Beaton serve up small-town gossip, flirtatious sparks, and culinary catastrophes in equal measure. If cozy + food + slow-burn romance is your jam, try 'A Deadly Inside Scoop' by Abby Collette; ice cream, family drama, and a budding relationship make it feel like dessert you can read. I also adore 'Death by Darjeeling' from Laura Childs' Tea Shop Mysteries for its soothing setting and simmering romantic threads, and Alexander McCall Smith’s 'The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' for gentle moral warmth and low-stakes romance. Pair any of these with chamomile or a mug of cocoa, and you’ve got the perfect comforting mystery night — low gore, big heart, and characters who feel like neighbors.

Oh, absolutely — there’s a neat little corner of bookshelf real estate where historical romance, murder mystery, and real cases overlap, though it’s more of a spectrum than a tidy genre. I get excited about this blend because you can taste the period detail, feel a romantic tension, and also trace bones of an actual crime or historical scandal. If you want something grounded in a true case but told with lush narrative, try 'The Devil in the White City' by Erik Larson. It’s nonfiction, but reads like a novel and follows H. H. Holmes’s crimes alongside the 1893 Chicago World's Fair — the human stories and macabre details give you the historical-feel you’d expect from a romantic-era mystery. For a fictional mystery that leans on a real figure, 'The Pale Blue Eye' by Louis Bayard invents a murder mystery with a young Edgar Allan Poe involved, which scratches that itch for historical verisimilitude while keeping the plot imaginative. For Victorian romance-mystery vibes (less explicitly a real case, more true-to-period social crimes), look at 'Silent in the Grave' by Deanna Raybourn or the atmospheric 'Fingersmith' by Sarah Waters. If you want to hunt sharper: search for "fictionalized true crime," "based on a true event," or novels that feature real historical figures (journalists, detectives, writers) — those often braid fact into romantic and murderous plots. I love flipping between the nonfiction source and the novelized spin to see how authors warp facts to serve emotion and suspense.

If your book club thrives on slow-burn atmosphere and juicy plot twists, I can’t recommend a few titles enough. I’d start with 'Rebecca' for a classic deep-dive: it’s gothic romance wrapped around a mysterious death, and every chapter sparks conversation about unreliable memory, class, and the shadow of the past. Pair that with 'Gone Girl' if you want modern bite—its interrogation of marriage, media, and identity leads to heated debates and great moderator prompts. I also love suggesting 'Big Little Lies' for groups that enjoy multiple POVs and social themes; it’s practically tailor-made for a talk about friendship, secrecy, and the small violences behind suburban facades. For something a bit darker and more cerebral, 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' folds in a complex romantic thread alongside a grim mystery—expect long conversations about trauma, justice, and investigative ethics. For meetings, I break these into thematic chunks: one session on character motives and relationships, another on narrative technique and unreliable narrators, and a wrap-up comparing book-to-screen adaptations. I always toss a gentle content-warning card on the table—these titles can hit heavy—and suggest tea and strong snacks so people stay talkative and comfy.

I’ve spent years diving into the twisted worlds of murder mysteries, and a few names always rise to the top when it comes to crafting the most gripping, spine-chilling tales. Agatha Christie is an absolute legend in this genre. Her books like 'Murder on the Orient Express' and 'And Then There Were None' are masterclasses in plotting and suspense. Christie’s ability to weave intricate puzzles while keeping readers guessing until the last page is unmatched. Her characters, especially Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, feel like old friends even as they unravel the darkest secrets. Another giant in the field is Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Stories like 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' and 'A Study in Scarlet' set the standard for detective fiction. Holmes’ deductive reasoning and Watson’s grounded narration create a perfect balance, making each case a thrilling ride. Doyle’s influence is so vast that modern mysteries still borrow from his playbook, from red herrings to dramatic reveals. For something more contemporary, Gillian Flynn’s work stands out. 'Gone Girl' isn’t just a murder mystery; it’s a psychological deep dive into manipulation and deception. Flynn’s knack for unreliable narrators and shocking twists redefined the genre for modern audiences. Her dark, gritty style makes every revelation hit harder, leaving readers stunned long after they finish the book. Then there’s Tana French, whose Dublin Murder Squad series blends police procedurals with rich character studies. Books like 'In the Woods' and 'The Likeness' aren’t just about solving crimes—they explore the emotional toll on detectives, adding layers of depth to the genre. French’s lyrical prose and atmospheric settings make her stories feel hauntingly real. Lastly, Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe series, including 'The Big Sleep,' brought hard-boiled detective fiction to life. Chandler’s sharp dialogue and gritty realism paint a vivid picture of 1940s Los Angeles, where corruption and moral ambiguity rule. His work influenced countless crime writers and even shaped the tone of film noir. Each of these authors brings something unique to the table, whether it’s Christie’s puzzles, Doyle’s brilliance, Flynn’s mind games, French’s depth, or Chandler’s style, making them the undisputed masters of murder mystery.