The Best Mystery Books Novels & Stories

Something sinister lay in the silence and Dan turned to scan the way. He wouldn't be caught off guard again. A shadow shifted in his periphery, and he turned as a man stepped from between two cars. Medium heights. Medium build. Well-dressed and carrying a briefcase. Not someone Betty would normally have noticed. Not someone she would normally have thought of as a threat. But these weren't normal circumstances, and everyone was a threat until proven otherwise. "Hey!" the man called out, offering a quick wave and a brief smile. "I've locked myself out of my car, and my cell phone is in it. Can you give me a hand?"

Instead, he replied with actual books I’ve read before in my first life that he firmly hated. “‘Darkness Within’ is my first recommendation. Absolutely amazing. ‘Death, are you real?’ is also good, as well as ‘The Next Morning’. Those three are my best picks.” I blinked several times, visibly surprised. Earlier events completely shoved to the side as this new discovery of Cassius Silverton reading thriller books had me utterly nonplussed.

Her curiosity about the writer behind such a captivating book was driving her crazy, but no matter how hard she scoured, she still found next to nothing. Determined, she bit the bullet and decided to read the author's other two mystery novels, even though she didn't expect much. They were written over a decade ago, after all, and were probably outdated. To her surprise, she got hooked again! She was furious and amazed at the same time! Over the course of a week, she devoured all of Mindy's novels. Apart from that one cheesy youth romance novel that was awful, every other mystery thriller was more gripping than the last.

“What about you, Mr. Brady, do you read?” "I haven't read in a while. I like thrillers. Lee Child, James Patterson, Stephen King." He tells us as he reaches and takes a piece of steak. "Have you read Harlan Coben? He writes some amazing thrillers like Drop Shot, One False Move, and Tell No One." I'm in my element now. This is safe ground, I love talking about books. I love almost every genre out there. I'll give anything a go once. Indie authors are my favorite as their work is so unique, it's like a diamond in the rough.

I asked all three of them. I could see Cain smiling down at me with pride. “Well, novels would be great. That’s a good starting point for any beginner,” the first man said. “I agree, and you could make picks from romance, mystery and thrillers, and even historical fiction,” the second man responded. “We have a list of the top bestselling authors. You will be glued to every book you select,” the third one said. I became relaxed almost immediately, but then again, Cain’s phone beeped.

I beamed. "Crazy, isn't it?" "Fucking crazy, for real." "First, we put THE DA VINCI CODE by DAN BROWN here." He picked out the book and inserted it in the center line of the shelf. He put HOW TO STOP TIME by MATT HAIG, followed by EVERGREEN by NAOMI HIRAHARA. "Then KISS THE GIRLS by JAMES PATTERSON." He put it next to the first book. "I've read that." I went on in a spur of excitement. "It's a thriller and mystery novel about a detective who's trying to track down a serial killer. So many twists and cliffhangers. Total page-turner." I giggled.

I replied, "but I’ve never been one to watch the way horses walk. It's not my thing. Maybe it’s yours." She playfully gave me the finger and kept talking. "When I was younger, my favorite books were the Chestnut Hill series! Well, not my favorites of all time—that was definitely Nancy Drew." "Fuck Nancy Drew!" I didn't realize I’d said it out loud until she slapped my arm and frowned. "Nancy Drew will forever be the best mystery series, hands down. It’s iconic." "Okay, crazy lady. But I think the Hardy Boys were much better. Nancy Drew always has the same storyline. You can predict exactly what’s going to happen. There’s never anything new."

"Any favorites?" "There's this series about ancient pack wars that's surprisingly well-researched. And I have a weakness for detective novels, though don't tell Carson. He thinks they're a waste of time, but I once caught him reading one and he was too focused on it to even know I was standing in the same room as he was." "Your secret's safe with me, maybe he just doesnt want to admit how good it is." She grinned. "I love mysteries too. Have you read the Inspector Blackwood series?"

Fuck, she makes me feel everything. "It is indeed a good morning," I say wrapping more of her wild hair around her ear so I can see her face better. "Sorry, I fell asleep," she says. I'm not sorry. I didn't want to get into her Dad's allegations last night and even though she wasn't happy about it she asked me to read her the book she had grabbed off my book shelf. One of my favorites. It's a mystery novel about two mates who find each other while they are both trying to catch the same serial killer that's on the loose.

I don’t want to be a distraction,’ she said guiltily. ‘You’ve proven to be my very beautiful and sexy distraction, and I am glad that you’re with me right now. Having you here kept me distracted from dwelling too much on how bad I feel, and it’s giving me a better perspective on how to do my investigation. Plus, now there are two of us. It might make searching for clues easier.’