Best Detective Books December 2024

Before She Disappeared

Frankie Elkin is a recovering alcoholic with a knack for finding missing people. When she stumbles upon the case of Angelique Badeau, a Haitian teenager who vanished from her Boston neighborhood, Frankie can’t resist diving in. As she navigates the gritty streets and cultural complexities of Mattapan, she uncovers a web of secrets that could put her own life at risk. With each clue, Frankie’s determination grows, fueled by her own haunted past and the desperate hope of a family longing for answers. This gripping tale of redemption and resilience will keep you guessing until the very end.

The Other Daughter

Sarah Quinlan’s perfect life is shattered when her husband is murdered. As she grapples with grief, she discovers a shocking secret: her husband had another daughter. Determined to uncover the truth, Sarah embarks on a dangerous journey that leads her into a web of lies and deceit. With each revelation, she questions everything she thought she knew about her marriage. Gardner’s gripping thriller keeps readers on edge, blending heart-pounding suspense with raw emotion. A masterful exploration of family, betrayal, and the lengths we’ll go to protect those we love.

Never Tell

Detective D.D. Warren returns in this gripping thriller that delves into the complexities of family secrets and the haunting effects of trauma. When a pregnant woman is found murdered in her own home, all evidence points to her husband. But as D.D. digs deeper, she uncovers a web of lies and hidden truths that challenge everything she thought she knew. With twists that’ll keep you guessing until the very end, “Never Tell” is a heart-pounding journey through the darkest corners of human nature.

Local Woman Missing

Delilah’s disappearance shook our quiet suburb to its core. I still remember the eerie silence that fell over our street as neighbors whispered theories behind closed doors. Eleven years later, the mystery deepens when Meredith returns, but something’s off. As I dig deeper, long-buried secrets surface, threatening to unravel the fabric of our community. Kubica’s gripping tale had me questioning everything I thought I knew about my neighbors, leaving me breathless until the final, shocking revelation.

The Lying Game

In “The Lying Game,” Ruth Ware weaves a gripping tale of four friends bound by a dark secret from their boarding school days. When a text summons them back to their old haunt, buried truths resurface, threatening to shatter their carefully constructed lives. Ware’s masterful storytelling keeps you guessing, as each page turn reveals another layer of deceit. I found myself completely immersed, unable to put it down, my heart racing as the characters’ past collided with their present. A haunting exploration of friendship, loyalty, and the consequences of youthful indiscretions.

In a Dark, Dark Wood

Nora’s life takes an unexpected turn when she receives an invitation to her estranged best friend’s hen party. Reluctantly, she agrees to attend, venturing into a secluded glass house deep in the woods. As the weekend unfolds, old secrets resurface, and tensions rise among the guests. Nora can’t shake the feeling that something is terribly wrong. When a shocking incident occurs, she finds herself trapped in a nightmare, questioning everything she thought she knew about her past and the people around her.

The Turn of the Key

Rowan Caine stumbles upon a dream job as a live-in nanny in the Scottish Highlands, but her excitement quickly turns to dread. The sprawling Victorian mansion, with its high-tech amenities and eerie history, harbors dark secrets. As strange occurrences escalate and the children’s behavior becomes increasingly unsettling, Rowan finds herself trapped in a nightmarish situation. Ware masterfully weaves a tale of paranoia and suspense, leaving readers questioning reality until the shocking final twist.

All the Missing Girls

Nicolette returns to her small hometown after a decade, haunted by her best friend’s unsolved disappearance. As she confronts buried secrets and old wounds, another girl vanishes, eerily mirroring the past. Told in reverse, this gripping mystery unravels layer by layer, revealing shocking truths and testing loyalties. Miranda’s taut prose and clever structure keep you guessing until the very end, blurring the lines between memory and reality in this atmospheric thriller.

The Perfect Stranger

Leah Stevens flees her troubled past in Boston, seeking a fresh start in rural Pennsylvania. She reconnects with an old friend, Emmy, and they become roommates. But when Emmy vanishes without a trace, Leah’s carefully constructed new life begins to unravel. As she delves deeper into Emmy’s disappearance, Leah realizes she barely knew her friend at all. With her own secrets threatening to surface, Leah must confront her past to uncover the truth about Emmy – and herself. A gripping tale of deception, identity, and the lengths we’ll go to protect our secrets.

The Girl Who Lived Twice

Lisbeth Salander returns in this electrifying continuation of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series. Haunted by her past, she’s on a personal mission of vengeance. Meanwhile, Mikael Blomkvist is drawn into a dangerous investigation involving high-level government corruption. As their paths intertwine, they uncover a web of lies that could shake Sweden to its core. Lagercrantz masterfully weaves intrigue and suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.