I think fall is a great month for mysteries and thrillers, perhaps because horror is far too scary for me. It’s time to cozy up with a warm drink and snuggle under a blanket, because reading a mystery or thriller while safely curled up on the couch feels like the sensible thing to do!

This is the season for secrets, suspicious families, impossible situations, and twists that have you flipping back three chapters because you must have missed a clue. Come on, we’ve all done that! 

And because not every mystery needs to leave you sleeping with the lights on, we have mixed things up a little. There are psychological thrillers, claustrophobic survival stories, domestic mysteries, a retired serial killer, and even one wonderfully funny family murder mystery.

So, if your fall TBR could use a little danger, we’ve got you covered!

 

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

We thought we should ease you in gently. Well, as gently as you can when literally everyone in the family has killed someone.

Ernest Cunningham is heading to a family reunion at a remote mountain resort, which is already awkward enough, considering the Cunninghams don’t exactly get along. Then a storm traps everyone there and a body is discovered.

The difference here is the tone. Benjamin Stevenson plays with classic mystery conventions and gives us a narrator who knows exactly what kind of book he is in. It is clever, self-aware, funny, and still gives you a genuine murder to solve.

If you love mysteries but occasionally want your murder served with a little more humor, this is such a fun place to start.

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

Evie Porter has the boyfriend, the beautiful house, and the kind of life that looks completely normal from the outside. There is just one slight problem. Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

A mysterious employer known as Mr. Smith gives Evie her new identity, along with her latest target: Ryan Sumner. Evie is great at becoming whoever the job requires, but this assignment gets complicated when Ryan gets under her skin. And if that wasn’t enough, a woman arrives using Evie’s real identity!

First Lie Wins is exactly the kind of thriller we love. It’s packed with secret identities, lies on top of lies, and a heroine desperately trying to stay one step ahead. And don’t forget to throw in a mysterious boss! Yes, trusting anyone feels like a terrible idea right now!

Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams

Claustrophobic readers, we apologize in advance. Tess reluctantly agrees to go caving with her adventurous best friend, Allie. It is already well outside her comfort zone, but things become considerably worse after an encounter with a stranger at the cave entrance turns dangerous.

Soon Tess is trapped hundreds of feet underground in an impossibly narrow space, fighting to survive. And somehow, getting out is only the beginning.

Taylor Adams takes an already terrifying setting and adds secrets, friendship, danger, and the growing realization that Tess may not know her best friend as well as she thought.

If being trapped in a dark cave sounds like your personal nightmare, congratulations. You may have just found your next thriller.

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney

Eden Fox is an artist on the verge of her big break when she returns from a run to Spyglass, the beautiful old house she recently moved into with her husband. But her key no longer works, another woman answers the door, and her husband insists the stranger is his wife. We would definitely have several questions.

Six months earlier, Birdy, a reclusive Londoner dealing with a life-changing diagnosis, inherits the very same house from a grandmother she barely knew. Her move to Hope Falls is not what she expected, and she ends up finding a mysterious clinic claiming it can predict the exact date someone will die, including her own.

As the two stories begin to connect, secrets, lies, obsession, and revenge pile up. This sounds like exactly the kind of marriage thriller where nothing is quite what it seems.

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing

Lottie Jones would really like to enjoy her retirement. She has bingo, friends to gossip with, and a quiet life in a small town. There is absolutely no reason anyone needs to know that decades earlier she was a serial killer.

Unfortunately, investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up at her door with rather inconvenient questions about several unsolved murders. Lottie has worked very hard to keep her past buried, and she is not about to let one journalist ruin everything now.

There is something wonderfully different about following an older woman whose main concern is not solving the murders but making sure nobody discovers she committed them. Miss Marple, she is not! 

Two OUABC Thrillers to Add to Your Fall Reading

Of course, we couldn’t talk about mystery and thriller books without mentioning two stories that have already received the magical OUABC treatment.

 

The Unknown by Riley Sager

One hundred years ago, five women vanished from New Avalon, a remote Vermont island that had once been home to a commune of spiritual mediums.

Now, struggling actress Marin Keane has been cast in a movie about their disappearance and sent to New Avalon for a week of research.

Excellent career opportunity. Slightly questionable travel destination.

The original mystery has never been solved, and stories about séances, supernatural forces, and five dresses left hanging from an oak tree have kept the legend alive for a century.

Our OUABC Lite edition of The Unknown turns the story into a five-senses reading experience, with five envelopes to open as you read, plus a special hardcover edition featuring custom details and a signed tip-in.

 

If I Go Missing by Leslie Wolfe

Imagine your best friend gives you a binder containing everything you will need to find her if she ever disappears. Then she does.

The woman at the center of If I Go Missing knows she is in danger, even if everyone else thinks she is paranoid. She has secrets; her husband has no idea what she’s done, and the only person she trusts to piece everything together is the friend who's known her since childhood.

There is one rather important catch: solving her disappearance may uncover her friend’s secrets too.

Our 2026 Thriller Mini Box pairs If I Go Missing with wrapped surprise gifts to open at specific moments as you read, because apparently solving the mystery alone wasn’t enough pressure.

Fall Mystery and Thriller Books at a Glance

Mystery and Thriller Authors Worth Adding to Your TBR

If you’re like me, one book simply isn’t enough. I am always reading more than one; it’s my superpower! You find an author who knows exactly how to keep you suspicious, throw in a twist at precisely the right moment, and suddenly you’re five books into their backlist wondering what happened to your weekend.

If that sounds familiar, here are a few mystery and thriller authors we think are well worth keeping on your radar.

Riley Sager

If you like fast-paced thrillers, isolated settings, secrets from the past, and twists that keep changing what you think you know, Riley Sager is always a good place to start. His books include The Only One Left, Middle of the Night, With a Vengeance (our 2025 Summer Thrills selection!), and, of course, The Unknown, which we’ve given the OUABC Lite treatment. 

Peter Swanson

Peter Swanson is one for readers who enjoy clever psychological mysteries where the characters may be just as dangerous as the situation they find themselves in. Books like The Kind Worth Killing, Eight Perfect Murders, and The Kind Worth Saving play wonderfully with murder, obsession, and deception.

Simone St. James

If you’re looking for mystery with an eerie edge, Simone St. James is just what you need! She blends crime, suspense, and supernatural elements particularly well, which makes books such as The Sun Down Motel, The Book of Cold Cases, Murder Road, and A Box Full of Darkness excellent choices when you want your thriller to come with a few ghosts too. 

Karin Slaughter

If you prefer your crime fiction darker, grittier, and considerably more intense, Karin Slaughter should be on your list. She is especially well known for the long-running Will Trent and Grant County series, along with her standalone novels, so there are plenty of options waiting for you! Just don’t necessarily expect a gentle bedtime story.

Steve Cavanagh

Legal thriller fans, this one is for you. Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series follows a former con artist turned criminal defense attorney, bringing his unusual skill set into the courtroom as he takes on some seriously dangerous cases. He also writes standalone thrillers, including Kill for Me, Kill for You, if you’re not quite ready to commit to a whole series.

Shari Lapena

Shari Lapena is fantastic at making a perfectly ordinary neighborhood feel quite suspicious. She specializes in domestic and psychological suspense, where marriages, families, neighbors, and seemingly comfortable homes hide far more than they should. The Couple Next Door, Not a Happy Family, Everyone Here Is Lying, and She Didn’t See It Coming are all waiting when you feel like distrusting absolutely everyone.

Consider Your Fall TBR Officially More Suspicious

We love a suspicious TBR full of thrills and mystery! You can spend your weekend investigating the Cunningham family, crawling underground with Tess, trying to figure out which woman is actually married to Eden’s husband, or cheering on a retired serial killer who would really appreciate everyone minding their own business.

If your preferred fall mysteries come with old libraries, secret societies, and suspicious academic institutions, head over to Dark Academia Books to Read This October. Apparently, our fall TBR still has room. 

And lastly, if you want your thrillers to come with an immersive OUABC experience, The Unknown and If I Go Missing are waiting too. The only difficult part is deciding which mystery you want to solve first.

We would love to hear what makes the perfect fall thriller for you: an impossible mystery, a twist you never saw coming, or a setting that makes you seriously reconsider turning off the lights?

Happy reading!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some good mystery and thriller books to read this fall?

Good fall mystery and thriller choices include Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson, First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston, Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams, My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney, and Too Old for This by Samantha Downing. They range from funny mysteries and psychological thrillers to survival stories and domestic suspense.

What should I read if I want a mystery that is funny rather than dark?

Try Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson. It combines a genuine murder mystery with a self-aware narrator, family dysfunction, and humor, making it a good choice if you want something clever without an overly dark tone.

What should I read if I like thrillers about secret identities?

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston is a strong choice. Evie Porter is living under a false identity when another woman suddenly appears using Evie’s real name, forcing her to question who she can trust and how far her mysterious employer will go.

What is a good thriller if I want a claustrophobic or survival setting?

Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams is built around a terrifying caving trip. Tess becomes trapped hundreds of feet underground in an impossibly narrow space, but the danger continues even after she makes it out.

What should I read if I like domestic thrillers about marriage and secrets?

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney is a good fit. Eden returns home to discover another woman claiming to be her husband’s wife, while a second timeline follows Birdy and a mysterious clinic that says it can predict the exact date someone will die.

What should I read if I like mysteries with a supernatural edge?

The Unknown by Riley Sager combines a century-old disappearance, a remote Vermont island, séances, and rumors of supernatural forces. It is also available as an OUABC Lite edition with a five-senses reading experience.

Which mystery and thriller authors are good to read if I want more than one book?

Riley Sager, Peter Swanson, Simone St. James, Lisa Unger, Karin Slaughter, Steve Cavanagh, Shari Lapena, and John Marrs all have more than one book to their name. These include psychological suspense, supernatural mysteries, legal thrillers, domestic suspense, crime fiction, and speculative thrillers.