Recs if you like Notes on an Execution...

this is for aesthetics only

This includes book that have either mystery or thrillers as a primary or secondary genre. If you have recommendations to add please comment and I'll happily add them 💕

for those who don't conform to the norm.

Morally grey or straight up baddies? Aiming to collect books written from a villainous/morally grey POV so suggestion appreciated.

(Please read the title of the list to the tune of Purple Rain 😂) - Books with purple covers!

So I LOVE the show Cold Case (ilysm Lilly Rush/Scotty Valens). Cold case mystery/thrillers live in that unsettling space where justice failed the first time, and the world moved on as if the truth didn’t matter. These stories, like the show, return to those forgotten crimes years, even decades later, when a detective, journalist, podcaster, or relentless outsider decides to dig deeper. #tacklingunfinishedbusiness #coldcases

For those of you who subscribe to newlynova on either YouTube or TikTok, I have compiled a list of books that she has mentioned in her videos

The New York Times published a list on August 5th, 2026, of the 50 best thrillers published since 2000 as voted on by hundreds of writers of every kind of crime fiction, from legal thrillers to spy novels to cozy mysteries, as well as librarians, editors, critics and Bookstagrammers.

aka mostly “literary thrillers” though that’s an annoying phrase…just thrillers that don’t sacrifice attention to prose for the sake of plot

This is a list of books for the Read The States Challenge. Read any on each of the state lists and be awarded the pride of knowing you have read all across the US!

masterlist of recommendations from booktuber allison paiges, THE cozy booktuber 💐 (list in progress; will be slowly adding as i rewatch their videos)

Books that I think everyone should read because they contain the essence of real human experiences and will expand the understanding of others.

August 2026 List of the best thrillers of the 21st century as nominated by mystery/thriller authors

This is a list of books that at least one person thinks you should read. A book that, no matter who you are, is worth giving a try. Out there in the world, this is someone's favourite book. They wish absolutely everyone they know would sit down and read it. Will you give any of these a chance? The books chosen for this list are members of the community, as well as my coworkers at the bookstore I work at.

50 Best Thrillers of the 21st Century | NYT List

Books Lexi specifically recommends; not an exhaustive list of all the books she's featured on her channel included anything she rated 4 stars and over only the first book in a series

my personal literary fiction tbr list

These sinister, spine-tingling, sensational novels may be standalones or part of a deeper, darker series, but they are all phenomenal and well deserving of a shout-out. More will be added to this list as I come across them, and I am always open for book recs.