Best mystery & thriller romance books

Romance with a red herring thrown into the mix – suspense, secrets, and dark twists. 256 books in the database.

Mystery and thriller romance combines the emotional pull of a love story with the page-turning tension of a whodunit or a high-stakes thriller. Whether it is two detectives who cannot stand each other working a case together, a cozy mystery set in a bookshop with a slow burn romance on the side, or a psychological thriller where the love interest might not be who they seem – this subgenre keeps readers guessing on two fronts at once.

The best mystery romance delivers genuine suspense alongside genuine emotional investment. You care who did it and you care whether these two people end up together. The books below range from light and cozy to dark and genuinely chilling – use the tags to find the right heat-to-suspense ratio for your mood.

1
A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons Kate Khavari
352 pages Book 1 of Saffron Everleigh Mysteries Published by Crooked Lane Books
2
A Marvellous Light Freya Marske
448 pages Book 1 of The Last Binding Trilogy Published by Tor
Magic LGBT Queer
3
A Murder to Remember Brynn Kelly
320 pages Standalone Published by Harlequin
4
A Novel Obsession Caitlin Barasch
320 pages Standalone Published by William Morrow
Books about books
5
A Ruse of Shadows Sherry Thomas
416 pages Book 1 of Lady Sherlock Series Published by Berkley
6
A Sea of Unspoken Things Adrienne Young
290 pages Standalone Published by Wednesday Books
7
A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage Asia Mackay
352 pages Standalone Published by Penguin UK
8
A Study in Drowning Ava Reid
448 pages Book 1 of A Study in Drowning Series Published by HarperTeen
Dark academia
9
A Theory of Dreaming Ava Reid
384 pages Standalone Published by HarperCollins
Dark academia
10
A Twisted Love Story Samantha Downing
384 pages Standalone Published by Berkley
11
A Week at the Shore Barbara Delinsky
368 pages Standalone Published by St. Martin's Press
12
Abandoned in Death J.D. Robb
352 pages Book 54 of In Death Series Published by St. Martin's Press
Futuristic
13
Advika and the Hollywood Wives Kirthana Ramisetti
352 pages Standalone Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons
14
Alchemy of Secrets Stephanie Garber
400 pages Book 1 of the Alchemy of Secrets Series Published by Flatiron Books
Dark academia
15
All the Colors of the Dark Chris Whitaker
586 pages Standalone Published by Crown
16
Amelia Unabridged Ashley Schumacher
352 pages Standalone Published by Wednesday Books
Books about books Grief
17
An Impossible Impostor Deanna Raybourn
384 pages Book 8 of Veronica Speedwell Series Published by Berkley
18
An Island Summer Jenny Hale
320 pages Standalone Published by Bookouture
Summer
19
An Unexpected Peril Deanna Raybourn
368 pages Book 6 of Veronica Speedwell Series Published by Berkley
20
Anatomy: A Love Story Dana Schwartz
352 pages Book 1 of Anatomy Duology Published by Wednesday Books