“There’s no such thing as being an observer. Doing nothing is doing something. Being passive has consequences.”
Who doesn’t love a good mystery? Creating a devilishly dark premise and hooking readers in with an array of layered characters is a skill not every writer possesses, with many stumbling in their attempt to make all of them appear as believable suspects. Pacing and suspense also play significant roles in mystery-thriller books, requiring authors to know precisely when to sprinkle in the moments of reveal or action throughout the read. But, when they do manage to nail all these things, the end result is magic to read. So, with all of these factors in mind, join us at What We Reading as we take a look back at the top mystery books of 2022.
The Overnight Guest – Heather Gudenkauf
Picture this: a cosy fireplace crackles, complete silence envelops you, and a lodge all to yourself – Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being alone. In The Overnight Guest, we follow this true crime writer as she retreats to an isolated farmhouse to begin work on her newest book. Two people were murdered, and a girl mysteriously disappeared from the building, but she remains undeterred.
However, as a raging snowstorm outside forces her to hunker down and delve deeper into the building’s dark history, things take an unsettling turn. When she discovers a child alone out in the snow and brings her inside, it becomes clear that she isn’t as isolated as she first thought, and someone out there is doing all they can to find them. This high-tension dark mystery by Heather Gudenkauf provides readers with one of the most thrilling rides of 2022.
Check Out The Best Books Like The Overnight Guest
The Family Game – Catherine Steadman
Catherine Steadman’s The Family Game gives readers a deadly insight into what it takes to join the 1%. The New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water, Mr Nobody, and The Disappearing Act take us on a thrilling ride as we follow Harry, a novelist, and her husband, Edward. The couple is pulled into Edward’s family’s high-flying upper-class lifestyle.
Still, when the patriarch of the estate gives Harry a mysterious cassette, a potentially deadly game based on their old traditions kicks off. With Steadman’s masterful storytelling, readers will be on the edge of their seats until the very end of this gripping mystery-thriller.
Check Out Our The Family Game Book Review
Stay Awake – Megan Goldin
Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi without knowing where she is or how she got there. When she arrives back at her apartment, she finds a stranger living in her home. In her hand is a bloodstained knife and two words scribbled desperately onto her hand: “Stay Awake.”
In Megan Goldin’s 2022 mystery-thriller, Liv stumbles around an unfamiliar New York as she attempts to piece together what she has done and why she can’t remember the past two years of her life. When she sees newspaper reports of a murder victim with the same two words scrawled in blood, she quickly finds herself on the run from a crime she doesn’t even remember committing. With a gripping storyline and plenty of twists and turns, readers won’t be able to put this thrilling book down.
Wrong Place Wrong Time – Gillian McAllister
Nominated for the Best Mystery Award in the 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards, Wrong Place Wrong Time is a chilling and gripping thriller that explores the dynamic between a mother and her seventeen-year-old son. One evening, after waiting up for him, the mother witnesses her son brutally murder a stranger. But when she wakes up the next day, she realizes it is the day before yesterday.
And so begins the book’s cycle, with the mother continuously waking up and attempting to prevent her son from committing a murder that has already happened. Gillian McAllister’s Wrong Place Wrong Time delves into the far-reaching impact of the Butterfly Effect, leaving readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. This head-turning thriller is a must-read for mystery fans.
The Family Remains – Lisa Jewell
Get ready for an intricate and emotionally charged tale of twisted relationships, fractured families, and deadly obsessions in The Family Remains, the standalone sequel to Lisa Jewell’s number-one New York Times bestseller, The Family Upstairs. Set in London and France, the book follows the discovery of two dead bodies, whose remains not only link them together but also connect them to the occupants of 16 Cheyne Walk thirty years ago.
As readers are reunited with the cast of the previous novel, they’ll be drawn into a jaw-dropping mystery that delves into just how far we’ll go to protect the ones we love. With Jewell’s masterful storytelling, “The Family Remains” is a potent and must-read thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
We Lie Here – Rachel Howzell Hall
Get ready for a thrilling story of family secrets and grizzly murders in Rachel Howzell Hall’s We Lie Here. Yara Gibson, a TV writer, returns to her hometown of Palmdale, California, for her parents’ twentieth-anniversary party. But when she receives a message from her estranged friend Felicia claiming to have “information” she needs to know, Yara’s homecoming takes a dark turn.
When Felicia’s body is found floating in the lake, Yara is led to a mysterious lakeside cabin, where she discovers snippets of information about an unsolved tragedy from 1998. With each piece of the puzzle, Yara’s life is forever changed as she uncovers the truth of what happened inside one small cabin. With masterful storytelling, Rachel Howzell Hall presents a thrilling and suspenseful read in We Lie Here.
Two Truths And A Life – April Henry
April Henry, a young adult thriller novelist, weaves a chilling tale of survival in her 2022 mystery book, Two Truths and a Lie. The story follows Nell, an aspiring actor, and her acting troupe, as they become trapped in a creepy motel on their way to a contest.
The tension rises when they meet another group of students and decide to play a game of Two Truths and a Lie. During Nell’s turn, she draws two cards with disturbing statements written in unfamiliar handwriting: ‘I like to watch people die. I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve killed.’ What started as a night of harmless fun quickly turns into a night of terror and survival, as this group of liars and performers realize that nothing is as it seems.
With skilful writing, Henry builds suspense and keeps readers on the edge of their seats as they follow Nell and her group’s desperate attempt to survive.
Check Out The Best Mystery Books From 2023
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
