The Best Mystery & Suspense Novels of 2018
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The suspense market is so glutted right now that is easy to find amazing books to fill your shelves. It is equally easy to find books which sound intriguing but wind up being deeply disappointing. To help you separate the gold from the dross, Shannon and I have compiled a Best Of List sure to be of use to even the most finicky of readers.

Best Price Point Novel
Maggie: No doubt about it, suspense is a hot market right now and publishers are taking advantage of that by putting some of these books in a high price range – many of my favorites for the year ranged from $12.00 to $15.00 in Kindle. I’m glad some of my favorite authors continue to publish at a slightly lower cost. Easily my favorite books in the lower price range were Lisa Clark O’Neill’s Shiver, which costs just $4.99, The Thinnest Air by Minka Kent for $5.99 and Loreth Anne White’s The Girl in the Moss which is $5.99. Both Shiver and The Girl in the Moss are part of a series, but you don’t have to have read the previous books to thoroughly enjoy the above.

Shannon: I completely agree with you about The Girl In the Moss. I actually loved that entire trilogy, but the third one was my absolute favorite. C.J. Cooke’s I Know My Name is another fantastic thriller that won’t break the bank. It sells for $7.99.

Best Gothic Novel
Maggie: When looking over the mysteries I read in 2018, I was surprised to see that I read several books that I would consider gothics. The English Wife by Lauren Willig had a definite gothic feel to it. The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware was assuredly a gothic and much to my surprise, A Forgotten Place by Charles Todd was as well. That is not the usual style for the author, but it really, really worked in that novel. Simone St. James is the queen of gothics in my opinion and her latest novel, The Broken Girls, was good if not spectacular. Of those books, my favorite was the Todd, although I’m not sure that could be enjoyed by someone who hasn’t read the rest of the series. My favorite standalones were The Death of Mrs. Westaway and The English Wife.

Shannon: I read a lot of gothic novels when I was in high school and early college, but I don’t find myself picking them up nearly as often these days. Having said that, I loved everything about The Death of Mrs. Westaway, which is often compared to the classic Rebecca. Rachel Rhys’s Fatal Inheritance had a decidedly gothic feel to it as well. Reading and loving these two makes me want to seek out more gothic mysteries in 2019.

Best Detective Story
Maggie: There were two novels I thought were absolutely excellent in this sub-genre. The best was Look for Me by Lisa Gardner. The tale of a missing teen and the extraordinary lengths D.D. Warren and a friend have to go through to find her, Look for Me is an absolute page turner. Jacqueline Winspear’s To Die but Once is a WWII historical mystery involving another missing teen and a group of people willing to profit from the ongoing horror of the war. It was a wonderful, engrossing read.

Shannon: I’m a huge fan of Angela Marsons’ D.I. Kim Stone series, and the eighth installment entitled Dying Truth is one of the best. It’s a difficult read, but I absolutely could not put it down. It’s not a book you can enjoy as a standalone though, so do pick up Silent Scream if you haven’t already. Force of Nature by Jane Harper was another one that really sucked me in. I loved the Australian setting, and the brilliantly flawed lead detective who would not allow himself to rest until he uncovered the grizzly truth.

Biggest Twist
Maggie: Lisa Jewell delivered big twists for me in both her novels, Then She was Gone and Watching You. Ms. Jewell is a fantastic writer and neither of these novels are to be missed. My runner up for this position is J.T. Ellison’s Tear Me Apart. Just when I thought that villain couldn’t get any more evil, they surprised me. In the end, I didn’t even truly believe the sad back story. I wouldn’t have been stunned to find they had lied about that, too.

Shannon: Tear Me Apart is hands down my favorite thriller of 2018, followed closely by Alice Feeny’s Sometimes I Lie. Both contained mind-blowing twists. I read a ton of thrillers, so it takes a lot to take me completely by surprise, but both of these managed to do that. I also have to give credit to Mary Kubica’s When the Lights Go Out, as the ending was something I was not expecting at all.

Intriguing Gimmick
Maggie: I was not expecting the ending of When the Lights Go Out either. I’ve seen that particular writing affectation used before but Kubica did an excellent job of really making that trope work in this novel. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen used an unusual style/trope also, to create an added layer of intrigue to their novel The Wife Between Us. I loved that novel. Under My Skin by Lisa Unger used the trope du jour of 2018 by giving the heroine an addiction to deal with.

Shannon: Authors are trying hard to find ways to set their thrillers apart from the crowd, and some of them have found really clever ways to do that. My personal favorite is Emily Elgar’s If You Knew Her which takes place largely in a hospital ward.

Best Romantic Suspense
Maggie: I read a lot of good romances and some great mysteries but romantic suspense felt scarce on the ground to me this year. Jayne Anne Krentz’s Promise Not to Tell was easily the best of the few I read. A charming love story, great characters and interesting mystery made this a top read for me.

Shannon: I actually read quite a bit of great romantic suspense this year. Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts is at the top of my list. The killer was incredibly dynamic, and the romance made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I also found myself quite fond of Liar, Liar by Lisa Jackson, although some readers may find the romance might be a little lacking. I was completely taken by surprise by J.R. Ward’s first romantic suspense novel. It’s called Consumed, and it’s every bit as fantastic as the paranormal romances that have made her famous, but in a totally different way of course. I also have to mention Jennifer Hillier’s Jar of Hearts. It was my first book by this author, but I bought her entire back list as soon as I finished this one. Both the romance and the suspense were phenomenal.

Favorites Not Listed Above
Maggie: I recommend all those listed above, and other favorites I would still strongly urge readers to pick up are Our House by Louise Candlish and Paper Ghosts by Julia Heaberlin. These two novels are easily my favorite suspense books of 2018. I also loved Stiletto Justice by Camryn King for its excellent examination of social justice issues.

Shannon: I loved so many mysteries and thrillers this year, but I’ll do my best to narrow the list down. Rena Olsen’s With You Always chilled me to the bone, as did Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall. Karin Slaughter’s Pieces of Her is very much worth reading, but I’ll freely admit that it’s not quite as stellar as 2017’s The Good Daughter. No list would be complete without mentioning Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent. I had no idea what to expect when I first picked this one up, and it was an extremely wild ride.

So those are mine and Shannon’s favorites for last year. What were YOUR favorite suspense/mystery novels of 2018?

~ Maggie Boyd

I read the entire book and then felt like I was completely duped by the ending. I was confused and thought it could have definitely ended differently. I felt like I wasted my time on it by the end. I really liked the first 3/4 of the book.

Psychological thrillers seem to be all the rage lately and Mary Kubica's When the Lights Go Out did not disappoint. The main character tries moving on with her life only to find that someone has stolen her social security number. While looking into the matter, she starts questioning what she knows and starts imagining new things (or is she)? As many psychological thrillers go, the lines start to blur and no one truly knows what to believe. I was interested in this story and didn't want to stop reading until I found out what was going on. Definitely worth a read!

Lots of people have strong and varied feelings on this book! I liked it and felt it was definitely worth the time spent reading. Jessie is a confused character who spends the majority of the book trying to unravel who she really is. While doing this, the reality line gets a little blurry... Our other narrator is from an earlier time period, and I spent a good amount of thought trying to decipher how she fit in with Jessie

Thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin books for a copy to read and honestly review!

Jessie has just lost her mom to a long battle with cancer. She decides to make something of herself and sets out to find an apartment and enroll in college. This is where things start to get strange. She's told there is a problem with her social security number. Slowly, details about her past start coming to light. But with her perpetual lack of sleep are these details real or just her mind playing games with her?

Eden is a woman battling infertility. Will this process cost her more than just a marriage? Will she become something horrible or do something monstrous just to have a child?

I have to say that I really enjoyed this one. It seems like the latest and greatest trope in novels is the unreliable narrator. This one falls into that category. While this book progresses, Jessie starts dealing with more bizarre issues and events that make you wonder if all this is real or if it's really her. No spoilers, but once you get to the ending, it really does all make sense. I actually guessed the ending in the first 10 chapters, but still liked how the story developed. Eden's journey was a whole other thing entirely. Unless you've experienced infertility or have dealt with someone in that position, you just don't know how much it can consume and even change them. It can be utterly heartbreaking. Not only did Kubica capture this completely, she goes even further to make you experience what it feels like to know you're terminal and having to say goodbye to your family. As anyone who has seen a loved one slowly deteriorate at the end, it is just hard. She really brought you into the mindset of both sides and made you live it.

If you are a mystery/suspense fan and enjoy books where you really get 2 stories in one, this one is really good. I do thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I usually love a Mary Kubica book but unfortunately the insomnia story line made this story drag on. I had trouble staying interested but was glad I stuck it out by the end because the twist did make it worth it.

I was not able to get into this book. I started it excitedly but found it very difficult to read. I normally like this author’s books, but this one fell flat for me.

I’m a huge fan of MK and enjoyed WTLGO, but it didn’t have the ending I was hoping for. Throughout the whole book, I was waiting for something sinister and something that would just give me that wow moment, and unfortunately, it didn’t happen for me. Her characters and ability to pull me into the story makes for a solid 3 star read, but unfortunately, I can’t give anything higher because of the disappointing ending.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This books is probably more of a 3.5 for me. I liked the characters and the plot. At times it moved a little slowly, but since it was about someone with insomnia, you really wouldn't want it to move too quickly. I generally can figure out what going to happen in most books about halfway through, but this one kept me guessing until the end. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it.

When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica was one of my standout thrillers for 2018. But anything by this author is usually amazing. This was one of those mysteries that had a slow burn. Each clue was laid out perfectly adding build up to the story. The story is told from two main viewpoints and alternating timelines. We experience Jessie's story firsthand, in the present. While also uncovering her mother, Eden's story, told from the past. My mother always says that secrets either come out in the wash or they have a way of catching up with you, after years of caretaking for her mother, Jessie is faced with rebuilding her life. On a leap of faith, she applies to college but quickly discovers there might be a problem with her registration due to identity. What does this mean for Jessie? The mystery of figuring out just who she is takes her down an unbidden path. She is extremely fatigued and overwhelmed with insomnia, and it is affecting every aspect of her life while she also tries to figure out who she is. As the chapters flew by I found myself relating to both sides of the characters. I won’t give it away I will say that I feel for both mother and daughter and loved how this story played out.

This book is a little different, so I want to try to do this without any spoilers.

Elena, a mildly successful author, is in a funk since her marriage fell apart. Now, she’s subletting a place and trying to see if she can figure out to move on. Then she starts to notice the family across the way from her and their strange behavior. It is slightly disturbing, but it gets Elena writing again. As she gets more invested in their lives, she begins to wonder if things are going to turn dangerous - and whether that means she should step in.

What I loved about this book is that you have no idea what is happening in Elena’s head and what is real. Elena is a really unstable narrators and that makes for a great blurred line between reality and make believe. But it doesn’t take the story out of the realm of possibility either, which is nice.

Elena’s point of view is interspersed with snippets of other POVs, though we don’t really get a clear view of who they are at first. But the payoff is worth it. I really enjoyed the reveals in this one and thought everything was done really well. I think ending it any other way would have been too much (again - no spoilers!)

I was definitely glued to this one throughout, trying to put all the pieces together and guess the ending. It is a great book for anyone who loves suspenseful and tense thrillers. This book is a little different, so I want to try to do this without any spoilers.

Elena, a mildly successful author, is in a funk since her marriage fell apart. Now, she’s subletting a place and trying to see if she can figure out to move on. Then she starts to notice the family across the way from her and their strange behavior. It is slightly disturbing, but it gets Elena writing again. As she gets more invested in their lives, she begins to wonder if things are going to turn dangerous - and whether that means she should step in.

What I loved about this book is that you have no idea what is happening in Elena’s head and what is real. Elena is a really unstable narrators and that makes for a great blurred line between reality and make believe. But it doesn’t take the story out of the realm of possibility either, which is nice.

Elena’s point of view is interspersed with snippets of other POVs, though we don’t really get a clear view of who they are at first. But the payoff is worth it. I really enjoyed the reveals in this one and thought everything was done really well. I think ending it any other way would have been too much (again - no spoilers!)

I was definitely glued to this one throughout, trying to put all the pieces together and guess the ending. It is a great book for anyone who loves suspenseful and tense thrillers.

There are a lot of mixed reviews over this one. I feel this one was genius and cannot believe it hasn't been done before - or at least not in any of the books I have read. I marked this one as a must read.

While I usually love Mary Kubica's books, this one I didn't love as much as the others. I felt like I needed a little bit more from the end. However, it was clever and unsettling and still a solid read.

Great story! The characters were interesting and the storyline kept my attention throughout the book. Definitely recommend!

Such a captivating story. A young adult loses her mother to cancer and struggles to put her life back together after she's gone. She finds her social security number belongs to a dead girl and realizes her past is a big mystery. As readers, we begin to suspect that maybe her mother wasn't who she said she was. There's a Big Twist at the end that I won't give away, but it ruined the book for me. I was completely engrossed in the story until I realized what was going to happen and now I just want to roll my eyes at the memory of this book. It could have ended so many other ways, but this ending felt easy, cheesy, and safe, not unlike a Lifetime movie.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my review based on my honest opinion.

I have read all of this authors previous works and really enjoyed them, so I was excited to see a new book and to be lucky enough to get an ARC. I am not sure how I feel about this book. I liked it, but I feel it was not up to the quality of the author's previous works. The set up was really good and I was excited about the storyline, but just after getting about half way through the book, I started to lose interest as I figured out what was going on and the ending was not as good as I would have liked. Not a bad read and some may really like it, but for me it was just okay.

This book was truly the worst book I've read this year. "It was all a dream" plus the plot doesn't make sense even when she does wake up. Surprising, coming from such a talented author. Don't waste your time on this one.

A great psychological suspense story. A page turner. I couldn't predict what was gonna happen and I also couldn't put it down. Book some time for this. Highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley for this copy of When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica. I really look forward to reading Ms Kubica’s books. In this one , her main character, Jessie Sloane was looking to continue with her life after many years focused on taking care of her sick mother. After she applies to college she finds her social security number belongs to a dead girl and that her whole life may have been a lie. How disappointing to find another baby stolen story. There were some interesting twists and turns along the way, but still this was not the best.

While I have enjoyed Kubica's previous novels, I felt that this novel wasn't on the same level. The ending was a letdown, as it made the rest of the book a massive fake-out.