Cup of Tea’s Best Books of 2024: Mystery and Thrillers

Welcome to the Cup of Tea’s Best Books of the Year, where I list the best of the best books I read the previous year.

The numbers may not be high for the number of mysteries and thrillers that I managed to read in 2024. But it is safe to say that the mysteries that I did get to read left an impression on me that I believe, once you read them, they will also leave an impression on you. Most of them are unique and add something different to the mystery genre. So if you want to try a different type of mystery for your TBR pile, then my top mystery picks may be right up your alley:

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

What can I say about this thriller without giving up any spoilers and revelations? Turton did such a fantastic job of blending both mystery and sci-fi in this exciting new suspenseful mystery that will have you engrossed from beginning to end. Like his others, it’s a book I can’t stop thinking about, and after you read it, you won’t either.

The Kill List by Nadine Matheson

I love Inspector Anjelica Henley! She is by far one of my favorite literary female detectives. Matheson continues to bring her to life and shine in every new instalment she writes. With this latest thriller, Matheson shines as a new voice in the thriller genre and manages to hook her readers from the first paragraph on the page.

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh

I am in love with the Ffion Morgan series. Ffion Morgan is not like the other detectives you see in books or on TV, but there is something about Morgan’s blunt but relatable personality that makes you, as the reader, accept her flaws and continue to root for her throughout the book. But let us not forget the heart-racing mystery that Mackintosh has written. Mixed with social commentary about reality television, an intricately plotted thriller with a list of suspects, and a beautiful Welsh mountain backdrop, Mackintosh truly excelled at this one and mystery fans will have a fun time reading this one from an excellent storyteller.

Imposter Syndrome by Joseph Knox

On the run from his shady past, Lynch has just arrived in London, still looking over his shoulder to make sure he isn’t being followed. His phone is dead, he has no money, no contacts, no one at all. Until he runs into a young woman named Bobbie who mistakes him for her brother, Heydon Pierce, who disappeared five years ago without a trace.

At Bobbie’s suggestion, Lynch goes to the Pierce family home, posing as Heydon to try and con some money out of them. But far from tricking them, his subterfuge is instantly discovered. He strikes the devil’s bargain with them – their silence for his cooperation in finding out what really happened to Heydon.

But Lynch’s investigation goes too deep and uncovers the fact that Heydon Pierce was tangled up with some dangerous and powerful people in London. Everyone has their own motives to keep Heydon well buried in the past. In such a conspiracy of mirrors, there’s only one thing Lynch know for certain: the only person he can trust is himself. (Credit: Sourcebooks Landmark)

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

What about the Alperton Angels that people can’t get enough of? I got a chance to find out in another mind-bending mystery brought to us by the innovative and sneaky Janice Hallett! I am so glad that I took the time to read this on my recent vacation. I had a hard time putting this one down! The more I read, the more I was drawn into a masterfully and intricately plotted thriller that has you guessing and shocked until the last page. What I love about Hallett’s books is that she brings a new twist to the detective genre, allowing and encouraging readers to discover the absolute truth of the mystery. She keeps making it fresh and alluring and always leaves the reader wanting more!

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels is also a perfect read for fans of true crime books and podcasts. You don’t know what the truth of something is until you look into it, but this book also takes a look at how far a person will go to get the truth out and how it can be altered over the years. That’s all I can say because I don’t want to give too much away! However, if you are looking for a mind-bending and twisty mystery, then this latest by Hallett is a must-read!

The Gathering by C.J. Tudor

In a small Alaska town, a boy is found with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body. The inhabitants of Deadhart haven’t seen a killing like this in twenty-five years. But they know who’s responsible: a member of the Colony, an ostracized community of vampyrs living in an old mine settlement deep in the woods.

Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr killings, is called in to officially determine if this is a Colony killing—and authorize a cull. Old suspicions die hard in a town like Deadhart, but Barbara isn’t so sure. Determined to find the truth, she enlists the help of a former Deadhart sheriff, Jenson Tucker, whose investigation into the previous murder almost cost him his life. Since then, Tucker has become a recluse. But he knows the Colony better than almost anyone.

As the pair delve into the town’s history, they uncover secrets darker than they could have imagined. And then another body is found. While the snow thickens and the nights grow longer, a killer stalks Deadhart, and two disparate communities circle each other for blood. Time is running out for Atkins and Tucker to find the truth: Are they hunting a bloodthirsty monster . . . or a twisted psychopath? And which is more dangerous? (Credit: Ballantine Books)

Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram From Hell by Nicholas Meyer

June, 1916. With a world war raging on the continent, exhausted John H. Watson, M.D. is operating on the wounded full-time when his labors are interrupted by a knock on his door, revealing Sherlock Holmes, with a black eye, a missing tooth and a cracked rib. The story he has to tell will set in motion a series of world-changing events in the most consequential case of the detective’s career.

Amid rebellion in Ireland and revolution in Russia, Germany has a secret plan to win the war and Sir William Melville of the British Secret Service dispatches the two aging friends to learn what the scheme is before it can be put into effect. In pursuit of a mysterious coded telegram sent from Berlin to an unknown recipient in Mexico, Holmes and Watson must cross the Atlantic, dodge German U-boats and assassination attempts, and evade the intrigues of young J. Edgar Hoover, while enlisting the help of a beautiful, eccentric Washington socialite as they seek to foil the schemes of Holmes’s nemesis, the escaped German spymaster Von Bork. (Credit: Mysterious Press)

No/One by Kyle Higgins & Brian Buccellato and illustrated by Geraldo Borges

It’s rare for me to list a graphic novel in a category other than the comics and graphic novels category. Still, this comic was written in such a unique and engaging way that it needed to be included. It is a mystery and true crime inspired. But with this story, it doesn’t just stop at the page. It gives you an immersive experience that continues beyond, with a podcast and webpages that go beyond the comic panels. I’ve never read a book like this before, and I feel this is the type of experience mystery lovers have been craving.