Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Hello! This weeks Top Ten Tuesday is a fun one! I don’t technically have a favourite genre because there are books I adore from most genres. However, I definitely read more Crime/Mystery/Thriller books than any other genre so I’m going with it for today’s post! I’ve tried not to pick too many books that I’ve featured frequently but there are a few that I just couldn’t leave off the list! I’ve also not included Young Adult thrillers or crime books because that could be a whole other list on it’s own!

As an Amazon Associate I earn a very small percentage from qualifying purchases when using the links below. Any earnings go towards running this blog and I would so appreciate it! 

My Top Ten from the Crime/Mystery/Thriller Genre

1.All The Wicked Girls by Chris Whitaker

Summary: from Amazon

Everyone loves Summer Ryan. A model student and musical prodigy, she’s a ray of light in the struggling small town of Grace, Alabama – especially compared to her troubled sister, Raine. Then Summer vanishes.

Raine throws herself into the investigation, aided by a most unlikely ally, but the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her search becomes.

And perhaps there was always more to Summer than met the eye . . .

Why?

I’ve highlighted this book so many times on here that you’re probably sick of it! But it honestly is so good and the atmosphere it creates is creepy, enthralling and full of heart. You can read my review here!

2.The Silver Road by Stina Jackson

Summary: from Amazon

Three years ago, Lelle’s daughter went missing in a remote part of Northern Sweden. Lelle has spent the intervening summers driving the Silver Road under the midnight sun, frantically searching for his lost daughter, for himself and for redemption.

Meanwhile, seventeen-year-old Meja arrives in town hoping for a fresh start. She is the same age as Lelle’s daughter was – a girl on the brink of adulthood. But for Meja, there are dangers to be found in this isolated place.

As autumn’s darkness slowly creeps in, Lelle and Meja’s lives are intertwined in ways, both haunting and tragic, that they could never have imagined.

Why?

I read this scandi-noir type thriller quite recently and I absolutely loved it. The story and setting is fascinating and the characters have really stuck with me since reading it. Jackson is definitely an author I’ll be looking out for from now on! You can read my review here.

3.The Trespasser: Dublin Murder Squad.  by Tana French

Summary: from Amazon

Being on the Dublin Murder squad is nothing like Detective Antoinette Conway dreamed. Her working life is a stream of thankless cases and harassment. Antoinette is tough, but she’s getting close to the breaking point.

The new case looks like a regular lovers’ quarrel gone bad. Aislinn Murray is blond, pretty and lying dead next to a table set for a romantic dinner. There’s nothing unusual about her – except that Antoinette has seen her somewhere before.

And her death won’t stay neat. Other detectives want her to arrest Aislinn’s boyfriend, fast. There’s a shadowy figure at the end of Antoinette’s road. And everything they find out about Aislinn takes her further from the simple woman she seemed to be.

Antoinette knows the harassment has turned her paranoid, but she can’t tell just how far gone she is. Is this the case that will make her career – or break it?

Why?

I read this one without realising it is part of the Dublin Murder Squad Series but I don’t think it’s a series that needs to be read in a particular order as each book follows different detectives. Tana French is a great crime writer and The Tresspasser proves that. The plot is complex and fast paced and the writing is top notch. I have been picking up one of the books in this series every so often and the ones I have read so far have all been extremely good – I’m hoping to pick up another soon!

4.The Lost Man by Jane Harper

Summary: from Amazon

Two brothers meet at the remote border of their vast cattle properties under the unrelenting sun of the outback. In an isolated part of Australia, they are each other’s nearest neighbour, their homes hours apart.

They are at the stockman’s grave, a landmark so old that no one can remember who is buried there. But today, the scant shadow it casts was the last hope for their middle brother, Cameron. The Bright family’s quiet existence is thrown into grief and anguish.

Something had been troubling Cameron. Did he choose to walk to his death? Because if he didn’t, the isolation of the outback leaves few suspects…

Why?

I have read all of Harper’s books so far and could genuinely have chosen any of them for this list. The Dry and Force of Nature focus on the same character and both are great but I was blown away with Harper’s recent stand-alone novel, The Lost Man. It is unflinching, paced beautifully and perfectly wracks up tension all the way through. I cannot recommend it highly enough. You can read my review of it here

5.The Mercy Seat by Elizabeth H. Winthrop

Summary: from Amazon

As the sun begins to set over Louisiana one October day in 1943, a young black man faces the final hours of his life: at midnight, eighteen-year-old Willie Jones will be executed by electric chair for raping a white girl – a crime some believe he did not commit.

In a tale taut with tension, events unfold hour by hour from the perspectives of nine people involved. They include Willie himself, who knows what really happened, and his father, desperately trying to reach the town jail to see his son one last time; the prosecuting lawyer, haunted by being forced to seek the death penalty against his convictions, and his wife, who believes Willie to be innocent; the priest who has become a friend to Willie; and a mother whose only son is fighting in the Pacific, bent on befriending her black neighbours in defiance of her husband.

Why?

This one is not an easy or pleasant read but it is such an important and beautifully written novel and I feel like it hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. It involves very sensitive subjects like the death penalty, the justice system and racism and they are handled very well by Winthrop. It has stuck in my mind because it made me feel so much for some of the characters and it is really worth a read. You can read my review here.

6.The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter

Summary: from Amazon

One ran. One stayed. But who is…the good daughter?

Twenty-eight years ago, Charlotte and Samantha Quinn’s childhoods were destroyed by a terrifying attack on their family home. It left their mother dead. It left their father – a notorious defence attorney – devastated. And it left the family consumed by secrets from that shocking night.

Twenty-eight years later, Charlie has followed in her father’s footsteps to become a lawyer. But when violence comes to their home town again, the case triggers memories she’s desperately tried to suppress. Because the shocking truth about the crime which destroyed her family won’t stay buried for ever…

Why?

In my book Karin Slaughter is the undisputed queen of crime and I will read anything she writes. I highly recommend her two series but I think The Good Daughter, which is one of her stand-alones, is a great place to start if you want to read one of Slaughter’s books. All her books are brutal and if you have triggers or don’t like violence in books then definitely be careful but if you can handle their gritty nature, her stories are phenomenally good and addictive.

7.Kill the Father (Caselli & Torre 1) by Sandrone Dazieri

Summary: from Amazon

Dante Torre spent eleven young years in captivity – held by a man known only as The Father – before outwitting his abductor. Now working for the police force, Torre’s methods are unorthodox but his brilliance is clear. When a young child goes missing in similar circumstances in Rome, Torre must confront the demons of his past to attempt to solve the case.

Paired with Deputy Captain Colomba Caselli, a fierce, warrior-like detective still reeling from having survived a bloody catastrophe, all evidence suggests The Father is active after being dormant for decades, and that he’s looking forward to a reunion with Dante …

Why?

I absolutely love this fantastic series with two books in it so far, Kill The Father and Kill The Angel, translated from the Italian. The duo of Dante and Colomba is so good – they riff off each other beautifully and they are both incredibly intense with complicated histories which makes for an exciting and exhilarating read.

8.Tangerine by Christine Mangan

Summary: from Amazon

The last person Alice Shipley expected to see since arriving in Tangier with her new husband was Lucy Mason. After the horrific accident at Bennington, the two friends – once inseparable roommates – haven’t spoken in over a year. But Lucy is standing there, trying to make things right.

Perhaps Alice should be happy. She has not adjusted to life in Morocco, too afraid to venture out into the bustling medinas and oppressive heat. Lucy, always fearless and independent, helps Alice emerge from her flat and explore the country.

But soon a familiar feeling starts to overtake Alice – she feels controlled and stifled by Lucy at every turn. Then Alice’s husband, John, goes missing, and Alice starts to question everything around her: her relationship with her enigmatic friend, her decision to ever come to Tangier, and her very own state of mind.

Why?

This one isn’t quite as gritty and harsh as some of my other crime favourites but it earns a place on here because of it’s sinister atmosphere and intoxicating setting of Morocco. The story is a bit of a slow burn but it works really well and if you like psychological thrillers then I think you will enjoy Tangerine. It would also make a great summer read! You can read my review here.

9.Dark Chapter by Winnie M Li

Summary: from Amazon

An astonishing and unique novel inspired by the author’s own story

Vivian is a cosmopolitan Taiwanese-American tourist who often escapes her busy life in London through adventure and travel. Johnny is a 15-year-old Irish teenager, living a neglected life on the margins of society.

On a bright spring afternoon in West Belfast, their paths collide during a horrifying act of violence.

In the aftermath, each is forced to confront the chain of events that led to the attack.

Inspired by true events, this is a story of the dark chapters and chance encounters that can irrevocably determine the shape of our lives.

Why?

This is an especially interesting one because it is based on the author’s own harrowing story. It makes for tough reading but it is something quite unique in the way it approaches this horrific crime and it’s aftermath and I found it a genuinely intriguing and eye-opening read. If you are looking for something quite unusual but excellent then this would be a great choice.

10.An Untamed State by Roxane Gay

Summary: from Amazon

Mireille Duval Jameson is living a fairy tale. The strong-willed youngest daughter of one of Haiti’s richest sons, she has an adoring husband, a precocious infant son, by all appearances a perfect life. The fairy tale ends one day when Mireille is kidnapped in broad daylight by a gang of heavily armed men, in front of her father’s Port au Prince estate. Held captive by a man who calls himself The Commander, Mireille waits for her father to pay her ransom. As it becomes clear her father intends to resist the kidnappers, Mireille must endure the torments of a man who resents everything she represents.

Why?

This was the first Roxane Gay book I read and it is hard-hitting but also feels really authentic to how intensely difficult it must be to recover from a horrifying experience. Gay writes in her usual honest and direct way and I found myself completely involved in the story and in the character of Mireille. It also has a great sense of setting and displays the contrast in the way some Haitian’s live compared to the rest of the country. Overall just a great, compelling read.

Well that’s it for today – my ten favourites from the thriller/crime/mystery genre! I could have picked like 20 more but I’m happy with my choices! I’d love to know what you think of my list and what your favourites are, so please do let me know in the comments. I can’t wait to read all your Top Ten Tuesday posts too!

xxx