The Best Mysteries, Thrillers, and True Crime of 2025 | Multnomah County LibraryLike this list

21 items

• This Is My Body

  King-Miller, Lindsay,

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  Goofy, campy homages to classic horror; complicated religious and family trauma; gruesome murders, demon possession, and body horror; and a messy lesbian will-they won't-they romance: this book does it all, and does it well. I had fun the whole…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter

  A Novel

  Crewson, Samantha

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  Complicated and messy, with plenty of twists, turns, and (justified?) betrayals. A heartfelt and nuanced meditation on family, community, and what it means to heal from trauma. - Isaac H.

• The Carpool Detectives

  a True Story of Four Moms, Two Bodies, and One Mysterious Cold Case

  Hogan, Chuck

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  Calling all true crime fans! This true story of four mothers who used their early Covid quarantine time to solve a cold case has stranger-than-fiction twists and turns that keep you turning the pages. - Kady F.

• Hole in the Sky

  a Novel

  Wilson, Daniel H. (Daniel Howard), 1978-

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  A gripping sci-fi thriller—and Native American First Contact story—by Indigenous author Daniel Wilson, who is a Cherokee Nation citizen and works as a threat forecaster for NASA. - Sharon P.

• Goddess Complex

  a Novel

  Sathian, Sanjena,

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  This book made me obsessed with the concept of doppelgangers. Not a thriller in the traditional sense, but certainly "psychological fiction"! - Delaney N

• Atlas of Unknowable Things

  Templeman, McCormick,

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  Vanishing professors, occult research, isolated campuses... a very fun book! - Larry L.

• The Pot Job

  Schaneman, Bart,

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  A thriller set in Denver in the world of newly legalized marijuana. - Larry L.

• Not Quite Dead Yet

  a Novel

  Jackson, Holly, 1992-

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  A wild premise and a heroine you want the best for even though you know how it will end. A thrilling, funny, and emotional ride that should not be missed! I loved it! - Rochelle F.

• Murder in the Dressing Room

  Stars, Holly,

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  The category is: Murder! Readers who like a twisty mystery with a wink, nod, and amateur drag queen sleuths will love this. - Matt S.

• The Book of Lost Hours

  a Novel

  Gelfuso, Hayley,

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  Historical thriller that plays with the notions of time, memory, families and gender. So many BIG thoughts wrapped in a spy story. - Ann K.

• Esperance

  Oyebanji, Adam,

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  If you crave a little police procedural mystery, a little Afro-futuristic thriller, and a whole lot of un-put-downable, this is your next confounding but captivating read.. - Emily-Jane D.

• Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes

  a Mystery

  Jackson-Opoku, Sandra,

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  For those who like their mysteries cozy but not sappy, and culinary but not corny. Soul food restaurateur and caterer Savvy Summers is just trying to mind her own business, but folks keep dying in the vicinity of her famous sweet potato pie. -…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• This Place Kills Me

  Tamaki, Mariko,

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  How about a dark academia tale of social conspiracy and murder set in a 1980's all girl's school? Tamaki and artist Goux pull the veil away from 1980's nostalgia with a dramatic look at the subtle effects of ostracization from homophobia caused…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• So Far Gone

  a Novel

  Walter, Jess, 1965-

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  You ever try to live alone in the woods in northeast Washington? But then family troubles force you out? Great characters, engrossing story, loss and redemption. - Mark F.

• Wild Dark Shore

  McConaghy, Charlotte,

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  If you are a gardener, hiker, or lover of nature – the metaphors in this book will sing to you. A story of loving things despite knowing they'll die. A book with impossible choices and a setting you won't forget. Evocative. Mysterious. - Maryanne B

• The Fort Bragg Cartel

  Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces

  Harp, Seth,

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  A nonfiction thriller! I could not put down or stop talking about this. true crime story that then grows and mutates into the consequences of the War on Terror and the ugly secretive beast our military has become today. - David F

• The Knight and the Moth

  Gillig, Rachel,

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  Sybil unravels her upbringing and traditions all the while being accompanied by Rodrick, a rude and handsome knight. The closer she gets to answers of her past the more darkness she uncovers. - Ash W.

• Coffin Moon

  a Novel

  Rosson, Keith (Novelist),

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  The perfect book for Halloween time or any spooky season. Set in 1970s Portland, this vampire novel is filled with action, dread, and nostalgia, sometimes all at once. - Kyle T. and Jack M.

• Beautiful Ugly

  Feeney, Alice,

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  I hope you die in your sleep. - Heather E.

• Black Flame

  Felker-Martin, Gretchen

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  A page turner that felt like a fever dream and made me squirm. Definitely not for the faint of heart. I still can't stop thinking about it... - Emily L.