Looking for a good murder mystery book, especially if you are new to the genre, can be a bit daunting. These not too scary books are highly recommended by the avid readers of the Peanut Blossom Book Club for Recovering Readers.
One of my favorite things about the awesome members of the Peanut Blossom Book Club is the steady stream of amazing recommendations the ladies are ready to give whenever someone has a request.
As we head into fall, more requests have popped up for good mystery books or thrillers for people who are new to this genre and maybe not fully ready for the scariest of the scary.
Our members came through with recommendations for the best mystery books that are not too scary, not too gory, and not too intense.
In short, they're perfect for those who are new to the genre or for book clubs where some members don't often read murder mysteries or say they don't like them.
Because that's what book club is for, right?? To introduce readers to something new?
Go ahead and tiptoe out of your comfort zone and find ideas for a suspense novel that you'll never want to put down.
You've been warned: you'll want to clear your calendar!
The Best Murder Mystery Books
This list of the best murder mystery books for newbies comes from the recommendations of the ladies of the Peanut Blossom Book Club.
When asked what their favorite mystery books are, these titles flew to the top of the list.
Want to join us? Come check out the Peanut Blossom Book Club here.
The Silent Patient
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.
Lemon Tart (Culinary Mysteries Book 1)
Award-winning author Josi S. Kilpack introduces a new series of culinary "cozies" that is sure to tantalize mystery lovers. In this debut volume, cooking aficionado-turned-amateur detective, Sadie Hoffmiller, tries to solve the murder of Anne Lemmon, her beautiful young neighbor - a single mother who was mysteriously killed while a lemon tart was baking in her oven.
And Then There Were None
Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to an isolated mansion on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they die…
Loves Music, Loves To Dance
After college, best friends Erin Kelley and Darcy Scott move to the city to pursue exciting careers; Erin is a promising jewelry designer, Darcy finds success as a decorator. On a lark, Darcy persuades Erin to help their TV producer friend research the kinds of people who place personal ads. It seems like innocent fun...until Erin disappears.
Magpie Murders: A Novel
When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages.
The Woman in the Window: A Novel
Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors. But does she know what's real and what's in her head when she sees things she shouldn't?
The Broken Girls
Vermont, 1950. There's a place for the girls whom no one wants—the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the ones too smart for their own good. It's called Idlewild Hall, and local legend says the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their friendship blossoming—until one of them mysteriously disappears....
The Guest List: A Novel
The bride – The plus one – The best man – The wedding planner – The bridesmaid – The body. On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one.
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