The Best Queer Mystery/Thriller Books of the Century (So Far)

This genre-bending magical mystery is full of demons, sapphic lovers, and all the dazzling trappings of 1940s Chicago. Our story’s detective, Helen Brandt, has a bit of a problem: she sold her soul to save her brother’s life, and her time on the mortal plane is almost up. But then she gets offered one last job, a job that promises that she no longer has to give up her soul, and can spend more time with the woman she loves. Thing is, the job means hunting down the White City Vampire, the deadliest killer in the city, and descending into a world of divine monsters, even as the clock ticks on her own life. —Erica Ezeifedi

It was not that long ago when finding LGBTQ+ genre books was nearly impossible. Sharpe’s debut young adult novel was among the first—if not the first—YA mystery to center a queer lead character. Sophie is disabled, bisexual, and navigating an addiction to prescription pain killers; she’s not exactly the person police or her small town believe when she presents evidence related to her best friend’s murder that contradicts the working theories. This 2014 book is a moving, atmospheric read about a romantic relationship cut too short and the ways an “unlikable” female character must push back against the boxes in which she’s been put. —Kelly Jensen

Kid detectives are a big part of the legacy of the mystery genre, and my favorite new addition is Goldie Vance. Sixteen-year-old Goldie aspires to be the in-house detective at the Florida resort she lives in with her father. So, when a guest’s necklace goes missing, she jumps at the chance to investigate. The case turns out to be much bigger than it appears, and she needs to recruit help—including her crush, Diane. I love that this all-ages mystery graphic novel series stars a queer girl of color, including a cute sapphic romance subplot. There are also several Goldie Vance middle grade novels, and new bind-ups of the comics are out this year. —Danika Ellis

When the man whose bed Hayden McCall wakes up in goes missing, he becomes the police’s prime suspect in what might be a case of foul play. But Hayden doesn’t know anything. In fact, Camilo Rodrigues was practically a stranger before he accidentally kicked Hayden in the face at a nightclub. Now, Hayden needs to track down Camilo’s friends and find out more about this guy before anything else happens. Because even worse than the police suspecting Hayden would be them not investigating this disappearance at all. —Rachel Brittain

(Rob Osler coined the term “quozy” for cozy queer mysteries!)

This novel, set in the 1820s, is a gothic thriller with a riveting crime narrative. Frannie Langton is awaiting trial in London’s Newgate prison (such an iconic location for historical fiction fans!). She is accused of murdering her employer and his wife, but she doesn’t think she could have done it. So she goes back to the beginning and traces her full story, starting with her early life on a plantation in Jamaica. This is for fans of historical fiction that makes sharp commentary on racism, like The Underground Railroad and Washington Black. —Isabelle Popp

In this science fiction murder mystery, a man goes missing on a remote outpost of a human colony on Jupiter. When Investigator Mossa follows his trail, it leads her to Valdegeld, the location of the colony’s erudite university, where her former girlfriend, Pleiti, works. Pleiti is an expert on Earth’s pre-collapse ecosystems. When Mossa shows and requests her assistance in her latest investigation, the two of them team up to uncover the mystery. —Michelle Regalado

Here is a whodunnit that offers the thrill of a mystery in need of solving alongside scrutiny of our incarceration system. T. Kira Madden is best known for her memoir about growing up queer and biracial, Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls, and now we’re getting a debut novel from the writer known for a thoughtful and compassionate approach to storytelling. Whidbey follows the women whose lives are forever altered by an abuser—an abuser who has turned up dead. If Liz Moore’s The God of the Woods was the book club book of 2024, I predict this will be ours for 2026. —S. Zainab Williams