Best Crime Novels 2018 Fiction: Recommendations for mystery lovers?

A lesser - known but great European crime novel is 'Bluebird, Bluebird' by Attica Locke. It's set in the American South but is written by an American of African - European descent. It deals with racial tensions and crime in a unique way, adding a different flavor to the European - influenced crime genre.

Fred Vargas' books are must - reads. For instance, in 'Have Mercy on Us All', she weaves a complex web of mystery. Her writing style is unique, often blending elements of the fantastical with the crime - solving aspect. Her characters are quirky and add a lot of charm to the stories.

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. It has one of the most iconic villains in Hannibal Lecter. The story of an FBI trainee trying to catch a serial killer with the help of Lecter is intense and gripping. Harris does an amazing job of creating suspense.

Some of the best mystery crime fiction books include 'Sherlock Holmes' stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes' deductive reasoning skills are legendary. 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett is another classic. The hunt for the valuable statuette is filled with double - crosses and mystery. Also, 'The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' by Alexander McCall Smith is a great read. It features a female detective in Botswana, and the stories are both charming and full of mystery, often dealing with local crimes and human nature in a unique way.

I think 'Before I Go to Sleep' by S. J. Watson is a great dark crime thriller. The main character has amnesia and she's trying to figure out the secrets of her past, which are full of mystery and danger. It has a really interesting premise. 'The Cuckoo's Calling' by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling) is also a good choice. It has a great detective character and a complex murder mystery to solve.

One of the best is 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn. It's a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing throughout. The story revolves around a man whose wife goes missing, and as the plot unfolds, you realize there are many layers to the mystery and that nothing is as it seems.

Sure. 'The Appeal' by Janice Hallett is a great 2023 crime novel. It has a really interesting format where the story is told through documents, emails, and texts. It's about a local theater group and a murder that occurs during one of their productions. The unique storytelling method makes it a must - read for mystery lovers.

One of the best fiction gangster books is 'A Rage in Harlem' by Chester Himes. It has a great blend of humor and the dark world of gangsters in Harlem. 'True Grit' by Charles Portis also has elements of the old - west gangster - like outlaws. And 'The Getaway' by Jim Thompson is a tense and exciting read about a criminal couple on the run from the law and their gangster associates.

Sure. 'The Chain' by Adrian McKinty is a great choice. It's a high - stakes crime novel where a mother is forced into a terrifying 'chain' of kidnappings. The tension builds throughout the story as she tries to outwit the criminals and save her daughter.

Definitely check out 'The Outsider' by Stephen King. The mystery begins with a crime that defies all logical explanation. The more the investigators dig, the weirder things get. It's a blend of crime and the supernatural that King does so well. Also, 'My Sister, the Serial Killer' is full of mystery. You keep wondering how the narrator will deal with her sister's actions and how far she'll go to protect her.