As with all of these lists, the 50 titles that made that final cut were chosen from an initial list that was almost twice as long. We started with nominations from our contributors and staff, then cleaned that up (the only easy part of this whole thing)—ensuring the publication dates for the nominated titles are indeed within this century—removed duplicate submissions, and more.
The hard part was whittling the list down with so many fantastic books in front of us. We considered the impact of titles and series, and whether books established subgenres or redefined existing ones. Did the book make a huge splash, or start off slowly before becoming a sleeper hit? Did it contain a twist we simply did not see coming, or was the whydunit/howdunit just as interesting (or more!) than the whydunit itself? Did the titles we selected represent a diverse array of perspectives? After much deliberation that felt like picking our favorite children, we’re proud of the final list! But we want to show some love to the titles that almost made it, too.
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano
Blood Grove by Walter Mosley
Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie
City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita
Confessions by Kanae Minato
Dare Me by Megan Abbott
Detective Beans: The Case of the Missing Hat by Li Chen
Devil’s Chew Toy by Rob Osler
Liar’s Beach by Katie Cotugno
Mister Magic by Kiersten White
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Out by Natsuo Kirino
Pride & Premeditation by Tirzah Price
Queenpin by Megan Abbott
Remember Me Tomorrow by Farah Heron
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Secret Identity by Alex Segura
She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper
The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins
The Dry by Jane Harper
The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe
The Lost Man by Jane Harper
The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older
The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard
The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo
The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
The Silence of Bones by June Hur
The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
Undercover Latina by Aya de León
When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
Whidbey by T Kira Madden