Mystery and Thriller Gift Guide: Best-Selling Page-Turners

A man, his ex-girlfriend's cat and an 18-level dungeon broadcast to a galaxy of viewers make for a wildly unusual premise. Reviewers praise the dark humor, lively plot and surprisingly three-dimensional characters. Because many fans call it one of the best LitRPG series, it's a gift that can turn into a whole reading habit.

Sally Hepworth's 81-year-old curmudgeon Elsie hides a past full of people meeting foul ends, and a nosy new neighbor girl threatens to expose it. Buyers say the voice is funny and unforgettable, and the story is heartwrenching yet uplifting. It feels like a warm, wicked little treat to unwrap.

Michael Connelly sends Harry Bosch back to the children's center where a boy's death under a staircase was covered up decades ago. Many readers call it the best Bosch novel yet and say they finished it in a day. Expect a gripping but heavy story; some buyers found it depressing.

Book 4 drops Carl's team into a bubble with four castles to capture in fifteen days, relying on crawlers they can't quite trust. Reviewers say the humor makes them laugh out loud and that the series keeps improving with each book. Pair it with Book 1 for a newcomer, or give it alone to someone mid-series.

John Grisham turns a Paris honeymoon into a kidnapping case pulling in the FBI, CIA and French Intelligence. Some readers were hooked from the first paragraph and call it one of his best, though others found the plot convoluted. It's a solid pick for anyone who reliably reads every new Grisham.

A tradwife influencer wakes up in 1855 and must figure out whether it's a hoax, a reality show or something worse. This debut was a GMA Book Club Pick, and readers describe it as an emotional rollercoaster. Opinions split sharply on the plot and the unlikable heroine, which is exactly what gets a book club talking.

Ariel Lawhon brings Irish folk heroine Grace O'Malley to life, from forced marriage to commanding her clan's fleet against Queen Elizabeth's deputies. Readers praise the storytelling and insight into Irish history, and one notes a helpful glossary of Irish words and phrases. Pacing divides people, with some utterly consumed and others finding it slow.

An astronaut wakes with no memory, two dead crewmates and the fate of Earth on his shoulders. Buyers praise the accurate science, laugh-out-loud humor and first-person voice. With a major film adaptation starring Ryan Gosling, it's a timely gift for anyone curious about the movie.

Audible's full-cast adaptation stars Ella Purnell as Mina, Jonathan Bailey as Dracula and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Van Helsing, with direction by Mary Lambert. Listeners say the casting is spot on and single out the sound effects and editing. It turns a classic into something closer to an event.

Stephen King and Peter Straub close the Talisman Trilogy as an older Jack Sawyer fights to save all worlds, tying into the Dark Tower. It works as a stand-alone, so new readers can jump in. Reviewers call it an amazing adventure told with heart, with some admitting it made them cry.