Selective and Subjective, but Solid

With Christmas and 2026 nigh upon us, print and electronic publications both have sped up their issuing “best crime and mystery fiction of 2025” lists. BOLO Books’ Kristopher Zgorski says the following 13 works “had the most resonance with me this year.”

Top Reads of 2025:
• Quantum of Menace, by Vaseem Khan (Zaffre UK)
• The Black Wolf, by Louise Penny (Minotaur)
• The Burning Grounds, by Abir Mukherjee (Pegasus Crime)
• Crooks, by Lou Berney (Morrow)
• The Girl in Cell A, by Vaseem Kahn (Hachette Morbius)
• The Girl in the Green Dress, by Mariah Fredericks (Minotaur)
• Head Cases, by John McMahon (Minotaur)
• Home Before Dark, by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir (Orenda)
• The Pastor’s Wife, by LynDee Walker (Bookouture)
• Under the Same Stars, by Libba Bray (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Top Debuts:
• The Betrayal of Thomas True, by A.J. West (Orenda)
• Death on the Island, by Eliza Reid (Poisoned Pen Press)
• Whiskey Business, by Adrian Andover (Chestnut Avenue Press)

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Although I have no intention of trying to catalogue every one of the “best” selections presently rolling out (Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine’s George Easter is already making a good fist of that endeavor), let me also mention that CrimeReads has posted three new lists—“Traditional Mysteries,” “International Crime Novels,” and “Noir Fiction.” In addition, the Spybrary blog is reporting on its readers’ espionage-novel picks of the last year (Mick Herron’s Clown Town and R.N. Morris’ new Cover Story included). And contributors to Britain’s Crime Fiction Lover are revealing their own top-five choices; so far we’ve heard from Sonja van der Westhuizen, Sandra Mangan (aka DeathBecomesHer), and Paul Burke, with more to come.