18 May 2025 Mystery Books You Need on Your TBR
From serial killers on the loose to cozy whodunits and haunted castles, May 2025 mystery books are serving every flavor of suspense. This month’s crop of new releases includes pulse-pounding thrillers, Gothic horror, historical investigations, and even a few wedding-day murders. Here are the May 2025 mystery books we’re most excited about.
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May 2025 Mystery Books
The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs
Three longtime friends discover their husbands’ life insurance policies are worth millions—just in time for their retirement dreams to go up in smoke. A darkly funny revenge plot ensues, but the husbands have a scheme of their own.
Key themes: female friendship, life insurance, suburban revenge, hitman-for-hire
Grab The Retirement Plan on Amazon
Kiss, Marry, Murder by Faye Brann
When her ex-best friend turns up dead, disgraced TV host Jessica Sinclair becomes the prime suspect. With two unlikely assistants, she sets out to solve the case and save her own skin.
Key themes: amateur sleuths, celebrity gossip, female friendship, small-town secrets
Grab Kiss, Marry, Murder on Amazon
May 2025 Thriller Books
The Safari by Jaclyn Goldis
A luxe South African wedding trip ends in murder when the matriarch of a fashion empire turns up dead. With her son the prime suspect and his twin missing, tensions boil on the savannah.
Key themes: locked-compound mystery, dysfunctional family, destination thriller, missing twin
We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough
After a near-death illness, a woman moves into a remote estate where things go bump in the night—but only when she’s alone. Is the house haunted, or is she losing her grip on reality?
Key themes: unreliable narrator, haunted house, toxic marriage, psychological suspense
Grab We Live Here Now on Amazon
The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz
Returning to the island where her fiancée died, Abby soon suspects foul play. A missing expat, a crumbling community, and only one ferry off the island make escape feel impossible.
Key themes: isolated setting, queer romance, grief, amateur sleuth
Grab The Last Ferry Out on Amazon
The Tenant by Freida McFadden
Broke and desperate, Blake rents a room to a stranger. But soon his life starts unraveling—strange smells, odd noises, and neighbors acting weird. He might not survive his new roommate.
Key themes: unreliable protagonist, home invasion, secrets, paranoia
Dying to Meet You by Sarina Bowen
Rowan witnesses her ex’s murder and becomes the main suspect. But as she digs into the truth, she finds out he was stalking her—and she might not be his only victim.
Key themes: single mom, stalker thriller, amateur sleuth, workplace secrets
Grab Dying to Meet You on Amazon
May 2025 Horror Books
Whistle by Linwood Barclay
After a string of scandals and tragedy, a mother and son relocate—only to discover a creepy model train set that seems to come alive. Evil has a one-track mind.
Key themes: supernatural horror, grief, mother-son bond, small town secrets
Never Flinch by Stephen King
One killer is on a revenge spree. Another is stalking a feminist activist. Holly Gibney connects the threads in this dual-timeline thriller that only King could deliver.
Key themes: revenge, serial killer, feminist themes, vigilante justice
Related: Stephen King Books Guide
The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
In a castle under siege, three women face divine visitors with sinister appetites. Cannibalism, magic, and religious horror collide in this twisted tale of survival and madness.
Key themes: siege survival, religious cults, queer horror, castle horror
Grab The Starving Saints on Amazon
May 2025 Mystery Romance Books
No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding by Catherine Mack
Bestselling author Eleanor Dash is back—this time for a wedding-turned-murder on stormy Catalina Island. When someone threatens the bride, Eleanor gets back on the case.
Key themes: destination wedding, locked-in mystery, female sleuth, romantic tension
Grab No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding on Amazon
Related: Mystery romance book recommendations coming out in 2025
May 2025 Young Adult Mystery Books
Death in the Cards by Mia P. Manansala
A tarot-reading teen takes on her first real case when a client vanishes. Using skills from her PI mom and mystery-writer dad, she uncovers a secret life—and plenty of danger.
Key themes: tarot, teen sleuth, missing girl, family legacy
Grab Death in the Cards on Amazon
When We Go Missing by April Henry
Teen photographer Willow finds a memory card full of girls’ photos—some scared, some missing, and one of herself. The cops won’t help, so she starts investigating.
Key themes: true crime vibes, found footage, missing girls, reluctant detective
Grab When We Go Missing on Amazon
May 2025 Historical Mystery Books
Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong
A modern detective trapped in Victorian Scotland heads to the Highlands for a wedding—and finds murder in the moors. Time travel, family drama, and endangered cats.
Key themes: time travel, wedding murder, Scottish setting, historical sleuthing
Grab Death at a Highland Wedding on Amazon
May 2025 Cozy Mystery Books
Shot Through the Book by Eva Gates
A famous author is murdered on a librarian’s porch right before a YA book fest. With nosy fan clubs and political rivals in town, it’s up to Lucy to close the case.
Key themes: librarian sleuth, bookish setting, small town politics, fandom drama
Grab Shot Through the Book on Amazon
Famous Last Words by Jasmine Webb
A popular TV personality is killed—and Mack can’t stay away from the case. Secrets in St. Albinus come to light, and Mack may be the next target.
Key themes: small town, cozy sleuth, media scandal, female protagonist
Grab Famous Last Words on Amazon
My Father Always Finds Corpses by Lee Hollis
A father-daughter duo team up to solve a murder with ties to their past. Palm Springs drama, political intrigue, and old Hollywood secrets included.
Key themes: father-daughter sleuths, Hollywood gossip, intergenerational mystery, queer rep
Grab My Father Always Finds Corpses on Amazon
The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton
A vintage-loving London transplant finds herself in the middle of a village murder. With British charm, social politics, and dahlias in bloom, it’s Miss Marple meets cottagecore.
Key themes: English village, outsider sleuth, gardening, class tension
Grab The Potting Shed Murder on Amazon
Final Thoughts
From weddings to wild safaris to haunted third-floor rooms, these May 2025 mystery books offer high stakes and unforgettable settings. Which one are you reading first?
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