10 of the Best New Thrillers and Mysteries to Read This Fall

Obsidian Chamber, by Douglas Preston and Lee Child
The 16th installment of the Pendergast series takes off at top speed two weeks after the disappearance (and seemingly likely death) of Agent A.X.L. Pendergast. His ward, Constance, retreats into the comforting familiarity of the chambers below the family home at Riverside Drive, only to be kidnapped by someone from her past. Long-time readers of the series will appreciate the character-driven drama and the mysteries of motive as the story digs into the pasts of both Constance and Agent Pendergast—while Pendergast’s bodyguard, Proctor, takes over the role of action hero.

Odessa Sea, by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler
Clive Cussler’s latest Dirk Pitt adventure finds Pitt and his trusty sidekick, Al Giordino, aboard the oceanographic research ship Macedonia in the Black Sea. Dirk and crew rescue the lone survivor of a deadly mystery that has struck a Russian freighter, and Dirk and Al, along with special investigators Ana Belova and Peter Ralin, begin a manhunt linking present-day black market weapons smuggling with 1900s efforts to save the Romanov family and a lost Cold War bomber loaded up with dangerous cargo. It’s another fast-paced action thriller of the kind Cussler’s fans have come to expect and love.

The Whistler, by John Grisham
New York Times bestseller John Grisham is back with a new, high-stakes legal thriller set in sunny Florida. Lacy Stoltz is a lawyer and investigator for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct, and after many years on the job, she has learned that most cases involve incompetence rather than outright corruption—until now. Greg Myers, a disbarred lawyer who has changed his name and started over, brings to the board a case of corruption unprecedented in U.S. legal history, and Lacy and partner Hugo are assigned to investigate. As she digs further into the case, involving a judge making millions off a deal with the Coast Mafia, she finds herself in dangerous, perhaps even deadly territory. Grisham is at his page-turning best here.

Chaos, Patricia Cornwell
Medical Examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta gets an unusual case involving a girl who appears to have been struck by lightning while riding her bike on a perfectly clear day. Stranger still, Kay recalls seeing the victim just hours before her death. She’s already in turmoil over mysterious notes she has been getting from a stalker who calls himself Tailend Charlie, and stressed about an impending visit from her disapproving younger sister, so she doesn’t need the added pressure of a big, odd case like this. Then she learns of the sudden death of General John Briggs, a long-time family friend, who has died in the same way as the bicycle victim. She alternately suspects the stalker and her past nemesis, psychopath Carrie Grethen. Fans of the Scarpetta series will enjoy the cutting-edge forensic detail Cornwell is known for, as well as the character revelations that drive the plot.

Darktown, by Thomas Mullen
Thomas Mullen mesmerizes with this stunning police procedural set in 1948 Atlanta. In a story filled with rich historical detail, Mullen captures the racial tensions of the pre–Civil Rights South when Lucius Boggs, one of Atlanta’s first black police officers, is called to investigate the death of a black woman at the hands of a white former cop. Boggs and his partner, Tommy Smith, are faced with deep hostility from their white coworkers and the restrictions of Jim Crow, yet they risk their lives to investigate this dangerous world filled with moonshiners, madams, and corrupt cops. Although the novel is set in the past, themes of racial tension and law enforcement resonate today and make for required reading for anyone seeking to understand current events.

The Trespasser, by Tana French
In the sixth Dublin Murder Squad novel, Detective Antoinette Conway makes her debut as a main character. French, known for her ingenious plotting and unflinching intelligence, does not disappoint here as Antoinette and her partner, Stephen Moran, take a case in which nothing is as it seems. Antoinette, as the only female member of the Squad, must deal with bullying and harassment at work, and with increasing suspicions when a more experienced detective takes too much interest in the case. This tightly plotted, character-driven murder mystery will leave readers breathless and guessing until the last page.

The Sleeping Beauty Killer, by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke
Laurie Moran, host and producer of legal TV news show Under Suspicion, is dealing with hotshot new cohost Ryan Nichols when she decides to help clear the name of convicted killer Casey Carter. Carter, who has always claimed she’s innocent, has already served her 15-year sentence for the murder of her fiancé when she begs Laurie for help. She believes Laurie is her last chance, but Laurie seems only able to find evidence supporting the guilty verdict. Laurie believes she’s doing the right thing in attempting to exonerate Casey, however, and keeps at it, despite Ryan’s attempt to steal the spotlight and take over the case. Laurie goes to great lengths to prove she’s right, seeking answers and thrilling readers right to the very end.

Apprentice in Death, by J.D. Robb
Bestselling author J.D. Robb’s newest novel, set in near-future New York City, begins with a bang as three random people are shot dead by a sniper while ice-skating in Central Park. Lieutenant Eve Dallas is tasked to investigate and relies on her tech-savvy husband’s unlimited resources to help uncover clues. What she finds is disturbing—there’s not just one killer but two, as an older assassin trains a younger one in the deadly use of a long-range tactical laser rifle meant only for police and military use. She and her team learn the attack in Central Park is only the beginning, and race to catch the killers as the city is thrown into chaos. Robb ratchets up the suspense with intense action and fascinating explorations into what makes someone become a killer.

Razor Girl, Carl Hiaasen
Hiaasen is at his best here in his hilarious sequel to Bad Monkey. Talent agent Lane Coolman is driving from Miami to Key West when he’s rear-ended by scam artist Merry Mansfield. Mistaking him for someone else, Merry and her partner, Zeto, kidnap Coolman in an attempt to carry out one of their latest kidnap for hire schemes. Taken out of action, Coolman misses out on escorting his client, reality TV star Buck Nance, to an appearance in support of the show Bayou Brethren—allowing Nance to go off-script, inciting a riot with his racist ranting before going into hiding. In the meantime, a crazed Nance fan attacks a tourist as Merry and health inspector Andrew Yancy, desperate to get his job back at the sheriff’s department, attempt to solve a murder case for which Nance is the prime suspect…and that’s just the beginning of the shenanigans Hiaasen sets up in this screwball adventure through the weird wilds of South Florida.

Night School, by Lee Child
The 21st installment of the highly acclaimed Jack Reacher series is actually a prequel, taking readers back in time to Reacher’s army days. It’s 1996 and Reacher has just received a medal for outstanding work during a mission in the Balkans when he learns he’s being sent back to school. But this is no ordinary school: his classmates are two seasoned agents from the CIA and FBI. They quickly learn their new assignment is an emergency covert task force operation with orders to capture a nameless American traitor with something to sell to Islamic terrorists for an astronomical sum of money—a disconcerting and compelling plot point for a story that takes place in a pre-9/11 world. This is classic Reacher, and critics are saying it’s Child’s most explosive novel yet. Readers will find Reacher’s old-school, pre-internet investigative techniques fascinating in this edge-of-your-seat thriller.