The New October Mystery and Thriller books include series favorites, reunions gone wrong, and psychological suspense that’s perfect for Spooky Season. This month I also have a separate Paranormal and Cozy Mystery roundup!
Quick Picks by Vibe
| If you want… | Read this |
|---|---|
| A big-name detective series you already trust | The Hollow by Michael Connelly |
| A new lover who vanishes without a trace | Paris Files by Eva Jurczyk |
| A true crime podcast that hits too close to home | Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen |
| A high school reunion where someone doesn’t make it out | A Reunion to Die for by K.J. Whittle |
| Freida McFadden’s latest, with a spooky mansion. | The Witch by Freida McFadden |
| A slow creeping dread that someone’s watching your new house | You Let Me In by Lucy Clarke |
The October 2026 Books I’m Most Excited About
WEEK OF OCTOBER 6
The Witch by Freida McFadden
What It’s About: After being fired, a woman must go to stay at her grandmother’s spooky mansion.
Why I Picked It: I did like Dear Debbie, so I’m hoping this one is good. Fingers crossed. And I’m curious to see if it’s paranormal or not!
Stay tuned for my thoughts!
Paris Files by Eva Jurczyk
What It’s About: A woman’s new lover mysteriously disappears.
Why I Picked It: I really enjoyed her last book, 6:40 to Montreal (though that book made a lot of people MAD.)
What I Thought: The Paris Files was epistolary, made up of police interviews from a variety of people. I used to refuse to read epistolary fiction, but Janice Hallett has changed my mind.
The Paris Files was about a Canadian woman who meets a younger American guy in the Philippines. They decide to meet up in Paris and have a whirlwind romance. Then he vanishes.
For me, it was kind of like Before Sunrise (remember that movie?) meets The Paris Apartment, and I enjoyed it.
Who Should Read It: Readers who are okay with epistolary fiction and a gaslighting story. For me, it was fun to try to figure out what was happening and who did it.
The Ferryman’s Daughter by Yasmin Angoe
What It’s About: The daughter of a serial killer, who is trying to hide her past, is alarmed when a copycat strikes.
Why I Picked It: I’ve enjoyed Yasmin Angoe’s books in the past, most recently Behind These Four Walls.
What I Thought: This was both a police procedural and psychological suspense. The main character, hiding the fact that she’s the daughter of a notorious serial killer, is shocked when a copycat killer strikes in her hometown. Worse, her husband is the detective assigned to the case.
Who Should Read It: I feel like this leans psychological suspense/serial killer. If you are a procedural fan, you have to be prepared that one of the main POV characters is not telling the truth to those around her!
Where There’s Smoke (Coldren County 2) by Rachel Louise Adams
What It’s About: Dolores, working as a medical examiner, investigates a body found at a slaughterhouse. Second in a procedural series.
Why I Picked It: I liked the first book in this series. It’s a bit quirky but perfect for October. Here is my review of book one, No Rest for the Wicked.
What I Thought: I didn’t like this nearly as much as No Rest for the Wicked. I felt the recap was sparse and the main characters were all fairly unlikeable.
The Hollow (Bosch 21) by Michael Connelly
What It’s About: Bosch seeks justice for the foster kids he lived with in a grim institution.
Why I Picked It: I’m such a fan of this series and can’t wait to read this!
WEEK OF OCTOBER 13
Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen
What It’s About: After a true crime podcaster reopens her cousins’ case, a woman must confront the past.
Why I Picked It: I love Suspense with Podcast Themes so of course I am reading this!
You Let Me In by Lucy Clarke
What It’s About: A struggling writer rents out her house, then starts to feel like someone’s watching her.
Why I Picked It: I am always looking for new books for my list of Mysteries and Suspense Books about Authors and Writers. I’m hoping this is a slow-build, creeping-dread thriller. Stay tuned!
NOTE: Thanks to Lori who pointed out that this is a re-release of a 2018 title. It was originally published by Harper in 2018 and is being re-published by Atlantic Crime.
WEEK OF OCTOBER 20
Missing Molly by Natalie Barelli (free on KU)
What It’s About: A British woman is horrified that a true crime podcast is tackling the old case of a missing girl: her. It’s by the author of The Housewife, which I read back in June.
Why I Picked It: This is such an intriguing premise so I’m in!
NOTE: Thanks to Pink Amy for pointing out in comments that this is ANOTHER re-release. It may have been self-published in 2018, but is now being released by Poisoned Pen Press, which published The Housewife.
A Reunion to Die for by K.J. Whittle
What It’s About: One of a group of friends at a high school reunion is murdered.
Why I Picked It: Reunion thrillers are always a good time, so I RSVP’d yes for this!
The Full October 2026 Mystery and Thriller List By Vibe
Series Mysteries to Continue
The Hollow (Bosch 21) by Michael Connelly — Bosch seeks justice for the foster kids he lived with in a grim institution. I’ll be reading this one!
Miss Wolcott’s Ghosts (Inspector Gamache 21) by Louise Penny — Gamache must solve a murder from a century-old Lost Nation. (Despite the title, this doesn’t seem to have a supernatural plot. I’m trying to catch up on this series!
Chain Reaction (Jack Reacher 31) by Lee Child and Andrew Child — A general in the Pentagon needs Reacher’s help. I did my time with Reacher and stopped this series. Are you still reading it?
The Family Cross (Alex Cross 36) by James Patterson — Alex investigates a series of baffling murders.
The Girl in the Lake (Holmes, Margaret & Poe 3) by James Patterson and Brian Sitts — Holmes, Marple, and Poe track a killer at a remote winter lodge. This series has high ratings. Have you read it?
Killing the Boogeyman (Boogeyman 3) by Richard Chizmar — The “Boogeyman” has escaped from prison.
Split Screen (Eve Ronan 7) by Lee Goldberg — Reality and fiction collide as the actress who plays Eve is gunned down.
Dark Country (Argento 3) by Adam Plantinga — Argento is living undercover when he decides to help an immigrant teen in danger.
Where There’s Smoke (Coldren County 2) by Rachel Louise Adams — Dolores, working as a medical examiner, works on a body found at a slaughterhouse.
A Shadow of Jaguars (DJ Arias 2) by Denise Frost — At a family funeral in Mexico, Arias is drawn into a case.
Bury the Wren (County Kerry 5) by Carlene O’Connor — Murder at a local village celebration in Ireland.
Blood on the Snow (DCI Walker 7) by Alex Pine — Two women on a holiday break turn up dead.
Psychological Suspense & Domestic Thrillers
Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen — After a true crime podcaster opens her cousins’ case, a woman must confront the past.
You Let Me In by Lucy Clarke — A struggling writer rents out her house and then feels there’s someone watching her.
Old Ham by Seraphina Nova Glass — A middle-aged hoarder gains access to the life of her high school crush.
Missing Molly by Natalie Barelli — A British woman is horrified that a podcast is tackling the old case of a missing girl: her.
Paris Files by Eva Jurczyk — A woman’s new lover mysteriously disappears.
The Ferryman’s Daughter by Yasmin Angoe — The daughter of a serial killer gets targeted by his copycat.
A Reunion to Die for by K.J. Whittle — One of a group of friends at a high school reunion is murdered.
Till Death at the Dravenwynd by Mark Hullender — A wedding weekend at the historic, eerie Hotel Dravenwynd turns deadly, leaving guests, staff, and an amateur detective sorting reason from superstition.
NEW Procedural Mystery Series
Hanging and Burning (King Oliver 1) by Walter Mosley — Joe King Oliver accepts a case from a gangster who wants his missing daughter located before he dies.
Literary & Genre-Bending Mysteries
Mystery Play by Elizabeth Kostova — A new novel in the same world as The Historians finds the last living historian in peril.
Other Worlds Than These (Talisman 3) by Stephen King — Jack Sawyer must stop a rampaging gang and the forces of the Gullet.
Ready to Get Spooky? Check Out These NEW October Paranormal Mysteries!
