List

'Can't-Miss' Mysteries Audiobooks

By Steven Jablonski

Sometimes you want to take risks and sometimes you want to play it safe. These mysteries are all tried-and-true favorites with broad appeal, as safe as T-bonds. All are available for immediate download on the Hoopla website or app.

  • Baltimore Blues

    2015 by Lippman, Laura

    Laura Lippman's Tess Monaghan resides right up there with Sue Grafton's Kinsey Malone in the ranks of beloved fictional investigators. As a novelist, Lippman continues to expand her horizons, but this is the book that launched her sterling career.

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  • Crocodile on the Sandbank

    2013 by Peters, Elizabeth

    Amelia Peabody, amateur Victorian archaeologist extraordinaire, begins her adventures in Egypt with this novel. Pure literary comfort food, this is one of those mystery series that should be read in order so you can watch the characters grow and develop.

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  • Hollywood Homicide

    2017 by Garrett, Kellye

    Unlike the other authors on this list, Kellye Garrett is a relative newcomer, but she made quite a splash with this funny, fast-paced debut that earned stellar reviews and two major awards for best first mystery.

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  • Introducing Agatha Raisin

    2008 by Beaton, M. C.

    Like Ann Cleeves, M.C. Beaton can boast of seeing two of her popular characters helming TV series. Beaton's work, though, is much lighter, a great choice for those who enjoy their mysteries quick and cozy. This audiobook contains the first two mysteries in her Agatha Raisin series.

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  • The Lost Man

    2019 by Harper, Jane

    Jane Harper's books, set in the harsh Australian outback, radiate atmosphere. This novel of family secrets will grip you with its plot and transport you to an unfamiliar hardscrabble environment.

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  • Maisie Dobbs: A Novel

    2003 by Winspear, Jacqueline

    With this debut set in 1929, Jacqueline Winspear started a series that won critical acclaim before becoming a major popular hit. Her Maisie Dobbs character continues to find fans as she moves from the shadow of the first World War to the darkness of the second.

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  • One for the Money

    2006 by Evanovich, Janet

    If Janet Evanovich wrote this one for the money, she certainly hit the jackpot. This is the rollicking book that introduced New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, her multiple love interests, and her zany family. After 25 more books, the series shows no sign of slowing down.

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  • Open and Shut

    2002 by Rosenfelt, David

    If you like dogs, sports, and wisecracks, you've found your favorite mystery author right here. David Rosenfelt created his winning formula with this first book in his Andy Carpenter series and has never looked back.

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  • Raven Black

    2007 by Cleeves, Ann

    Ann Cleeves is so good at creating compelling characters that she can claim two TV series based on them. This award-winning title, rich in suspense and sinister atmosphere, began her acclaimed series set in Britain's remote Shetland islands.

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  • Spider Woman's Daughter

    2015 by Hillerman, Anne

    It's not that unusual for a deceased novelist's beloved characters to be handed over to a new author, but rarely has this been done more successfully. Here Tony Hillerman's daughter Anne introduces her own character Bernie Manuelito to her father's Leaphorn and Chee and starts them on new adventures in Navajo country.

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  • Still Life

    2006 by Penny, Louise

    I've yet to meet a mystery reader who doesn't love Louise Penny for her well crafted plots and compelling characters whose lives develop like those of real people. This is a series where you definitely want to start at the beginning.

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  • Wicked Autumn: A Max Tudor Novel

    2011 by Malliet, G. M.

    Louise Penny calls this "a wonderful read" and I'd readily concur. G.M. Malliet updates the traditional English village mystery to modern times with charm, humor, and a touch of romance.

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  • The Word Is Murder: A Novel

    2018 by Horowitz, Anthony

    Anthony Horowitz excels at writing crowd-pleasing screenplays, adventure books for kids, and ingenuous mysteries for adults like this one. In a clever turn, he puts himself as a character in this mystery, a gimmick that actually works.

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