15 Best Mystery Romance Books to Add a Lil ~Spice~ to Your Life

This one is for the readers looking for a thriller that'll leave them at the edge of their seats. The moment detective Reed Novak steps onto the crime scene of a murdered young woman, he knows this case is unlike any other. With no sign of forced entry, motive, and signs that she's not the killer's first victim, Reed's instinct is that this murderer will continue killing. To his surprise, his first clue comes via a mysterious text from hacker Laney Knox. Laney prefers to stay away from the investigation, but she can't ignore the startling similarities between the crime and her own brutal attack years ago. As Reed and Laney's relationship begins to deepen, she can't resist the temptation to reveal the closely guarded secrets that would not only make her a key witness but also the killer's next victim.

This 1859 novel famously opens with, "In one moment, every drop of blood in my body was brought to a stop... There, as if it had that moment sprung out of the earth, stood the figure of a solitary Woman, dressed from head to foot in white." As a drawing master to the beautiful Fairlie, Walter Hartright is pitted against two sinister men who have a taste for white mice, vanilla bonbons, and poison. The novel walks a fine line between mystery and the supernatural as it follows a star-crossed couple, one of whom was warned not to marry the other.

As her 200th novel, bestselling author Nora Roberts proves she's mastered the art of romance and suspense. Elizabeth Fitch, the daughter of a controlling mother, finally lets loose one night and ends up drinking too much at a nightclub (we've all been there). A seductive Russian man is able to seduce her and lure her to a mysterious house. The events that follow change her life forever. Years later, a woman known as Abigail Lowery gains the attention of police chief Brooks Gleason. She keeps to herself and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and assortment of firearms, which is a quick way to be the opposite of lowkey in her small town. Brooks believes Abigail needs protection from something and that her elaborate defenses hide another story.

While sitting in a confessional, the penitent makes a bone-chilling disclosure. Slowly and tauntingly, the mysterious man describes his murderous past—how he stalked his victim, worked his way into her life, and then killed her in a violent rage. Worst of all? He plans to kill again. Only this time, he is raising the stakes to his sick game by daring authorities in a cat-and-mouse game after revealing who his next intended victim is. FBI agent Nick Buchanan finds out the next intended victim is his best friend's sister. As he pursues the killer on an intricate chase, danger grows, but so does his electrifying attraction to the intended victim.

This bestselling and award-winning novel does not disappoint when it comes to romance or mystery. Passion flares and danger lurks in Athens, Greece, where reporter Jackie Alexander and detective Michael Apostolou are forced to work together to investigate the mysterious deaths of heirs to Greek tycoon Andreas' incredible fortune. Their suspicions and unanswered questions devour them much like their budding passion for one another.

At just 10 years old, Riley Lambert witnessed her sister being abducted from her bedroom. Fifteen years later, she's channeled her childhood trauma and pain into a career as an FBI profiler. When she gets a call from the only man that's ever swept her off her feet—ex-Navy SEAL Thayne Blackwood—dark memories are brought to the surface. Like her, his sister has also been kidnapped. With no leads and the only witness being his grandma with Alzheimer's, Thayne needs Riley's expertise. With time running out, they dive into dangerous small-town secrets and soon discover a shocking revelation between both of their pasts.

Linda Howard never disappoints—and if you’re a fan of Heart of Fire or Dream Man, you’ll think this mystery romance book is just as delicious. It centers around a conversation between four friends about their requirements for—yep, you guessed it—the perfect man. The Sex and the City–esque chat goes south when their list is leaked and goes viral. Big yikes! What happens next is a criminal reaction—literally—to said leaked list and an investigation involving Howard’s heroine and hero. And because this is a mystery with a sprinkle of romance, they just so happen to have a lot of chemistry. Mr. Perfect is hot, hilarious, and a little bit twisted (ironically, the same could be said about the perfect man...).

If you’ve never read this popular page-turner from the mind of #1 New York Times best-selling author Nora Jones (and written under her pseudonym), now’s the time! And if you have, here’s your sign to revisit it. Although it’s set in futuristic New York and was published more than 20 years ago, Naked in Death—the first mystery romance book in Jones’s In Death series—is more relevant than ever. In fact, “It’s a little unsettling how close to today’s political climate this book finds itself when it’s set years and years in the future,” one reviewer wrote. Also, it sets itself apart from other novels in this genre in the best way possible because the crime develops naturally...none of that forced, fake-romance-gone-bad BS.

This thriller is not for the faint of heart. If you came here to find a mystery romance book that’ll have you on the edge of your seat (and keep you up at night), add Verity by Colleen Hoover to your cart. The plot—which follows Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired to complete the remaining books in a series by an injured best-selling author named Verity Crawford—is packed with twists and turns when Lowen uncovers Crawford’s unpublished autobiography. TW: It’s full of bone-chilling and disturbing confessions. At this point, you’re probably wondering where the romance comes in. Weeell, Lowen develops feelings for Crawford’s husband and, of course, has to decide what to do about that, ya know, disturbing little list.

The fourth novel in Melinda Leigh’s Bree Target series, Right Behind Her, does not disappoint. “Just like the others [it’s] fast-moving, imaginative, and a real page-turner,” one reviewer said of this mystery romance novel—which follows Sheriff Bree Taggert, whose father killed her mother then himself, and the investigation that ensues—adding, “The plot takes you on a roller-coaster ride.”

This New York City–based mystery romance has it all: A charming family-owned pub frequented by locals, a slew of Diamond District robberies, a criminal psychologist named Kieran Finnegan who finds herself stuck in the middle of them, and an FBI agent assigned to the case (who just so happens to hit it off with Kiernan...love to see it).

This is another fast-paced story involving an FBI agent—well, actually, this one was retired until she received a mysterious package containing a child’s bones that kind 0f disrupted that whole plan. Anyway, the discovery leads her right back to a case she worked on several years ago, and this time, there’s a lot of new evidence to investigate. “Another complicated story that has you on the edge of your seat,” one reviewer raved. While a second person said the characters are “lovable and relatable.”

A cover this cute makes you wonder if the story inside can possibly compete. Well!! I’m happy to report that Kyra Davis absolutely delivers in this mystery romance that reviewers call “fun,” “intelligent,” and “laugh-out-loud funny.” What sets this mystery romance apart from the rest is the narrator, Sophie Katz. A half-Jewish half-Black novelist who lives in San Francisco (and is a bit of a hot mess), Sophie invites readers to see the world from her perspective. This makes for a quick and entertaining read—especially when she becomes convinced that a crazed copycat killer—who’s seemingly been inspired by the murder scenes in her own books!—is out to get her. Eek!