Mystery & Thriller Book Recommendations with @CrimebytheBook | Book Lounge Season 3

If your TBR is looking a little too well-behaved, consider this your official invitation to cause some chaos. 

Joe is joined by Abby from @crimebythebook to dive headfirst into a stack of mystery and thriller recommendations that are twisty, chilling, and completely unputdownable. From locked-room tension and atmospheric horror-leaning suspense to darkly clever whodunits and cult-favorite thrillers, this episode is packed with reads guaranteed to keep you guessing long after “just one more chapter.” 

If you’re searching for the best mystery books, psychological thrillers, dark academia vibes, or hidden gem crime fiction to add to your reading list, this episode is your next obsession.  

Link to our full book list:
Find all the books mentioned in Season 3 on Libby Life!
Here’s a recap of our Monthly Book Picks (Jan-May 2026)! 

Book recommendations:

Abby’s Picks: 

• Nightwatching – Tracy Sierra
• You Are Fatally Invited  & The Library After Dark  – Ande Pliego
• The Treasure Hunters Club – Tom Ryan 
• The Anniversary – Alex Finlay 
• Hide & Seek - Søren Sveistrup 
• The Possession of Alba Díaz - Isabel Cañas 

Joe’s Picks: 

• The Mill House Murders – Yukito Ayatsuji
• Dead & Breakfast & Summer Coven  - Kat Hillis & Rosiee Thor (Aug. 25)
• Murder in the Dressing Room & Missing in Soho – Holly Stars (Jun. 2)
• With My Little Eye – Joshilyn Jackson
• The Sister Holiday Series (Book 1: Scorched Grace, Book 3: Divine Ruin) - Margot Douaihy

Who’s in this episode: 

Abby (Crime by the Book) - Links

Time stamps:
00:00:00 Title
00:00:23 Intro
00:00:44 Welcome to Abby from CrimebytheBook!
00:01:06 Getting to know Abby and Crime by the Book
00:11:11 Our Mystery & Mayhem Recommendations
00:51:54 Thanks to Abby and Outro! 

Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode in Libby. Library friends can add these titles to their digital collections for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. Check out our Cumulative List for the whole season, or this list for today’s episode! 

Looking for more bookish content? Check out the Libby Life Blog! 

We hope you enjoy this episode of Book Lounge by Libby. Be sure to rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen! You can watch the video version of our show on the Libby App YouTube channel. Keep up with us on social media by following the Libby App on Instagram!  

Want to reach out? Send an email to bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com. Want some cool bookish swag? Check out our merch store at: http://plotthreadsshop.com/booklounge!