There’s something for a wide range of readers in May’s new mystery and thriller books, whether you like following an older amateur sleuth or the trope of a billionaire’s children being suspected of his murder. A magician tries to prove her innocence in a cozy mystery for cat lovers, and a gay secret society makes for a fun, wild read. Louise Penny’s new standalone spy thriller is out this month, co-written with Canadian journalist Mellissa Fung. There’s YA and middle grade mysteries, the only library in the world you may not want to get locked in, and more! It’s another good month to be a mystery and thriller reader, so pick a book, get in your favorite reading spot, and start solving some mysteries.
New Mysteries and Thrillers Out May 2026
The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung
For fans of spy thrillers and journalist authors!
Canadian journalist and author Mellissa Fung (Between Good and Evil) teamed up with the bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Gamache series, Louise Penny, to write a standalone spy thriller. Alice Li, a food blogger, and her mother Vivien Li, a Chinese dissident and human rights activist, are summoned to the White House after fire and security alarms go off around the globe and a worldwide panic ensues. There they learn that Alice’s friend was found dead in the Hong Kong harbor, that he was a spy, and that his last message was to her…
Moonlight Murder (Detective Aunty Investigates #2) by Uzma Jalaluddin
For fans of older amateur sleuths and Toronto settings.
While Kausar Khan raised her family in Toronto, she moved away for years and only returned recently to help her daughter out when she became a murder suspect in Detective Aunty. Now she’s settling in, but is also flooded with memories of her son’s death in a hit-and-run almost two decades ago. When her teenage granddaughter needs her help with the case of a missing friend, and it overlaps with her son’s case, Khan finds herself with plenty to investigate—and hopefully with answers to her son’s killing.
The Tuxedo Society by Paul Rudnick
For fans of improv, espionage, and gay secret societies!
Andrew Birnbaum is in his mid-twenties, working in a candle shop, and dreaming of being an entertainer. When he’s invited to a dinner party by his best friend for the Tuxedo Society, his world is turned upside down: the seemingly wealthy socialites at the dinner are really a team on a covert mission, and they want Andrew for his improv skills!
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The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego
For fans of locked-room mysteries, thrillers, library settings, and genre mixes!
New York bookseller Aria Stokes gets invited by a bookstore regular to an event offering an exclusive tour of the Daedalus Library. They’re joined by five other people on the tour and things quickly take a turn: the automatic doors lock them in, and they must find a way out.
The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
For fans of family drama, YA mysteries, and a dead billionaire mystery!
Billionaire Leontes Button adopted five children from around the world in order to prove his theories about prodigies and nature vs. nurture. When he’s murdered at his annual ball, his five 17-year-old children and all the guests become suspects and must remain in his manor.
The Black Cat Detectives by Kit Gray
For fans of cats, cozy mysteries in New England towns, and animal POV!
Mila MacAllister, a magician awaiting her big break, has just rescued three kittens (aptly named Bippity, Boppity, and Boop) when her boyfriend and manager’s body ruins her performance. Not only is he dead, but Mila’s performance knife is sticking out of his body, making Mila the prime suspect. Worry not: the cats are on the case!
Mist and Malice (Haven Thriller #2) by Rachel Howzell Hall
For fans of small coastal town settings and PIs!
If Sonny Rush was looking for less crime when she moved from L.A. to the tiny coastal town of Haven, California, she’s not finding it. She has plenty of work as a PI, from a runaway teen showing up with a chilling story to a day laborer being found dead.
If you want to start at the beginning of the series, pick up Fog and Fury.
Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray
For fans of legal thrillers!
Most young lawyers do not get a massively high-profile case as their first murder case, especially one involving a murdered judge with a defendant who refuses to talk. But the defendant is adamant that he only wants Leila Reynolds to represent him. Can she convince the jury of his innocence?
The Mystery of the Stolen World Cup Trophy by Angela Cervantes
For fans of child sleuths, middle grade mysteries, soccer, and Miami!
How did 6th grader Diez Espada get named the number 10 in Spanish (Diez)? His dad is a huge fan of soccer star Lionel Messi, and that was his jersey number. While soccer is how he bonds with his dad, he used to bond with his mom, who passed away, over their love of mysteries. Both of his passions collide when the FIFA World Cup trophy disappears, and he teams up with another kid to solve the mystery.
Catch up on April’s new mysteries and thrillers, and our mystery/thriller archive for more reading recs and mystery news.
Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf, and see 2026 releases! Until next time, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Goodreads, Litsy, and Multitudes Contained.
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