Contrary to what you may believe, there are actually a few things where Frodo’s and my taste differ – shocking, I know! One of these (very few) things are the books we like to read. Of course we have a looooot of books that we both love, but there are genres that I love and she doesn’t, and vice versa. Most notably: I love mystery/crime novels. Frodo doesn’t (pff, her loss).

Anyway, she’s busy, and I have some time on my hands, which is why this is going to be more my post than ours – sorry, Frodo – and I’ll be listing my Top Ten Books To Read If Your Book Club Loves Mystery Novels.

1. Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn

I bought and read this in New Zealand, and there was a rather memorable incident involving a guy asking me to turn off the light and stop reading because it was 3 in the morning. Which is my way of telling you that I could not put down this book. And I don’t think any book has ever left me as f*cked up as this one has. Definitely a must-read if you like Mystery!

2. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson

It’s almost a classic, and one definitely worth reading. And, if you feel like it, watch the movie, too, cause it’s not too bad either (I’m NOT talking about the Hollywood knock-off but the original).

3. The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown

Again, almost a classic. Dan Brown’s writing has always kept me hooked even when the book was only meh – and The DaVinci Code is not just meh. It’s fantastic! I liked it a lot more than Angels & Demons, too, so if you didn’t like that one and didn’t feel like giving The DaVinci Code a try, you should, cause it’s way better.

4. Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Jeff Lindsay

I could not get into the TV show Dexter, so I kept away from the books because I thought I wouldn’t like them either. Boy, was I wrong! Granted, the first one is the best, and they get a little less good with every book (Dexter in the Dark was really weird…), but even if you don’t feel like reading all of the books, read the first one. It’s great and has a lot more humor than I ever thought it would.

5. The Cuckoo’s Calling, Robert Galbraith

I’ll admit, I was sceptical, because A Casual Vacancy was not my cup of tea, so I wasn’t sure whether The Cuckoo’s Calling would be worth reading. But I love J. K. Rowling, so I read it, and I did not regret it. It’s really good! It’s not action packed or full of car chases and people shooting at each other, but rather concentrates on the process of investigation, which is a nice change from what we usually get.

6. The Bone Collector, Jeffery Deaver

I enjoyed the whole Lincoln Rhyme series, but The Bone Collector is the first, and the best, in my opinion. I love how Deaver established the characters, and the villain was one creepy, well-written dude.

7. Real Murders, Charlaine Harris

This one I got from a friend as a gift, and I read it in one sitting. There weren’t even toilet breaks. It’s a small book and a fun, short read – and, hey! it’s a book club solving a murder, so it totally fits this prompt!

8. Shakespeare’s Landlord, Charlaine Harris

Same thing. Short book, the characters were not as likeable as the ones in Real Murders, but it’s still a good story.

9. Scream For Me, Karen Rose

This creeped me out when I first read it. The bad guy is one messed up guy who does messed up things, and from all of her many books, this is the one I remember most clearly.

10. Digital Fortress, Dan Brown

Yes, another Dan Brown. This one wasn’t so well liked by critics and readers, but I still enjoyed it very much. It’s at the bottom of this list, so if you have better books to read, you should, but if you’re looking for a well-written NSA-story that takes place before Snowden, back when the NSA was cool, this is the one I’d recommend.