The best books of mystery/suspense by women authors

All of Tana French’s books are characterized by intensity. Her protagonists have powerful backstories that generate the emotional drive to solve the mystery they face. In Faithful Place, set close to the present day, the protagonist Frank Mackey grew up working class in Dublin. Now he’s a detective, called home to Faithful Place when his family discovers a suitcase in an abandoned building—a suitcase that belonged to Frank’s girlfriend Rosie, who vanished years ago, the night she and Frank were to run away together to London. Frank always believed that Rosie abandoned him; but what if she was murdered? In solving this case, Frank must excavate his family’s history and his own emotionally wrenching past, which shapes both the mystery arc and the subplot of this book—Frank’s reconciliation with his ex-wife and his daughter. This book is poignant, painful, and suspenseful, with a powerful ending. 

This heart-wrenching historical novel won the prestigious Costa Book of the Year award. Set in 1867 in Dove River, a tiny settlement in the Northern Territory, this tale is told by several narrators. Often, that technique is used ineffectively, but Penney has made each voice so distinct that the book transcends the genre of murder mystery to become a reflection upon how people perceive the same event very differently. When Mrs. Ross discovers the murdered body of the trapper Laurent Jammett, her worst nightmare comes true: her seventeen-year-old son Francis has disappeared and has been named the primary suspect. Searchers set out from Dove River, following his tracks across the snow, ultimately discovering the truth behind the murder. This tale compellingly explores themes of justice and redemption. 

An oldie but goodie, first published in 1958, this beautifully written novel of suspense and romance is often compared to Daphne du Maurier’s masterpiece Rebecca. I actually prefer Nine Coaches Waiting, with its nod to Bronte’s Jane Eyre and the gorgeous setting of a French castle. In this book, the orphaned Englishwoman Linda Martin becomes the governess to young, orphaned Phillipe, of Chateau Valmy in France. At first, the situation seems perfect, and young Phillipe is a shy but engaging pupil. His aunt and uncle, however, raise Linda’s concerns, and the ensuing cat-and-mouse game lays bare the ways ambition and injury can twist a heart. Mary Stewart won the prestigious Edgar Award for mystery in 1965 for This Rough Magic, but Nine Coaches Waiting is my favorite of hers.

This is another oldie but goodie from 1958. The Young Adult genre is often overlooked, but I would recommend this Newbury Award Winner to the YA crowd as well as adults who love a strong historical novel of suspense tinged with romance. In 1687, sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler leaves gorgeous, sunny Barbados after her father dies, relocating to her uncle’s household in a small, bleak Puritan town in Connecticut. Lonely and ostracized by the stern villagers, Kit befriends a Quaker woman named Hannah, who is thought to be a witch. When a vicious neighbor accuses Kit of bewitching her child, Kit is put on trial for her life. With a nod to The Crucible and exploring themes surrounding trusting the Other, this book is still relevant today.

Based on the real Constance Kopp, one of the first female deputies in the US, this book begins in 1914, when Charlotte and her two sisters, in a buggy, are run off the road by a gangster, and she teams up with the sheriff to do something about it. I recommend this book because the voice is utterly original and compelling. Here’s the opening: “Our troubles began in the summer of 1914, the year I turned thirty-five. The Archduke of Austria had just been assassinated, the Mexicans were revolting, and absolutely nothing was happening at our house, which explains why all three of us were riding to Paterson on the most trivial of errands.” Named one of 2015’s Best Books by NPR and a New York Times Editors’ Choice, it’s the first of a wonderful series.