This list is part of our Best of the Year collection, an obsessively curated selection of our editors' and listeners' favorite audio in 2022. Check out The Best of 2022 to see our top picks in every category.
This year was an amazingly fruitful one for mysteries and thrillers. As we tried to narrow this list down, a popular refrain among editors was: “Don’t forget this, don’t forget that, and what about this?” It was a robust task. Some of us liked when the twists and turns began within the first few minutes, while others were happy to go on the rocky, thrilling rides the genre provides with a little guessing along the way. Could it be that we felt we could emotionally “afford” the darker side of storytelling because it feels like we’re living in post-pandemic mode? Maybe, but we’re sure about one thing—this list is simply the best.
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Audible's Mystery & Thriller of the Year, 2022
Brilliantly portrayed by narrator Lauren Ambrose, Molly Gray wins the best character in a mystery award from me. She is everything—humble, caring, and sensitive. She is also on the spectrum, and while independent, this hotel housekeeper is still learning to get on without the support of her late, dedicated grandmother. Despite their savings being wiped out by a guy who feigns affection for Molly (each time I heard it, their code name for their nest egg made me smile), all’s going well. That’s until a wealthy hotel guest is found dead one morning. What ensues is a roller coaster of plot twists and turns. —Yvonne D.
There are few authors for whom I will listen to everything they write, and Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are on my short list. I rediscovered my love of listening with their Audible Original The Getaway in 2020, and devoured their twisty domestic thriller The Golden Couple in three days. Marissa and Matthew seem like the perfect couple, until a secret infidelity forces them to seek help to repair their marriage. Narrator Marin Ireland expertly embodies Avery, a well-known therapist recently suspended for her unconventional methods, while Karissa Vacker's layered portrayal of Marissa kept me guessing. —Margaret H.
If you’re a fan of badass women banding together to reveal hidden truths (John Tucker Must Die, anyone?), then you’re in for a real treat with Young Rich Widows, a fast-paced thriller about four wives of successful businessmen who are shocked to learn that their husbands were involved in a suspicious plane crash. It’s impossible to tear yourself away from this mystery as it unfolds. Fun fact: This Audible Original was written by four amazing women mystery authors, and it has a brilliant all-women multicast to boot. —Nicole R.
Along with all the mystery, thrills, and supernatural themes you could ask for, Shutter gives us a peek into the sights and sounds of the Navajo Nation through author Ramona Emerson’s writing and narrator Charley Flyte’s performance. At her grandmother’s urging, Rita Todacheene has left home, bringing with her an ability to see and converse with ghosts, which was looked on with suspicion on the reservation. She becomes a forensic photographer and through her eyes, and lens, we get an otherworldly view of the many crime victims who pay her visits, nudging her to find their killers. Thankfully, loved ones also show up every now and then and throw beautiful light into her world and the pictures she takes. —Y.D.
Centered around the women of tony, rich-infested Buckhead, trophy-wife-in-charge Shannon gets dumped by her husband when he upgrades to a younger woman, Crystal. That leaves two others in waiting to capture the crown of Buckhead. Olivia hopes to out-slick and backstab her way to the top, and Jenny, the owner of an exclusive salon, is the holder of all the secrets and wouldn’t hesitate to tell all. A series of machinations begin as each woman mounts her battle, and that’s when things could become deadly. Five incredibly talented narrators add to this thrilling study of friendship and how dark it can become. —Y.D.
With a string of groundbreaking nonfiction podcast series out there, this innovative media format has proved that it is here to stay. And KOZ brings a unique flavor to it, chronicling the true story of Darrin “Koz” Kozlowski, an undercover agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. I am no stranger to the undercover cop archetype, but I’ve never heard it done like this before. With all-star performances by Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights) and Kate Mara (House of Cards, A Teacher), this story is brought to life in a rich soundscape. The immersive podcast experience places you firmly in the gritty biker gangs that Koz so famously infiltrated. —Seth H.
I love when authors reimagine archetypal stories with a relatable and modern spin. So, I could not wait to dive into Randy McKinnon’s The Prophecy—as a fan of his work as a writer, producer, and director, and also as the daughter of a single mother. (The Prophecy is a love letter to the strength and resilience of single moms in general, and one in particular.) I’m rooting for Kerry Washington as Virginia. And the rest of the cast (Laurence Fishburne, Daniel Dae Kim, and David Oyelowo, just to name a few) make this listen unpauseable. —Christina H.
Professor Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes’s fiercest rival, may have more to his backstory than we thought. This romp into the Sherlock Holmes universe, as imagined by Charles Kindinger, follows Moriarty on a mission to prove his innocence. The star-studded cast delivers top-notch performances. Dominic Monaghan (of Lord of the Rings movie fame) does a bang-up job as the intense Moriarty. This fast-paced, serialized story is filled with amazing sound design that will leave you on the edge of your seat. —N.R.
Dakota Fanning leads an amazing cast in this short story packed with suspense. Paige Barrett was living the dream—a journalist at a cutting-edge online magazine where she was racking up bylines and had a boyfriend, until she was fired and dumped. Suddenly, she’s back in the small town of Shoreham, Florida, staying in her sister’s guesthouse and waiting tables. With time on her hands, she decides to launch a true crime podcast about the death of popular local teacher Jessica Cady, who died mysteriously 20 years earlier. As Paige dives deeper into the death, she grows more concerned about just how close she is to the killer. —Y.D.
I adore Richard Armitage, as do his loyal and passionate fans: shout-out to the “Armitage Army”! We know he can do it all when it comes to voice and screen acting, but a thriller writer too? Yes, indeed. The story centers on Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sarah Collier, who has stepped back from her work to care for her father who’s suffering from Alzheimer’s. Sadly, Sarah is also showing signs of the disease. When she and her neuroscientist husband are invited to a prestigious biotech conference in Geneva, she learns of Mauritz Schiller’s game-changing work. It could save her life but she’ll have to decide just how far she’ll go. Armitage joins forces with narrators Nicola Walker and Jane Perry to give a stunning performance. —Y.D.
As a lover of luxury goods, specifically handbags, Counterfeit was right up my alley. This unputdownable listen examines issues like the model minority myth, motherhood, success, and what it means to be a woman—all while leading listeners on a wild ride through running a counterfeit empire. The novel starts with two college roommates who reunite after 15 years to run a grift while exposing both America's and China's flawed labor laws. While the twists and turns drew me into this title, it was Catherine Ho's performance that made me feel like I was there with Ava and Winnie, beating the criminal counterfeiting underworld. —Patty K.C.
Crime Junkie podcast host Ashley Flowers knows her way around true crime and mystery—and her debut novel reflects just that. All Good People Here finds reporter Margot Davies writing about the connection of a recent crime to one that happened decades ago, which personally affected her. As Margot dives deeper into the past to dredge up painful memories, she finds that her small Midwestern town also has secrets it may never recover from. The dual-POV performances from Brittany Pressley and Karissa Vacker added an extra layer of depth to this novel that keeps you right on the edge until the very end. —P.K.C.
Conner Habib’s debut novel is one of the few stories that has nearly left me speechless. From its opening line, there’s a slow but steady feeling of dread, paranoia, and fear that I have never experienced with another audiobook. Narrated by the author himself, the novel’s understated performance allows the twisted beauty of Habib’s writing to take center stage. In a small town on the coast of New England, we meet single father Todd and his son just before the high school bully from Todd’s past makes an unexpected reappearance in his life. It’s an intense, atmospheric, and beautifully haunting look at deception, manipulation, and repression that I still can’t help thinking about. —Michael C.
The Stephen King multiverse just got bigger and better. The new novel from the King of fantastical fiction follows Charlie Reade, a high school student whose good deed toward a mysterious man opens up a whole new world. Not only does Charlie earn himself a new companion in a loyal dog named Radar, he’s also willed a key to a locked shed that is his portal into this world. As secrets are revealed, Charlie finds himself in the middle of a brewing battle he never could have imagined. Narrated stunningly by actor Seth Numrich, Fairy Tale is an amazing addition to the fantastical world-building that King excels at. —N.R.
It used to be safe enough in this close-knit community to have late night swimming parties at the quarry, and venture into tunnels beneath the city. It all changes one night when Heather and Brenda see something they can’t forget and promise not to tell. Then a friend of theirs disappears, the second girl in a week to vanish. Thus begins this twisty tale in which we follow Heather’s determined investigation into the mystery. Jess Nahikian’s voice has a breathy, youthful quality that is so well-suited to the main character, and her delivery is so intimate it feels as if Heather herself is recounting her story—fitting for a tale inspired by a true crime. —Y.D.
