The Best Audiobooks for Mystery Lovers and Hopeless Romantics

From André Aciman, the author of Call Me By Your Name, comes an Audible Original story about love, fate, and the pull of the past. Ten years ago, a group of college friends made a vow: the first to get rich would rent a boat and invite the others on a cruise. Soon after their dream becomes a reality, they find themselves marooned at a luxurious hotel on Italy's Amalfi Coast. While waiting for their boat to be repaired, the friends are drawn to a mysterious hotel guest—a white-bearded gentleman who seems to possess mystical healing powers. Though most of the group soon falls under Raúl's spell, Margot remains suspicious. And she can't shake the feeling that they already know one another.

Looking for a romantic comedy mixed with mystery? Jesse Q. Sutanto's Dial A for Aunties is sure to satisfy. When Meddelin Chan accidentally kills her blind date, she knows where to turn for help with getting rid of the body: her resourceful aunties. But as it turns out, a dead body is a lot more difficult to dispose of than it appears to be in the movies! Throw an over-the-top billionaire wedding into the mix and things really get complicated. You'll love Risa Mei's narration in this audiobook—she gives a distinct voice and cadence to each and every character, bringing the humor to the forefront.

From New York Times best-selling author Colleen Hoover, Verity is a sizzling mystery romance audiobook available exclusively from Audible. Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer trying to make ends meet, lands the job of a lifetime: completing the remaining books in a successful series by celebrated author Verity Crawford, who has been seriously injured. But as she sorts through Verity's notes, Lowen discovers disturbing truths about the author—truths that would change everything for not only Verity's career and reputation but also for her husband, Jeremy.

Nalini Singh is the New York Times best-selling author of two epic paranormal and fantasy series, Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter. Her standalone novel and first mystery, A Madness of Sunshine will keep listeners gripped and guessing. A small town on the west coast of New Zealand, Golden Cove is haunted by one terrible summer—and several vanished bodies. Eight years later, a young woman goes missing. When the town's dark past suddenly collides with the brutal present, Anahera Rawlins sets out to uncover the truth—and gets tangled up in a secret web of sex, betrayal, greed, and murder. Saskia Maarleveld narrates this audiobook with the kind of tension that's absolutely perfect for a riveting work of romantic suspense.

Hidden is the first novel in best-selling mystery romance author Laura Griffin's Texas Murder Files series. When a woman is found brutally murdered on Austin's lakeside hike-and-bike trail, investigative reporter Bailey Rhoads rushes to the scene and starts looking for answers. She tries to get information from the lead detective, Jacob Merritt, but he's confounded—nothing about this case seems to add up. The two end up joining together to track down a ruthless hitman. And it’s not long before sparks fly between them.

If you're longing for a suspense-packed listen where the romance is given time to build over several mysteries, check out Janet Evanovich's wildly popular Stephanie Plum series. The first novel of more than two dozen, One for the Money introduces listeners to Stephanie Plum, a resourceful bounty hunter with attitude, New Jersey-style. In it for the money, she's going after cop-gone-bad Joe Morelli. Yes, Stephanie and Joe have a past, and it's pretty complicated. But she won't let that get in the way of her mission.

Fair warning: once you start listening to Nora Roberts's Blue Smoke, you won't be able to stop. This romantic suspense audiobook begins at a breakneck pace and never lets up. When Reena Hale was young, her family's pizzeria was destroyed by a fire. Now, Reena is an arson investigator and, though it often tests her wits and stamina, she's good at her job. Then, tragedy strikes again—her boyfriend's car has gone up in flames, and she's one of the main suspects. Who is behind this? Does someone have a vendetta against her? To clear her name and hang onto Bo, one of the few men she's met who isn't turned off by a soot-caked woman, Reena is ready to fight fire with fire.

Linda Howard's Mr. Perfect starts off fun and sexy, but quickly turns chilling. It opens with Jaine Bright and her three girlfriends at their favorite after-hours hangout, pondering one important question: What would make the perfect man? The tongue-in-cheek checklist they make that night goes viral. But it stops being so funny when one of the women ends up dead. Jaine reaches out to her police detective neighbor for help. But before long, she begins to wonder: Who is safe to trust and safe to love?

Forgotten Secrets is the first novel in Robin Perini's Singing River romance mystery series. 15 years ago, a 10-year-old Riley Lambert watched helplessly as her sister was abducted from her bedroom. Now, Riley is an FBI profiler, devoting her life to bringing criminals to justice. Unexpectedly, she gets a call from Thayne Blackwood, the only man she's ever fallen for. Thayne's sister Cheyenne has been kidnapped, and the sole witness is Thayne's Alzheimer's-afflicted grandmother. Time is running short to find Cheyenne, but as the nightmare of her past crashes into the present, shocking secrets come to the surface.

Daphné du Maurier's Rebecca is a classic gothic suspense tale with plenty of mystery and romance at every turn. It all begins in Monte Carlo, where our unnamed young heroine is swept off her feet by a dashing older widower, Maxim de Winter—who proposes marriage to her quite suddenly. She is then whisked away to his manor in the English countryside, the glorious Manderley Estate. Sounds like a romantic dream come true? Not when the ghost of Maxim's previous wife is lurking in every corner. This audiobook edition is performed by Anna Massey, whom Audible listeners describe as "exquisite," "superb," "wonderful," and the absolute best voice to ever capture Rebecca's narrator.

A Curious Beginning is set in London in 1887. While the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, the orphaned Veronica Speedwell is focused on her own milestone: her newfound independence, marked by plans to travel the world in pursuit of scientific inquiry, with a little romance on the side. But her adventure is derailed by an abduction attempt, which she narrowly escapes with the help of a German baron with ties to her mysterious past. When the Baron winds up dead, Veronica reluctantly turns to his friend Stoker, a reclusive natural historian. Before long, Veronica and Stoker become partners in a quest to uncover the truth—and evade an elusive assailant.

The Anatomist's Wife introduces Lady Kiera Darby, a widow with an untapped talent for sleuthing and a whole series of mysterious cases in her future. Set in 1830 Scotland, the debut novel focuses on Lady Darby shortly after the death of her husband, a domineering surgeon and anatomist, as she takes refuge at her sister's estate and finds solace in painting. When one of the house guests is murdered, Lady Darby is unexpectedly called on to assist the investigative efforts of a fellow house guest: the insufferable Sebastian Gage. As accusations and rumors swirl, their search leads them to even more gruesome discoveries. Can Kiera trust Sebastian to help her find the truth—and avoid becoming the next victim?

Murder on Astor Place is the first book in Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Murders series, set in New York City at the dawn of the 20th century. A midwife, Sarah Brandt is visiting a patient in a rooming house when she learns that another border, a young girl, has been murdered. As she is further startled to discover, the victim is a member of one of New York's most prominent families—and the sister of a dear old friend. While the girl's family refuses an investigation for fear of scandal, Sarah can't seem to let the mystery go. With the help of Sergeant Frank Malloy, Sarah is determined to see the savage killer brought to justice.

Tasha Alexander's romantic historical mystery series starts with And Only to Deceive, set in Victorian England. Lady Emily's husband Philip dies on safari soon after their wedding, but she feels very little in the way of grief. After all, she barely knew him. But now two years later, she uncovers information about her late husband that proves he was a much different man than she thought. Emily's desire to learn more about Philip leads her to the British Museum, where she uncovers a dangerous mystery involving stolen artifacts from the Greco-Roman galleries. Will she be able to solve the mystery while also juggling two suitors?

Vienna Waltz is a historical mystery romance set in the most glamorous of places: the glittering Congress of Vienna. The most important people in Europe spend their days here negotiating the fate of the continent. And by night, it's all parties and dancing. That is, until Princess Tatiana is found murdered. Husband and wife duo Malcom and Suzanne Rannoch must now work together to solve the case—despite Suzanne's suspicions that her husband might have been one of Princess Tatiana's many conquests. If you like this listen's mix of mystery and romantic tension, author Teresa Grant has a whole series waiting to captivate you.

A Lady in the Smoke is an outstanding standalone Victorian mystery from author Karen Odden. Lady Elizabeth Fraser is returning from London to her country estate when her train abruptly derails and bursts into flames. By some miracle, Elizabeth manages to escape the smoldering wreckage with her unconscious mother, whose life is just as miraculously saved by Paul Wilcox, a young railway surgeon. Elizabeth feels an immediate connection to Paul. So, when he confides his suspicion that the train wreck was no accident, Elizabeth takes it upon herself to dig deeper—and steps into the center of a chilling conspiracy years in the making.