The New York Times Fiction Best Sellers list has been published weekly since 1931, making it one of the most enduring measures of commercial momentum in American reading culture.
It isn’t a judgment of literary merit or long-term cultural impact. Instead, it captures something more immediate: what large numbers of people are buying, talking about, and reading right now.
For mystery and thriller readers, that makes the list useful in a specific way. It tracks when psychological suspense surges, when crime fiction dominates, and when darker, more complex stories move from niche interest to shared cultural moment.
When I first started reading adult fiction, the New York Times list was my shortcut. A way to see what stories had momentum. What people were talking about. What felt current, unavoidable, and part of a larger reading moment.
But there’s a problem.
The list updates weekly, titles rotate constantly, and there’s no easy way to see the full picture—especially if you care about one genre. Scrolling week by week makes it hard to answer a simple question: Which mystery, thriller, and crime fiction books actually defined this year?
So I built the list I couldn’t find. The data reflects Sunday-to-Saturday sales, with the online list published Wednesday nights and the print edition appearing in the Sunday Book Review about 11 days later. If you’re short on time, you can jump straight to the current list. If you’re curious about patterns, scrolling tells a much bigger story. I update this week weekly.
NYTs bestseller Hardcover List (January 4)
Each week, The New York Times publishes a list of 10-15 bestselling hardcover fiction titles based on reported sales from a curated group of bookstores and retailers across the country. It isn’t a measure of literary merit or long-term cultural impact, but a snapshot of what’s selling widely and visibly right now. For mystery, thriller, and crime fiction readers, it offers a useful way to track which stories are breaking through in a given moment—and which ones are sustaining momentum week after week.
The Widow
Release date: 10/21/25
Current Standing: 1
Weeks on the list: 9
Details: A legal-thriller-meets-murder-mystery from John Grisham that centers on secrets, justice, and a death that refuses to stay buried. The Widow has held steady thanks to its layered character work and slow‑burn tension. Its long run signals strong word‑of‑mouth among thriller readers.
The Secret of Secrets
Release date: 9/9/25
Current standing: 2
Weeks on the list: 15
Details: Dan Brown’s latest globe-spanning thriller blends hidden history, coded truths, and intellectual suspense. Its long run on the list reflects Brown’s enduring pull for readers who want fast-paced, puzzle-driven storytelling. Its staying power comes from its twist‑driven structure and strong book‑club appeal.
Return of the Spider
Release date: 11/17/25
Current standing: 7
Weeks on the list: 5
Details: James Patterson revisits one of his most iconic crime franchises, delivering a procedural thriller built on familiar stakes and relentless pacing. The book’s strong placement shows readers still gravitate toward established crime series.
The Intruder
Release date: 10/7/25
Current Standing: 9 ↓
Weeks on the list: 10
Freida McFadden’s psychological thriller taps into domestic unease and unreliable perception, hallmarks of modern suspense. Its continued presence highlights the genre’s appetite for emotionally charged, twist-forward narratives.
Nash Falls
Release date: 11/11/25
Current standing: 11
Weeks on list: 6
A tightly wound Baldacci thriller set against a small‑town backdrop, Nash Falls blends investigative suspense with the author’s signature pacing. Its steady performance on the list reflects Baldacci’s enduring pull among crime‑fiction readers.
Gone Before Goodbye
Release date: 10/14/25
Current standing: 13 ↑
Weeks on the list: 10
A missing‑person suspense novel with emotional depth, Gone Before Goodbye blends procedural urgency with intimate character stakes. Its consistent placement reflects the ongoing demand for emotionally charged crime fiction.
NYTs bestseller Paperback Trade Fiction List (January 4)
The paperback fiction bestseller list captures a different phase of momentum. These are the books readers are still picking up weeks or months after release—often because of recommendations, library buzz, or growing cultural conversation. For thrillers and crime fiction in particular, the paperback list reveals which stories are proving durable, not just timely.
The Housemaid
Current standing: 1
Release date: 8/23/22
Weeks on the list: 139
A razor‑sharp psychological thriller about a woman who takes a job with a wealthy family and discovers their secrets are far more dangerous than they appear. Its extraordinary 138‑week run shows how deeply readers connect with high‑tension domestic suspense, and interest is only growing with the new film adaptation releasing this month.
The God of the Woods
Current standing: 4
Release date: 7/2/24
Weeks on the list: 8
A literary thriller set in the Adirondacks, where a girl’s disappearance at an elite summer camp unravels decades of buried secrets. Its rapid ascent reflects both critical acclaim and a surge of reader‑driven discovery.
The Housemaid’s Secret
Current standing: 5
Release date: 7/11/23
Weeks on the list: 66
The sequel to The Housemaid delivers another twist‑heavy domestic thriller, this time with even higher stakes and a more dangerous employer. Its 65‑week tenure proves the series’ grip on psychological‑thriller readers.
The Housemaid Is Watching
Current standing: 6 ↑
Release date: 6/11/24
Weeks on the list: 39
The third installment in the Housemaid series escalates the paranoia and psychological tension, pushing the protagonist into even more dangerous territory. With 38 weeks on the list, it confirms the series’ dominance in domestic suspense.
The Frozen River
Current standing: 8 ↓
Release date: 11/5/24
Weeks on the list: 26
Details: A historical mystery set in 18th‑century Maine, where a midwife becomes entangled in a murder investigation that exposes community tensions and long‑buried crimes. Its 25‑week run shows strong crossover appeal between mystery and historical fiction.
The Silent Patient
Current rank: 9 ↑
Release date: 5/4/21
Weeks on the list: 149
A modern psychological‑thriller phenomenon about a woman who stops speaking after a shocking act of violence — and the therapist determined to uncover why. Its staggering 148‑week run cements it as one of the defining thrillers of the decade.
Never Lie
Release date: 12/5/23
Current Standing: 14
Weeks on the list: 23
Details: Never Lie traps a newly married couple in an abandoned mansion mid-blizzard, where every creak and hidden room hints at danger. As they unravel the psychiatrist’s chilling past, they learn the truth is much harder to escape than the snowstorm outside.
The Tenant
Release date: 5/6/25
Current Standing: 15
Weeks on the list: 31
Details: Blake Porter’s life spirals out of control after he’s suddenly fired and, struggling to make his mortgage, agrees to rent a room in his Manhattan brownstone to a seemingly perfect tenant. But as small oddities grow into unsettling events, he begins to suspect there’s much more danger lurking under his own roof
NYTS Bestseller Combined Print and E-Book (January 4)
The Widow
First appeared: 10/21/25
Current Standing: 1
Weeks on the list: 9
Details: A legal-driven mystery that unravels secrets, power, and betrayal in the wake of a suspicious death.
The Housemaid
Release date: 8/23/22
Current standing: 2 ↑
Weeks on the list: 110
Details: A domestic psychological thriller where a seemingly simple job inside a wealthy home turns dark and dangerous.
The Secret of Secrets
Release date: 9/9/25
Current standing: 4
Weeks on the list: 15
Details: A globe-spanning thriller that blends historical mysteries, modern science, and high-stakes conspiracies.
The God of the Woods
Release date: 7/2/24
Current standing: 6
Weeks on the list: 17 ↑
Details: A literary mystery about a teenage disappearance at a summer camp, layered with secrets, memory, and long-buried truths.
Return of the Spider
Release date: 11/17/25
Current standing: 11
Weeks on the list: 5
Details: A fast-paced crime thriller that revives a notorious serial killer and plunges investigators into a deadly game of cat and mouse.
The Housemaid’s Secret
Release date: 7/11/23
Current standing: 15
Weeks on list: 15
Details: The second book in Freida McFadden’s Housemaid series follows Millie as she takes a new job in a luxury penthouse. It doesn’t take long before she senses something is terribly wrong and getting to the truth could cost her everything.
Recent Departures
Exit Strategy
Release date: 11/11/25
Last Standing: 13
Weeks on the list: 5 (Hardcovers)
Details: Lee Child and Andrew Child return with another Jack Reacher corporate-espionage installment, combining action-driven crime fiction with lone-wolf justice. Its placement underscores the enduring appeal of procedural thrillers with a strong central character.
Murder at Holly House
Last standing: 7
Weeks on the list: 6
Details: A cozy‑leaning holiday mystery featuring a manor house, a cast of suspects, and a classic whodunit structure. Its six‑week presence suggests readers are embracing seasonal mysteries with traditional charm and modern pacing.
Thalia Mercer is a writer covering mystery and thriller fiction, with a focus on book-to-screen adaptations and contemporary reading culture. She writes about why certain stories resonate—and how they translate beyond the page.
