Best The Amateur Detective Books

The highest-rated books featuring the amateur detective, ranked by readers. Browse 50 titles across Mystery, Thriller, Horror.

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An amateur detective is someone who has no business solving a crime but can't help themselves from trying. What makes this trope so satisfying is the tension between their lack of training and their genuine investment in the case—they're not bound by rules or procedure, which means they can go places professionals can't. There's also a rawness to watching someone discover that playing detective comes with real consequences, psychological weight, and sometimes genuine danger.

You'll find amateur sleuths everywhere from cozy mysteries to psychological thrillers. The 119 books on this page include obsessive true crime enthusiasts, retired people with time on their hands, teenagers who stumble onto something dark, and everyday people who simply won't let a mystery rest. Expect dogged determination, moral ambiguity about their methods, and the constant question: how far will they go to get answers?

These are the highest-rated the amateur detective books across Mystery, Thriller, Horror, ranked by reader ratings from Goodreads and Audible.

  1. 1
    A Good Girl's Guide to Murder cover

    A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

    A Good Girl's Guide to Murder • Book 1

    by Holly Jackson

    ★ 4.60 BLT Score (1.8M ratings)
    ★ 4.28 Goodreads (1.8M)
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  2. 2
    If It Bleeds cover

    If It Bleeds

    Holly Gibney • Book 2

    by Stephen King

    ★ 4.53 BLT Score (129.6K ratings)
    ★ 3.97 Goodreads (129.6K)
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  3. 3
    The Delicate Things We Make cover

    The Delicate Things We Make

    by Milena McKay

    ★ 4.52 BLT Score (3.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.51 Goodreads (3.2K)
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  4. 4
    Good Girl, Bad Blood cover

    Good Girl, Bad Blood

    A Good Girl's Guide to Murder • Book 2

    by Holly Jackson

    ★ 4.52 BLT Score (796.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.25 Goodreads (796.0K)
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  5. 5
    Relic cover

    Relic

    Pendergast • Book 1

    by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

    ★ 4.49 BLT Score (116.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.05 Goodreads (116.2K)
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  6. 6
    The Rainmaker cover

    The Rainmaker

    by John Grisham

    ★ 4.46 BLT Score (209.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.02 Goodreads (209.0K)
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  7. 7
    Dog Eat Dog cover

    Dog Eat Dog

    Andy Carpenter • Book 23

    by David Rosenfelt

    ★ 4.42 BLT Score (4.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.24 Goodreads (4.4K)
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  8. 8
    Where Serpents Sleep cover

    Where Serpents Sleep

    Sebastian St. Cyr • Book 4

    by C.S. Harris

    ★ 4.40 BLT Score (10.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.25 Goodreads (10.4K)
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  9. 9
    Holy Chow cover

    Holy Chow

    Andy Carpenter • Book 25

    by David Rosenfelt

    ★ 4.40 BLT Score (4.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.26 Goodreads (4.5K)
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  10. 10
    Dogged Pursuit cover

    Dogged Pursuit

    Andy Carpenter • Book 31

    by David Rosenfelt

    ★ 4.36 BLT Score (2.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.35 Goodreads (2.7K)
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  11. 11
    The Camel Club cover

    The Camel Club

    The Camel Club • Book 1

    by David Baldacci

    ★ 4.34 BLT Score (98.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.07 Goodreads (98.8K)
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  12. 12
    Santa's Little Yelpers cover

    Santa's Little Yelpers

    Andy Carpenter • Book 26

    by David Rosenfelt

    ★ 4.34 BLT Score (3.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.19 Goodreads (3.9K)
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  13. 13
    The Twelve Dogs of Christmas cover

    The Twelve Dogs of Christmas

    Andy Carpenter • Book 15

    by David Rosenfelt

    ★ 4.30 BLT Score (5.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.07 Goodreads (5.4K)
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  14. 14
    Play Dead cover

    Play Dead

    Andy Carpenter • Book 6

    by David Rosenfelt

    ★ 4.30 BLT Score (8.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.22 Goodreads (8.6K)
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  15. 15
    Finlay Donovan Is Killing It cover

    Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

    Finlay Donovan • Book 1

    by Elle Cosimano

    ★ 4.30 BLT Score (241.9K ratings)
    ★ 3.99 Goodreads (241.9K)
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  16. 16
    New Tricks cover

    New Tricks

    Andy Carpenter • Book 7

    by David Rosenfelt

    ★ 4.30 BLT Score (8.0K ratings)
    ★ 4.21 Goodreads (8.0K)
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  17. 17
    The Whistler cover

    The Whistler

    The Whistler • Book 1

    by John Grisham

    ★ 4.29 BLT Score (150.7K ratings)
    ★ 3.97 Goodreads (150.7K)
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  18. 18
    Bark of Night cover

    Bark of Night

    Andy Carpenter • Book 19

    by David Rosenfelt

    ★ 4.29 BLT Score (4.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.11 Goodreads (4.6K)
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  19. 19
    Dog Tags cover

    Dog Tags

    Andy Carpenter • Book 8

    by David Rosenfelt

    ★ 4.27 BLT Score (7.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.15 Goodreads (7.1K)
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  20. 20
    Outfoxed cover

    Outfoxed

    Andy Carpenter • Book 14

    by David Rosenfelt, Grover Gardner

    ★ 4.26 BLT Score (5.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.09 Goodreads (5.1K)
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  21. 21
    Banker (A Dick Francis Novel) cover

    Banker (A Dick Francis Novel)

    Sid Halley Mystery

    by Dick Francis

    ★ 4.25 BLT Score (5.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.12 Goodreads (5.5K)
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  22. 22
    Muzzled cover

    Muzzled

    Andy Carpenter • Book 21

    by David Rosenfelt

    ★ 4.25 BLT Score (4.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.06 Goodreads (4.6K)
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  23. 23
    The Man in the Brown Suit cover

    The Man in the Brown Suit

    Colonel Race • Book 1

    by Agatha Christie

    ★ 4.25 BLT Score (126.6K ratings)
    ★ 3.95 Goodreads (126.6K)
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  24. 24
    Viva Durant and the Madness of Madame Bouchard cover

    Viva Durant and the Madness of Madame Bouchard

    Viva Durant • Book 2

    by Ashli St. Armant

    ★ 4.24 BLT Score (616 ratings)
    ★ 4.06 Goodreads (616)
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  25. 25
    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time cover

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

    by Mark Haddon

    ★ 4.21 BLT Score (1.6M ratings)
    ★ 3.89 Goodreads (1.6M)
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  26. 26
    The Thursday Murder Club cover

    The Thursday Murder Club

    Thursday Murder Club • Book 1

    by Richard Osman

    ★ 4.18 BLT Score (802.1K ratings)
    ★ 3.85 Goodreads (802.1K)
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  27. 27
    Wild Horses (A Dick Francis Novel) cover

    Wild Horses (A Dick Francis Novel)

    Sid Halley Mystery

    by Dick Francis

    ★ 4.13 BLT Score (5.6K ratings)
    ★ 3.99 Goodreads (5.6K)
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  28. 28
    Repo Madness cover

    Repo Madness

    Ruddy McCann • Book 2

    by W. Bruce Cameron

    ★ 4.12 BLT Score (1.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.12 Goodreads (1.5K)
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  29. 29
    Letters from the Dead cover

    Letters from the Dead

    Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery • Book 7

    by Steve Robinson

    ★ 4.11 BLT Score (2.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.29 Goodreads (2.5K)
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  30. 30
    The List of Suspicious Things cover

    The List of Suspicious Things

    by Jennie Godfrey

    ★ 4.10 BLT Score (42.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.15 Goodreads (42.8K)
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  31. 31
    Glimmer of the Other cover

    Glimmer of the Other

    The Other Realm • Book 1

    by Heather G. Harris

    ★ 4.10 BLT Score (8.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.27 Goodreads (8.6K)
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  32. 32
    The Boy from the Woods cover

    The Boy from the Woods

    Wilde • Book 1

    by Harlan Coben

    ★ 4.10 BLT Score (113.9K ratings)
    ★ 3.95 Goodreads (113.9K)
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  33. 33
    Chasing the Dime cover

    Chasing the Dime

    Harry Bosch Universe • Book 12

    by Michael Connelly

    ★ 4.09 BLT Score (42.9K ratings)
    ★ 3.97 Goodreads (42.9K)
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  34. 34
    Betraying Trust cover

    Betraying Trust

    Sam Mason Mysteries • Book 4

    by L.A. Dobbs

    ★ 4.09 BLT Score (6.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.37 Goodreads (6.5K)
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  35. 35
    The Secret Adversary / And Then There Were None (Bundle) cover

    The Secret Adversary / And Then There Were None (Bundle)

    Tommy & Tuppence Mysteries • Book 1

    by Agatha Christie

    ★ 4.06 BLT Score (133 ratings)
    ★ 4.31 Goodreads (133)
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  36. 36
    The Hidden Staircase cover

    The Hidden Staircase

    Nancy Drew Mystery Stories • Book 2

    by Carolyn Keene

    ★ 4.06 BLT Score (45.5K ratings)
    ★ 3.96 Goodreads (45.5K)
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  37. 37
    Mortal Sin cover

    Mortal Sin

    Jake Lassiter • Book 4

    by Paul Levine

    ★ 4.05 BLT Score (2.1K ratings)
    ★ 4.01 Goodreads (2.1K)
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  38. 38
    O homem que morreu duas vezes cover

    O homem que morreu duas vezes

    Thursday Murder Club • Book 2

    by Richard Osman, Jaime Biaggio

    ★ 4.05 BLT Score (360.6K ratings)
    ★ 4.35 Goodreads (360.6K)
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  39. 39
    True Fiction cover

    True Fiction

    Ian Ludlow Thrillers • Book 1

    by Lee Goldberg

    ★ 4.05 BLT Score (18.4K ratings)
    ★ 4 Goodreads (18.4K)
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  40. 40
    Who Let the Dog Out? cover

    Who Let the Dog Out?

    Andy Carpenter • Book 13

    by David Rosenfelt

    ★ 4.04 BLT Score (5.1K ratings)
    ★ 3.95 Goodreads (5.1K)
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  41. 41
    Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line cover

    Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line

    Finlay Donovan • Book 6

    by Elle Cosimano

    ★ 4.02 BLT Score (3.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.15 Goodreads (3.2K)
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  42. 42
    A Young Lawyer's Story cover

    A Young Lawyer's Story

    Thaddeus Murfee Legal Thrillers

    by John Ellsworth

    ★ 4.02 BLT Score (4.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.15 Goodreads (4.7K)
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  43. 43
    Glory Daze cover

    Glory Daze

    Glory Broussard Mystery • Book 2

    by Danielle Arceneaux

    ★ 4.02 BLT Score (1.4K ratings)
    ★ 4 Goodreads (1.4K)
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  44. 44
    Dying Games cover

    Dying Games

    Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery • Book 6

    by Steve Robinson

    ★ 4.01 BLT Score (3.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.29 Goodreads (3.2K)
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  45. 45
    Trial By Jury cover

    Trial By Jury

    Rain City Legal • Book 2

    by Stephen Penner

    ★ 4.00 BLT Score (4.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.17 Goodreads (4.4K)
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  46. 46
    The Coffee Shop Detectives cover

    The Coffee Shop Detectives

    by Louise Mumford

    ★ 3.98 BLT Score (1.2K ratings)
    ★ 3.54 Goodreads (1.2K)
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  47. 47
    The Finisher cover

    The Finisher

    Peter Diamond • Book 19

    by Peter Lovesey

    ★ 3.98 BLT Score (1.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.04 Goodreads (1.7K)
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  48. 48
    The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie cover

    The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

    Flavia de Luce • Book 1

    by Alan Bradley

    ★ 3.98 BLT Score (179.7K ratings)
    ★ 3.82 Goodreads (179.7K)
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  49. 49
    Night Film cover

    Night Film

    by Marisha Pessl

    ★ 3.96 BLT Score (96.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.78 Goodreads (96.3K)
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  50. 50
    Sweet, Thoughtful Valentine cover

    Sweet, Thoughtful Valentine

    Isabel Dalhousie #10.7 • Book 10

    by Alexander McCall Smith

    ★ 3.95 BLT Score (1.7K ratings)
    ★ 4.03 Goodreads (1.7K)
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How We Rank Audiobooks

Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.

Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.

We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.

Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.

Read our full ranking methodology →