Race-against-time-thrillers

Reading lists

12 of the best race-against-time thrillers

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Locked room mysteries that keep you guessing

9-murder-mysteries-for-2025

9 murder mystery books to read

Best cosy crime books of 2026

The best cosy crime books and mysteries to read in 2026

Books like Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club, including This is Not a Game and Death at the White Hart.

What to read next if you love The Thursday Murder Club

This Is Not a Game

Mullen debuts with an impressive closed-circle whodunit

Thrilling and heartwarming... This Is Not a Game is a playful mix of classic whodunnit and modern wit stirred to perfection

Despite the title, this is absolutely a game from the first word to the last

A fun, atmospheric debut with sharp humour and classic whodunnit charm

A quirky variation on Golden Age locked room mysteries with a modern zest of eccentricity and humour, US author Kelly Mullen’s debut is very much a crowd pleaser in the mould of the KNIVES OUT movie series

A grand finale reveal Poirot would be proud of

This locked room mystery delivers classic whodunnit drama along with a sprinkle of joy.

One body. Two unlikely sleuths. The time for playing nicely is over... 
 
Widower Mimi is rarely one to ask for help. She knows where to buy her favourite sourdough. And she knows the unmatched pleasure of an evening crossword with her cocktail of choice – a Gibson. 
 
But when Mimi receives an invite to her wealthy neighbour’s charity auction, she knows she needs back-up – fast – and she knows just who to ask. 
 
Mimi’s granddaughter Addie needs help too. Three months ago she was toasting her engagement and the success of the hit video game she created with her fiancé. Now she’s single and her ex has cut out of a deal to sell their murder mystery game for millions. A weekend with her grandmother promises welcome relief from endless reruns of Buffy and Poirot. 
 
But what Mimi isn’t telling Addie is that a blackmail threat looms over the invitation. 
 
The auction is barely underway when the host’s body is discovered in the lavish halls of her own mansion. Soon Mimi and Addie are caught in a dangerous game as they use their unique skills to narrow down the suspects. 
 
And when another body turns up, it’s clear that only the winner will survive…

The Last Guest Dies Tonight

Kelly Mullen is an author, producer and marketing executive. As an executive producer, her credits include the Academy Award-nominated movie Trumbo starring Bryan Cranston and Helen Mirren, and the AppleTV+ documentary Dads, which she produced with Ron Howard. Kelly’s creative work for brands has won more than fifty awards, including Cannes Lions and Clios. Her debut novel This Is Not a Game was called ‘fabulous, over-the-top fun’ by The Guardian and named one of Waterstones Best Crime & Thrillers of 2025. 
 
A Murder in Eight Cocktails is her second novel. She lives in London with her husband and their rescue cats.

Welcome to Swanhaven, Where Mama’s Ghost Makes the RulesSaskia Laurie is a film editor working on a Netflix documentary about Grace Beaumont, Savannah’s answer to Ina Garten. Grace is an icon of Southern cooking, gardening and lifestyle thanks to her ability to communicate with her dead Mama from beyond the grave.But cracks have begun to show in Grace’s media empire, and Saskia receives a strange invitation one evening to meet her alone, off the record. A few hours later, she arrives at Grace’s sprawling mansion, Swanhaven, only to discover a horrible crime has been committed.Now there are two dead bodies on a film set, and Saskia is the only person willing to look deeper. As memories of her painful past swirl and converge, Saskia must use her split-screen knowledge of clues in the film and real life to find out what happened before the killer preys on her next.Culinary lifestyle and Southern Gothic collide in The Last Guest Dies Tonight, a page-turning murder mystery in which a real ghost from the past will rise to the surface and lies will be revealed – particularly the lies we tell our loved ones.

Kelly Mullen

Snappy, original, and irresistibly fun - this book is brimming with surprises and leaves you thirsty for more!

A wonderfully rich cast of suspects plus a murder in the classiest of locked-room destinations! Go mix yourself a Caketini, settle back and enjoy!

Every single character jumps off the page. This book will intoxicate you from the very first sip.

A Murder in Eight Cocktails is a deliciously clever whodunnit, with Knives Out vibes and a glam, cocktail-soaked twist. It’s a smart, stylish murder mystery with irresistible characters, sharp humour, and a killer premise. I was thoroughly entertained!

A glamorous, witty and fun take on a whodunnit that kept me thoroughly entertained. Loved it!

Smart, stylish and full of heart. A Murder in Eight Cocktails is a straight-up delight from start to finish.

Jessica Fletcher for a new generation! I loved it.

Stylish and wry, this is a sunlit whodunnit with excellent plotting.

Kelly Mullen has absolutely proven she’s here to stay with A Murder in Eight Cocktails! This book has heart, humour, and mystery all stylishly shaken with the perfect dash of quirky characters. Not to mention one of the most clever premises I’ve ever seen - sleuthing that is set to the beat of artisan cocktails complete with actual recipes? Yes please! If you want a mystery that is both fabulous and fun, with the perfect amount of California flair, this is absolutely for you.

Funny, warm and fizzing with second-act energy.

Kelly Mullen blends her signature ingredients of great characters, intriguing mystery and a large measure of wit into another delicious literary cocktail.

Mix one old flame with a splash of suspicion for the perfect. . . murder. 
 
In the seaside haven of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Willa Keane’s marriage is in a rut. As a retired interior-designer-turned-influencer, she’s sure life begins at fifty-five, whereas her husband, Marty, is more interested in watching his beloved birds. 
 
So when Willa is invited to the opening of the chicest new cocktail bar in town, she hopes the evening will rekindle their flame. But arriving at the party, Willa is shaken to discover it’s being hosted by her charming ex-husband, Paul. 
 
The night is thrown into even deeper chaos when the bar’s enigmatic owner is found dead on the rocks below. A suicide message suggests there’s no foul play, but Willa’s heightened senses aren’t so sure. Now she must solve the mystery together with her husband…and her ex-husband. 
 
Can they find the killer before another victim is served their last cocktail?_____________ 
 
Praise for Kelly Mullen 
 
'I adored this deliciously twisty and wickedly sharp murder mystery' Lucy Clarke 
'Agatha Christie brought bang up to date' Clare Mackintosh 
'A thriller with a twist!' Cosmopolitan 
'Slick and witty' Daily Mail 
'Entertaining from start to finish' Jennie Godfrey 
'A stunning read. So gripping and atmospheric, I barely made it out alive' Steve Jones

Kelly Mullen

Books by Kelly Mullen

Articles featuring Kelly Mullen

12 of the best race-against-time thrillers

Locked room mysteries that keep you guessing

9 murder mystery books to read

The best cosy crime books and mysteries to read in 2026

What to read next if you love The Thursday Murder Club

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