The best mystery audiobooks for beginners: where to start
If you've never finished a mystery audiobook, start with one that already won. Every title below took the Audie Award in the mystery category — broadly loved, superbly narrated, the audiobook industry's own pick for the best mystery production of its year. They are the safest first credits: hard to switch off, and hard to regret. The most recent winner is Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon & Harlan Coben (2026).
| Audiobook | Author | Narrator(s) | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gone Before Goodbye | Reese Witherspoon & Harlan Coben | ensemble cast | Audie Mystery (2026) |
| Listen for the Lie | Amy Tintera | Will Damron, January LaVoy | Audie Mystery (2025) |
| Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers | Jesse Q. Sutanto | Eunice Wong | Audie Mystery (2024) |
| The Heron | Don Winslow | Ed Harris | Audie Mystery (2023) |
| Later | Stephen King | Seth Numrich | Audie Mystery (2022) |
| Fair Warning | Michael Connelly | Peter Giles, Zach Villa | Audie Mystery (2021) |
| The Chestnut Man | Søren Sveistrup | Peter Noble | Audie Mystery (2020) |
| The Punishment She Deserves | Elizabeth George | Simon Vance | Audie Mystery (2019) |
| The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye | David Lagercrantz | Simon Vance | Audie Mystery (2018) |
| The Crossing | Michael Connelly | Titus Welliver | Audie Mystery (2017) |
| Career of Evil | Robert Galbraith | Robert Glenister | Audie Mystery (2016) |
| The Silkworm | Robert Galbraith | Robert Glenister | Audie Mystery (2015) |
| Unleashed | David Rosenfelt | Grover Gardner | Audie Mystery (2014) |
| The Beautiful Mystery | Louise Penny | Ralph Cosham | Audie Mystery (2013) |
| Feast Day of Fools | James Lee Burke | Will Patton | Audie Mystery (2012) |
| The Reversal | Michael Connelly | Peter Giles | Audie Mystery (2011) |
| Devil in a Blue Dress | Walter Mosley | Michael Boatman | Audie Mystery (2010) |
| The Voice of the Violin | Andrea Camilleri | Grover Gardner | Audie Mystery (2009) |
| The Tin Roof Blowdown | James Lee Burke | Will Patton | Audie Mystery (2008) |
| Echo Park | Michael Connelly | Len Cariou | Audie Mystery (2007) |
| The Serpent on the Crown | Elizabeth Peters | Barbara Peters | Audie Mystery (2006) |
| Twisted | Jeffery Deaver | Boyd Gaines, Michele Pawk, Fredrick Weller | Audie Mystery (2005) |
| Lost Light | Michael Connelly | Len Cariou | Audie Mystery (2004) |
| Jolie Blon's Bounce | James Lee Burke | Will Patton | Audie Mystery (2003) |
| Tell No One | Harlan Coben | Steven Weber | Audie Mystery (2002) |
| The Naked Detective | Laurence Shames | Ron McLarty | Audie Mystery (2001) |
| The Breaker | Minette Walters | Robert Powell | Audie Mystery (2000) |
| The Third Man | Graham Greene | Martin Jarvis | Audie Mystery (1999) |
| Vintage Crime Stories | Charles Dickens et al. | Patrick Malahide | Audie Mystery (1998) |
| The Mysterious Affair at Styles | Agatha Christie | David Suchet | Audie Mystery (1997) |
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Frequently asked questions
Which mystery audiobook should I start with?
Start with a recent Audie Mystery winner such as "Gone Before Goodbye" by Reese Witherspoon & Harlan Coben (2026). Award winners are the safest first listens because they are judged on narration as much as story, so the performance carries you through.
Are these good for someone new to audiobooks?
Yes. Every audiobook here won the Audie Award, the audiobook industry's own award — they are broadly loved and exceptionally well narrated, which is exactly what makes a first audiobook easy to finish.
How do I listen for free?
A free 30-day Audible Premium Plus trial includes one credit. You can use it on any mystery audiobook on this page and keep it permanently, even if you cancel before the trial ends.
More mystery guides: every Audie-winning mystery audiobook · mystery audiobooks for long drives · all listening guides · best audiobooks by award.