Top 5 Christmas Thrillers and Crime Novels That Will Keep You Hooked
The holidays often bring cozy fires, festive lights, and warm gatherings — but sometimes the most memorable Christmases belong in the pages of a thriller. For readers who love the spooky contrast of Christmas cheer and chilling crime, these five Christmas thrillers turn the season on its head. From locked‑room murders to psychological suspense lurking beneath tinsel and snow, here are five of the best Christmas thrillers to curl up with this winter.
1. “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas” by Agatha Christie
Few Christmas thrillers are as iconic as this one. On Christmas Eve, the wealthy — and thoroughly disliked — patriarch Simeon Lee is found brutally murdered in a locked room; his throat slit, the furniture overturned, and every member of his family suddenly a suspect. The master detective Hercule Poirot arrives just in time to dissect the tangled web of family grudges, secrets, and lies. As he puts it in the novel’s preview, “there is at Christmas time a great deal of hypocrisy … nevertheless hypocrisy!” What begins as a cheerful family reunion becomes a nightmare — and the locked-room mystery will keep you guessing until the very end.
2. “The Christmas Magpie” by Mark Edwards
A modern, psychological thriller that subverts the cozy holiday trope: Noel and Dani move into what should be their dream home just in time for Christmas, with fresh decorations, a welcoming neighborhood, and promises of a perfect festive season. But, in the preview from Penguin Random House:
“…they quickly wonder if this street is as idyllic as it appears. First, there are the unwelcome presents left anonymously on their doorstep. Then they are sure someone is watching them. And why are the neighbours all obsessed with a notorious killer who is housed at the nearby women’s prison?”
When tragedy strikes at a Christmas party, the couple must decide whether to dig deeper … or run. It’s perfect for anyone who wants winter chills instead of warm-and-fuzzy holiday vibes.
3. “Merry Christmas, Alex Cross” by James Patterson
For fans of intense, fast‑paced Christmas thrillers, this installment in the beloved Alex Cross series brings holiday danger to the city streets. On Christmas Eve, detective Cross is pulled away from family celebrations by a desperate hostage situation — the first of many twists that threaten to derail his holiday. As the tension mounts, so do the stakes: Cross must call on all his training and cunning to bring a violent crime spree to an end before midnight. A spine‑tingling, action-packed read, this novel shows how even the most festive night can spiral into chaos when danger strikes.
4. “Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon” by James Lovegrove
Blending classic detective sensibilities with a touch of horror, this novel reimagines the holiday mystery for fans of darker Christmas thrillers. Set in December 1890, the story begins when a troubled heir turns to the great detective Sherlock Holmes after terrifying visions, ghostly rumors, and a family curse surface — just as her 21st birthday approaches. As supernatural fear and real-world danger collide, Holmes must untangle whether the threat is mystical … or all too human.
5. “Tied Up in Tinsel” by Ngaio Marsh
For those who prefer traditional detective fiction with a Christmas backdrop, “Tied Up in Tinsel” delivers a classic mystery set against the wintry quiet of an English country house. The novel follows the detective Roderick Alleyn as he unravels a murder during the holidays in a setting filled with yuletide rituals and seasonal tension. The wintry atmosphere is elegant, and Marsh’s subtle but sharp character work makes the holiday setting — with its carols, firesides, and moral facades — feel almost more dangerous than the crime itself. Great for readers who like their mysteries with a cozy facade but a serious core.
Why These Christmas Thrillers Make the Ideal Holiday Crime List
These five Christmas thrillers demonstrate the versatility of “Christmas crime”: from locked‑room classics to modern psychological thrillers, from high-stakes urban crimes to winter‑set mysteries with subtle dread. Whether you want to revisit the golden age of detective fiction with Poirot or unwind with a dark, atmospheric psychological thriller, each book delivers a different flavor of holiday suspense.
