🏆Predicting the 2026 Mystery/Thriller Goodreads Choice Awards Nominees! 🏆

Hello everyone, I feel sick to my stomach. Hello friends, how are you all doing? Today we're going to be trying to predict the Goodreads Choice Awards nominees for the Mystery Thriller Category 2026 baby. If you don't know, I read every single year the top 10 in the Mystery Thriller Category in the Goodreads Choice Awards and I predict now the top 20 and the pressure I'm feeling right now is immense. Like this is my Christmas, this is my Super Bowl, this is so Serious to me. This is this is the most important day of the year and oh no, I was meant to film this video yesterday I can't take the pressure. I don't know. I just don't think this is like great for me. I don't want to do it I want to go home like I can't take the pressure of it. Don't you think any job interview? Last year, I did the best I've ever done in terms of predicting and I got 15 out of 20 correct. And like, that's incredible. So proud of me. Woo-hoo. So proud of Megan. But like, also, my God, it's like coming up with the second album after a hit with the debut. Like, I don't... I don't know if I can reach that again. Two reasons. Like, I just think we can't keep going up, you know? Like, 15 out of 20 is a lot to predict, right? And I also this year have been less tuned in to new releases intentionally because I'm really trying to get my TBR down and if I'm really tuned in to new releases, I want to buy them. So I feel very unaware of a lot of books that are probably out there that I don't even know how I'm going to find them. Like books that should be on my radar for this. I am so brain turned off energy. But when I do these videos where I predict the top 20 and the top 10 and what the winner is going to be, I personally do it off vibes. There's so many great people out there who kind of do the math and work out based on like ratings and average rating, what it's like to be nominated. I go off my instinct and it's serving me right so far. I mean, last year I also predicted the winner. with Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson which let me tell you no one else saw that coming and i did i did that's cute you're so clever You're so clever. Because there's more than just the numbers to how this works out. For example, Holly Jackers' audience, predominantly YA reading audience, who is a different audience than what some of the other mystery thriller authors are, so she's likely to get more of a vote because there's a lot of authors on here that share audiences and you can only vote for one book. This is what I'm talking about guys. There's a vibe to this, there's an instinct to this. So shall we just begin? I still say we're gonna film for as long as it takes. We're gonna be here for as long as it takes. I actually feel like I could probably name a really strong top 10 right now. I think it's what's outside of the top 10 I'm gonna struggle with. But let's get into it. I'm gonna start with something that will make me happy, okay? I'm gonna start with good vibes because then we need to get into some bad vibes to start us off. But the first book I'm putting in is We Chase Shadows by Richard Richard Altman, my man! He wants to marry me. I'm certain this is gonna be nominated and I'm certain this is gonna make top 10. He's always nominated now and he always makes, I would say like he's always about third or fourth. I do think this could do less well than some of his previous releases because it's a less popular series than The Thursday Murder Club. And We Solve Murders when that was nominated was the first book in the series. So I do think this would maybe be like five, six, seven, maybe in the top 10. But I think, I mean, if Richard is not nominated and is not top 10, we riot. We riot. I don't know what else to tell you. As an example, let's just get Goodreads up. I'm gonna show you, when you look at this, just based on the numbers, you may think compared to some of the other things we're gonna see, it wouldn't be nominated because it won't have a ton of ratings because it only just came out in September. Whereas there's other books we're gonna be looking at. I mean, it's got 22,000, but there's books we're gonna be looking at that might have like a million. That might be a bit, maybe not for free, that might not be dramatic, but there's gonna be some in the hundreds of thousands. This is obviously far below that, but it only just came out in September. There's books here. that we're gonna see that have been out since January. And it's not just the ratings. They need to get, we'll talk about this as we go on, but like different types of mystery thrillers. They like to represent different types. And Richard is just a great representation of your classic mystery. So I can't entertain a world where he isn't nominated. I can't even begin to imagine that. I'm putting him first, I'm manifesting. Richard will be there. I need to have that to look forward to reading. in the top 10 because as we should get on to, let's tackle Frida. I want to get it out of the way. Evil, evil. Now I think she's had three releases this year and last year when I was predicting I was like they're not gonna put three releases up. They're not gonna nominate three books. They did. Oh god they did. It can't get any worse. It can. I could, I actually forgot that, I was watching back my vlog from last year and I could not believe they nominated three Fridas. I just couldn't believe my eyes, I couldn't believe they'd done that. Now, I do think one of her releases this year, The Witch, is kind of a bit fantastical, so I don't think, oh thriller. Okay, it's still a thriller, but there's witchcraft going on. I was gonna say, this can't be nominated. See, this only just came out a couple weeks ago. It's got 167,000 ratings. So her books have been released this year are Dear Debbie, 3.9 average rating, 680,000 ratings. The Divorce, Divorce Babe, Divorce 3.85 with 388,000 ratings and The Witch 4.04 with 167. That's what happened. Ugh! The three were nominated last year and I could kind of see them doing it again now. I was going to be like they're not going to nominate The Witch but they can. Actually I wouldn't be surprised if they nominated this for something a little bit spooky, a little bit of a different vibe. Oh god. Oh my God. Here's the thing though, Miss Frieda has been making it publicly known. She's been letting the good people of Goodreads know. She doesn't want multiple books nominated, she's been complaining. Everyone out here moaning and groaning about having three books nominated because then her vote is split and she doesn't win, and Gurley wants to win. Can you believe, there's so many, it makes me angry, we don't need to spend long on this, but like, it makes me fuming, I'm fuming. There's authors out there who would kill to be nominated in the Goodreads Choice Awards. The amount of exposure that would bring to their book, and she's like, I got three nominated. Piss me off. Okay, what are we going to do with Frida? What do we get, last year I was like surely they won't nominate three and I was wrong. This one, I know how it ends firstly because I had to research it for a video so I really don't want to read it. I don't want to read any Frida, no. I really am going to try, I say this every year, I'm going to try and go in with an open mind and an open heart. Am I? Dear Debbie I don't really know what it's about, I think it's like about an agony aunt. Do you know what? I'm gonna put the three in for now. But I'm gonna put The Divorce in the top 20 and I'm gonna put these two in the top 10 and I reserve the right to change my mind. I just think this has actually been getting really good reviews. From what I've been seeing, people have been really enjoying this. It's a different vibe from her. A lot of people saying it's like their favorite Frida in a while. But I might change my mind. I might actually get rid of, I think if I get rid of any of them, I'm gonna get rid of The Divorce. I know that's kind of crazy putting a newer release in, But I think it's had a much better reception and I think the divorce is just a bit basic. I might change my mind on this. Like, I do think them putting three Fridas in is criminal. I don't want to... I don't want to manifest it. I really don't. We're gonna keep going off of what I've got in my brain. There's some stuff I've got in the locker and then we will start consulting like lists on Goodreads and doing some research, but I'm feeling good about what I know. Next we have to go with Miss Alice Feeney, don't we? Alice Feeney has been kind of growing and growing as a thriller author in in popularity. 525,000 ratings. Oh my God. And not a bad average rating with a 3.94. Like mystery thrillers can be lower. I am also an Alice Feeney hater. I'm a Frida hater and an Alice Feeney hater. And I just so happen to be like the most popular authors in my favorite genre. And here we are. However. There's been people whose opinion I trust who have really been loving this. Also, let's just open these three here. They're right here. They're in my brain. They're basically going to be my next three to talk about. So we'll get into them next. I am going to really try to enjoy this. I got crazy out of my life. I'm so happy. I swear, I swear I've been doing yoga. I think this has a really high chance of winning. We'll see how I feel at the end after having looked at everything, but... I just think that's got a lot of ratings and a pretty good average rating and I feel like Alice Feeney has been flirting with winning for a really long time. She's almost won many times so that is currently one of my top that could wins. Oh I am a hater. A woman comes home and there's another woman. in her house who looks very similar and I think her husband thinks that that's his wife. It's just not my kind of thriller this kind of psychological domestic thriller is not my preference but the people have been loving it. Now these three here I think are all going to be nominated and all I mean I kind of think top 10 for them. I know we're getting a lot of top 10s out the way early doors but like I said I feel pretty confident the top 10. This one I'm looking at the average rating and I'm a little bit sus of and I think is this actually Elston's only second book So First Lie Wins, oh no she's done other books, but First Lie Wins was, oh was it not last year? Hang on. God the years, the years are going fast, I thought this was last year. Oh my god no it's 2024. Shit. You're nothing but a worn-out dried-up old egg! Her previous book came second and that didn't have the best average rating, what does it have now? 3.98. Okay so this is rated lower. Let's park that. I think It's Not Her by Mary Kubica is going to be there. Again, pretty good average rating with a 3.93 and 200,000 ratings. I'm really excited to read this. I'm manifesting it being there. I'm like, this is actually one I'm really excited for. I've never read a Mary Kubica. She's one of those authors like a Megan Miranda, a Mary Kubica, a... Lisa Jewell who kind of all exists in the same stratosphere of thriller for me but I feel like this has really been a breakout for her. I've heard great things about it. I think the people have been loving it. It's also just set on this like vacation lake and the plot sounds really interesting. A woman is vacationing with her brother and sister-in-law. They die, her niece is missing and her nephew is asleep upstairs unharmed. I just think like I can picture the mist kind of sitting on top of the lake and just the vibe of it. I'm really excited for this. So I'm putting that top 10. I think it's got enough average ratings and a high enough rating because you've got to think. I think Alice in E, It's Not Her by Rebecca Meeker, This Story Might Save Your Life, Anatomy of an Alibi. I think these are all getting read by the same reader. That's making me want to put this in top 20. We'll see. We'll see. I'm kind of thinking not top 10 for this. I think it'll be nominated but these are all read by the same sort sort of reader and like This, My Husband's Wife and It's Not Her, have the highest average rating out of all of them. So you've got to think, that reader can only vote for one book, you know? So I'm going to put It's Not Her top 10. I think I'm also going to put This Story Might Save Your Life top 10 because this has a slightly different angle where it's almost like mystery romance. I think there's like these podcast hosts and she's married, but he's kind of like in love with her and she goes missing. And I think he tries to solve... where she's gone and what's happened so I think there's some people who maybe lean more romance thriller romance authors who will have read this one and will vote for this so I'm really excited about this one too I love the US cover I don't really like the UK cover and when my parents were in America I tried to get them to buy it for me but they couldn't find it anywhere. I feel pretty good about all of these so far and the Frida's I think what they decide to do with Frida is always There's always a little bit of... It could be anything, anything could happen. But I'm feeling good about this. And I think I am for now gonna put Anatomy of an Alibi, in top 20. Like I say it's just got a lower average rating than what we've seen so far and I haven't really heard- it's got a lot of average ratings but I haven't really heard anything about it like I have with It's Not Her or This Story Might Save Your Life. Like it just hasn't been as buzzy. First Eye Wins obviously did come second. This could be stupid. I might move it up. We'll see. For now I'm gonna put this in top 20. I think it will definitely be nominated but like I say I just think it shares too many readers with those other books. And they'll pick those other books over this. Okay I've got two more books on my brain that I want to talk to you about. The next book I want to talk to you about is The Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley slash kind of Agatha Christie. This book I have gone through swings and roundabouts with. I initially was like I don't know if it's going to be nominated because it's a Lucy Foley but it's a different kind of Lucy Foley right. Again this one has only just come out a month ago so it's only got 14,000 ratings not the highest average rating but we're going to talk about why I think this might be higher okay yeah Initially was like I don't think it's been nominated like it's kind of a different kind of release from how I don't know if they'll nominate it then I thought it's gonna be nominated because it's Lucy Foley and Lucy Foley has always been nominated and it's always done pretty well the Critics Choice Awards again like I think Her two most recent releases haven't been the most popular, The Midnight Feast and The Paris Apartment, but they make like top five. She again has this audience, it's a different audience than this, than this, than this, it's a similar audience like a Richard Osman right? It's a mystery, it's a mystery and I think again she's a great mystery author to kind of represent. Where did Okay no, it made it less high than I thought it did but it made top 10 the Midnight Feast and that was like one of her least buzzy books so far. And then I kind of thought okay it'll be nominated but it'll only make top 20. And then I started thinking it's Agatha Christie right? This is a Miss Marple that Lucy Foley has written in collaboration with the Agatha Christie estate. And I just think there's gonna be people who see Agatha Christie on the title, who see it's a Miss Marple mystery, and vote for it. Even if it hasn't got the highest amount of ratings yet. Like, I've just put a book that is like 200,000 ratings in the top 20. Again, I might move that. And this book I'm saying I think will be top 10, because I think people will vote for it just for the Agatha Christie Mention of it all. You see fairly often if there's something, this is more I think in non-fiction actually the good news choice was, but if there's something that people can like identify with with that book they vote for it. So Disney High. I love Disney High, but that got so many more votes than the ratings it had because people love the Disney Channel or last year Jane Austen's Bookshelf, which again, I love. These are just five star non-fictions for me, but got so many more votes than it had ratings because it had Jane Austen in the title. So I think there are going to be plenty of people who just see like an Agatha Christie book or even a Lucy Foley book, right? If they haven't read any of the books that are nominated, I think this is a risk. I'm taking a bit of a swing here, but I'm going to put this in top 10. There's just something that tells me the Agatha Christie Name Association will do wonders for this and it will make top 10. I know that's risky. There's going to be some of you that disagree with that. But I just think people will see Agatha Christie and will vote. Am I going to regret this? I might. I don't know, there's just something that tells me. The last book that's on top of my brain, right here, that I actually have been hearing a lot lately. The past couple of weeks, I've just been seeing people read this or people asking me, like I've had multiple comments asking me if I've read this book, but I've purposely not gone and looked at its rating or how many ratings it has. I'm a little bit, I actually hadn't heard of this book. Like I say, I have not been plugged in on the new releases of it all. Sorry that I'm now like in the sun. Should we like move a little bit? Slide to the left. Slide to the right, okay, that's a bit better, is Mad Mabel. I think this is a mystery. Sally Hepworth has been, holy ----, hang on. Wait, this came out in October. Hang on, I need to do some research here. So I think this came out in Australia in 2025, October. So this has been out for a long time, but I think it's been released in America, and I guess probably in the UK, but America is what matters. It's when a book is released in America that makes it eligible. It's been released in April, 2026. So this is eligible. So this has been out for a long time, but 401,000 ratings and a 4.37 average rating. I need to rethink. everything about what I think about the winner because that is crazy. Again this is more mystery coded which I would love for it to do well if it's mystery coded. I honestly don't know too much about it. Sally Hepworth is an author that is nominated on and off but this seems like a swing for her. This seems like a great great release for her. Top 10. Top 10. I need to I need to consider whether that's gonna win. I was thinking Alice Feeney's gonna win. Alice Feeney's gonna win. And kill me now, but that, wow, okay. There's a lot to think about there. We now have eight out of our top 10 and two out of our top 20. So we are, we're halfway there. Again, we may move things around. Uh, I'm kind of looking at some of these and thinking, I don't think, do I think three thrillers are going to be nominated? This is a question. I think if I'm actually trying to do well though, there's more chance of like three thrillers being nominated than like a book that you're fighting over being 19th or 20th. So actually if I'm trying to do well, I should probably just put all three in. Even though I don't, part of me tells me they won't do it because she's been moaning about it. What if they only nominate one? If they only nominate one, Frida, she's winning, right? If they only nominate one, Frida, she's winning. But I just don't think they'll do that either. I think they might do two. I think only doing one would be bowing to her peer pressure too much but they may. And now there is something they give us that helps us cheat. Those of you who watch my videos will know that I do a video every year where I read a selection of books from this list that Goodreads put out. Readers hit new books of the year so far. Now they used to only put like four books. for each genre and like they would all get nominated because these are the most popular books in each genre halfway through the year so like yes yes yes he is going to win contemporary i can't see a world in which yes he doesn't win contemporary but anyways um they give us the most popular books they did 13 books per genre this year so halfway through the year oh god Am I being crazy? Am I being crazy by not putting this in top 20? Oh okay, we're gonna think about that. We're gonna think about that. Maybe I should move Anatomy of an Alibi out. Am I just being stupid? Or am I thinking with my brain these all share the same reader? Anyways, we've got all these on the board. Then here are number six to thirteen. Now, halfway through the year is like half of the releases, so I think basically anything these four aren't going to be nominated. I did enjoy A Dissection for Murder and It's a legal thriller. So there's that. I think we need to consider The First Time I Saw Him, Her Last Breath and the Viola Davis and James Patterson. Something to remember is Goodreads don't, it's not just the top rated books in each genre, they do have certain things and certain types of books they want to put in there. They want to put some more, I think they tend to put some more like diverse authors in there sometimes, not necessarily in mystery thriller, but some diverse authors who maybe don't have the highest ratings but to represent them. There's usually always a historical that does really well and makes top 10 because that's got the historical voter audience all in one. So that usually makes top 10, even if it's got less ratings, lower average rating than some of the thrillers, because again, their audience is shared, the historical audience just all go vote for this one. But I haven't found what I think that is yet. I haven't discovered what I think that is. There's usually a Kindle Unlimited or something in there. I'm just gonna tell you now, I'm not getting that. I'm not getting that. It's like an obscure Kindle Unlimited book that I've never heard of. I'm not even going to try. I hate to say it. I hope I don't sound ridiculous. I don't know who this man is. I mean, he could be walking down the street. I wouldn't, I wouldn't know a thing. Okay, let's look at this. So the first book in this series won. It won many, many years ago. I don't know. This just doesn't fill me with like, it'll be there. 3.75, not a high rating. I'm going to put that one on hold. Something, it just doesn't light me up. You know, it just doesn't make me feel like that'll be there. Her Last Breath by Rachel Adams. I recognize this has less ratings, but 4.13 is a pretty good rating. Can't remember if the last word was nominated. I feel like he just needs to be nominated. And I just think they need to put some respect on Rachel Adams' name. Now, I know I'm biased. No, it wasn't nominated, but it was a low average rating. This has got a high average rating. I'm gonna put this in, but again, I'm gonna put this in the top 20 for now. I just feel like Taylor Adams offers something different than a lot of the other thrillers here, where he is more this kind of suspense, high action, yeah, crazy-ass book, basically. Like, really tense. Oh my god, horrible, horrible. But, I mean, I would love to read it. I would love it to make top 10. I just don't think it will, but I think something tells me that that will be nominated. And then... I originally was like, this Farrah Davis isn't going to be nominated, but it's got 86,000 ratings and a 4.37, and maybe they will, maybe they will. I feel like a mystery thriller, hang on, I feel like I need to touch up my lip gloss. I feel like in mystery thriller sometimes, with the kind of celebrity collaborations, they don't put them in there as much as other categories, like non-fiction obviously. Oh okay, this was nominated. I remember pondering over this and I don't think I put it in. Okay, I'm gonna put this in. I'm gonna put the Viola Davis in, but again, I'm gonna put this in top 20. I'm not gonna put it in top 10. There is that element of like, people see it's Viola Davis and vote for it because they love Viola Davis, but I just... I think it's got a lot to compete with up here. I know you're looking at that Lucy Foley and judging me a little bit, but I just, it's the vibe, it's my instinct. Okay, I'm feeling good about that. I want to look at, is there a Harlan Coben? Is there a John Grisham? Because I feel like those authors are nominated like every three books or something. They used to always be nominated, but I feel like their audience isn't the people who vote. in the Goodreads Choice Awards so they're not nominated as much as they used to be. I think Goodreads goes for much more like modern buzzier authors in the Goodreads Choice Awards rather than these kind of legacy such dedicated audience thriller authors you know. So John Grisham has got a first in a series out The French Illusion just came out a month ago got a good average My average rating of 4.2 is 16,000 ratings. We'll consider that. Has Harlan Coben got one? I don't think Harlan Coben has one. Here's the thing, John Grisham was nominated last year and I feel like it's kind of, is it too soon for him to be nominated again? Let's put a pin in that. Let's put a pin in the French illusion. Oh Karen Slaughter! I read last year We Are All Guilty Here. Uh again this, let's see whether this made it in the list. Okay it was only tenth. Hmm, hmm, oh has Lisa Jewell got a book? We need to look up Lisa Jewell as well. Lisa Jewell's always nominated. I forgot about Lisa. I enjoy Lisa. But the second book in the series has just come out, The Secrets We Hide. 4.0. Okay, this only came out in August and it's got quite a few ratings on a good average rating. I love, love, love, love, love the first book in the series. Like it was one of my favorite books I read for the challenge and I've never read Karen's book before. I know I just wanna read all of her stuff. I would love for this to be nominated. I would love for this to make top 10. I don't think it will, but I do think Karen Slaughter is often nominated. Like they often nominate sometimes the 40th book in the Will Trent series or something. I'm gonna put this in there, put it in top 20 though. I don't think it'll make top 10. That's sad though, I'd love to read it. Lisa Jewell, let's have a look at Lisa Jewell cause she's always nominated and she always does very well. Does she, I think she has a release this year. Oh, okay. 82,000 ratings. It came out in June. So some of the ones we've seen with hundreds of thousand ratings came out in like January, February, March. This one came out in June, but doesn't have a super high average rating. I don't know how I feel about this one. I don't know how I feel about this one. I think they love Lisa. Do you like me? Yes or no question. It's a yes or no question. Do you like me? Something tells me they love her. This is not a super high average rating though. What are some of her previous ones? 3.75. Okay, none of this is true, but that's got a four average rate. I'm gonna put it in. I know you're thinking, Megan, some of these other books you're seeing, you should have put it based, but it's just an instinct. It's just an instinct. Do you know what I keep thinking about? I keep thinking about Dissection of a Murder, which I've read, and again, was kind of lower on that list. I need to bring that list back up. Have I just kind of, ugh, dissed books that should have been on here? Again, we may, we may get rid of, we may get rid of. I'm putting it in. But we may get rid of it. Have I dismissed Dissection of a Murder too early? Because it is a different kind of thriller. It's a courtroom law thriller. And I don't see anything else like that on this list. And this was really buzzy, at least in the UK. It's a legal thriller. We haven't got any other legal thriller really. I mean, probably this one's a legal thriller, right? Usually John Grisham's kind of... Maybe this one isn't. This is more FBI, CIA. Something is telling me they're gonna put this in as like legal thriller rap. Legal thriller up. Oh guys, I get in my head. I get so in my head. I'm putting it in. I'm feeling good about this top eight, but I can't think of anything else. Like surely if there's something else that's going to make it up there, I would have thought of it by now. Do you know what I'm really worried about? I'm worried about there being books that are just not on my radar that I don't even know exist that should be here. Okay, how many we got? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. A distinct lack of diverse authors but that usually is a major problem with the mystery thriller genre. I feel like we need more mysteries. What mysteries have come out? We've got Richard Osman, we've got Lucy Foley but what... I feel like we need some mysteries. Oh Oh! Jesse Q. Sutanto does have one and it is a mystery. Miss Mabel Goes Back to the Chopping Block. It hasn't... this came out in April, it's only got 10,000 ratings. I just think it hasn't quite reached the hype that Vera Wong's did. So again, let's put that in pause, but I don't think that will be nominated. I don't think John Mars has a new book. Oh, okay. I didn't even know. I haven't heard about this. What is Warm Bodies also? That's short stories. Okay. Dead in the Water by John Mars, 3.85, 43,000 ratings. Came out in January. I'm putting it on pause. Now, Julian McAllister has Cooler Unknown. Oh, that can't be. Holy ----. 3.32. I'm in a complete state of shock. I forgot what I was gonna say. Shari has a new one. That's a 3.55. Riley! Hang on, we need to talk about Riley. We need to talk about Riley. Oh, okay, hang on, hang on, hang on. Okay, so that can't be nominated because you have to have a 3.5 average rating at least to be nominated. Wow, I didn't realize that this had had such poor ratings. Shit. Okay, Riley. Okay, Riley hasn't been nominated in a hot minute. He used to always be. His then most recent releases, I think, haven't had a high enough average rating. I think Middle of the Night was maybe nominated. I don't think With a Vengeance was because I think it had a too low average rating. I think you kind of got to throw Riley in there. I think you've kind of got to throw him in there. I think it would be wrong not to, but this has been really well received. I know a 3.83 is not that high, but for Riley it is. Yes. These days. Oh my god! Tea Central over here! Riley is divisive. I think that only one left when that was... I mean that had a 4.1 too. But I think that was nominated. I think they kind of nominate him if he does well. I'm putting Riley in. I'm putting Riley in! I think he's done well enough with The Unknown to get put in there. Me and Riley, we have a love-hate relationship. But again, I'm only going to put that top 20. We're gonna have to move some up I think because there's nothing I'm seeing that's like oh that's gonna join the top 20 you know. I haven't found that historical book yet have I? I don't know if I'm gonna be able to. Um I'm still looking for mysteries because I mean this one that was a mystery I think the year before God of the Woods one that was a mystery. People love mysteries. What mysteries have come out this year? Oh did Murder at World's End come out in America this year? I really really enjoyed this. I would I would recommend this to people. This came out in January in America. Now, it's only got 21,000 ratings. It's got a 4.01 though. Not a bad average rating. Something tells me they could throw this in and it would only make top 20. But I think we need more mysteries, right? It's all thrillers. It's always all thrillers. **** off thrillers. And I think this has been gaining a bit of momentum. Oh, we talked about that. That's sad, but it is what it is. Let's just mention this quickly. The Ending Fire itself by V.E. Schwab would have been nominated, I think, but it's got too low an average rating. It's got a 3.44. So see ya. Something is telling me in my heart and in my soul. I know the math ain't mathing. I know there's books that I'm like this book came out in January and it's only got 130,000 ratings. I might need to put this in if I'm truthful actually. I think I might need to put this in top 20. I don't think it'll make top 10 though but something's telling me that this they could we're gonna have a look at some other lists but something's telling me they could put this in for a mystery. We need more mysteries. I mean we always need more mysteries. There isn't enough but It's fine. I'm just going to Google like 2026 mystery thriller books and see if there's anything I have not considered. Oh, Rachel Hawkins. She's a bit boring. I just, I just, oh, she's sometimes nominated. Let me open it. I'll think about it. Oh, How to Get Away with Murder. No, only 11,000. I don't feel like that'll be there. Upcoming mysteries and thrillers readers can't wait to read. Okay. Let's see if there's anything on here that I have not thought of. Jennifer Hillier. Oh! Forget my baby. I wanna read this. I wanna read this. I might put this top 10. I just think Big Little Lies has got enough cachet in the bank that people will vote for this. Okay, Big Little Truth by Liane Moriarty came out in end of August. Again, it's been out like two months. Has 57,000 ratings, a 4.14 average rating. Oh baby, how could I forget? I'm putting that top 10. Something tells me, something tells me. Again, I'm probably wrong. My girl, Leigh-Anne. I want to read this. I love Big Little Lies. I think she's an incredible author. I think there's something a little bit different about her stuff. I'm putting it top 10. Okay, we have two more spots. I can take things out though, if I want to. Let's keep looking at this list. This is a John Grisham. I do sometimes like a Sarah Pekkanen. Don't ask me why. I haven't heard of this, The Secret Dinner, but it's got a lot of ratings. It's got 24,000 ratings. Oh, Oh, it's translated. Oh, they might like putting a translated book in. Let's sit with that one. Janice, here's the thing. Janice has never been nominated. She is obviously a hugely influential mystery author, particularly like in the UK. She's never been nominated because for a long time, her books came out much later in the US, like years later. They were not published in the US. This obviously has been, but it just hasn't got that many ratings. It's only got 3000. I feel like Janice would get more than that. Should I put Heather Gay? That's a real housewife, it's all like, Susie, should I just put her in for the fun of it? And I feel like I am missing a kind of diverse author who they're going to put in because it's, the genre is just, you know, the genre is so white. Okay, we speak about this every year. I rant about it every year. Oh, do you know who used to be nominated a lot? Um... Colson Whitehead. Has he got a new book out? Cool Machine. The third in the series? No, I think if that were to be nominated it would be nominated in historical, right? Because I think- let's check what the first in the series was nominated in. I think Harlem Shuffle was nominated in historical when it came out. No, it was nominated mystery thriller. Was the second book nominated? No, it's only got 6,000 ratings. It's got a high average rating though. Oh I don't know, I don't know. We've got two spots left. Do I give it to- this one's really intriguing me. This came out in August in a translation and something just tells me that they might be like oh I've never heard of it but it's set in Brazil, it's by again a diverse or the Latinx author, it's a translated book. Something just tells me that they might be like oh translated book, you've got to get into the head of Goodreads. I mean this there's this one it should have been you 48,000 ratings. I think I need to put the first time I saw him in. It's just got a lot A lot. I keep doubting myself. The first one won. I'm gonna put it in, but I'm gonna put it in top 20. I don't think it'll make top 10. I don't think it's got a high enough average rating, but I just think I'm kind of being stupid not putting a book in with 130,000 ratings. But I feel pretty good about this. The lack of diversity is bothering me. The lack of mysteries is bothering me. Am I crazy for not putting John Grisham in? I don't know. Wait, wait, wait. Tana French. I've been not paying enough respect on Tana French's name. Like when I did the reacting to the New York Times best mystery thrillers they were all Tana French books. I've never read a Tana French. Has she got a new release this year? Oh she has. 4.21 average rating, 39,000 ratings. And I feel like this is a mystery and it's more of like a literary mystery. I think there's definitely a reader. that is reading a ton of French books that isn't reading anything else on this list. Oh do I put that top 10? Has a ton of French just dropped in and gone top 10? I don't know about that okay. Oh my god okay there's a few I might be putting in here that I'm stupid for right. I might be stupid putting Riley in. I might be stupid putting Murder at World's End when like no one's read it. I might be stupid putting this one in when I don't get vibes from that. We have one spot left. I need to move something up to top 10 or I need to put something in top 10. I think Tana French is going to be nominated. I'm going to put her in. Am I going to put her straight into top 10? It's got a high of 4.21. What are the secrets... what is the... that's been out since March. Is it The Secrets We Hide by Karen Slaughter? I think was a similar number. 4.18 with more ratings. I just don't think I can put that top Top 10 when. The first book only just made it into top 10. Do I put Anatomy of an Alibi in top 10? When- but something's telling me that that will just lose out to Mary Kubica, Tiffany Crumb, Alice Feeney, Freida McFadden. Something's telling me to just put this ton of French in top 10. Crazy though. Am I crazy? Okay here's what I'm thinking. Not enough diversity in this list. The only diversity we have I think is Viola Davis. So I think there's going to be some more smaller authors who are diverse who make the list. I haven't got the historical book that is The God of the Woods or All the Colors of the Dark or what was the big one? There was one that was like set in Australia one year that was like 600 pages. Homecoming I think that was called. Like I haven't I don't know how to find that. It will be under historical. It won't be under mystery thriller. There are things I'm missing here. There are things I'm missing and I'm wondering, am I being stupid for not putting John Grisham in? I think I need to let that translated one go. Let the mouse go. I think this just doesn't have... I've never heard of it. If it's there and I haven't predicted it, I'm gonna kick myself. Could they put that Colson Whitehead in? Maybe. Could they put in this Jesse Q. Constant? But it's only got a 3.88 with 10,000 ratings. If I want to take out anything of this top 10, I think it would be the Lisa Jewell. Do I want to take the Lisa Jewell out? She's like always nominated. I think I'd have to go back to like 2020 to find one where she wasn't nominated. Is this even a novel? Yeah it was. This is- I have to go back to 2020 to find one where she wasn't nominated. I can't hear it. I can't hear it. I can't hear it. My heart's going pitter patter pitter patter. I feel sick like I could throw up. That Laura Dave just doesn't give me tea though. It just does not give me tea. It doesn't give me the vibe. Am I locking this in? Am I locking this in? I think I am. I don't think I'm gonna get much better than this. Like trying to balance out the different kind of books they like to see there, the different kind of audiences we have. I'm locking it in. I'm locking it in. I don't feel perfect about it, but I don't think I ever feel perfect about it. Okay, so this is my top 10. This is what I think will be top 20. I think I'm wrong. Okay, I think, you know what? I think maybe 15. I think previous years I've gotten like 12, 13, 14. I think I'm at least there, right? My top 10. I'm almost certain that all of these will be nominated, apart from obviously I have put three Freeda's in, I just think that's the best chance I've got of being right, you know what I mean? Like odds are if they eliminate one I don't know which they will, because The Witch obviously has the least ratings, but is I think the most well received. I'm feeling confident about putting Lucy Foley in the top 10. Okay, okay, I have to predict a winner now, right at the end of the video. I'm going to say something crazy. I'm gonna say Mad Mabel's gonna win. That average rating and that amount of ratings, obviously it has been out since October 2025 in Australia, but that's crazy. And again, I think the same person reads Alice Feeney, Mary Kubica, Tiffany Crumb, Freda McFadden, maybe even like a Liane Moriarty, like Lisa Jewell. The same person reads all of them. Ashley Elston. The same person reads all of them. I don't know who reads Mad Mabel. It's a mystery, right? I think it's more in the Richard Foley I think Lucy Foley, I think it's more of the original Richard Osman Lucy Foley vein than some of the other stuff. So something, I just can't get it out of my head. I did a swing last year predicting Holly Jackson was going to win. And I'm going to do the same this year. I'm going to predict Sally Hepworth is going to win. With the caveat, it could be Alice Feeney. With the caveat, if only one Frida is nominated because they listened to her moaning, Frida will win. But I'm going to go crazy and I'm going to say Mad Mabel. And you know what? I'm really excited to read that. I think that'll be up my street. To be honest, this is probably, other than like the Fridas and the Alice, although I'm really going to try it, this is wishful thinking. This is a real like... There is bias here. This is a real wishful thinking top 10. But anyways, that is me predicting. Oh my god, I've been filming for an hour. That is me predicting top 20 of the Goodreads Choice Awards mystery thriller. I think we'll find out on the 10th of November. I will react to the top 20 at the start of my vlog. Also though, actually, I should have said this at the start. If you want to join me to react to not only a greater discussion around what the top 20 ends up being, But every single category, you should join me over on my Patreon because every year we do a live show reacting to all the nominees of the Goodreads Choice Awards. And then we also react to the top 10s and the winners. We do live shows reacting to all of them. And I'm gonna be hosting over on my Patreon a Goodreads Choice Awards read-a-thon in November. So November is the time to be on my Patreon if you've ever thought about it. The live shows that we do are my favorite live shows every year where we find out All the nominees. I don't look at anything other than, I do feel myself reacting to the top 20 of Mystery Thriller, but every other genre I don't look at until my live show with my patrons and it's the most fun live show of the year, it's the best live show of the year, so if you want to come join me to react to the whole Goodreads Choice Awards, the link is down below to join my patreon. It can be as little as £3 a month and it is so much fun. So there we go, I need to go take a lie down. I need to go sit in a dark room, I don't know how I feel about this top 20, I don't know, it's my instinct but there we go. There we have it friends, let me know what you think of this top 20, let me know how many you think are correct. Oh god this was exhausting. Let me know if there's any books you think I've missed because I could have missed some, I have not been clued in. So yeah, thank you so much for watching, I can't wait to see how correct I am and I'll see you very soon in another video. Bye!