7 Queer Crime Fiction Books

Arson, a missing shady businessman who turns up dead, and a one-night-stand with the wrong guy pull us into the world of Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler in Russ Thomas’ promising debut. Emotionally and physically scarred, DS Tyler has been relegated to the Cold Case Unit, the only member in South Yorkshire, and his cold, aloof manner hasn’t won him many friends on the force; nor has his homosexuality. Paired with a young and ambitious Muslim constable, Amina Rabbani, Tyler has to solve the murder of Gerald Cartwright, a corrupt financier who disappeared years ago only to turn up bricked up in the cellar of his torched mansion. Oh, and he just hooked up with the main suspect, Cartwright’s son Oscar. The stakes are high in this mystery-suspense novel, as the case might bring Tyler back into the good graces of the force, but also uncovers more than one skeleton in this small, arsonist-menaced Yorkshire town.

The final book in the Detective Betty series is a taut race-against-the-clock suspense novel. Betty has settled down, been promoted to Sergeant, is happily married to her no-nonsense voice of reason, Jackie, and is sheltering young mother Mary Grace. But her world turns upside-down when she’s given an ultimatum from The Knife: take out their mutual foe, Evangeline Roy, or her family will pay. Taking place over two weeks, with puzzle pieces falling into place as the story goes, this fast-paced book will leave you as sleep-deprived as poor Betty, because you won’t want to put it down.

A rare gay domestic thriller, Bath Haus follows a recovering addict named Oliver Park as a night of anonymous fun at a local bathhouse turns into a brush with death. When the danger follows him home and threatens Oliver’s new life with older partner Nathan, a sweet but slightly controlling doctor, he learns the cost of hiding the truth. Strap in for this juicy, suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat rollercoaster ride.

If you’re looking for a Sapphic noir tale with Nancy Drew vibes and unreliable narrators, this one's for you. And the femme fatale is an English teacher?

Set in the 1940s, The Savage Kind is told through the diary entries of polar-opposite friends Philippa and Judy, as mystery, attraction, and self-discovery mingle into a twisty narrative full of psychological suspense.

Another Sapphic historical fiction, this one follows a young Chinese American protagonist in 1950s San Francisco whose family is facing the effects of the Red Scare. A tender romance with a found family at the underground lesbian club, this book is full of cinematic moments, and all the young-queer-woman-feels, including finding yourself, facing ignorance and prejudice, and staying true to your dreams in a world that tries to put you in a box. Last Night at the Telegraph Club is another Malinda Lo masterpiece.

Tanen Jones’ debut is an addicting thriller in the vein of Patricia Highsmith. Leslie is the good sister who stayed home to care for her ailing father, while Robin ran off to Vegas without even leaving a note. Now their father is dead, and Leslie finds herself faced with a will that hinges on both sisters being present for the payout. But Leslie finds Robin dead in her own apartment, and decides to walk away, leaving her sister a Jane Doe. Then she meets Mary, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Robin and will take on the dead woman’s identity for half of the inheritance. Both are hiding something, and you’ll be turning page after page wondering who to trust.

If you’ve ever put down a post-apocalyptic book wondering where all the trans and non-binary folks went, Manhunt is your answer. Beth and Fran are trans women just trying to survive in a world where a virus turned anyone with high testosterone levels into ravenous, zombie-like creatures beholden to Indi, the cis woman who manufactures their estrogen. This gory, stomach-churning story of TERFs run amok poses the realities of life when a virus will target anyone with certain levels of hormones, no matter their gender.