10 gripping murder mystery books that are known for their realistic and immersive storytelling:

“In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote:  This true crime classic delves into the real-life murder of the Clutter family in Kansas in 1959.e.

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson:  A complex murder mystery with vivid characters, this novel uncovers dark secrets in a wealthy family.

“Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn:  A psychological thriller about the disappearance of a woman and the suspicion falling on her husband.

“The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides:  A psychotherapist unravels the mystery behind a woman who shot her husband and has since stopped speaking.

“The Cuckoo’s Calling” by Robert Galbraith (pseudonym of J.K. Rowling):  Private investigator Cormoran Strike tackles a high-profile case involving a supermodel’s suspicious death.

“The Reversal” by Michael Connelly: A courtroom thriller where defense attorney Mickey Haller faces off against his former prosecutor in a high-stakes murder case.

“The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher” by Kate Summerscale:  A historical true-crime account that investigates a shocking murder in 1860s England, one of the cases that inspired the detective genre.

“The Secret History” by Donna Tartt:  This novel explores the dark secrets and murder among a group of classics students at an elite college.

“The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith:  The first in a series, it follows the cases of Botswana’s only female private detective, Precious Ramotswe.

“The Death of Mrs. Westaway” by Ruth Ware:  A modern Gothic mystery involving a tarot card reader who inherits a mysterious estate after receiving a letter in error.