People aged 65 and older are more likely to spend time reading for personal interest than younger individuals. In fact, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics found that seniors read 1 hour and 45 minutes on the days they sat down with a book.
Finding a good book and escaping into the story is a wonderful way to learn new things and experience new worlds. For seniors who enjoy reading about crime and mysteries, there are thousands of books to consider.
This list includes 10 popular mystery books that senior readers may enjoy.
The Honjin Murders is considered one of Japan's greatest mystery novels and was awarded the Mystery Writers of Japan Award.
This book, written by Seishi Yokomizo, takes place in the winter of 1937 in the village of Okamura. Guests and villagers hear a rumor that a masked man has been asking questions. Then, on the night of the wedding, a bloody samurai sword and unexpected murder begin the interesting novel's journey into solving a seemingly impossible crime.
Written by Keigo Higashino, this crime novel follows a detective who puts together how, and why, Suspect X committed a crime to cover up the death of a neighbor's husband. It's a translated novel from Japan that won the 2006 Honkaku Mystery Award.
The It Girl is a novel by Ruth Ware. It starts by following a student on her first day at Oxford; the student ends up dead within just a few months. A man is arrested for the murder, but many years later, his guilt is called into question. The story looks closely into who's really to blame so justice can be served.
In My Dreams I Hold a Knife is a mystery novel by Ashley Winstead. It follows six friends who are reunited a decade after a murder. It has a unique dual-timeline structure that readers may enjoy.
By Paula McLain, When the Stars Go Dark is a missing person detective novel. It follows a detective trying to solve the case of a missing local girl in Northern California.
The Talented Mr. Ripley is a classic murder-mystery novel written by Patricia Highsmith. It's part one of the five-part Mr. Ripley series that follows a man named Tom as he becomes deadly obsessed with Dickie, the son of a wealthy client. After reading the book, seniors can compare it to the movie adaptation of the same name.
The Stolen Hours by Allen Eskens is a cat-and-mouse mystery novel. The story follows a district attorney who battles it out with a serial killer.
Anna Bailey's debut novel is Where the Truth Lies a recent release available at most major booksellers. It's a psychological thriller and mystery that looks into the disappearance of a teenage girl and follows her friend's mission to find out what really happened in her community.
Popular author Sandra Brown recently released Overkill, a new novel that readers say keeps them on the "edge of their seats." Brown is a New York Times best-selling author known for creating excellent novels that really deliver on a solid story line.
This book is a thriller that follows the death of a former Super Bowl MVP quarterback's ex-wife, a miscarriage of justice and the killer's attempt to stay out from behind bars.
The Old Success is a Richard Jury mystery by Martha Grimes. The New York Times best-selling series continuation has three detectives who team up to solve murders across three English counties.
This is one of the few books on this list not based in America, making it unique in setting and story line.
Mystery novels are suspenseful, entertaining and thrilling. With so many on the market today, it can be hard to know which one to choose as you look through the latest at the library. Within the mystery genre, there are different categories, too, such as cat-and-mouse books, historical mysteries, foreign mysteries, thrillers and murder mysteries.
The above list includes 10 popular mystery novels, but there are thousands more out there, making it easy to find a book you love and to continue reading many others from the same author or similar authors in the same genre.
Reading helps enhance memory, may delay the onset of dementia, reduces stress and anxiety and encourages healthy sleeping habits.
At ViewPointe assisted living community in Colorado Springs, CO, seniors are encouraged to enjoy the in-house library, where they can find a new mystery novel to enjoy. For help finding a book, just speak with the staff or another resident for a recommendation.
