This Collider article, written by Safwan Azeem and published in July 2026, counts down what it deems the six greatest mystery novels of the past two decades. The piece argues that, despite the current popularity of screen adaptations, reading a mystery remains the superior experience because the format invites readers to actively piece together clues and try to solve the puzzle before the characters do.

The article ranks the books in ascending order, though the provided text only details the two lowest-placed entries before breaking off into unrelated promotional quiz content. The full list opens the countdown as follows:

– **No. 6 — The Guest List (2020) by Lucy Foley:** A closed-circle whodunit set at a lavish wedding on a remote Irish island, where a storm strands the guests and long-buried secrets surface; told through multiple perspectives, it reveals almost everyone has a motive.
– **No. 5 — Big Little Lies (2014) by Liane Moriarty:** A murder mystery disguised as a story of schoolyard politics and suburban parenthood, following three women whose lives intertwine, with the opening pages revealing someone will die at the school's Trivia Night.