An element of mystery can spice up any book. Here is a list of good novels with a mysterious protagonist. These books that have mysteries not just in their plots but also in their characters, adding an additional layer to their stories.
Good Novels With a Mysterious Protagonist:
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
The cause of the mystery surrounding the protagonist in this book is that he has amnesia. And hence, when he realizes that someone is hunting him down to murder him, he has no idea why. He could easily be an assassin or a terrorist or a thief himself, and he has no idea. As the events of this thriller unfold, we become privy to the protagonist’s search for himself, and this mystery enhances the plot multifold.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
This acclaimed mystery follows Alicia, who lives a seemingly perfect life as a fashion photographer’ wife. They’re wealthy, happy and in love. But all of that crumbles down when Gabriel, the husband, returns from work one day and his Alicia shoots him five times. Then she then goes silent and never speaks again. Meanwhile, a criminal psychotherapist, Theo, becomes obsessed with uncovering the mystery behind Alicia’s silence. As he deals with Alicia, the story skyrockets and becomes an intense masterpiece that won’t let you sleep at night.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
This book is an amalgamation of various crimes committed by several people in several roles and in several settings. There are mothers and daughters, students and teachers, friends and exes, and more. The storyline also alludes to a disastrous public school fundraisers with deep mysteries. In this book, not just the protagonist but ALL characters are mysterious.
The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith
This is a catch and run mystery between Detective Inspector of CIA Malmo in Sweden and a mysterious criminal at loose. But this isn’t the point of the story – this is no regular mystery. Here, the profile of the detective matters just as much as that of the criminal. And so, what his psychotherapist (and his colleagues) reveal about him assumes as much importance – and is just as baffling as the mystery itself.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
This is the story of Camille Preaker, a reporter who must reconcile with the past for professional duties. Preaker has to go to her long lost hometown in order to report the murder mystery of a tween, and the disappearance of others that seems to be linked to this. And in the process, she must also reconcile with her family – a hypochondriac mother and eerie half-sister. In the process, she realizes how much she identifies with the victim, and her mysterious past and its repercussions come to light.
Security by Gina Wohlsdorf
This book seamlessly blends the genres of horror, mystery and thriller as it tells the story of a luxury hotel on the coast of California. This hotel is a huge investment and is all set to have the best security ever, but only if it opens. Someone is determined never to let the hotel open up to visitors, and the staff is murdered one by one in twelve hours. What remains is a thrilling and mysterious antihero.
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
This book follows Anne and Marco Conti, a wonderful couple in love who have a beautiful baby called Cora. But at a dinner party, a crime occurs and the suspicion is immediately laid on them. Soon they discover that the other has kept deep dark secrets from them for years, and a domestic crime drama follows, involving their seemingly friendly neighbours
Also Read: Mystery Books in Which Neighbours are Found Criminals
