Have you ever turned the last page of a book and felt your mind spinning with possibilities, your heart still racing from the secrets you’ve uncovered?
That’s the magic of a great sci fi mystery. It’s more than spaceships or futuristic tech. It’s about chasing answers through hidden corridors, feeling the chill of secrets waiting in the dark, and discovering just how far humans will go when faced with the unknown.
A new wave of sci fi mystery books is emerging, each one ready to whisk readers into worlds brimming with danger, wonder, and puzzles that demand solving. These stories tap into our curiosity, our fear of the future, and our hope that truth will always prevail even when it’s hidden under layers of lies.
This isn’t just another book list. It’s a handpicked selection of the best contemporary sci fi books of 2025, chosen for readers who crave tension, brilliant ideas, and characters who feel utterly real. Inside these pages, you’ll find mysteries tangled in digital code, murders aboard luxury space liners, and conspiracies that stretch from hidden forests to the stars.
Why Read Sci Fi Mystery Books?
Science fiction mystery novels speak to a deep human need to explore both the unknown outside us and the secrets hiding within. They blend the logic of technology with the thrill of secrets waiting to be uncovered.
In these stories, questions pulse beneath the surface:
- What secrets might artificial intelligence keep from us?
- How far would someone go to hide the truth in a future ruled by machines?
- Could solving one mystery save—or doom—the world?
That’s why sci fi mystery books remain some of the most amazing reads for adults looking for both intellectual puzzles and unforgettable adventures.
Must-Read Contemporary Sci-fi Mystery Books for 2025:
If you’re looking for a sci-fi story with heart, depth, and a touch of the metaphysical—Leaf Runner is the one to pick up.
Leaf Runner by John C. Stroebel:
If there is one book in best sci-fi mystery book for 2025, this is one of the books you couldn’t afford to miss out on. What makes the book Leaf Runner by John C. Stroebel different from others is a masterful blend of mystery, suspense, and speculative fiction. It is the kind of book that stays with you long after turning the last page.
The story centers on Mercer Evans, a young New York analyst whose life takes a strange turn after receiving a mysterious family heirloom. Soon, he’s pulled into a series of intense, dreamlike experiences that feel like memories but from lives he never lived. From medieval Wales to 1800s Madagascar, Mercer starts to relive moments from the past through the eyes of people long gone.
But why him? And what do these memories mean?
As Mercer struggles to stay grounded in his own life, he’s forced to face questions about identity, family, and the threads that connect us through time. Leaf Runner doesn’t just tell a story it takes you on a journey through history, memory, and the soul.
What makes this book special is John C. Stroebel’s ability to weave together emotional storytelling, historical richness, and speculative mystery. It’s haunting, thought-provoking, and unlike anything you’ve read before
If you’re looking for a sci-fi story with heart, depth, and a touch of the metaphysical Leaf Runner is the one to pick up.
Dead Space by Kali Wallace:
Dead Space by Kali Wallace is a must-read if you’re craving a gripping blend of science fiction and mystery. Set in the eerie isolation of deep Space, the novel follows a brilliant cybernetics engineer pulled into a chilling murder investigation aboard a mining station. What begins as a routine and straightforward investigation of the murder turns out to be a tangled web of secrets. Dead Space delivers more than just thrills it makes you question the nature of humanity in a mechanized world. Don’t miss this brilliant, emotionally charged sci-fi thriller that has readers hooked until the very last page.
The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal:
The next best sci-fi contemporary book of 2025 is The Spare Man. It is a stylish sci-fi mystery set aboard a luxury space cruise to Mars. The book follows Tesla Crane, a famous inventor and heiress who’s trying to enjoy her honeymoon when a fellow passenger is murdered—and her husband is arrested for the crime.
The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters:
Among the list of sci-fi mystery books that are a treat for readers is The Last Policeman. The book is set in a world on the brink of destruction, with an asteroid hurtling toward Earth. As society begins to fall apart, one determined detective clings to his duty, investigating what appears to be a suicide—but he suspects it’s actually murder.
Rose/House by Arkady Martine:
Rose/House invites readers into a sleek, AI-powered mansion where nothing is as it seems. When a murder takes place inside its walls, suspicion falls on an architect who hasn’t even been in the country. Tasked with uncovering the truth, a detective must navigate a home that thinks, remembers, and refuses to give up its secrets. Blending futuristic technology with eerie Gothic undertones, this haunting mystery feels like solving a puzzle inside a living, breathing machine.
This is it if you’ve been searching for your next great read in Sci-Fi Mystery Books. These stories combine the best of both genres intelligence and intrigue, wonder and suspense and deliver unforgettable experiences from start to finish.
So grab a copy, switch off the world’s noise, and let your mind explore the mysteries of the universe.
