As I walk through my local libraries and bookstores, I find that we have shelves upon shelves of mysteries and thrillers. I kid you not, my local library branch is approximately half-full of only mysteries and thrillers.
I’m not complaining, I will never run out of books to read.
But I did notice upon further investigation, that many of those stories follow the same tropes we see in TV when it comes to the settings. New York City is commonly shown, as is Chicago, or even a tropical location like Florida.
Being a Colorado native, and knowing that we are not lacking in local crime (heck, in the last year or two one of the biggest drug busts in the country was a few townships over from me) I find that I’m constantly looking for books featuring my home state.
So, I did the research, and I found some books like the one I wrote that are set in our wonderful mountain state.
I haven’t read them yet (mostly) but these are entering my TBR!
The Regulars of Amanda Lexie by J. J. Hanna
Desperate to get away with a high profile cyber robbery, a mob boss goes to extreme lengths while unaware that the authorities hunting him are behind him in the line for his favorite coffee shop drive through.
Set in Denver for the majority of the book (and Frisco for the rest of it!), this is a fun, fast read with a cozy feel.
No Exit by Taylor Adams
On her way to Utah to see her dying mother, college student Darby Thorne gets caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. With the roads impassable, she’s forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside are some vending machines, a coffee maker, and four complete strangers.
In this locked room mystery, there is no cell phone reception, no telephone, and no way out. One of her fellow travelers is a kidnapper. But which one?
Trapped in an increasingly dangerous situation, with a child’s life and her own on the line, Darby must find a way to break the girl out of the van and escape.
But who can she trust?
When They Find Me by Carter Wilson
Some secrets don’t fade. They hunt.
Expanse, Colorado. Population 313. A town so remote it barely exists on a map—the perfect hiding place for Annie Wolfe and her daughter, Coral. Their cabin is nearly off the grid, and Annie has done everything to keep them safe. Everything. But she knows the people hunting her don’t forget. And they don’t forgive.
When Riven knocks on Annie’s door, their worlds collide. What follows is darker, stranger, and more dangerous than either woman ever imagined—because the hunt isn’t just for vengeance. It’s for the truth. And in Expanse, Colorado, the truth can kill.
Where the Truth Lies by Anna Bailey
When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened. As she investigates, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail’s family and the people of Whistling Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences.
But Abi had secrets, too, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling the past, the farther she feels from her friend. And in a tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark—the truth of what really happened that night—to change their community forever.
Inherit the Bones by Emily Littlejohn
In the summer, hikers and campers pack the small Colorado town’s meadows and fields. And in the winter, skiers and snowboarders take over the mountains. Season by season, year after year, time passes and the lies, like the aspens and evergreens that surround the town, take root and spread deep.
Now, someone has uncovered the lies, and it is his murder that continues a chain of events that began almost forty years ago. Detective Gemma Monroe’s investigation takes her from the seedy grounds of a traveling circus to the powerful homes of those who would control Cedar Valley’s future.
Six-months pregnant, with a partner she can’t trust and colleagues who know more than they’re saying, Gemma tracks a killer who will stop at nothing to keep those secrets buried.
What books did I miss? I’d love to discover more Colorado-set fiction, especially when it’s a crime fiction, mystery, or thriller!
J. J. Hanna is a writer and reader from Colorado. She loves suspense stories above all else. Her debut novel, The Regulars of Amanda Lexie releases August 2026. When she’s not writing, you can find her making YouTube videos or reading up-and-coming thrillers and mysteries. Find her on social media @authorjjhanna and @jjhannaacademy to keep track of her most recent reads and current adventures.