.@BookNet_Canada shares insights into buying and borrowing of Mystery & Detective titles during the third quarter of 2022.
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From Police Procedurals and Amateur Sleuths to International Crime & Mystery and Private Investigators, Mystery & Detective titles are well loved by Canadian readers. According to data collected for the Canadian Leisure & Reading Study 2021, the most popular genre for fiction readers across all formats was Mysteries or Thrillers. A whopping 57% of print book readers, 48% of ebook readers, and 25% of audiobook readers choosing this genre as their top pick.

Even though Mysteries or Thrillers were the top pick for audiobook readers, for ebook readers this genre was significantly down from 2020 when 57% chose it as one of their top three compared to 48% in 2021.

How have Mystery & Detective titles been performing in the Canadian market so far this year? Below, we’ll take a look at the sales and library circulation of Mystery & Detective titles in the third quarter of 2022, with the help of our SalesData and LibraryData services.

Buying Fiction / Mystery & Detective

Compared to 2021, the overall sales of Mystery & Detective titles were down 7% over the entire third quarter. Looking at the graph below, sales of Mystery & Detective titles trended up by the end of the third quarter for both 2022 and 2021. From July to September 2022, sales of Mystery & Detective titles increased by 1%. Sales of Mystery & Detective titles increased by 4% from July to September 2021.

Line graph comparing book sales between July, August, and September 2021 and 2022 in the Fiction / Mystery & Detective BISAC category.

These are the BISAC subcategories with the highest year-over-year increase in sales :

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths — up 88%;
Fiction / Mystery & Detective / International Crime & Mystery — up 39%; and
Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy — up 38%.

From July to September 2022, the most purchased Mystery & Detective subcategories were:

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Police Procedural — 28% of all Mystery & Detective sales;
Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths — 20% of all Mystery & Detective sales; and
Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy — 16% of all Mystery & Detective sales.

Borrowing Fiction / Mystery & Detective

The library circulation of Mystery & Detective titles during the third quarter of 2022 tells a different story. From July to September 2022, library loans and renewals of Mystery & Detective titles were up 22% and 29% respectively from 2021.

In the entire third quarter of 2022, loans increased by 15%. Renewals for Mystery & Detective titles from July to September 2022 increased by 31%. In the third quarter of 2021, loans increased by 2% from July to September and renewals increased by 23%.

Line graph comparing book loans and renewals between July, August, and September 2021 and 2022 in the Fiction / Mystery & Detective BISAC category.

Which Fiction / Mystery & Detective BISAC subcategories were the most popular in Canadian libraries? From July to September 2022, these subcategories saw the greatest increases in library circulation compared to 2021:

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy — loans up 44% and renewals up 45%;
Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Tradition — loans up 35% and renewals up 36%; and
Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths — loans up 30% and renewals up 32%.

During the third quarter of 2022, the most circulated Fiction / Mystery & Detective subcategories were:

Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Police Procedural — 22% of all Fiction / Mystery & Detective loans and 20% of all Fiction / Mystery & Detective renewals;
Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General — 19% of all Fiction / Mystery & Detective loans and 18% of all Fiction / Mystery & Detective renewals; and
Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths — 17% of all Fiction / Mystery & Detective loans and 17% of all Fiction / Mystery & Detective renewals.