Murder & Mystery Recs for Your Shelf
I LOVE a good mystery. Why? Because I’m nosy and you always learn way too much about people’s lives in mysteries. Everyone’s deep dark secrets float up to the surface. Or, if the secrets aren’t very buoyant, then some determined detective will dive down into the deep and drag them up for us.
This is all to say, no bookshelf is complete without some fabulous mysteries. So, I have done some sleuthing and come up with a list of mysteries for every type of reader! I have a book for the who-done-it fans, a book for ye olde fans of detective books, and of course, a book for those of you who love a little romance on the side–or maybe it’s romance as the main course, mystery a la mode.
Some Shall Break
by Ellie Marney
If you’re all about angsty dynamic duos—a Scully-and-Mulder situation, if you will—then Some Shall Break is your book! This sequel to the chilling None Shall Sleep is a high stakes thriller that will have you hooked from the very first page. Also, it’s set in the 1980s, so you get brownie points for reading a historical novel as well!
We’ll Never Tell
by Wendy Heard
This one is for anyone obsessed with the Manson Murders. Well, I don’t know if “obsessed” is the right word. Intrigued, let’s say. It’s about four teenagers during their Senior year at Hollywood High. Here’s the gist: the four friends go into a mansion that was once the site of an infamous murder, and only three escape!
Wolfpack
Love cults? Love feeling a little paranoid? Who doesn’t?! Anyways: read Wolfpack! This novel, written in verse, is about what happens after a girl goes missing from virtuous Havenwood. Eight remaining girls begin to wonder, did she leave on her own, or did something sinister happen? Something you should know: Havenwood is a cult!
The Naturals
Who does mystery better than Jennifer Lynn Barnes? That’s not a rhetorical question, I’m waiting for your answer. But while I wait, I’ll tell you about The Naturals. It’s about gifted teens who are recruited by the FBI to crack infamous cold cases. In other words: a bunch of hormonal teenagers living together and solving mysteries! But, not all the cases stay cold…
Foxglove
by Adalyn Grace
Another murder has come to Thorn Grove, and, Signa, detective extraordinaire, is on the case. (I mean, she’s not really a detective, but she is good at solving mysteries). This one is really for those of you who love romance. Especially because in this follow up to Belladonna, a new couple may arise…It’s truly a perfect formula: romance + mystery = ideal reading material.
The King Is Dead
Look, James has a lot going on. His dad just died, and now he’s the king of England (no biggy!), his twin brother is being super moody, and the tabloids are attacking him and his family. Oh, and his secret boyfriend has suddenly disappeared! Full of mystery and intrigue, this delicious mystery is all about the twists and turns. And the romance, of course.
The Brothers Hawthorne
Another mystery from Jennifer Lynn Barnes, but of a very different sort. The FBI only makes a short appearance in thisbook, and our heroes and heroines are more recreational mystery solvers, rather than professional. This spinoff to the Inheritance Games series is everything you could wish for! More games, more Jameson and Avery, more stoic, broody Grayson, and more deeply twisted mysteries.
