I’ve recently come to the realization that one reading genre lends itself to unparalleled levels of unputdownable-ness, and that is a really amazing mystery. Suspense! Thrills! Plot twists galore! The occasional murder to keep it interesting! You simply must blast through these books at lightning fast speeds because you won’t be able to sleep until you solve these mysteries once and for all.
If you want to take a dive into this layered genre, take a peek below to find a mystery for every kind of reader: psychological thrillers, suspenseful science fiction, murder mysteries, a fluffy amateur sleuth novel, and more!
YA Mysteries You Won’t Want to Put Down
1. Nancy Drew Files Vol. 1 by Carolyn Keene
Nancy is back! And she’s in high school! Keep up with Nancy Drew in this thrilling collection of mysteries full of intrigue, boys, and murder.
2. Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell
Moira has always been fascinated by the sirens that live in the sea that surrounds her island home. So when a young boy is found dead on the coast and everyone blames the sirens, Moira is not so sure. Teaming up with her childhood friend, the lighthouse keeper, Moira sets out to uncover the truth and find the real killer. Or was it the sirens all along?
3. This Lie Will Kill You by Chelsea Pitcher
One year ago, there was a party. At the party, someone died. Five teens each played a part and up until now, no one has told the truth. Tonight, the five survivors arrive at an isolated mansion in the hills expecting to compete for a cash prize, but they soon discover they were lured there by a person bent on revenge. Five arrived, but not all can leave. Will the truth set them free or will their lies destroy them all?
4. I’ll Never Tell by Abigail Haas
Paradise quickly gets gruesome in this thrilling page-turner with a plot that’s ripped from the headlines and a twist that defies the very edges of your imagination. It’s spring break for senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and several other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile accusations as they hunt for Elise’s killer.
5. Angel Thieves by Kathi Appelt
Now I know what you’re thinking: How does this book fit in as a mystery? And while you are correct, this isn’t a classic mystery like the rest of the books on this list, there is definitely a puzzle that will be solved by the end of the book.Multiple perspectives spanning across time are united through themes of freedom, hope, and faith in a most unusual and epic novel where every character is connected by one single angel.
6. Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young
The Girls of Innovations Academy are beautiful and well-behaved—it says so on their report cards. Under the watchful gaze of their Guardian, they receive a well-rounded education that promises to make them better, obedient girls, free from arrogance or defiance. But the girls’ carefully controlled existence may not be quite as it appears. When Mena and her friends begin to understand the dark secrets of what’s actually happening there—and who they really are—the girls of Innovations Academy will learn to fight back.
7. All Eyes on Us by Kit Frick
Pretty Little Liars meets People Like Us in this taut, tense thriller about two teens who find their lives intertwined when an anonymous texter threatens to spill their secret. Amanda Kelly is the daughter of small town social climbers, dating real estate heir Carter Shaw. Rosalie Bell is fighting to remain true to herself and her girlfriend against her Christian fundamentalist parents by carrying on a fake relationship with Carter on the side. Now, Amanda and Rosalie are roped into a bid to take Carter down and unmask their stalker, known as Private, before Private uproots their lives.
8. Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett
After an awkward first encounter, Birdie and Daniel are forced to work together in a Seattle hotel where a famous author leads a mysterious and secluded life. Birdie, a self-proclaimed mystery-book aficionado, cannot let the puzzle of this author’s real identity go unsolved, even if that means coming out of her shell and working alongside Daniel—an elusive riddle all on his own.
9. This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada
Catarina Agatta is a gene-hacking genius, following in her legendary geneticist father’s footsteps—believed to be the last hope for defeating a plague that is bringing humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, he is kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive for two years on her own. Then a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, but he managed to create and conceal in a message a vaccine that could save humanity. Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, can she even trust herself?
10. The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu
Remy was happy once. She had her boyfriend Jack and her best friend Elise who understood her better than anyone else in the world. But now that happiness is gone. Jack is dead, shot through the chest, and it was Elise who pulled the trigger. As the police investigate, Remy does the same, sifting through her own memories, looking for a scrap of truth that could save the friendship that means everything to her. Told in alternating timelines, this twisted psychologically thriller explores the dark side of obsessive friendship. This novel will absolutely blow your mind when it releases in July!