Murder mysteries have long been a popular genre. Names such as Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes have made waves in popular culture, and the ‘who-dun-it’ is a well versed trope. This popularity ultimately means it’s increasingly difficult to write an original and exciting murder mystery.
Whether as a result of an original plot, well developed characters or shocking plot twists, these murder mysteries all have something going for them. Maybe you could pick one of these up if you’re looking to give your brain a bit of a challenge.
I am quite new to the murder mystery genre, so this is just a few of the ones I have read and loved so far!
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
By: Stuart Turton
Quick summary: A whodunnit murder mystery on steroids
Rating: ★★★★☆
I previously reviewed this book (check it out here) after I got it at one of Mr B’s Emporium’s Reading Spas.
Throughout the book you follow the main character Aiden Bishop through 8 bodies over 8 days as he tries to uncover who murdered a woman called Evelyn Hardcastle at a party in her family home. Every day he wakes up and at the end of every day the same thing happens: Evelyn Hardcastle dies. The only way to end this fatal cycle is for Aiden to figure out who killed her.
The reason this book is so exciting is that the protagonist has no idea what’s going on, and so you uncover secrets and have realisations at the same time that he does. The structure, undeniably, is confusing at first, but stick with it – the beauty of the book is being confused until the end when everything comes together in a wonderful ‘lightbulb’ moment.
If you’re into Agatha Christie, this is one for you.
One of Us is Lying
By: Karen McManus
Quick summary: Who knew the psychotic inner workings of a teen mind ran so deep.
Rating: ★★★★★
I read this book as part of a buddy-read with Hanne, and I raced through it way quicker than intended because it really was a can’t-put-down book.
In this YA murder mystery, five students go into detention and only four walk out alive. The four remaining students, Cooper, Addy, Bronwyn and Nate, are catapulted into the limelight as prime suspects in the murder of their fellow student. We follow all four of them throughout the school year as secrets are revealed, and the circumstances of the murder grow murkier and murkier.
The thing I love about this book is that you can’t trust the narrator. We switch between the POV’s of the four teenagers throughout, and the secrets they keep run so deep that they don’t even let the reader know them. This really adds a fantastic dimension to the book, because it means the reader is a participant in the murder mystery as much as the characters are.
This book was such an easy one to get into, and the writing is incredibly easy to read, so if you’re in a reading slump or don’t read much then this one is for you.
A Study in Charlotte
By: Brittany Cavallaro
Quick summary: The refresh the Holmes legacy needed
Rating: ★★★★☆
Jamie Watson has just received a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. He hates his father, and hates Sherringford. However, it gets more complicated when he meets Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight a Sherlock Holmes story, Jamie and Charlotte can’t afford to keep their distance from each other. They are being framed for murder.
I love a story in which the protagonist is being framed (one of the reasons why I loved One of Us is Lying so much.) This book is full of high stakes, confused teen feelings and real-life legal consequences (something that is sometimes missing in murder mysteries.)
If you love the Holmes stories, or are new to murder mystery, then this is the one for you!
and more…
If you particularly enjoy YA murder mystery, then check these out…
Truly Devious – Maureen Johnson
Shortly after Ellingham Academy opened, the wife and daughter of the founder were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym “Truly, Devious.” It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.
True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. But then Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.
Greer MacDonald is struggling to settle into the sixth form at the exclusive St Aidan the Great boarding school, known to its privileged pupils as S.T.A.G.S.
To her surprise Greer receives a mysterious invitation to spend the half-term weekend at a country manor with the wealthiest students. Over the three days, they all go hunting, shooting and fishing – but things become increasingly dark and twisted. Soon, Greer comes to the horrifying realisation that those being hunted are not wild game, but the very misfits Henry has brought with him from school.
THE ROSIE WORD. 
A lovely read Rosie, didn’t know you were a MM fan! BTW, anything by Peter James is great for your middle-aged, Brighton Fans. Fast moving and unpredictable in a positive way. Keep up the great posts x
LikeLiked by 1 person