20 YA Mystery Books You Won’t Be Able to Put Down

From Agatha Christie-style detective tales to mind-bending suspense novels full of shocking twists & turns, I’m sharing some of the best YA mystery books that you absolutely won’t be able to put down. Start with a quick peek at my top 5 favorites, then keep reading for the full list. Enjoy!

FYI, this post includes affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

Best YA Mystery Novels to Read Right Now

I’ve been on a major YA mystery books binge lately. It all started with the first book on my list, and just sort of snowballed from there. The first 9 on the list are my favorites so far. The rest are either on my Kindle waiting to be read, on hold at the library, or on my Amazon wish list.

I included a Kindle preview when available so you can read a quick sample without leaving this page. Just click “free preview” on the widget.

Let’s dive in!

1. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

This was the one that kicked off my YA mystery binge and turned me into an instant Jennifer Lynn Barnes fan. The gorgeous cover drew me in, but Barnes’ writing kept me turning the pages long into the night.

This one has everything: mystery, intrigue, and a smidge of romance. Then there’s the whole “wish fulfillment” angle. I mean, who hasn’t fantasized about an eccentric and enigmatic old guy that you never met suddenly leaving you billions of dollars in his will?

Now is a great time to start this series since the last book came out recently!

Book Description:

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why–or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.

To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into a sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House where every room bears the old man’s touch–and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day they would inherit billions.

Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive

The Inheritance Games

• Amazon Kindle Edition
• Barnes, Jennifer Lynn (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 385 Pages - 09/01/2020 (Publication Date) - Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Publisher)

$10.99

Amazon

2. Truly Devious Series by Maureen Johnson

If you want another great mystery series that’s already completely out, Truly Devious is absolutely amazing! There are three main books in the Truly Devious mystery. I read all of them within about a week.

On top of the trilogy, there’s also one standalone novel out (The Box in the Woods), and another one (Nine Liars) releasing later this month. I love that she’s continuing the series in a low-stress way like that, with each new book standing on its own.

Book Description:

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth-century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place,” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter 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. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester.

But something strange is happening. 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. 

The two interwoven mysteries of this first book in the Truly Devious series dovetail brilliantly, and Stevie Bell will continue her relentless quest for the murderers in books two and three.

3. The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow

Full disclosure, I almost quit reading The Agathas before I finished the first chapter. I found the character of Alice so grating and unlikable at first that I didn’t think I could deal with 411 pages of her “poor little rich girl” act. The only thing that kept me reading at first was the fact that chapters alternate between characters and Iris IS likable right away.

Alice becomes more likable as the story goes on (although she continues to be a bit grating, but turns out that’s just her personality). While some reviewers felt like the clues were practically spoon-fed to the Agathas, I was still pretty surprised when it came time for the “big bad” reveal.

Book Description:

Last summer, Alice Ogilvie’s basketball-star boyfriend Steve dumped her. Then she disappeared for five days. She’s not talking, so where she went and what happened to her is the biggest mystery in Castle Cove. Or it was, at least. But now, another one of Steve’s girlfriends has vanished: Brooke Donovan, Alice’s ex–best friend. And it doesn’t look like Brooke will be coming back. . .
 
Enter Iris Adams, Alice’s tutor. Iris has her own reasons for wanting to disappear, though unlike Alice, she doesn’t have the money or the means. That could be changed by the hefty reward Brooke’s grandmother is offering to anyone who can share information about her granddaughter’s whereabouts. The police are convinced Steve is the culprit, but Alice isn’t so sure, and with Iris on her side, she just might be able to prove her theory.
 
In order to get the reward and prove Steve’s innocence, they need to figure out who killed Brooke Donovan. And luckily Alice has exactly what they need—the complete works of Agatha Christie. If anyone can teach the girls how to solve a mystery it’s the master herself. But the town of Castle Cove holds many secrets, and Alice and Iris have no idea how much danger they’re about to walk into.

4. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

As much as I loved The Inheritance Games, the Naturals is definitely JL Barnes’ best series by far. I read all 4.5 books (there’s a short novella after the last main book) in under a week because I couldn’t put them down. Every single character- even the flippant and somewhat insensitive Lia- is extremely likable.

Barnes is also a total master when it comes to shocking plot twists. Out of the 4 main books, I only guessed who the killer was once…sort of. I won’t say more than that because I don’t want to give anything away. If you pick just one of the YA mystery books, make it this one! You won’t be sorry.

Book Description

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But, it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides-especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms close. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

5. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

I read A Study in Charlotte a few years ago, before my big mystery book binge. I really loved it, but by the time the second one came out I was well into my adult fantasy books jag (by adult, I mean written for adults, NOT the other meaning of the word). It’s on my list of books to read next, right after I finish the other Barnes books that I have out from Overdrive.

Charlotte is the great-great-great-granddaughter of the one and only Sherlock. Jaimie descends from Holmes’ long-suffering partner, Watson. Doesn’t that make them destined to be together…or at least work together? Jaimie seems to think so. Charlotte, however, isn’t really into making friends. At least, not until the murders start!

Book Description

Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers are one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She’s inherited Sherlock’s volatility and some of his vices—and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she’s not looking for friends.

But when a student they both have a history with dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

6. Killing November by Adriana Mather

When November’s dad sends her to the odd Academy Absconditi to keep her “safe,” she doesn’t hesitate to believe he has her best interests at heart. Even when they drug her on the plane on the way to its mysterious location. Even when the principal lays down rules that include an “eye-for-an-eye” punishment system in which students aren’t just encouraged to retaliate against bullies, but are actually required to do so. Even when her class schedule consists entirely of courses like “knife throwing” and “poisons.”

But when a boy punches her in the face moments after meeting her and another student turns up dead, she starts to wonder (and I’m paraphrasing here) “If this is the safest place, WTH is happening outside this creepy castle?”

If you like your mysteries with a hefty dose of action, or if you’re looking for a good secret society/spy fiction novel, you’ll definitely want to pick up this duology!

Book Description

November is as good as dead. She just doesn’t know it yet.

At the International Academy Absconditi, there’s no electricity, no internet, and an archaic eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes range from knife throwing and poisons to the art of deception. And the students? All silver-spoon descendants of the world’s most elite strategists–training to become assassins, spies, and master impersonators.

One is a virtuoso of accents–and never to be trusted. Another is a vicious fighter determined to exploit November’s weaknesses. And then there’s the boy with the mesmerizing eyes and a secret agenda.

November doesn’t know how an ordinary girl like her fits into the school’s complicated legacy. But when a student is murdered, she’ll need to separate her enemies from her allies before the crime gets pinned on her . . . or she becomes the killer’s next victim.

7. Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain

If you’re typically a fan of YA fantasy but want to expand your reading horizons into the mystery genre, Dark and Shallow Lies is a good pick. Kit Frick describes it as a “dark mythology that is part folklore, part psychic mysticism, and entirely compelling.” I can’t think of a better way to put it.

Book Description:

La Cachette, Louisiana, is the worst place to be if you have something to hide.
 
This tiny town, where seventeen-year-old Grey spends her summers, is the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World—and the place where Elora Pellerin, Grey’s best friend, disappeared six months earlier.
 
Grey can’t believe that Elora vanished into thin air any more than she can believe that nobody in a town full of psychics knows what happened. But as she digs into the night that Elora went missing, she begins to realize that everybody in town is hiding something—her grandmother Honey; her childhood crush Hart; and even her late mother, whose secrets continue to call to Grey from beyond the grave.
 
When a mysterious stranger emerges from the bayou—a stormy-eyed boy with links to Elora and the town’s bloody history—Grey realizes that La Cachette’s past is far more present and dangerous than she’d ever understood. Suddenly, she doesn’t know who she can trust. In a town where secrets lurk just below the surface, and where a murderer is on the loose, nobody can be presumed innocent—and La Cachette’s dark and shallow lies may just rip the town apart.

8. Warcross by Marie Lu

Warcross may be “shelved” with YA sci-fi novels, but it’s just as much a mystery book, too. It’s a good pick if you’re currently on a sci-fi binge but also want a bit of a “whodunit.” I found the ending quite surprising!

Book Description

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

9. Little White Lies (Debutantes Book 1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I honestly didn’t expect to love this duology as much as I did! I read it after The Inheritance Games and only because it was available at the library. I liked Barnes’ style and figured I’d give it a chance. It was actually very excellent! Although I didn’t find the first book’s plot twist all that shocking, the second one was absolutely jaw-dropping.

Book Description

“I’m not saying this is Sawyer’s fault,” the prim and proper one said delicately. “But.”

Eighteen-year-old auto mechanic Sawyer Taft did not expect her estranged grandmother to show up at her apartment door and offer her a six-figure contract to participate in debutante season. And she definitely never imagined she would accept. But when she realizes that immersing herself in her grandmother’s “society” might mean discovering the answer to the biggest mystery of her life-her father’s identity-she signs on the dotted line and braces herself for a year of makeovers, big dresses, bigger egos, and a whole lot of bless your heart.

The one thing she doesn’t expect to find is friendship, but as she’s drawn into a group of debutantes with scandalous, dangerous secrets of their own, Sawyer quickly discovers that her family isn’t the only mainstay of high society with skeletons in their closet. There are people in her grandmother’s glittering world who are not what they appear, and no one wants Sawyer poking her nose into the past. As she navigates the twisted relationships between her new friends and their powerful parents, Sawyer’s search for the truth about her own origins is just the beginning.

10. The Counselors by Jessica Goodman

I started this one but ended up letting it expire (I had it on loan from Overdrive) because a bunch of holds came through. I’ll go back to it later on. The beginning was intriguing enough that I definitely want to finish it, but it’s not at the top of my personal list. That said, I do know quite a few people who loved it. It’s almost always available on Overdrive (at least through the two libraries that I use), too, so you have nothing to lose by giving it a whirl.

Book Description

Camp Alpine Lake is the only place where Goldie Easton feels safe.
 
She’s always had a special connection to the place, even before she was old enough to attend. The camp is the lifeline of Roxwood, the small town she lives in. Alpine Lake provides jobs, money, and prestige to the region. Few Roxwood locals, though, get to reap the rewards of living so close to the glam summer that camp, with its five-figure tuition and rich kids who have been dumped there for eight weeks by their powerful parents. Goldie’s one of them.
 
Even with her “townie” background, Goldie has never felt more at home at camp and now she’s back as a counselor, desperate for summer to start and her best friends, Ava and Imogen, to arrive. Because Goldie has a terrible dark secret she’s been keeping and she is more in need of comfort than ever.
 
But Goldie’s not the only person at camp who has been lying. When a teen turns up dead in the lake late one night, she knows that the death couldn’t have been an accident. She also knows that Ava was at the lake that same night.
 
What did Ava see and what does she know? Why hasn’t she said anything to Goldie about the death? Worse—what did Ava do?
 
But asking questions offers no answers, only broken bonds of lifelong friendship, with hidden danger and betrayals deeper than Goldie ever imagined.

11. I Know You Remember by Jennifer Donaldson

I have this one on my TBR list, but I’m holding off because it hits a bit too close to home. My best friend, Dana Smithers, has been missing for over 6 months now. 🙁 I am looking forward to reading it, though. I just need to be in the right place mentally, and the holiday season is rough already.

Book Description

Zahra Gaines is missing.

After three long years away, Ruthie Hayden arrives in her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska to this devastating news. Zahra was Ruthie’s best friend–the only person who ever really understood her–and she vows to do whatever it takes to find her.

Zahra vanished from a party just days before Ruthie’s return, but the more people she talks to, the more she realizes that the Zahra she knew disappeared long before that fateful night. Gone is the whimsical, artistic girl who loved books and knew Ruthie’s every secret. In her place is an athlete, a partier, a girl with secrets of her own. Darker still are the rumors that something happened to Zahra while Ruthie was gone, something that changed her forever…

As Ruthie desperately tries to piece together the truth, she falls deeper and deeper into her friend’s new world, circling closer to a dangerous revelation about what happened to Zahra in the days before her disappearance–one that might be better off buried.

12. Never Coming Home by Kate M. Williams

I love books where the main characters are isolated in some way from the rest of society, so this one is high on my TBR list. Based on the sample, the characters do seem a bit on the “grating” side. I thought that about The Agathas, though, and ended up really liking it. So we’ll see.

Book Description

Everyone knows Unknown Island—it’s the world’s most exclusive destination. Think white sand beaches, turquoise seas, and luxury accommodations. Plus, it’s invite only, no one over twenty-one allowed, and it’s absolutely free. Who wouldn’t want to go?
 
The mysterious resort launched with a viral marketing campaign, and now the whole world is watching as the mysterious resort opens its doors to the First Ten, the ten elite influencers specifically chosen to be the first to experience everything Unknown Island has to offer. You know them. There’s the gamer, the beauty blogger, the rich girl, the superstar, the junior politician, the environmentalist, the DJ, the CEO, the chef, and the athlete.
 
What they don’t know is that they weren’t invited to Unknown Island for their following—they were invited for their secrets. Everyone is hiding a deadly one, and it looks like someone’s decided it’s payback time. Unknown Island isn’t a vacation, it’s a trap. And it’s beginning to look like the First Ten—no matter how influential—are never coming home.

13. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

This one is a Goodreads Choice award winner and has 4.5 stars across over 41,000 ratings, so it’s a pretty safe bet. It’s another one that’s almost always available on Overdrive, too. Since it’s rather short (242 pages), I’d definitely borrow rather than buy it, unless it goes on sale for a few bucks.

Book Description

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

14. Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards

Head’s up: This one is available through Kindle Unlimited. So if you have a membership, definitely check it out! If you don’t have a membership (and never have), you can get a free 30-day trial.

Book Description

When Chloe fell asleep in study hall, it was the middle of May. But when she wakes up, snow is on the ground, and she can’t remember the last six months.

Before, she’d been a mediocre student.
Now, she’s on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools.

Before, she never had a chance with sports star Blake.
Now he’s her boyfriend.

Before, she and Maggie were inseparable.
Now her best friend won’t speak to her.

What happened to her? Remembering the truth could be more dangerous than she’d ever imagined.

15. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Another incredibly popular one that’s high up on my holds list, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is the first in a trilogy by Holly Jackson. FYI, all three books are currently available, so you won’t have to wait years for the conclusion.

Book Description

Everyone in Fairview knows the story.

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can’t shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?

Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn’t want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.

16. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

I’m currently watching this on Peacock (I just started it, so I don’t really have an opinion on it yet), but I do want to read the books when the 3rd one releases next summer. If you don’t mind waiting for the final book to come out, though, you can get a head start and read the first two.

Book Description

Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.
 
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

17. Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

This is another one that I’m holding off on because of how close to home it hits. I think books like these are important, though. So many people go missing every year, yet only a handful ever get real attention from anyone.

Book Description

Monday Charles is missing, and only Claudia seems to notice. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable—more sisters than friends. So when Monday doesn’t turn up for the first day of school, Claudia’s worried.

When she doesn’t show for the second day, or second week, Claudia knows that something is wrong. Monday wouldn’t just leave her to endure tests and bullies alone. Not after last year’s rumors and not with her grades on the line. Now Claudia needs her best—and only—friend more than ever. But Monday’s mother refuses to give Claudia a straight answer, and Monday’s sister April is even less help.

As Claudia digs deeper into her friend’s disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she’s gone?

18.  Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Like Panic (and unlike Delirium), this one is a standalone novel.

Book Description

It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.

Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.

The only thing is: they didn’t do it.

On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous.

19.  Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

I have this one on loan from the library right now. It’s a historical mystery novel, so I need to get in the right mood for it. There are 4 books in the series and all are currently out, so no worries about starting it and then waiting years to finish it.

Book Description

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life. Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine.

When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her back to her own sheltered world. The story’s shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

20. Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

I love books that take place in academies, and this one sounds super intriguing!

Book Description

All you need to know is . . . I’m here to divide and conquer. Like all great tyrants do. —Aces

When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too.

Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.

As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?

With heart-pounding suspense and relevant social commentary comes a high-octane thriller from debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.

I hope you found a few new great YA mystery books to add to your TBR pile! If you only choose one series from this list, make it The Naturals. You won’t be sorry! Honestly, that goes for anything by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, though!

Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API