“Well, that too. But no, I liked it ’cause the princess saved herself.”
Thanks to a new audience of young adult readers, murder mysteries have found themselves as some of the most popular types of stories again. And it’s no surprise why this demographic has latched onto the genre so much. Social media has increasingly led to becoming obsessed with knowing everything about those around us, and the stresses of school, relationships and growing up all serve up the high-octane context for a crime thriller to flourish. Join us today at What We Reading as we pay homage to the best murder mystery books for teens!
Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars #1) – Sara Shepard
Still one of the most iconic murder mystery stories for teens and young adults, Pretty Little Liars is a seriously binge-able series that layers suspense and twists behind every chapter.
Sara Shepard introduces readers to four high school girls haunted by the disappearance of their friend, and the mysterious text messages they receive from an anonymous sender who claims to know all their deepest, darkest secrets. A light and fun guilty pleasure read, the suspense and cliffhangers that follow Spencer, Aria, Emily and Hanna will keep you hooked!
Grown – Tiffany D. Jackson
When iconic R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of breaking the music industry seem to be turning into a reality. That is until she wakes up the next morning with no memory of the night before and blood on her hands. Korey Fields is dead.
Before he had met his maker, there had been a dark and controlling side to the rapper – but who was responsible for his death? Tiffany D. Jackson delivers another pulsating contemporary murder mystery for teens in Grown, following Enchanted as she attempts to piece together the truth behind Korey’s death before the police arrive at her door.
Killer Content – Kiley Roache
With a beachfront Malibu Mansion, sponsorship deals worth $30,000 per post, model good looks and millions of TikTok followers, the six teenagers that make up the Lit Lair look to have it all. However, when one member of the group winds up dead, this paradise is brought to a grounding halt. Old joke videos resurface, past rivalries begin to look like motives and cryptic messages in the group account lead to the police concluding that the killer is in the house.
Kiley Roache’s Killer Content is a fast-paced thrill ride, perfect for teen readers looking for their next murder mystery. Behind the glossy internet personalities of these five suspects lies several shocking secrets. All had a reason why their lives would have been better off without Sydney Reynolds in it, but which one of them is responsible for killing her?
Death Prefers Blondes – Caleb Roehrig
Teenage socialite Margo Manning leads a dangerous double life. By day she attempts to evade the paparazzi whilst soaking up as much of the Californian sunshine as possible. By night, her evasion is solely focused on CCTV and security guards. Pulling off high-stakes heists with her crew of flamboyant young men, she dominates all the headlines.
But then Margo’s life takes a sudden and dark turn, with a job to end all jobs landing her crew in a deadly survival game. A funny and heartwarming tale from one of the best YA authors in the business, Caleb Roehrig’s Death Prefers Blondes follows one rebel heiress and her band of drag queens as they draw on all their special skills to survive.
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There’s Someone Inside Your House – Stephanie Perkins
Whilst we weren’t massive fans of the glitzy Netflix adaptation, Stephanie Perkins’ There’s Someone Inside Your House remains one of the best murder mystery books for teens. Makani Young attempts to leave her dark past behind her as she moves from Hawaii to her grandmother’s house in Nebraska.
But, as a series of increasingly grotesque and elaborate murders befall the students of Osborne Hugh, she is forced to confront the secrets she once thought buried if she is to have any hope of unmasking the terror, and surviving as it turns its attention toward her.
A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #1) – Holly Jackson
The perfect murder mystery for any YA reader who loves following on with the case, piecing together the clues and evidence as they go, Holly Jackson introduces Andie Bell, Sal Singh and Pippa Fitz-Amobi in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
Five years ago, high school student Andie Bell was murdered. Sal Singh was arrested, and the case was closed. However, after she picks the case for a school project, Pippa begins to unearth a series of secrets that someone in her small town desperately wants to keep hidden. As the revelations continue to unwind, she begins to question whether Sal is the guilty party everyone believes him to be. And, if he isn’t and the real killer is still at large, how far will they go to keep Pippa from revealing the truth?
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Killing November (Killing November #1) – Adriana Mather
Adriana Mather introduces a boarding school like no other in her Killing November series. Completely off-grid, hidden by a dense forest and guarded by an array of traps, this school for assassins and spies hosts classes on everything from the art of deception to knife throwing. Competition is fierce, a fact that new girl November Adley quickly learns as soon as she arrives.
When one of her classmates is found murdered, all fingers point toward her. Relying only on her quick wits, skills and the help of a few trusty friends, November is thrown into a hunt for the true killer. But, as she struggles to clear her name, she may just find herself in the crosshairs as this killer’s next unfortunate victim.
Pretty Dead Queens – Alexa Donne
After her mother’s death, seventeen-year-old Cecelia Ellis moves in with her grandmother, a crime-thriller writer living in an old Victorian mansion. For a time, life appears to be perfectly normal. Until Seaview High’s homecoming queen is murdered. Throwing herself into the midst of the investigation, Cecelia discovers that a copycat killer from a crime that occurred decades ago is at work.
Alexa Donne’s Pretty Dead Queens follows Cecelia as she takes on the role of the strong heroine like in her grandmother’s books. But, as she gets closer to unearthing the truth behind these sinister killing sprees, she soon begins to discover that her own life may not have a storybook ending.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
