“Everything’s a game, Avery Grambs. The only thing we get to decide in this life is if we play to win.”
Filled with riddles and puzzles against a backdrop of a stunningly mysterious mansion, The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of the most fascinating and original mystery-thriller books going.
The first book in the series introduces readers to Avery, a young woman who inherits a huge fortune from billionaire Tobias Hawthorne. The only issue is she has never met Tobias and, to claim her inheritance has to move into his sprawling estate alongside his four grandsons. Finding herself caught in a game of wealth and survival, The Inheritance Games is a compelling read that blurs the lines between fantasy, YA mystery thriller and contemporary romance. For fans of the series, What We Reading has brought together the best books like The Inheritance Games that contain all of these elements!
Who Wrote The Inheritance Games?
Oklahoma native Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a young-adult fiction writer with more than a dozen books under her belt. The first two books in The Inheritance Games series were Goodreads Choice Award nominees, with the third entry, The Final Gambit, winning the best Young Adult Fiction category in 2022.
Truly, Devious (Truly Devious #1) – Maureen Johnson
Kicking off our list of the best mystery books like The Inheritance Games is the first entry in Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious series. In this Goodreads Choice Award-nominated novel, readers are transported to Ellingham Academy, a renowned private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists in the world. Founded by the enigmatic Albert Ellingham, shortly after the school opens his wife and daughter are kidnapped by an elusive criminal whose only clue was a letter signed “Truly, Devious.”
True Crime aficionado Stevie Bell is in her first year at Ellingham Academy, juggling the demands of the school and its cast of quirky and colourful characters. She wants to become the first person to solve the cold case of Truly Devious, however, when the killer appears to make a return, she soon discovers that someone much closer to home may have been getting away with murder.
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore (Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore #1) – Robin Sloan
Filled with complex code-breaking, high-tech data visualisation, and young love set in the intimate backdrop of a hole-in-the-wall library, it should come as no surprise why we’ve named Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore as one of the best books like The Inheritance Games.
When Clay Jannon picks up a job working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, he quickly realises how curious a place it is. After following some of the strange behaviours from the most loyal customers, he embarks on a complex crusade to work out the mysteries behind this bookstore. What follows is a mind-blowing illumination of the secrets outside the bookstore’s walls and its enigmatic owner, Mr. Penumbra.
Check Out The Best Fantasy Books About Libraries
The List – Carys Jones
Five names on a list. The top two are dead. The third is yours. This is the chilling premise Beth Belmont stumbles upon when she spots a white piece of paper lying on the base of a tree along the trail she runs on every day.
The list naturally makes her feel uneasy. Why is her name on this list? What ties does she have to these four strangers? Carys Jones offers a thrilling psychological dive with The List, keeping readers gripped with all manner of secrets and twists being unearthed in a way any fan of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ works will appreciate. As Beth looks up the lives of the two deceased names above her on the list, she soon finds herself immersed in her deepest, darkest nightmares.
Ace Of Spades – Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Niveus Private Academy is a place where money lines the halls and every student is pristine and perfect. But, thanks to an anonymous texter known as Aces, two of these students are about to have their darkest secrets brought to light. Head girl Chiamaka is ambitious, but people will soon know the price she has paid for power. Devon is a talented musician, but his private photos are about to put him in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
An instant New York Times and international bestseller, Ace of Spades is the thrilling 2021 mystery-thriller novel from Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. One of the best YA books like The Inheritance Games, it is a profound commentary on the heart of institutionalized racism, as well as a compelling thriller story of two lives intertwined with an anonymous stalker planning a game, and holding all the aces.
These Deadly Games – Diana Urban
When she receives a video of her little sister bound and gagged, Crystal Donavan agrees to play the game the kidnapper has planned for her. To begin with, the game consists of several bizarre tasks, ranging from stealing a test and planting it in a locker to baking brownies.
But it dawns on Crystal that these strange tasks are designed to kill her friends – one by one. Is this kidnapper attempting to take Crystal’s team out of the running for a gaming tournament, or are they looking for revenge for a secret from her past? Diana Urban’s These Deadly Games is a pulsating thriller following Crystal as she grapples with unimaginable choices, attempting to uncover the truth behind the identity of her sister’s kidnapper and outplay them at their own game before it’s too late.
Five Survive – Holly Jackson
Eighteen-year-old Red and her friends are heading to the beach on a road trip for Spring Break. It’s a long drive, but their spirits are high. Until their RV inexplicably breaks down, leaving them stranded on the side of the road with no signal and no one around to help.
But, when their wheels are shot out they quickly realise this situation was no accident. A sniper is operating in the darkness, who knows exactly who they are and is willing to kill to protect a secret one of the group possesses. Famed for her Good Girls Guide to Murder trilogy, Holly Jackson delivers an enthralling crime thriller in Five Survive. With a cramped claustrophobic surrounding, old secrets are brought to light in this deadly game of cat and mouse where not all members inside the RV live to see the morning.
The Naturals (The Naturals #1) – Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Rounding off our list of the best books like The Inheritance Games another acclaimed mystery series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Naturals. Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a master at reading people. With the tiniest details, she can work out exactly what you are, and what you want. It’s a skill that she hasn’t taken too seriously. Until the FBI come knocking, enrolling her in a programme that utilises exceptional teenagers to solve infamous cold cases.
Sent to live with a group of other teenagers, all with their own unique set of skills, Cassie soon learns that all is not as it first seems in the Naturals program. Soon a new killer strikes, catapulting her into a deadly game of cat and mouse. With the danger looming closer, the Naturals are forced to rely on all of their abilities just to survive.
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).
