20+ Mystery Books for Teens

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
This classic Newbery-winning mystery begins when sixteen strangers are summoned to the will reading of Samuel W. Westing, a well-renowned millionaire and game player. Anyone of these sixteen people could end up with his fortune, but only if they could find the answer to the confusing and mysterious game he has them take part in.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
No one does a suspenseful mystery like Agatha Christie and this one, where ten strangers arrive at a deserted mansion and then begin to die off one at a time, is probably her most famous.

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
When Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin get together to co-write a book about WWII codebreakers, you know that’s a book you aren’t going to want to miss. This story takes place in the summer of 1940 with two siblings who love riddles and puzzles. And they live in the right place for that since they live at Britain’s top secret codebreaking factory, Bletchley Park, where the brightest minds work together to crack the Nazi’s infamous Enigma cipher. My 12 year old and I listened to this together on a trip and we were both gripped.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
This crazy popular mystery series follows Maisie Dobbs who worked on the French front as a nurse during WWI and is now trying to put her life back together after the war, working as a private investigator. You couldn’t ask for a better heroine to cheer on. (Full review here)

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
We read this one back in 2023 for the Everyday Reading Book Club for October and it did not disappoint! In this one, some young people with psychic abilities run a small London agency to eradicate the supernatural foes that are popping up all over the city. This isn’t one I would read with young readers, but my fifth grader LOVED it when her teacher read it aloud!

Framed by James Ponti
Ella has loved the City Spies books, so when I discovered this mystery series by the same author, I snagged all three of them for Ella who blew through them in a week. This series follows Florian Bates who is the only kid that the FBI Director has on speed dial (and a kid that a whole lot of criminals want taken care of). After a move to DC, Florian and his new friend Margaret uncover a mystery that involves a major crime ring, the FBI and the National Gallery. It’s up to them to solve the mystery AND get their homework done.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
This bestseller was one of the first books I read after I finished my undergrad degree and started reading in earnest again. It definitely has that Gothic feel to it and so many unexpected twists. Vera Winter is a famous novelist and has never told the real story about her life until her death is approaching and she asks a young woman she doesn’t know to be the one to write her real biography.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
I read this one with my mom when I was in high school and have re-read it multiple times. It’s about a young woman who marries a rich widower, but feels like she can’t get out from under the shadow of his deceased first wife, Rebecca. It’s a classic for a reason (note that the first chapter is a bit slow and then you won’t be able to put it down).

Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham
This was one of my favorite books I read a few years ago. When a skeleton is dug up on 17-year-old Rowan Chase’s family property, she’s immediately determined to figure out who it belongs to and how it ended up buried in her Oklahoma yard. The story switches between Rowan’s life in the present and Will Tillman, who is also 17, but lives in 1921. A perfect historical fiction murder mystery that I couldn’t put down.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
This young adult novel is about five students who get stuck in detention together and one of them dies. The one who dies ran a gossip site about his classmates at the school and the other four were all scheduled to have stories about them go up the following day. Which means all of them had motive.

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Seventeen-year-old Cassie has a gift for reading people, a talent the FBI recruits for a program that uses extraordinary teens to solve cold cases. But when a new killer emerges, Cassie and her fellow “Naturals” find themselves in a deadly game where trusting the wrong person could be fatal.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
This series has been around for some time, and they always seem to be brought up by followers. Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s first (and only) lady detective, tackles cases ranging from missing spouses to cunning con men. But when an eleven-year-old boy disappears, possibly at the hands of witch doctors, she finds herself drawn into a case that touches her heart and puts her in real danger.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
People LOVE this series and it was recommended about a million times. Frankly, I read the first one and it dragged for me, despite a really fun premise, and I had no inclination to pick up more of the series. But again, most people love this one – it just wasn’t for me.

Enola Holmes by Nancy Springer
This six-book series (now made into a Netflix show) follows the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes who sets off to solve the mystery of her mother’s sudden disappearance.

Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble
After her husband’s murder, Carly Harris throws herself into restoring her family’s Beaufort home, only to uncover a hidden heirloom tied to deadly secrets and the Russian mafia. With the help of homicide detective Lucas Bennett, (her former flame’s brother) Carly must unravel the mystery before danger closes in, all while discovering a second chance at love. (FYI I have heard that this one has some closed-door romance scenes.)

Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger
Set in a steampunk Victorian world filled with vampires and werewolves, this novel about “finishing school” is not what your would expect. While one might envision learning to curtsy properly, these girls are learning espionage, diversions, and ways to deal out death.

The Moon Spinners by Mary Stewart
I’ve only read her book Nine Coaches Waiting (and absolutely loved it!), but she has an entire collection of books that are categorized as romantic mystery. During a holiday in Crete, Nicola Ferris follows an egret into the White Mountains and stumbles upon a reclusive Englishman who warns her to stay away. Naturally, she can’t resist, and their entanglement soon turns to a danger.

Fear Street by R.L. Stine
You might recognize this author from his well-known series, Goosebumps! If you have a teen who likes something full of suspense and horror, this will be right up their alley. In this four-book series teens grapple with disappearances, unexplained deaths, and spine-tingling supernatural horrors, all on – you guessed it – Fear Street.

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee
This is by the same author as The Downstairs Girl, which I absolutely loved. She does historical mysteries really well and this one is about the famous San Francisco earthquake.

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
If you have a mystery lover, who also loves cooking in the kitchen, this one sounds fun! In postwar Paris, young American Tabitha Knight is enjoying life with her French family and new friend Julia Child – until a body turns up in Julia’s building, killed with one of her kitchen knives. With suspicion falling on her, Tabitha must navigate the streets of Paris to uncover the truth before she or someone she loves becomes the next victim.

A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver
It’s WWII and when Uncle Mick’s locksmith business can’t pay the bills, he and Electra start making money by breaking into the homes of England’s wealthy upper class and breaking into their safes. After being caught doing a “job”, they are recruited by by the government to retrieve papers critical to the British war effort. When the safe that was supposed to contain those paper ends up empty with a dead body, will they play by the rules to find out who did it and where the bad guys got their information?

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Each summer, Cadence escapes to her family’s private island with her cousins and her closest friend, Gat – until a mysterious accident shatters everything, leaving her with amnesia and unrelenting migraines. As she fights to uncover what really happened that summer, buried secrets surface, leading to a shocking ending you won’t see coming.

A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman
This is the 8th book of the A Countess of Harleigh Mystery Books. While vacationing in Paris, Frances and George are drawn into a new case when a wealthy American suitor with a tragic past comes under suspicion. With blackmail notes, theatrical rivalries, and high-society scandals swirling, the Hazeltons must unravel the mystery before the curtain falls on another victim.

The Swifts by Beth Lincoln
Shenanigan Swift, known for living up to her mischievous name, is thrilled about her family reunion – until her aunt is murdered and she decides it’s up to her to solve the case. This one is packed with twists, treasure hunts, and wordplay. It’s a clever mystery perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket!

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson
Last summer, Alice disappeared for five days after her basketball-star boyfriend dumped her…mysterious much? Now her ex–best friend (and his current girlfriend) is missing too, and it’s starting to look like small-town Castle Cove has a real murder mystery on its hands. With a whole stack of Agatha Christie novels as their guide, Alice and her reluctant tutor-turned-sidekick, team up to uncover the truth…AND hopefully don’t get killed in the process. (If you love this one – there is a second book too!)

Sally Lockhart Mysteries by Philip Pullman
Sixteen-year-old Sally may lack knowledge of literature and art, but she’s skilled in military tactics, business, and marksmanship. In this thrilling historical fiction set in Victorian London, she must navigate dangerous mysteries surrounding her father’s suspicious death and uncover the deadly secret of “the ruby in the smoke”.

This Book Kills by Ravena Guron
Jess Choudhary wants nothing more than to stay invisible at her elite high school, but when a wealthy classmate is murdered in the exact way she once wrote in a story, all eyes turn to her. As anonymous texts roll in and rumors spread, Jess must solve the mystery before she becomes the killer’s next victim.

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
Lady Georgie comes from a long line of royalty, but after becoming penniless, she finds work spying for Her Majesty the Queen. When a drowned body is found in her London townhome, she must find a way to figure out who actually committed the crime and keep herself safe in the process.

Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-lyimide
Devon and Chiamaka are on top of the world after being named senior prefects at their elite academy – until an anonymous texter called Aces starts exposing their darkest secrets. What begins as a cruel prank spirals into a deadly game that could destroy everything they’ve worked for.