I used to read and LOVE YA mystery books when I was younger. I remember being hooked to the premise, the suspense, dying to know what would happen next and what really did happen in the past, just as well.
My reading changed since I started book blogging and I haven’t properly turned back to my love for mysteries, falling for comforting contemporary reads or hyped fantasy books.
Yet, yet. Lately, I’ve been falling for some GREAT mysteries again: Ace of Spades, They Wish They Were Us to quote the first two out of my mind right now and… I find myself craving these kind of books again.
Of course, I started searching my TBR for these old books I bookmarked like, YEARS ago and got excited about them again. In my quest, I also found some other YA mystery books I’d LOVE to read, right now. So I thought I’d compile a little list today with my old and new finds!
Friends, if you read any YA mystery books lately, I would very much LOVE your recommendations, so please share them in comments!
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10 YA Mystery Books I Can’t Wait to Read
The Best Lies, Sarah Lyu
Once upon a time, Remy had her best friend Elise and Jack, her boyfriend… until Elise shot Jack, killing him. What happened there? I heard that The Best Lies is about obsessive friendships and it has a dual past/present timeline and this sounds quite intense but also I am VERY intrigued okay.
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Dead Girls Society, Michelle Krys
This book has been on my TBR for AGES and, now that I’m getting back into the whole mystery thing, I feel like I’d love it again! When Hope gets a mysterious invitation from The Society, she jumps at the chance for some excitement in her life… But what does she do when what seems like fun dares end up being a requirement? Secret societies and messy dares, I’m here for it!
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The Grimrose Girls, Laura Pohl
This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 and it sounds EXACTLY like the kind of mystery I’d love, lately. It’s about 3 girls, thrown into the spotlight when their best friend dies under mysterious circumstances. As they start their investigation themselves, they realize their destinies might be darker than what it seems… It’s set at an elite school and has fairytale inspirations as well and I’m excited to read it!
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Very Bad People, Kit Frick
This is one of my most anticipated YA mysteries of 2022! It’s a dark academia mystery about Calliope, going into the same elite boarding school her mother went to, to try and resolve the mystery behind her death. Secret societies and family secrets: this sounds EXACTLY like the kind of exciting mystery I can’t wait to read!
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How We Fall Apart, Katie Zhao
Another book that was on my most anticipated list… and that I haven’t read just yet, oops. When Nancy’s best friend is found dead, her and her friends are prime suspects in the investigation… targeted by an anonymous person on the school’s social media app. This sounds super exciting and I can’t wait to read it!!
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People Like Us, Dana Mele
Give me this group of Mean Girls-like people at a private school, a mysterious death and a scavenger hunt and I’m SOLD. People Like Us has been on my TBR for quite a while, now and it sounds like the kind of exciting mystery I’m loving lately, so… I can’t wait to read it!
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If You’re Out There, Katy Loutzenhiser
When her best friend moves away to California and suddenly ghosts her, Zan refuses to believe she’s just moving on with her life: something happened to her. I’ve been eager to read this book for a while, now and I feel like it’s the kind of mystery story that I’d love, with a great emphasis on friendships.
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Truly Devious, Maureen Johnson
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Truly Devious over the past few years. This book is about a prestigious school, an unsolved murder mystery and Stevie, a true-crime junkie wanting to resolve it all. I’ve heard that it’s really fun, suspenseful, filled with twist and overall thrilling to read, so I can’t wait!
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Tell Me No Lies, Andrea Contos
Okay this sounds like a really good book and I just found out about it and I’m excited for it to be released in 2022! Nora and Sophie are sisters, but they’re not friends… especially not after Nora’s boyfriend disappears mysteriously after a party they both attended. With her, Nora, certainly not a party person at all. Sisters bonds shaken, secret messages sent and a mystery to be solved: this sounds like a super exciting read!!
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A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, Holly Jackson
Another book that had its share of hype around the blogosphere, this one. A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder is about Pippa, choosing a resolved murder case as her final year project… and uncovering a whole lot of secrets making her wonder if the crime has been solved, after all. I’ve heard this one is a real rollercoaster and I hope I’ll love it!
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Enjoyed this list? See a book you’d like to read? Order them through these retailers below!
For more YA book recommendations, check out these blog posts:
- 10 Backlist YA Books I Want To Read in 2022
- My Most Anticipated YA Books Of 2022
- 10 feminist books that will make you want to smash the patriarchy
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Truly Devious looks good. I read another of her stories. Great list!
Thank you so much!!
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is high on my list. I don’t think I’ve seen a bad review for it!
Me neither! I hope we’ll both love it 🙂
There are a lot of good ones on your list.
Oh thank you so much, glad you like it! 🙂
You’re welcome!
I’ve only read a good girl’s guide to murder! I still have to read the other two books in the series, but I enjoyed it! I haven’t had the chance to read the other ones yet. But I have either had them already on my TBR list or they are now added on there. Great post xx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
Oooh I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it, I can’t wait to read it! 🙂
Ooh I really Like A Good Girls Guide and Truly Devious! And i want to read How We Fall Apart as well!
Ahh that’s so good to hear, I can’t wait to read these 🙂
You’ll love a good girls guide to murder! It was so good!
Aah yay, I can’t wait to read it! 🙂
Ooh great list! I’ve recently fall into YA mystery so a lot of these books are still on my TBR.
Ahh yay! I hope we’ll love all of these books! 😀
I ADORE the A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series so I hope you’ll love it!! The Grimrose Girls was also amazing in my opinion! I’m so excited to read People like us as well (and the author’s next book, Summer’s Edge!!), but my personal favourite mystery outside of AGGGTM is an unpublished book so :’) sad!
Ohh yay! I hope I’ll love them as much as you did! 🙂 And who knows, that unpublished book might get published? 😀
Ooh thank you for this list! This is a subgenre I really enjoy.
I loved A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. If you listen to audiobooks, I highly recommend going that route. It’s got a full cast and it’s an amazing experience.
Oh thank you for reading, Nick! I need to give this book a try then!! 🙂
How We Fall Apart has been on my TBR since before it was released and I completely forgot about it 🙊 I’ll definitely have to get to it soon!
Ahah I get it, this happens to me way too often 🙈 I hope we’ll both enjoy it!!
Loved this post! I have been rediscovering my love for YA Mystery books as well ❤️ Very Bad People, If You’re Out There and People Like Us are also on my TBR. I loved Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, it’ a mixed-media format and was so suspenseful 🥰
Oh thank you so, so much Caro, that’s SO great, we can give each other recommendations then! 😀 I can’t wait to read A Good Girl’s Guide!
Wonderful list. I loved Truly Devious but still need to read the sequels. I also can’t believe that I still haven’t gotten around to reading Holly Jacksons books 🙈 I’m pretty sure these are all on my tbr, although I somehow forgot about a few of them. I hope you end up loving all of these ❤ Cat Clarkes books definitely have that addictive YA mystery feel to them. And she really captures how awful teenage girls can sometimes be. 13 Minutes is good too off the top of my head.
Oh thank you so much, Charlotte! So happy you enjoyed Truly Devious, I can’t wait to read it.
Ahh I think I read a Cat Clarke book… a long, long time ago ahah, I need to check out 13 minutes! Thank you so much for the recommendation! <3
I hope you enjoy it too ❤
I hope you find it just as compelling if you end up reading it too.