Mysteries

Codename: Dancer by Amanda Brice

What happens when you mix Dance Academy with murder, you get snarky ballerina sleuth Dani Spevak series. I like how it tries to keep it realistic like a modern day Nancy Drew, and Dani’s voice was very fun to read. Good YA mystery series.

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

I’m one of the few who haven’t seen or read the infamous Pretty Little Liars series (yet) but I did read her shorter six book series, The Lying Game and I can see why Shepard is so good. All the twists and turns kept me at the edge of my seat and I wasn’t able to guess who the killer was at all. Yet the reveal made so much sense, I couldn’t believe I didn’t figure it out in the first place. Nice series if you want to start small before getting into the 21 book series that made her famous.

The Postcard by Tony Abbot

A funny yet bittersweet mystery as Jason heads down to Florida to sort through his grandmother’s things after her sudden death. But as it’s wont to happen in mysteries, Jason finds a mysterious postcard among her belongings and decides to follow where it leads. Of course there’s murder attempts, crocodiles and twists as Jason runs around Florida for clues, and then. . . well you’ll just have to find out yourself.

Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

This series defined a generation, as it should. It’s fittingly creepy and awful to follow Janie, whose life turns completely upside down when she sees her face on a milk carton, realizing she was kidnapped. Though its obviously dated, the messages it holds about justice and family still stand and you’ll feel compelled to read until the end.

Another good Cooney mystery is Three Black Swans.

Enola Holmes by Nancy Springer

If you liked the netflix movie, I will always say you should read the books first because they are good! Even if it’s for middle schoolers, I enjoyed how it provided a twist into the image of Sherlock Holmes, showing a new side to him when his preocious, detective sister gets on her own line of cases when their mother goes missing. Rather than go to finishing school as Mycroft suggests, Enola sets off on her own, knowing her smarts and determined to solve the mystery as well as others she encunters on the way.

It should go without saying, the ultimate author you should read if you want a good mystery, Agatha Christie never disappoints from her Hercules Poirot to Miss Marples to her standalones like Then There were None.

Blackbird Sisters Mysteries by Nancy Martin

I only read the first in the series but it was a fun story as the titular three Blackbird Sisters are roped into a murder investigation but the killer may be closer to home than they think and to the family wealth that they so desperately need. Also the sisters’ disasterously bad luck with their husbands is just hilarious to me.

Women’s Murder Club by James Patterson

This series is probably so popular because it is James Patterson writing this after all. As one may guess it is a mystery novel all about murder and the women who help solve it. It had me on the edge of my bed the whole time and I enjoyed how he always manages a unique twist at the end of every one. Though I’ll admit I still miss Jill. 

Supernatural

Lily’s Ghosts by Laura Ruby

This lower school book caan get pretty dark I think, but that may be because I had a huge fear of fire while I read it, and arson was a huge part of the plot. But the other deaths were pretty tragic too. Anyway it’s a neat little mystery as Lily finds out about the darker side of her family and try to figure out how to stop all these ghosts from haunting her.

If you want another mystery series involving ghostly assistence, try I So Don’t Do Spooky by Barrie Summy.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

This sassy trilogy follows Evie, a member of the special international police force in charge of curtailing supernaturals (you know tazer a vampire here, subdue a werewolf there, make sure humans don’t find out, the usual). It’s a bit like Buffy the Vampire Slayer for middle schoolers especially as it follows Evie’s journey to finding out her true origins, her starcrossed love with a shapeshifter and the more sinister nature of the police force she’s grown up with.

For anyone who likes this idea, but in a lighter tone, try A Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby or How to Ditch your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier (there are a lot of fairy activity involved in Paranormalcy btw so it’s part of why these two came to mind first).

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

This was pretty popular back in the day so I won’t go too into it, but after rereading it, I think it still holds up. The idea of several secret human societies determined to exterminate supernaturals, and a boarding school for these spieces to learn to control their powers, still holds up. Sophie is a likable protagonist even though her friend, Jenna is the more interesting of the two in my opinion. And her romance with Archer, while shady at first, does improve. It’s too bad the spin off got cut short.

If anyone wants more modern supernatural romance with court intrigue and politics, try Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantasky or Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith that also involves vampires, werewolves, and more in a supernatural romance.

Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender

I honestly think this series would make a great horror movie trilogy, it has it all, haunted houses, a tragic ghost with a past, possessions and an eroding darkness that tolls on a person and her family/friends, which only increases as the book goes on. I don’t want to say more than that because it has to be experienced with no preconcieved notions. Just dive in.

The Day I Died by Candence Fleming

15 short stories illustrating gruesome deaths through the centuries, I enjoyed the historic appeal of each kid and how it related to their deaths from the 50s sci fi one to Satanic mirror at the World Exhibition. It also includes a backnote from the author explaing her inspiration for each story. A good haunted book for middle schoolers.

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

This atmospheric book takes the haunting song, Scarbourough Fair as it’s main soundtrack as Lucy, the protagonist comes from a cursed family. Not that she knows it at the start, just assuming the family madness is something that happens but after one terrible night, she finds out the man who raped her is an Elfin King. The same one who accosted her mother and grandmother. Now Lucy, her adopted family and her boyfriend are determined to break the curse, especially for the sake of her unborn child. It’s just haunting especially with that cover. Part of a trilogy.

Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

I won’t give too much away or go too it since I’m pretty sure this book is mainstream but it takes place in Victorian England, Gemma Doyle finds herself haunted and hounded by a mysterious society and even mroe freightening supernatural events. After the death of her mother, she is sent to boarding school where it is not the haven she hoped it to be. Filled with ghosts, magic and handsome Romni, this is a grand adventure.

My last suggestion for one looking for a good supernatural book mixed with mystery, try any of Lois Duncan’s books. My personal favorite is Locked in Time.