The leaves are turning brown, pumpkin chai lattes scent the air, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting oh, ever so longer. With darkness creeping around us, here are some mystery novel recommendations to keep the ghosts, murderers, and psycho killers at bay. So, snuggle up, brew some tea, and see if you can solve these mysteries!
In cold blood By Truman Capote
A crime mystery classic! Capote’s In Cold Blood is actually based on the true story of the Clutter family’s quadruple murder in Kansas in 1959. This story builds off of suspense, and switches to multiple different perspectives throughout the story, most notably, the two murderers. The narration style was distant, but aided in creating suspense for Capote’s recollection of the events of the murder, capture, and trial of the killers in this insane story! I found this book absolutely captivating and can’t believe I didn’t read it sooner!
The Housemaid (series) by Freida McFadden
Out of all the books on this list, The Housemaid is more of a thriller/psychological mystery than a classic detective story, but that’s what had me hooked! This trilogy follows Millie, who has just gotten out of jail and is trying to have a fresh start in life, when she moves into a rich couple’s house to work as a housemaid, however things start to quickly go downhill from there. These books are definitely a quick read but that’s what makes them so digestible, even if it gets a bit repetitive later on in the series.
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
There’s nothing like a classic mystery novel to boost this list of mystery novels. Christie is a world-renowned mystery writer and is acclaimed as the most popular author besides Shakespeare and the Bible. What a resume! Murder on the Orient Express follows the detective Hercule Poirot, who is accidentally caught up in solving this puzzling “whodunit” mystery on a snowed-in train. This book is a great introduction to Christie’s novels or the mystery genre itself, and the odd group of people wrapped up in this story will keep you guessing the entire time!
The Secret History BY Donna Tartt
The Secret History is more of a modern-age mystery-thriller story instead of your classic “whodunit.” This book centers around a misfit protagonist who after joining a cult-like group of students who study Classics, starts to turn towards a darker path, leading to the murder of their classmate. This book touches on themes of class elitism, manipulation, isolation, guilt, and obsessions with beauty. I’ve never read something quite like this book. Tartt has a distinct voice in her novels; not wholly dark but certainly not uplifting.
The Origin of Evil by Ellery Queen
True story, I found this book at a garage sale in Victoria and have since bought several more by this author. The Origin of Evil follows detective Ellery Queen, who is approached by the daughter of a famous Hollywood jeweler whose father was killed under mysterious circumstances, including a dead dog in a box. This read was absolutely fantastic and had me guessing throughout. Despite the book being a little dated (it was written in the 50s) and some references went over my head, I thoroughly enjoyed the wild array of characters in this book, especially the big AH-HA reveal at the end.
I hope these books inspire you to try reading books in the mystery genre, and good luck solving these mysteries before time runs out!