Looking for an irresistible collection of YA mystery and thriller books? As an award-winning author and veteran blogger, I’ve spent over a decade analyzing and recommending the most mind-blowing stories that you won’t be able to put down..
You’ll find detailed reviews of more than a dozen favorites in the roundup below. The mystery and thriller genre is so popular that you probably know most of the bestselling YA authors already: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson and everything by Karen McManus, author of One of Us Is Lying. But my list includes some offbeat authors and titles that you might not have discovered yet. They’re full of bombshells and unforeseen curves. Happy reading!
The Delinquent Hero by Khristina Chess
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Amateur sleuth & sisterhood
What it’s about
A grieving teen investigates the mystery surrounding her anorexic sister's suspicious and tragic accident.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Is it possible that instead of finding her, he’s the person who hurt her?” ― Khristina Chess, quote from The Delinquent Hero
For readers who love a good mystery, The Delinquent Hero offers a tragic and raw exploration of sisterhood, eating disorders, and devastating loss. If you’ve ever lost someone you love, this gripping YA novel speaks directly to the grief of saying goodbye.
At its core is Molly, desperate for answers after her older sister, Kat, lands in the hospital. Something is suspicious. The investigation unfolds in real time, peeling back layers of secrets, regrets, and the painful bond they’ve always shared. For Molly, reconnecting with Kat means slipping into their old patterns—the kind that consume and starve in equal measure.
"I'm not very hungry. I am, and I'm not. I am hollow, but this feeling seems less about food and more about Kat. At any rate, I do not want to eat."
What makes The Delinquent Hero truly unforgettable is its heart-wrenching puzzle—not just unraveling what happened that night, but understanding Kat herself. This novel doesn’t just tell a story; it forces you to feel every ache, every unanswered question, every regret, every desperate search for why.
I wholeheartedly recommend this memorable YA mystery.
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Cat and mouse, sisterhood, trauma
What it’s about
A girl leaves home and goes on a journey to seek justice against her sister’s killer.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“How do you forgive the people who are supposed to protect you? Sometimes, I don't know what I miss more; everything I've lost or everything I never had.” ― Courtney Summers, quote from Sadie
Sadie is another irresistible YA mystery book by Courtney Summers that’s so thrilling you won’t be able to put it down. I felt instantly drawn into her story and liked the format of alternating podcast interviews and young Sadie’s viewpoint as she sought justice against her sister’s killer. She has plenty of personal reasons to hate him, and he deserves to die for his crimes.
This novel alternates between young Sadie, who is a missing teen, and a podcast show, where details of her disappearance are told through a series of interviews. I think I would have loved this book even more in audio format than paperback
Still, Sadie is a great read. The pacing increases as the story unfolds and Sadie gets closer and closer to her target. The conclusion to her quest for justice is a surprise. This compelling YA book about teen runaways that will stay with you long after the last page. If Sadie sounds interesting, check out my list of Books You’ll Enjoy If You Liked Sadie.
Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Psychological thriller, supernatural elements
What it’s about
A local girl goes missing, and friends with secrets work to uncover the truth.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Knowing is hard, but it's a thing you can survive. The not knowing will kill you in the end. It's the secrets that fester." ― Ginny Myers Sain, quote from Dark and Shallow Lies
A girl is missing from a small town where all her peers have some kind of paranormal skill, yet despite all the supernatural power pulsating in the air, no one seems to be able to find her or reveal what happened to her.
This magical mystery kept me guessing until the very end. I couldn’t wait to figure out what happened to Elora, and there were plenty of suspicious characters to blame for her disappearance.
There’s plenty to love about this novel, including the atmospheric setting, alligators, mud, and strange powers of the summer children. You can practically feel the thick humidity in the evening over the Louisiana bayou. You won’t want to miss this enchanting YA novel with layers of magic, magical realism, and other supernatural things.
The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Cozy mystery, whodunit, amateur sleuths
What it’s about
An unlikely team pairs up to investigate a murder in their town.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“We might as well make some trouble together.” ― Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson, quote from The Agathas
I absolutely love Kathleen Glasgow and all her books. The Agathas is a good read, and I could not guess who the killer was until the very end. I enjoyed the growing friendship between Alice and Iris, as well as the secondary cast of sidekick characters they brought onto the case. “Fun” is the adjective other reviewers have frequently used for The Agathas, and I can agree with that. Plucky Alice and sensitive Iris make a fun pair of sleuths.
I felt the book fulfilled its mission in its mystery genre, and if the characters and writing weren’t as lovely as Glasgow’s other books, that’s more of a byproduct of the category. Also, it’s a collaboration and my first glimpse into anything by Liz Lawson.
If you’re looking for one of the best YA mystery books that will keep you guessing, you should definitely add The Agathas to your TBR pile. In fact, Kathleen Glasgow is such a great author that she’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s all-around amazing!
A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Historical mystery, ticking clock, trauma
What it’s about
A woman teams up with a doctor to solve murders and rushes to save her younger sister.
Why I Love It - Book Review
"I think we're all quite mad. Some of us are just more discreet about it." ― Mindy McGinnis, quote from A Madness So Discreet
Imagine that you could be imprisoned in an insane asylum just because you're a woman and a male in your life wants to get rid of you. This sort of thing happened to women in the last century. For real. This is what happened to Grace, the protagonist in A Madness So Discreet. The man who sent her to the facility was her own father, and the inconvenient truth was that she was pregnant with his child.
This is the beginning of A Madness So Discreet. But the novel does not linger in the horrors of lobotomies and torture of mental patients. Instead, Grace escapes into the hands of a doctor who uses her talents to help solve murders.
As a serial killer mystery unfolds, though, you know that a showdown between Grace and her father, a powerful senator, is coming. He thinks she is dead. He is about to move on to her younger sister. She is motivated to stop him, even at risk to herself.
What happens in the end of this dark and twisty thriller is astonishing. No spoilers here. Just treat yourself and read this unusual and twisty YA mystery. Mindy McGinnis is near the top of my favorite YA authors. A Madness So Discreet is one of her early works, so I didn't think it was as fabulous as Female of the Species or Heroine. Still, it was classic McGinnis and worth every single page.
A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Amateur sleuth & friendship
What it’s about
An unlikely team pairs up to create a local podcast and solve an old murder.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Good people can do terrible things, Lydia. The longer you live, the more you see it.” ― Mindy McGinnis, quote from A Long Stretch of Bad Days
Mindy McGinnis is one of my favorite YA authors, so I couldn’t wait to dive into this new book. The setup and beginning starts off slow, but once Lydia and Bristal begin chasing a murder mystery in their small town, the plotting was great. The ending was a surprise to me, but I’m an easily fooled reader.
I especially enjoyed the friendship that developed between the girls, despite the fact that they come from very different socioeconomic backgrounds. Lydia is right. Bristal comes from the poor part of town and has a family reputation. People think of her as disposable. She’s not. She sharp-witted and funny, and she helps Lydia to see things very differently.
If you’re looking for an offbeat mystery with interesting characters, be sure to check out A Long Stretch of Days!
People Like Us by Dana Mele
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Psychological thriller
What it’s about
Mean girls, deception, and mystery abound when bodies start dropping at a private school.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Fashion gets a reputation for being frivolous, but it's the one form of art I understand It has the ability to transform bodies and environments, to conceal or seduce, to break hearts or make them sing." ― Dana Mele, quote from People Like Us
This chilling YA mystery has the right ingredients for a great read. A young girl is found dead, and the main character is the primary suspect. Along the way, other bodies drop, and other suspects surface. Friends become enemies, and enemies become friends.
The main character, Kay, isn't especially sympathetic, and neither are her friends. Kay's flatness makes it hard to connect with her, even with the backstory about her brother or her romantic entanglements with the other girls. I just didn't like her very much; I wouldn't care if she went to jail.
Still, this mystery has the pacing, plotting, and setting just right, and the author kept me guessing until the end. For readers who like mean girls and the YA mystery and thriller genre, it's a quick read and offers several surprises. Don’t miss this irresistible YA mystery.
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Psychological mystery, redemption
What it’s about
A teen girl dies in a drunk driving accident and must relive her last day in this YA version of Groundhog Day with a twist.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“The last laugh, the last cup of coffee, the last sunset, the last time you jump through a sprinkler, or eat an ice-cream cone, or stick your tongue out to catch a snowflake. You just don’t know.” ― Lauren Oliver, quote from Before I Fall
Samantha Kingston is dead.
In this YA-version of Groundhog Day, a “mean girl” gets a chance to relive her last day and the party she attended with her friends before the fatal car crash. She has an opportunity to make the same choices over and over, until she makes different ones.
This beautiful novel is an atypical mystery about redemption as the reader follows Samantha’s journey to figure out how she died. Her character arc really blew me away, and although I disliked her in the beginning, I was cheering for her by the end, and I love the way Lauren Oliver wrote the ending. Fans of irresistible YA mystery and thriller books won’t want to miss this one.
Broken Things by Lauren Oliver
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Psychological mystery, friendship & betrayal
What it’s about
Friends investigate an unsolved murder that impacted their lives and entire community.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Before we were the Monsters of Brickhouse Lane—before everyone from Connecticut to California knew us by that tagline, and blogs ran pictures of our faces, and searching our names led to sites that crashed from all the traffic—we were just girls, and there were only two of us.” ― Lauren Oliver, quote from Broken Things
Once there were three friends who were writers and obsessed with a fantasy novel about a magical world. But one of the girls was murdered, and everyone thought the other two killed her. They didn’t.
Five years after Summer’s death, the friends are reunited and put on a path to find out the identity of the real killer.
This YA book about friendship is a mystery told in alternating viewpoints. I wanted to know what happened to Summer. Who murdered her and why? What happened that day in the woods? The dark plot twisted and kept me guessing until the end.
Both of Lauren Oliver’s novels, Before I Fall and Broken Things, are irresistible YA mystery and thriller books that you should add to your TBR pile. (Plus, isn’t the cover of Broken Things gorgeous?)
Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Psychological mystery & trauma
What it’s about
A golden girl abruptly self-destructs on her perfect life, and the reason is shocking.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“You get away with a lot, even after you're caught.” ― Courtney Summers, quote from Cracked Up to Be
Parker Fadley has a secret.
She used to be the captain of the cheerleading team, top student, queen B, perfect at everything, but something happened. Something she never told.
By the time we meet Parker, we’re in the middle of her “after,” when she’s busy wrecking her perfect life and torturing herself, so it takes a while to understand how deep this secret really goes.
It’s not what you think.
It’s worse.
If you’re looking for an irresistible YA mystery and a protagonist who is mean, unsympathetic, and yet strangely someone you want to hug, this is the book for you. You won’t be able to stop until the final page.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Psychological thriller & mystery
What it’s about
A hypnotic, disorienting story about lifelong friends and a secret that threatens all of them.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“Life feels beautiful that day. The four of us Liars, we have always been. We always will be. No matter what happens as we go to college, grow old, build lives for ourselves; no matter if Gat and I are together or not. No matter where we go, we will always be able to line up on the roof of Cuddledown and gaze at the sea. This island is ours. Here, in some way, we are young forever.” ― E. Lockhart, quote from We Were Liars
What an unexpected and beautiful story about summertime, friendship, coming of age, and sorrow!
I wasn’t sure I’d like this book, but I fell in love with this unexpected story. By the end it made me cry. We Were Liars is about a group of privileged young friends and their lies, family secrets, grief, and love. It’s a mystery. Its private island setting evokes all kinds of summer images: the beach, the heat, the sun. The beautiful and disorienting plot will leave you reader breathless until the very end.
It’s a classic, but if you haven’t picked this one up yet, do yourself a favor and add it to your list of irresistible YA mystery and thriller books. It’s a whirlwind.
Family of Liars by E. Lockhart
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Psychological thriller & mystery
What it’s about
A prequel to popular We Were Liars shows that the Sinclairs have been liars from the beginning.
Why I Love It - Book Review
"They're doing just as I asked them to. As we Sinclairs always do. Pretending. Lying. Trying to have a good time.” ― E. Lockhart, quote from Family of Liars
Lockhart's prequel to We Were Liars does not disappoint! The narrator, Carrie, tells the story of the summer of the boys' visit to the island, but long before those events, there are ominous hints of what is to come. In her early teen years, for example, Carrie's father insists on a surgery to break her jaw, and an infection sets in.
But Carrie bends to his will. She is a "credit to the family."
This novel has some brilliant symbolism, a few great twists, some predictable story-lines, and other unexpected turns. I finished in 4 days because the pages turned fast and furious. I had to know the secrets these liars were keeping.
The pages are full of great details about summertime on the island. The lemon hunt was very vivid, as well as the details about clothing, food, and the picnic table. Lockhart painted a vivid sense of place, siblings, and privilege.
Family of Liars definitely one of my new favorite YA mystery and thriller books!
Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Psychological thriller & mystery
What it’s about
A re-imaging of The Talented Mr. Ripley with a female protagonist.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“She believed that the way you speak is often more important than anything you have to say.” ― E. Lockhart, quote from Genuine Fraud
I picked up Genuine Fraud because I loved Lockhart’s other books so much, and the premise sounded intriguing.
Genuine Fraud is a close re-imagining of Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley (another binge-worthy series of books), but with female protagonists and a plot that has been lightly shuffled, so events are in different sequence but still end up being very, very familiar when you encounter them.
Because the book opens with a bang and gives a great big story question, I definitely wanted to find out what happened and how things in the mystery were going to pan out. However, the ending felt a little anti-climactic to me. Still, Lockhart is one of those authors whose writing is worth following, wherever it goes, and I'll be back for more.
Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Psychological thriller & mystery
What it’s about
When a teenage boy arrives and claims to be someone who disappeared years earlier, family relationships are shaken.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“If there's one thing I've learned, it's that people are bad at keeping secrets, and eventually everything shows.” ― Cristin Terrill, quote from Here Lies Daniel Tate
This YA mystery thriller is about a stolen identity, secrets, and scams. The story has a great premise, and the protagonist, Daniel Tate, is an interesting and unreliable narrator to the very end. The pacing of the story is excellent. I liked the way the author pulled everything together. I won’t give away the mystery except to say that it seemed both fitting and sad.
Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Psychological thriller, horror & supernatural elements
What it’s about
A teen girl and her friends embark on a journey to find a missing sister, but they encounter supernatural danger on “The Road.”
Why I Love It - Book Review
“I know Becca didn’t run away. That leaves one possibility and one impossibility, and I long for the impossible. Because if she isn’t dead, if she’s only been taken, she can be brought back.” ― Kate Alice Marshall, quote from Rules for Vanishing
Sara’s adopted sister Becca vanished a year ago.
Although everyone has given up the search, Sara is determined to find her because she believes Becca has gone into the woods and is lost on The Road. Sara convinces (tricks) a group of her friends to join her on this terrifying journey.
Not everyone comes home. Because at some point they break the rules:
Don’t leave the road.
Don’t let go.
Don’t follow other roads.
Rules for Vanishing is dark, mysterious, creepy, and full of scary and supernatural stuff. I loved it and devoured it in a few days. The ending was an unexpected twist, especially because of the connection to Kate Alice Marshall’s other novel, Our Last Echoes, which I’d read first. In fact, Kate Alice Marshall is also on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited. All of her books are awesome.
If you’re looking for an atypical and irresistible YA mystery, be sure to add this one to your list.
One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Themes in mystery & thriller books
Whodunnit, mystery thriller
What it’s about
An unlikely group of high school students in detention try to figure out who murdered the outcast student among them.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“That's the kind of person you can get away with killing: someone everybody else wants dead.” ― Karen McManus, quote from One of Us Is Lying
This list of irresistible YA mysteries and thrillers would be incomplete without Karen McManus’ book, One of Us Is Lying. What a fantastic novel! I spent all afternoon reading because I had to know who did it. The story is engrossing; the characters are unique and interesting; and I was surprised by the ending. There’s a reason it’s a top-selling book in the YA mysteries and detective, thriller, and suspense categories. Check it out!
Other Irresistible YA Mystery and Thriller Books
If you are looking other irresistible YA mystery and thriller books, check out the YA Mystery Books and YA Thriller Books lists on Goodreads. Also, check out my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of reviews of YA books by type of tough topic. There’s something for everyone here.
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. Hollow Beauty, her book about eating disorders, was named a finalist in the Next Generation India Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, and adventure.
In a recent interview from her alma mater, she described how her experience in the creative writing program prepared her for success.
