The Game Is Afoot:
19 Masterful Teen Mysteries
by Devon A. Corneal
A well-written mystery is a thing of beauty, filled with intriguing characters, impenetrable puzzles, secrets, lies, red herrings, confusion, misdirection, cliffhangers, clever detectives, wily villains, and shocking surprise endings. Younger readers have long had the Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, and Hardy Boys series. Adults have escaped with Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot stories, Sherlock Holmes, and anything by James Patterson. But teens? We did a little digging and found some fantastic mysteries, both old and new, written specifically for teens that fill the whodunit gap for young adult readers in unexpected and novel ways.
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The Escape Game
Buy from:The set of an escape room game television show turns deadly when the teenage contestants look into the death of a former cast member. It doesn’t take long before they realize that they are playing for their lives, and the only way to “win” is to expose the killer. Readers who love escape rooms, reality TV, and high-stakes thrillers will find this novel irresistible!
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I Don’t Wish You Well
Buy from:An aspiring journalist, 18-year-old Pryce decides to look into an old murder case in his hometown when new evidence comes to light. As Pryce digs for clues in his old stomping grounds and shares his findings on a podcast, he quickly learns that the real murderer is still at large and will do anything to silence him.
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The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Buy from:From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series comes a new thriller that will send chills racing down your spine. Bel’s mother vanished long ago, only to reappear when the family starts filming a documentary about her disappearance. However, Bel doesn’t trust her mother and sets out to learn the truth behind her long absence.
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The Obsession
Buy from:Social media, murder, and mystery combine in this instant New York Times bestseller from the reigning queen of YA thrillers. As the child of a famous vlogger, Connie is used to being in the spotlight. But when girls who look just like Connie start getting murdered, she knows that someone wants her dead — and it’s only a matter of time before they succeed.
Readers will also love diving into The Twin, The Fear, The Party,The Lake, and more.
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Honeysuckle and Bone
Buy from:Desperate to escape her online bullies, Carina takes a job as an au pair to a wealthy family in Jamaica. What starts as an exciting opportunity in paradise quickly turns into a nightmare when Carina realizes the mansion she lives in may be haunted. This hair-raising YA thriller will keep you turning pages well into the night.
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Such Charming Liars
Buy from:A jewel heist, a billionaire’s birthday party, and murder combine into an unputdownable teen mystery that YA readers will love. This is the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying, and it’s every bit as fun. Whether you’re an established McManus fan or new to her books, this one is a must-read!
RELATED: 9 Heart-Pounding YA Thrillers To Read Right Now
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Suddenly a Murder
Buy from:A 1920s-themed post-graduation party takes a deadly turn when one of the guests ends up dead. While locked in the glamorous estate where they partied, Izzy and her friends must prove their innocence to the cops. As the interrogations continue, more of the story comes to light, and they learn that everyone at the party is hiding something.
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Sundown Girls
Buy from:Naomi’s family checks into a remote cabin near a small mountain town for the summer. When a ghost repeatedly appears to her, Naomi discovers that the town has a dark history. Missing girls, a creepy local, and past trauma make this bone-chilling thriller a must-read!
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Most Likely to Murder
Buy from:When someone replaces all the yearbook superlatives with grisly predictions, seniors Rick and Martina assume it was just a tasteless prank. But when teachers and students start dying in the ways the yearbook predicts, the two friends realize that they must stop a killer before their own predictions come true. This darkly humorous YA thriller is perfect for fans of ,i>One of Us Is Lying.
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Hatchet Girls
Buy from:Keep a light on when you read this speculative horror novel! When Mariella’s parents get murdered, she accuses her boyfriend, Vik, of the crime. Everyone believes he is guilty, except for his sister, Tessa. Convinced of Vik’s innocence, Tessa’s search for proof leads her and Mariella into the woods, where something ancient and evil waits for them.
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The Counselors
Buy from:Head to summer camp with this bestselling book from popular YA thriller author Jessica Goodman. Goldie and her friends are spending the summer as counselors at a local summer camp for rich kids. But when someone gets murdered, Goldie suspects one of her friends knows more than she’s saying.
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We Were Liars
Buy from:We Were Liars is 240 pages of unanswered questions and suspense. Summer friendships forged on a private island erode when secrets fill the days of a group of young, beautiful, and prominent teenagers. Unraveling the mystery of their shared history will keep readers engaged until the very last page.
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Kill Creatures
Buy from:If you love dark thrillers with unreliable narrators, you won’t want to miss Rory Power’s creepy novel that blends reality with paranoia. One year ago, Nan killed her three best friends and got away with it. When one of the dead girls reappears — alive — Nan will do anything to protect her secret. The only problem is that someone already knows what she did.
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When Mimi Went Missing
Buy from:Tanvi and Mimi are cousins and best friends until Mimi ditches Tanvi for the mean girl at school. After an altercation at a party, Mimi vanishes, and Tanvi wakes up with no memory of that night. When the police rule Mimi’s disappearance a murder, Tanvi must figure out if she’s responsible for what happened to her cousin.
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The Agathas
Buy from:You won’t be able to set down this New York Times bestselling novel from the authors of Girl in Pieces and The Lucky Ones. Friendship, heartbreak, disappearances, Agatha Christie novels, and murder combine into a masterful teen mystery that will keep you reading well past bedtime.
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A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Buy from:Find out why everyone obsesses over this New York Times bestselling YA mystery series. High school senior Pip tackles cold cases, digs up small-town dirt, solves mysteries, and catches killers — all while growing her viral true-crime podcast. The best part? The series is complete, so you can binge-read all three books at once!
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One of Us Is Lying
Buy from:If you remember Claire and Bender and their famous Saturday detention, you’re in for a treat with One of Us Is Lying. The jock, the beauty, the criminal, the nerd, and the freak are back, but this time one of them doesn’t make it out of detention alive. This is “The Breakfast Club” with a murderous twist.
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Snow Globe
Buy from:With the world covered in ice, the only warm place left is the domed city of Snowglobe, where the citizen’s lives are broadcast to everyone living outside the walls. When Chobahm gets the chance to live in the city and become a television star, she doesn’t hesitate to say yes. But life in Snowglobe is different than it appears on TV, and it doesn’t take long before Chobahm realizes that dark secrets and corruption lie beneath the glittering city.
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That Weekend
Buy from:What was supposed to be an epic weekend for Claire and her besties turns into a terrifying mystery when she wakes up alone and covered in blood in the woods, with no memory of what happened. Her friends are missing, and now the police are asking questions she can’t answer. This teen mystery from the author of The Cheerleaders will keep you glued to the page!
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2026.