This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Thrillers have been huge in YA for several years, thanks in part to blockbuster authors like Karen M. McManus and Holly Jackson. It’s not that thrillers were not popular before that — they were, and they’ve always been a staple of YA, especially if you look back at ’90s YA paperback series — but thanks to a rise in interest in thrillers in adult, it was inevitable that would also take shape in YA.
Despite the growth in YA thrillers, more traditional mysteries haven’t been marketed as strongly. The line between the two isn’t huge, of course, but there is one. Mysteries focus primarily on cracking the case/who is responsible for a particular crime, thrillers focus more on the potential for a crime to occur. Think of mysteries as working backward while thrillers are set in forward motion, with rising tension and, in many cases, already knowing the culprit and a main character/team of characters focused on choking future efforts of that culprit.
All of that said, 2024 has had some excellent mysteries for YA readers, and it’s worth taking a look at some gripping reads you can pick up right now or in the very near future. Note that because of the slippery lines between mystery and thriller (and the conflation of the two in marketing books especially!), some of these might lean more into thriller territory than mystery. But each is about someone discovering a crime and working to piece together what happened.
These are all standalone reads, though one of the things that’s especially fun about mysteries is that once a main character who solves a crime is introduced, they create an opportunity to develop their skills in future volumes.
Better Left Buried by Mary E. Roach (August 6)
Lucy’s mom is a private detective, so sometimes even the best intentions on vacation turn into something entirely different. They’re supposed to be on the beach, but Lucy’s mom has been called to a meeting at an abandoned amusement park and Lucy and her mom find a body.
While mom is involved in the investigation over the body, Lucy begins her own detective work to figure out her mom’s connection to this area. That’s when she meets Audrey, who was there at the amusement park on her motorcycle the night that the body was found. Lucy wants answers, and Audrey might have them, but there’s a problem: Lucy’s mom is investigating Audrey’s mom for the murder.
Dark Parts of the Universe by Samuel Miller
A genre-bending mystery? Yes, please.
Willie “died” when he was young and he’s grown up convinced that there’s a reason he ultimately lived. That reason might be the Game called Manifest Atlas. The game asks players to enter an intention and they receive a target, and on his second time playing the game, Willie’s target is three empty graves. Is the Game telling him that it’s his turn to die now?
Bones, Willie’s older brother, doesn’t buy this, but some of Willie’s friends think something suspicious is up. So when Sarai enters her intention, the Game sends them to coordinates that lead to Sarai’s dead stepfather’s body.
Sarai is now trying to figure out who killed her father. But Willie thinks something even bigger is happening and it’s pointing to a connection between the town that almost killed him and the Game itself.
Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson (August 6)
Marlowe has had a disastrous few months and decides to take a summer job at Morning House. Morning House is is a 1920s mansion built on an island and then abruptly abandoned. Marlowe will be giving tours of it.
The problem is Morning House has a host of secrets and the person who brought Marlowe in for the job has gone missing. Now Marlowe has to solve the mystery of the House’s secrets — and find the person who has gone missing.
This one’s set in the Thousand Islands region of New York.
Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee
Gemma, May, and Peony are the three Chow sisters. Gemma and May are the older two and have continued in their father’s footsteps selling flowers after his death. When Gemma and May are at a local farm in a remote barn and stumble upon the dead body of Lulu Wong — one of the most well-known stars to come out of Chinatown and their former classmate — they know that this was no accidental death. The police disagree with their assessment and assure the girls that her death was nothing suspicious. But Gemma an May won’t let it go. They know there was foul play, especially as the rise of anti-Asian violence has escalated and the city itself wants to destroy what’s left of Chinatown.
The girls plan to take on the investigation themselves, despite the trouble it will put them in. With a single mom at home and the fear that they will lose what’s left of their community and their home with the city’s plans for a new train depot, Gemma and May have to be cautious. But as they dig deeper into Lulu’s death and uncover what happened — and who killed her — they might also do more for their Chinatown community than they could have ever imagined.
Looking for Smoke by K. A. Cobell
This one might be the most likely candidate for landing more on the thriller side than the mystery side, but it’s being included regardless. That cover is chilling!
Loren invites Mara in a traditional Blackfeet Giveaway. It’s meant to help honor Mara’s missing sister and Mara’s hopeful it will help her forge some meaningful relationships on the reservation.
But then Samantha White Tail, a girl from the Giveaway, is found murdered. Now the four involved in the Giveaway are all suspects because they were last to see Samantha. Each wants to clear their names and find out who killed Samantha. The problem is each of them also had a complicated relationship with the victim.
One Killer Problem by Justine Pucella Winans
Gigi is in detention again, and for once, she’s grateful because it’s her alibi. She and her friends just got an email to go to the room of Mr. Ford — their favorite teacher — and when they arrive, he’s dead.
His death makes no sense, and Gigi, alongside her best friend Sean and long-time crush Mari, are teaming up with the school’s mystery club to find out what happened. It’s not an easy case to solve under normal circumstances, but no one said anything about junior year of high school being normal. The culprit doesn’t want to be found, and Gigi will have to fight to figure out who it is while also navigating IBS flare-ups and a flirtatious relationship.
Stay Dead by April Henry
April Henry is a reliable YA mystery writer and her most recent release is no exception as it pulls together a mystery with a thrilling adventure-survival narrative.
Milan’s father, a senator, was killed in a car accident, and her mother has assumed his seat as a senator. Now Milan’s been expelled from her third boarding school and her mom takes their private plane to the school to pick her up. Then a bomb takes off one of the plane’s wings and those on board are stranded in the mountains. Before her mom dies, she hands Milan a key and tells her that it is essential people believe she (Milan) has died, too.
Milan is stranded and left with a box of mysterious papers and secrets that she needs to get to the bottom of in order to save herself and uncover what was really going on with her parents.
These Deadly Prophecies by Andrea Tang
Tabatha Zeng is the apprentice to one of the world’s most well-known sorcerers. Though it’s been an interesting job, she definitely wasn’t anticipating how much crime-solving the role would require. So when her boss predicts his own death and that prediction comes true, Tabitha is one of the prime suspects, along with the sorcerer’s youngest son, Callum.
Tabitha and Callum want to prove their innocence and team up to get to the bottom of the murder. But can Tabitha actually trust this guy?
When Mimi Went Missing by Suja Sukumar (November 19)
Sure, this one does not come out until mid-November, but go ahead and put it on the TBR now.
Tanvi was raised by her cousin Mimi’s parents, and Tanvi has always felt like Mimi is her sister. Mimi was especially helpful as Tanvi navigated school — at least she was before she befriended Beth, Tanvi’s biggest bully.
Worried that this school year will be awful, Tanvi decides she’s going to try to get some light revenge. She gets a photo of Mimi and Beth at a party that she’s sure is pretty incriminating, only to wake up the next day and no memory of what caused the injuries now on her body. Plus, Mimi is gone.
Tanvi wants to find out what happened to her cousin, and as she works to try to piece together the memories of that night, she’s worried that she herself might be who the police believe is the prime suspect for Mimi’s murder.
YA Book News
It’s still quiet season in the publishing world, so it’s a shorter roundup this week.
Thanks as always for hanging out.
If you’re reading this newsletter on BookRiot.com or got it from a friend, consider getting it sent directly to your inbox. You can sign up here.
See you again on Monday with your new releases for the week. Until then, happy reading!