I’ve reviewed YA for 15 years. I love mysteries. Here is my list of the Best YA Mystery Books to read. Whether you like girl detectives, science-driven stories, YA historical mysteries or teen books inspired by Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes – I have you covered! Best YA Mystery Books to Read was updated in 2026!
Best YA Mystery Books to Read
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Table of Contents:
The Best YA Mystery Books Featuring Girl Detectives
Best YA Mystery Books By Authors of Color
The Best YA Mysteries for Science Nerds and Fans of CSI
YA Mysteries with Unconventional Detectives
Best YA Coming of Age Mysteries
The Best Sherlock Holmes Inspired YA Mysteries
Twistiest YA Mysteries to Read
Titles on this list that are FREE on Kindle Unlimited as of May 2026
You can find details on all these titles below!
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Dark Academia)
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson (friendship and social issues)
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (WWII Historical fiction)
Shade Me by Jennifer Brown (suspense)
The Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson (dual timeline)
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas (twisty suspense)
The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (emotional suspense story)
Best YA Mysteries Featuring Girl Detectives
Here’s a list of young adult mysteries featuring intrepid girl detectives.
In Case I Go Missing by R.N. Swann (2026)
A Good Girls Guide to Murder meets This Story Might Save Your Life!
Fenris “Fenny” and her best friend, Sam, search for Sarah, a member of their Scooby gang who went missing. Sam and Fenny comb through Sarah’s investigation notebook trying to figure out where she went, and why. Or what happened to her. I HIGHLY recommend this one!
- Teen Scooby gang
- Breadcrumbs left by a missing girl
- Small town secrets
- Friendship story
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson (2024)
Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished.
Just when the Price family agrees to a true crime documentary, the impossible happens: Rachel Price reappears.
With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price came back from the dead . . .
Check out my Discussion of The Reappearance of Rachel Price!
The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson (2022)
Alice just got dumped and disappeared for five days. Now, another one of her ex’s girlfriends has vanished: Alice’s ex–best friend. Iris is Alice’s tutor. She has her own reasons for wanting to disappear.
These girls need to solve the crime and Alice has exactly what they need—the complete works of Agatha Christie.
You can find my full review of The Agathas here. I loved this one. It had the homage to Agatha in Alice’s disappearance for five days – you can read more about Agatha Christie’s disappearance here. But The Agathas also had so many Veronica Mars vibes. I also reviewed the sequel, The Night in Question, here.
Murder on a School Night by Kate Weston (2023)
Kerry big plans for her first high school party: not going. But her BFF, fiercely outgoing mystery-fanatic Annie, has roped her into going to the party to investigate who’s cyberbullyinghe most popular girl in school.
But when two students turns up dead, Annie and Kerry have to sol ve the case
This was hilarious fun, kind of like a cross between the movies Heathers and Booksmart.
Check out my review here!
The Black Queen by Jumata Emill (2023)
Nova, he first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High is dead, murdered on the night of her coronation. Tinsley, a wealthy white girl, was supposed to be queen.
Duchess, Nova’s best friend, is the daughter first Black police captain in Lovett. Duchess is convinced that Tinsley killed Nova and determined to prove Tinsley’s guilt
I thought The Black Queen was a great mystery, an insightful look at race relations at a high school, and the story of a very unlikely friendship. My full review of The Black Queen is here on YA All Day.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (2020-2021)
Pip needs a senior project to get into college, so she sets out to prove that a notorious local murder isn’t what it seems.
Pippa starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?
This might be the best YA mystery series ever written. I said it!
You can read my review of Good Girls Guide to Murder. Or I have a spoiler free review of the Good Girl’s Guide to Mystery Series. This book also appears on my list of Thrilling Books With Podcast Elements!
I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick (2020)
Anna takes a summer nanny job and discovers that she bears a striking resemblance to a missing girl.
But when the missing girl is found, Anna is charged with manslaughter. Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn’t satisfied. Can Martina’s podcast uncover the truth?
This one is also on my list of books with podcast elements. Also, you can find Kit Frick’s second YA mystery, Very Bad People (reviewed here) , on my best YA Dark Academia List
God Smites and Other Muslim Girl Problems by Ishara Teen (2017)
A good Muslim girl goes for a secret walk in the woods with her crush and they stumble on a dead body.
Asiya defies her parents to go for a walk in the woods with Michael. But her tiny transgression turns into a big problem when they stumble on a dead body. Michael covers for Asiya, then goes missing himself.
Asiya is almost sure Michael is innocent.But how will she, a girl with the strictest parents ever, prove anything?
Shade Me series by Jennifer Brown (2016)
A girl with synesthesia gets drawn into a murder.
Nikki does not see the world like everyone else. In her eyes, happiness is pink, sadness is a mixture of brown and green, and lies are gray.
One night a mysterious call lights her phone up bright orange—the color of emergencies. The local hospital need Nikki to identify a Jane Doe who is barely hanging on to life after a horrible attack.
The victim is Peyton Hollis, a popular girl from Nikki’s school. Who wants Peyton dead. And why?
This is Our Story by Ashley Elston (2016)
Five boys went hunting but only four came back. Kate uses her internship at the DA’s office to investigate.
As Kate gets dangerously close to the truth, it becomes clear that the early morning accident might not have been an accident at all—and if Kate doesn’t uncover the true killer, more than one life could be on the line…including her own.
YES this is the same Ashley Elston who went on to write First Lie Wins and Anatomy of an Alibi
Scarlett Undercover by Jennifer Latham (2015)
Meet Scarlett, a smart, sarcastic, kick-butt, Muslim American heroine, ready to take on crime in her hometown of Las Almas.
When a new case finds the private eye caught up in a centuries-old battle of evil genies and ancient curses, Scarlett discovers that her own family secrets may have more to do with the situation than she thinks — and that cracking the case could lead to solving her father’s murder.
Here’s my Review of Scarlett Undercover
Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock (2012)
Yes, this is a werewolf book, but also a story about a girl trying to solve her best friend’s murder. It has a lot of Veronica Mars vibes.
Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was murdered. Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself.
The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting (2010)
This YA mystery series is a little bit paranormal, featuring a girl who can sense the dead … and a surprisingly steamy romance.
Sixteen-year-old Violet is hiding two secrets. The first is her confusing new feelings for her childhood best friend Jay. The second is her unusual ability to sense the dead…and the people who killed them.
When a serial killer begins terrorizing her small town, Violet realizes she may be the only person who can stop him.
Best YA Mystery Books By Authors of Color
Talented authors of color have entered the YA Mystery and Thriller space, bringing welcome new perspectives on the genre. They raise issues white privilege in Campus Mysteries and Missing White Girl Syndrome in True Crime Inspired mysteries. Here are some of the best!
The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
A stunning, groundbreaking, multi-layered YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out corruption in her Ojibwe community, at a high cost to both her family and herself. Highly recommended!
Check out My Review of The Firekeeper’s Daughter!
I also included this title in my list of Books Like Veronica Mars!
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson (2018)
Claudia’s friend is missing and she’s the only one who seems worried. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable. So when Monday doesn’t turn up for the first day of school, Claudia’s worried.
As Claudia digs deeper into her friend’s disappearance, she wonders: how can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she’s gone?
Wander in the Dark by Jumata Emill (2024)
A campus mystery plus family secrets plus the experience of a Black teen with the criminal justice system makes this twisty thriller impossible to put down!
Amir Trudeau only goes to his half brother Marcel’s birthday party because of Chloe Danvers. In the final hours of Mardi Gras, she asks him to take her home. Her parents are away and she doesn’t want to be alone.
When Amir wakes up, Chloe is dead and Amir becomes the only suspect.
Check out my Review of Wander in the Dark!
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (2024)
Sade Hussein is the new girl at an elite boarding school. First, her roommate Elizabeth disappear on Sade’s first night. Then, people seem to think she had something to do with it.
The more Sade investigates, the more she realizes there’s more to this school and its students than she realized. And none of it is good!
Check out My Review of Where Sleeping Girls Lie
Best YA Mystery Books for Fans of CSI
Can’t get enough of forensics and police or FBI procedurals? Here’s a list of YA Mystery Books that feature a lot of science in their crime solving!
None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney (2020)
LOVED this YA serial killer book set in the 80s.
In 1982, two teenager sare recruited by the FBI to provide insight and advice on cold cases.
Working against the clock, they must turn to one of the country’s most notorious incarcerated murderers for help: teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson. But while Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he’s an expert manipulator playing a very long game…and he has his sights set on Emma.
You can read my review here. If you loved Silence of the Lambs or Mindhunter, I HIGHLY recommend this one!
To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough (2017)
A girl tries to solve a cold case – her own mother’s murder.
As a toddler, Erin survived for three days alongside the corpse of her murdered mother, and the case—which remains unsolved—fascinated a nation.
Fourteen years later, Erin is once again at the center of a brutal homicide when she finds the body of her biology teacher.
My Review of To Catch a Killer
The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (2013)
The FBI secretly assembles a team of teens with extra-sensory powers.
Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Then the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.
When a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.
My Review of The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
My Review of Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
YA Mysteries with Unconventional Detectives
The best kind of detective is one you don’t suspect, or one you underestimate. These titles, some of which are mentioned in other sections, feature detectives you might not expect!
I Hunt Killers series by Barry Lyga (2012)
The son of a notorious serial killer teams up with police in this edgy YA thriller. Jasper “Jazz” Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say. But he’s also the son of the world’s most infamous serial killer.
The Black Queen by Jumata Emill
When a Black high school prom queen is murdered, her best friend (and daughter of the town sheriff) needs to get to the bottom of things … by teaming up with the white girl everyone thought would be prom queen, but is the main suspect. No one will see this unlikely duo coming!
The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
When all the cheerleaders in Sunnybrook start dying mysteriously, Monica (sister of one of the victims) knows she has to get to the bottom of things.
I have a review for The Cheerleaders (below) and also a recap of the book if you want a review before you start book two, The Champions!
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
Jet got hit over the head during the town Halloween fair, and the doctors say she doesn’t have much time left. But she’s determined to find out who killed her … before she dies.
Check out my Readers Guide for Not Quite Dead Yet!
Shade Me by Jennifer Brown
Nikki Kill has a rare phenomenon called synesthesia that makes her senses overlap.
When a hospital calls (orange), they need Nikki to identify a Jane Doe. Nikki IDs the victim as Peyton Hollis, a popular girl from her school who she hardly knows. As Nikki tries to discover why her number was the only one in Peyton’s phone, she finds herself swept up in the mystery behind Peyton’s attack—and she finds herself drawn toward Peyton’s older brother, Dru who may be lying (gray).
Best YA Coming of Age Mysteries
These non-traditional mysteries are more about the fact that life – and other people’s motivations and decisions – can be the greatest mystery of all.
Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehring (2016)
Flynn’s girlfriend is missing. To find her, he’ll have to face some secrets he’s been keeping.
Loved Flynn’s guy POV and his friendship with Micah. I loved Flynn’s personal journey. The solution to the mystery wasn’t the most surprising, but it worked for me.
My Review of Last Seen Leaving
Sadie by Courtney Summers (2018)
A podcast chronicles the story of two sisters: Mattie, who was murdered and Sadie, who disappears.
As the book opens, Sadie disappears following the death of her beloved younger sister, Mattie. Sadie and Mattie are also the subjects of a podcast that focuses on Mattie’s death and Sadie’s disappearance.
I’d call this less of a traditional mystery and more of a story of one girl’s heartache and quest for vengeance.
My Review of Sadie by Courtney Summers
The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos (2016)
A girl tries to find her mystery writer father, who’s gone missing.
If you’re a mystery fan, I think you’ll really enjoy this. Imogene, the daughter of a famous mystery writer and a mystery reader herself, references both her father’s (imaginary) mystery stories and also real mystery writers — she’s kind of a student of mystery novels in a way that made me smile.
My Review of The Mystery of Hollow Places
Far From You by Tess Sharpe (2014)
Tess Sharpe wrote a lot of books after this, but Far From You is by far (hehe) my favorite.
Sophie’s best friend was killed and she needs to find out why.
f you’re looking for a book that’s not the typical contemporary YA, something that’s both unique and moving, give this
YA Mystery Books With Romance
YA Mysteries with romance were all the rage in the 2010s. Many were duologies or trilogies, and most were paranormal. With the publication of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, many readers in the 2020s are looking for a YA Mystery with a romance subplot. Here are my suggestions!
All these are mentioned in other categories, so I will just list them!
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (2020-2021)
Ravi and Pip have a relationship that evolves a great deal over the span of three books. First, he’s wary of her investigation into his brother’s death, then they become friends, then their bond turns romantic.
The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting
This YA mystery series is a little bit paranormal, featuring a girl who can sense the dead … and a surprisingly steamy romance.
Find Me by Romily Bernard
Foster kid (and hacker) Wick sets out to prove that a girl’s suicide is actually a murder. Another trilogy with a romance!
You can read my review of Find me here!
The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
This author writes great romance trilogies!
If you enjoy a good hate-to-love, plot, these Sherlock and Moriarty gender flipped romance mysteries are AWESOME!
Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty
Every Breath(Every series) by Ellie Marney
Best YA Mysteries Inspired by Iconic Fictional Detectives
Who’s a more iconic detective than Sherlock Holmes? These Holmes-inspired books are often gender flipped and will keep you guessing!
A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes series) by Brittany Cavallaro (2016)
Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson team up to solve mysteries.
From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a student at their school dies under suspicious circumstances, r, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.
My Review of A Study in Charlotte
Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty (2015)
This diabolical book focuses on Holmes and Moriarty and is told from the point of view of Moriarty (who in this book happens to be a teenage girl!)
LOVE this series and I highly recommend it!
Every Breath series by Ellie Marney (2013)
One of my absolute favorite YA mystery series of all time!!!! These gritty and suspenseful books feature Rachel Watts and James Mycroft and take place in Australia.
Rachel Watts has just moved to Melbourne from the country, but the city is the last place she wants to be. James Mycroft is her neighbour, an intriguingly troubled seventeen-year-old who’s also a genius with a passion for forensics.
My Review of Every Word (book two in the series)
Best YA Historical Mysteries
YA authors have been putting forth amazing historical mysteries since the 2010s, set in every era in history. Teens and adults love these titles!
The Killing Code by Ellie Marney (2022)
It’s 1943 and World War II is raging in Europe and on the Pacific front.
Kit Sutherland has a secret she needs to hide, so is grateful to be recruited as a codebreaker.
Then Kit discovers that government girls are being brutally murdered, and when Kit stumbles onto a bloody homicide scene, she is drawn into the hunt for the killer.
The Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson (2018-2021)
A group of contemporary boarding school students try to solve a notorious mystery set in the early twentieth century.
Shortly after The Ellingham Academy opened a century ago, someone kidnapped the founder’s wife and daughter. True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell arrives for her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco (2016)
In late 19th century England, Audrey secretly studies forensic medicine and hunts a killer.
Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born into a life of wealth and privilege but often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine.
When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.
These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly (2015)
Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon she’ll graduate from finishing school and marry a wealthy bachelor. But Jo secretly dreams of becoming a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly. Then tragedy strikes: Jo’s father is found dead.
The more Jo uncovers about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow.
My Review of These Shallow Graves
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (2012)
A heartbreaking mystery set against the backdrop of World War II.
In 1943, a British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends.
When “Verity” is arrested by the Gestapo, she’s sure she doesn’t stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she’s living a spy’s worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.
The Diviners series by Libba Bray (2012)
Creepy mystery set in 1920’s Manhattan!
In 1926, Evie leaves her boring old hometown and is shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City.
Evie worries her uncle will discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.
Best YA Mysteries With Shocking Twists
One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus (2017)
A locked room mystery featuring a group of kids in detention. When one of them is murdered, they try to figure out who did it.
Pay close attention and you might solve this.
My Series Review of One of Us is Lying
The Name of the Star (Shades of London 1) by Maureen Johnson (2011)
I loved reading this series so much. It takes a couple of VERY dramatic turns that were HEAVILY debated by YA readers back in the 2010s.
Here’s what I wrote back in the day: “Rory, who hails from small town Louisiana, arrives at a tony British boarding school to discover that a Jack the Ripper copycat killer is on the loose in the area around the school. She soon begins to wonder whether she might be the killer’s next target.”
My Review of The Madness Underneath (book two in the series)
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas (2013)
This ripped from the headlines book is SO twisty.
It’s Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off on a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations.
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson (2026)
So this is technically an adult book, but it reads pretty much exactly like one of Holly Jackson’s YA books with one big difference: cursing. The F-bomb is dropped a lot. So if you don’t mind that, Not Quite Dead Yet is a must read!
Check out My Readers Guide to Not Quite Dead Yet.
Hope you’ve enjoyed Best YA Mystery Books to Read and I hope you’ll tell me your favorites in comments!