Over the past year I’ve noticed more mysteries featuring twenty-something amateur detectives and I’m loving it. Here’s my list of some favorite mysteries with Gen Z and Millennial Detectives.
Updated in 2026!
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Mysteries With Gen Z and Millennial Detectives
The pandemic is still with us, and I’m taking a break from puzzles and watching a little Survivor. I recently watched the Millennial vs. Gen X season (highly recommend!) which got me thinking. If different generations approach Survivor differently, they probably approach solving mysteries differently.
I’ve definitely been seeing more mysteries with twenty-something protagonists, most of them female amateur detectives. These books feature social media, podcasts, and a lot of popular culture.
Looking for books like this? Then you need to check out my list of Mysteries With Millennial and Gen Z detectives.
The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera (2026)
- The Detective: Siriwathi “Siri” Perera
- Age: 28
- Occupation: NYC taxi driver
- Case: when a passenger gets into her taxi and then is DOA at the airport, Siri is the number one suspect. With her help of her public defender, Siri solves the case!
- Genre: cozy mystery
You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard (2023)
- Detective: Summer
- Age: under 21 and sneaks into bars
- Case: when her best friend disappears after an invitation to a billionaire’s private island, Summer is going to infiltrate the island and find out what happened to her friend.
- Genre: YA suspense
You can check out my You Can Trust Me review, and I’ve also added it to my list of books like White Lotus and my list of Thrillers Set on an Island.
Don’t Forget the Girl by Rebecca McKanna (2023)
- Detectives: Bree and Chelsea
- Age: 30
- Case: when a podcaster starts looking into their friend’s disappearance, these loyal friends must come back together.
- Genre: suspense
The Verifiers by Jane Pek (2022)
- Detective: Claudia Lin
- Age: twenty-something
- Occupation: works for Veracity, an detective agency for daters
- Case: when a client dies, Claudia wants answers
- Genre: suspense and family drama
You can read my review of the Verifiers here.
The Missing Hours by Julia Dahl (2021)
- Detective: Claudia Castro
- Age/Occupation: college student
- Case: Claudia goes missing on a quest to understand what happened to her one hazy night.
- Genre: suspense
I reviewed The Missing Hours here.
Nice Girls by Catherine Deng (2022)
- Detective: Mary
- Age/Occupation: former college student
- Case: Mary is forced home after being expelled from school. But when her former best friend goes missing, Mary wants to find her.
- Genre: suspense
My review of Nice Girls is here.
If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier (2021)
A true crime fanatic tries to find her favorite podcast host, who has gone missing.
Sera loves true crime podcasts. They give her a sense of control in a world where women just like her disappear daily. She’s sure they are preparing her for something.
So when Rachel, her favorite podcast host, goes missing, Sera knows it’s time to act. Rachel has always taught her to trust her instincts.
Sera follows the clues hidden in the episodes to an isolated ranch outside Rachel’s small hometown to begin her search. She’s convinced her investigation will make Rachel so proud.
But the more Sera digs into this unfamiliar world, the more off things start to feel. Because Rachel is not the first woman to vanish from the ranch, and she won’t be the last…
Rachel did try to warn her.
She’s Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard (2022)
This story about a group of friends involved in some dangerous pursuits isn’t the typical YA mystery at all.
The summer is winding down in San Diego. Veronica is bored, caustically charismatic, and uninspired in her photography. Nico is insatiable, subversive, and obsessed with chaotic performance art.
They’re artists first, best friends second. But that was before Mick. Delicate, lonely, magnetic Mick: the perfect subject, and Veronica’s dream girl.
The days are long and hot―full of adventure―and soon they are falling in love. Falling so hard, they never imagine what comes next. One fire. Two murders. Three drowning bodies. One suspect . . . one stalker. This is a summer they won’t survive.
I reviewed She’s Too Pretty to Burn here.