Mystery & Thriller

Coop Knows the Scoop by Taryn Souders

Twisty mystery featuring Coop, his best friends Liberty and Justice, and their quirky town of Windy Bottom. Coop and Liberty & Justice all help out at the cafe/bookstore co-owned by their parents, when they're not biking around their small town, where everyone knows everyone.  

One morning, a skeleton is uncovered in the playground. This small town has secrets from long ago... and Coop's Gramps is the prime suspect...!

Can Coop and his friends solve the mystery and clear his Gramps' name?

Edgar Award Nominee

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Newbery-winning classic mystery (adapted into a film "Get a Clue").  Sunset Towers is a beautiful new apartment building, built by the millionaire recluse Samuel Westing, where there are weird rules, like you can't play chess in the building.  When Westing is murdered, 16 of the tenants are in his will.  To win all the money, they have to solve a mystery.  They are assigned 'random' partners, and must follow the clues and solve the puzzles. The first pair to solve it wins his entire fortune.  Pay close attention as you read, and see if you can figure it all out!

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

If you like escape rooms, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, you'll like this best-seller.  Mr. Lemoncello, the famous game-maker, is building a fancy, high-tech secret new library in town. 12 essay-contest winners will be invited to a lock-in the night before it opens.  Using clues they have to actually escape from the library!  Pay attention, as there is a second, secret code throughout the book for you to figure out!

There was a movie version of the book on Nickelodeon, but read it first, so you don't know the ending! Grabenstein is a former tv writer who once visited BRMS!  Everyone loved him, because he's hilarious.  Be sure to check out all the sequels!  And if you like spooky ghost stories, he has those, as well.

Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse by Susan Vaught

Jesse is training her Pomeranian, Sam-Sam, "just to prove to Dad and Mom and Aunt Gus and the whole world that a tiny, fluffy dog could do big things if he wanted to. I think my little dog always knew he could be a hero " .  When cops come to the house and arrest her dad as the prime suspect in the theft of the library fund money, Jesse, her friend, the new kid Springer, and Sam-Sam set out to find the real culprit. Could it be the bullies who call her "Messy Jesse" and make her brain itch? Jesse has a neuro-processing disorder, which means she's “on the spectrum or whatever,” and she's not sure she can be a crime-solving hero. But she's good at asking questions. And when a real emergency hits their town (can you believe, a tornado?), Jesse and Sam-Sam will show just how capable they really are.

Winner of the Edgar Award for Juvenile mystery. The author is a practicing psychologist. Check out her other books: Super Max and the Mystery of Thornwood's Revenge, Things Too Huge to Fix by Saying Sorry, and Footer Davis Probably is Crazy (which also won the Edgar). She also has books for young adults.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

This Newbery-Honor winner is a thrilling story of murder and mutiny on the high seas in 1832. As the story opens, Charlotte is preparing to sail home on one of her father's ships (after being in finishing school). The first inkling she gets that something will go very, very wrong on this voyage is when the man who is carrying her trunk finds out she's going to Capt. Jaggery's ship, he drops the trunk and runs away. The second bad omen is when she is introduced to Zachariah, the ship's cook, he presses a knife in her hand and tells her she may need it.  Charlotte is horrified, because she's a good girl, and upper class. Then she finds out she's the only passenger -- the family that was supposed to be on the ship cancelled.  Now, she's the only girl on a ship filled with sailors, which isn't proper.  At least, she feels safe with Captain Jaggery, who is closer to her family's station in society.  But very quickly, Charlotte's entire world will be turned upside down!  There's a murder and a mutiny and Charlotte will have to choose sides. With surprises and twists and turns all the way to the end, this story starts off slow, but builds to a thrilling conclusion.  You will cheer for Charlotte!

Sherlock, Lupin & Me by Irene Adler

From the publisher: "Irene's family has moved to Evreux, Normandy. Soon after arriving at her new home, she is approached by a mysterious woman who mutters some strange words about Irene's mother being in danger, before vanishing into thin air. It's just the first in a series of unsettling events that Irene, Sherlock, and Lupin must decipher. The three sleuths questions will lead them to a secret crypt far beneath the streets of Paris and to an ancient relic that it is rumored to be worth a fortune. But how far will someone go to obtain the priceless treasure? Secrets and twists await the young detectives at every turn as they solve the case of The Cathedral of Fear."

Click Here to Start by Denis Markell

For lovers of escape-rooms and puzzle mysteries!  This is so much fun.

Ted Gerson loves playing video games, especially the escape room/puzzle kind. Mostly everybody thinks that's a waste of time, but could it be that it's prepared him for the real world?  When his great-uncle Ted dies and bequeaths him "all the treasure" in his apartment, Ted and his friends will have to figure out how to find it.  It may be related to the time his uncle spent in the Japanese-American army unit in World War II. The problem is, someone else may be after the treasure, too...

Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead

Adorable story by two award-winning and popular authors of Livy (Olivia), a girl visiting her grandmother's house in Australia for the first time since she was 5, who finds a creature hiding in the closet who was waiting for her to return.  She doesn't remember anything about Bob, but is determined, once again, to figure out who/what he is, and help him get home. 

The Thieves of Ostia by Caroline Lawrence

From the publisher: "The place is Ostia, the port of Rome. Flavia Gemina, a Roman sea captain’s daughter, is about to embark on a thrilling adventure. Set in a graveyard, marketplace, and courtyards of a Roman city, this fast-paced mystery paints a vivid picture of the life in ancient times.

When the dogs on Flavia’s street start dying, she is determined to find out who is killing them–and why. Her investigation leads her to three extraordinary people: Jonathan, her new neighbor; Nubia, an African slave girl; and Lupus, a mute beggar boy. They become firm friends as they search for the killer, narrowly escape being kidnapped by a slave dealer, and uncover a series of burglaries."

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

Book 1 of the Enola Holmes mystery series.  From the publisher: "When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared, she quickly embarks on a journey to London in search of her. But nothing can prepare her for what awaits. Because when she arrives, she finds herself involved in the kidnapping of a young marquess, fleeing murderous villains, and trying to elude her shrewd older brothers—all while attempting to piece together clues to her mother’s strange disappearance. Amid all the mayhem, will Enola be able to decode the necessary clues and find her mother? "

Netflix' Enola Holmes has become a series -- read them all, first!

The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene

The classic mystery series has been updated for a new generation.  There's also a graphic novel series from Papercutz.  From the publisher: "Nancy must figure out the connection between a mysterious diary and a suspicious house fire."

The House with a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs, illustrated by Edward Gorey

This classic scary mystery was just re-made into a movie starring Jack Black!  The book is the first in a series of 12 books, illustrated by a famous artist known for creepy drawings. Orphaned Lewis Barnavelt moves in with his uncle Jonathan, a warlock.  The previous owners built a clock into the walls of the mansion, and planned to use black magic to destroy the world. It's up to Lewis, his friend Tarby, and uncle Jonathan to stop them!

The Buried Bones Mystery by Sharon Draper

First of The Clubhouse Mysteries series. From the publisher: "Ziggy and his friends Rico, Rashawn, and Jerome call themselves The Black Dinosaurs, and share exciting adventures. In The Buried Bones Mystery, the boys build a clubhouse in Ziggy’s backyard, where they uncover a box of bones while digging to bury their secret treasures. But when the boys try to hide their treasures, they’re swept up in a mystery more intriguing—and scary—than anything they could have imagined. Who could have buried a box of bones behind their clubhouse? "

Harlem Charade by Natasha Tarpley

Winner of the Texas Bluebonnet Award and nominated for the Agatha Award. From the author's website: "WATCHER. SHADOW. FUGITIVE. Harlem is home to all kinds of kids. Jin sees life passing her by from the window of her family’s bodega. Alex wants to help the needy one shelter at a time, but can’t tell anyone who she really is. Elvin’s living on Harlem’s cold, lonely streets, surviving on his own after his grandfather was mysteriously attacked.

When these three strangers join forces to find out what happened to Elvin’s grandfather, their digging leads them to an enigmatic artist whose missing masterpieces are worth a fortune-one that might save the neighborhood from development by an ambitious politician who wants to turn it into Harlem World, a ludicrous historic theme park. But if they don’t find the paintings soon, nothing in their beloved neighborhood will ever be the same . . ."

The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh

A story of friendship and finding yourself, wrapped in a mystery. From the publisher: "Everything in Bea’s world has changed. She’s starting seventh grade newly friendless and facing big changes at home, where she is about to go from only child to big sister. Feeling alone and adrift, and like her words don’t deserve to be seen, Bea takes solace in writing haiku in invisible ink and hiding them in a secret spot.

But then something incredible happens–someone writes back. And Bea begins to connect with new friends, including a classmate obsessed with a nearby labyrinth and determined to get inside. As she decides where her next path will lead, she just might discover that her words–and herself–have found a new way to belong. "

This author also wrote The Truth About Twinkie Pie.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

Winner of the Newbery Medal. Claudia Kincaid thinks her parents don't understand or appreciate her, so she plans to run away, and stay at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She's got great plan, but not enough money, so she brings along her little brother, Jamie, who is wicked smart and a better saver (mostly ill-gotten gains from cheating at cards). They wander the museum by day (blending in with school visits), bathe in the fountain (where they also gather the coins for money), sleep in an antique bed, and hide from the security guards. But the adventure really gets going when they visit a new exhibit with a mystery, a small statue of an angel that just possibly was sculpted by Michelangelo.  Claudia and Jamie decide to find proof that Michelangelo was truly the artist, and get invited to search the famous (and famously crazy-organized) files of the statue's owner, eccentric collector Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  It was adapted into a movie, as well.

The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright

Nominated for the Edgar Award for juvenile mystery, and adapted into a film called "Secrets in the Attic". Amy gets in trouble for not watching her sister, Louann, closely enough. Louann is a special needs person, and Amy adores her, but sometimes feels her mom expects too much.  She goes to spend time with her aunt Clare, who is getting the old family home ready to sell. In the attic, Amy finds an old dollhouse, a replica of her aunt's home, where Amy's great-grandparents died thirty years earlier. Somehow, the dolls are moving, trying to send Amy a message and tell her who killed her great-grandparents. Lights go on, books are pushed off the library shelves. Aunt Clare refuses to talk about it; it's too painful a memory. She gets mad, thinking that Amy is moving the dolls. Amy, her friend Ellen, and Louann must solve the family mystery. Can they put the spirits to rest? Will Amy learn to appreciate her sister? Will Aunt Clare stop feeling guilty?

Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise

A mystery in letters, documents, postcards, memos, and transcripts, with funny character names, town scandals, and secrets galore! Dry Creek Middle School's water fountain has sprung a leak, so the principal sends a letter to Flo Waters, an artist who will design a custom replacement. But there's a reason the fountain was leaking, and Mr. Sam N's class will figure it out! Can you solve it before they do?

Check out the sequels, Regarding the Sink, Regarding the Trees, Regarding the Bathrooms, and Regarding the Bees, plus her 43 Cemetery Road series, Three Ring Rascals circus series, Letters from Camp, plus Don't Check Out this Book!

Eventown by Corey Ann Haydu

Nominated for the Edgar Award for juvenile mystery. From the publisher: "The world tilted for Elodee this year, and now it’s impossible for her to be the same as she was before. Not when her feelings have such a strong grip on her heart. Not when she and her twin sister, Naomi, seem to be drifting apart. So when Elodee’s mom gets a new job in Eventown, moving seems like it might just fix everything.

Indeed, life in Eventown is comforting and exciting all at once. Their kitchen comes with a box of recipes for Elodee to try. Everyone takes the scenic way to school or work—past rows of rosebushes and unexpected waterfalls. On blueberry-picking field trips, every berry is perfectly ripe.

Sure, there are a few odd rules, and the houses all look exactly alike, but it’s easy enough to explain—until Elodee realizes that there are only three ice cream flavors in Eventown. Ever. And they play only one song in music class. Everything may be “even” in Eventown, but is there a price to pay for perfection—and pretending?"

The Case of the Lost Boy by Dori Hillestad Butler

This one could have gone on the animal stories page, but it's a classic mystery, and it won the Edgar Award! First of The Buddy Files series. From the publisher: "While searching for his mysteriously lost human family, King the dog detective is adopted by another family, who names him Buddy. Buddy succeeds in solving the mystery of their missing boy."

Bernie Magruder & The Case of the Big Stink by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Edgar Award winner and the first of a series. From the publisher: "What smells like rotten potatoes, ammonia, sick cats, and sour cream? All of Middleburg these days, that’s what! There’s a crazy gasser on the loose.

Bernie Magruder and his family live in the Bessledorf Hotel. Mr. Magruder is the manager and the family wants to be sure that the hotel is safe and well run so that their dad will not be fired.

Bernie is afraid that the Mad Gasser just might be living there in the Bessledorf Hotel, and he sets out to solve the mystery."

Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements

By a much-beloved children's book writer, and an Edgar Award winner. From the publisher: "Ted attends a one-room school in his small town of Plattsford, Nebraska. He loves mysteries, and when he sees a face in the window of an abandoned house, Ted knows that he has to investigate. Soon, Ted needs his teacher's help to decide what to do."

Looking for Bobowicz by Daniel Pinkwater

Edgar Award nominee, and zany companion to The Hoboken Chicken Emergency. Nick's parents move him to Hoboken, where adults never answer a direct question, he keeps hearing stories about Arthur Bobowicz and his 266-lb chicken, Henrietta. Nick's bike is stolen the very first hour he's there. Then the Classic Comics go missing. With the help of his new friends, Bruno and Loretta, and the "crazy as a bat" librarian Starr Lackawanna, Nick will have to avoid the red herrings and solve the mysteries. 

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse by Bruce Hale

Edgar-nominated first book in the Chet Gecko series (yes, the sleuth is a gecko) by the author of the Clark the Shark books, Underwhere series, and many more.  This series is written in the classic 'noir' style, an homage to the old private eye detective movies your grandparents probably watched! From the author's website: "Some cases start rough, some cases start easy. This one started with a dame. (That’s what we private eyes call a girl.) She was cute and green and scaly. She looked like trouble and smelled like… grasshoppers.

Shirley Chameleon came to me when her little brother, Billy, turned up missing. (I suspect she also came to spread cooties, but that’s another story.) She turned on the tears. She promised me some stinkbug pie.

I said I’d find the brat.

But when his trail led to a certain stinky-breathed, bad-tempered, jumbo-sized Gila monster, I thought I’d bitten off more than I could chew. Worse, I had to chew fast: If I didn’t find Billy in time, it would be bye-bye, stinkbug pie."

Be sure to check out his Monstertown mystery series, too.

What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski

This is not your typical mystery. No murders or thefts, except for a person's reputation.  Anna is new at her middle school, and notices that Rachel Riley is a pariah, an outcast, nobody will talk to her, or sit with her at lunch, everyone seems to hate her. Yet, there is evidence that the year before, she was the most popular girl in school.  What happened?   Anna is determined to find out, but nobody will tell her why.  A die-hard true crime podcast lover, Anna makes it her research project for the year, and starts investigating.  The questions, and their answers, aren't easy.

Framed! by James Ponti

How many middle school guys are "covert assets" for the FBI?  At least one! Florian Bates is like a young Sherlock Holmes -- he's brilliant and very observant! His Theory of All Small Things (T.O.A.S.T) works because he notices the little details that add up to big things, which helps him solve mysteries.  His parents have just moved him to Washington, D.C., where Mom has a new job at the National Gallery of Art.  His new BFF, soccer-and-piano-playing Margaret, lives across the street, and Florian teaches her T.O.A.S.T.  When there's a theft at the museum, Florian solves it with his powers of observation, and the impressed FBI puts him on retainer.  An adventure involving the Romanian mafia, a kidnapping, and an art heist.  But the one mystery Margaret wants him to solve, he can't...

This Edgar Award-winner has two sequels: Trapped! and Vanished! (which also won the Edgar!) The author's new adventure series starts with City Spies.

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

2013 Edgar Award Nominee From the author's website: "Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: C.I.A. or bust. So he’s thrilled when he’s recruited to the C.I.A.’s top secret Academy of Espionage. Only, it turns out, Ben hasn’t been brought in because the C.I.A. expects him to succeed. Instead, he’s been brought in as bait to catch a dangerous enemy agent. Now, Ben needs to step up his game before he ends up dead. Can he solve the crime, get the girl and save the day? Maybe not, but it’ll be fun to watch him try!"

Check out the author's other popular series: Funjungle (Belly Up); Moon Base Alpha (Space Case, also nominated for an Edgar); The Last Musketeer; and his new series, Charlie Thorne.

The Art of Secrets by James Klise

Fans of twisty-turny mysteries and realistic fiction will love this book. Saba Khan is a bit of an outsider at school, because her family is from Pakistan. But then her apartment is burned down, possibly by an arsonist. Luckily, the kids at school rally around to help, and it changes Saba's life. A rich family offers an apartment for them to stay in. She starts dating a boy (which she has to hide from her strict parents). And two popular kids, brother and sister Kendra and Kevin, start collecting items for a benefit auction. One of the things they find is a painting by a supposedly famous 'outsider' artist (a quasi-homeless guy) that turns out to be worth millions. Kendra and Kevin generously say the money should still go to the Khans. But not everyone agrees. Then the painting is stolen. Is it the principal, trying to prop up the school budget? Is it the art teacher, who was the one who originally pointed out its worth? Is it the Khans themselves? The book alternates points of view from a lot of the characters and suspects involved, and has artifacts like police reports, documents, interviews, etc. Don't give away the ending when you recommend it to friends -- and you will! 

First Boy by Gary Schmidt

Political thriller about a boy who lives on a dairy farm with his grandparents, until one day it all gets turned upside down. The campaigning President shows up at his place, but so does her opponent! They both want Cooper's help. Family secrets, a kidnapping, and scandal keep the action moving, but typical of author Schmidt's books, there's also a lot of heart and meaning.

Zap by Martha Freeman

STEM meets mystery...  This was an Edgar Award finalist. AND it takes place in NJ!

Luis Cardenal is the kind of kid who likes to figure out how things work. So when the power goes out all over town, he wants to get to the bottom of it, with some help from his best friend, Maura.  Maybe local kid urban legend, the Computer Genius, can help? 

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery, as well as a Newbery Honor book, it takes place in Placid, Wisconsin in 1871. Georgie is a crack shot with a rifle, and always says what she means (which doesn't always make people happy). One day, Georgie sees her sister Agatha kissing someone who is not her fiance, and Georgie tells the guy. So Agatha runs away. Not long after, the sheriff brings back a body wearing Agatha's dress, and they hold a funeral. But Georgie refuses to believe it's her sister. She sets off with Billy (the boy who was kissed) to find out what really happened. Georgie is SO real and you will root for her the whole time. Plus, as a bonus -- you'll learn all about passenger pigeons (there were MILLIONS before they all got killed off), and how hordes of people really did follow them all over the country!

Loot by Jude Watson

If you like stories with criminal masterminds, this one's for you. From the publisher: "On a foggy night in Amsterdam, a man falls from a rooftop to the wet pavement below. It's Archibald McQuinn, the notorious cat burglar, and he's dying. As sirens wail in the distance, Archie manages to get out two last words to his young son, March: "Find jewels."

But March learns that his father is not talking about hidden loot. He's talking about Jules, the twin sister March never knew he had. No sooner than the two find each other, they're picked up by the police and sent to the world's worst orphanage. It's not hard time, but it feels like it.

March and Jules have no intention of staying put. They know their father's business inside and out, and they're tired of being pushed around. Just one good heist, and they'll live the life of riches and freedom that most kids only dream about..."

The sequel is Sting.

Code of Honor by Alan Gratz

Gratz usually writes historical fiction, but here is a modern story about an Iranian-American boy whose brother is accused of being a terrorist. Kamran has to solve the clues and codes to save his brother and the country from the real terrorists.

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

Edgar Award winner. A snowy night at a smuggler's inn... and 5 strangers appear... to ruin Milo's holiday break.  See, his parents run the inn, and he has to help them, but they don't usually have any customers over the holiday.  While helping them get their bags to their room, Milo finds a map that one of the visitors dropped... it's a mystery what they are all doing there, why they seem to hate each other, and what the map will lead to -- treasure, maybe? This book may remind you of The Westing Game. There are two sequels.

Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick

From the publisher: "Things never seem to go as easily for thirteen-year-old Frankie as they do for her sister, Tess. Unlike Tess, Frankie is neurodivergent. In her case, that means she can’t stand to be touched, loud noises bother her, she’s easily distracted, she hates changes in her routine, and she has to go see a therapist while other kids get to hang out at the beach. It also means Frankie has trouble making friends. She did have one–Colette–but they’re not friends anymore. It’s complicated.

Then, just weeks before the end of seventh grade, Colette unexpectedly shows up at Frankie’s door. The next morning, Colette vanishes. Now, after losing Colette yet again, Frankie’s convinced that her former best friend left clues behind that only she can decipher, so she persuades her reluctant sister to help her unravel the mystery of Colette’s disappearance before it’s too late."

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

Urban fantasy-adventure-mystery, first of a trilogy, and Edgar Award nominee. From the publisher: "Orphan Elizabeth Somers’s malevolent aunt and uncle ship her off to the ominous Winterhouse Hotel, owned by the peculiar Norbridge Falls. Upon arrival, Elizabeth quickly discovers that Winterhouse has many charms—most notably its massive library. It’s not long before she locates a magical book of puzzles that will unlock a mystery involving Norbridge and his sinister family. But the deeper she delves into the hotel’s secrets, the more Elizabeth starts to realize that she is somehow connected to Winterhouse. As fate would have it, Elizabeth is the only person who can break the hotel’s curse and solve the mystery. But will it be at the cost of losing the people she has come to care for, and even Winterhouse itself? "

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

From the publisher: "In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he’s one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk—and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom.

But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth.

The stakes are high, but Theo won’t stop until justice is served. "

I am Princess X by Cherie Priest

Think about your best friend... the shared history, the secret 'language' only the two of you know. What if that knowledge were the only thing that could help you save your friend? May and Libby were besties going back to 5th grade. Together, they concocted a character, Princess X, a katana-sword-wielding, Ninja warrior girl who wears a crown and bright red Chuck Taylors. May wrote the stories, and Libby illustrated them. Then one horrible day, Libby and her mother are killed in a tragic car accident. Or so May thought... She's visiting her Dad in Seattle three years later and starts seeing stickers with Princess X on them. Apparently, it's a popular webcomic. But... nobody... NOBODY else could POSSIBLY know about her.  Libby MUST be alive! Using ongoing clues from the comic, and with help from unlikely sources, May sets out to prove that her friend is alive, and to save her. The book itself is half comics that tell Princess X stories, and has enough suspense and danger to keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle

Best friends Ruben and Jeddy find a dead body on the beach and run to tell one of the boy’s father, the local police chief.  But when they return, the body is gone. They decide to solve the mystery. This takes place during Prohibition, 1929 Rhode Island, and the dead man was involved with rum runners -- criminals who used boats off the coast of New England to bring in liquor from Canada, where it was still legal. With the help of Marina, Jeddy’s pretty older sister, the boys investigate the bootlegging gangs. Ruben meets the captain of the Black Duck, a famous smugglers’ boat, whom most of the people in town think is a local hero.  

The whole story is told in a flashback, with a young boy interviewing Ruben as an old man; this is an exciting story, based on real events. 

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

The London Eye is a ride in the city of London, England. It is like a giant Ferris wheel, but instead of the traditional seats, it has glass-enclosed pods that fit about 20-25 people.  It takes half an hour to go all the way around.  From the top, you can see the whole city of London.

Siblings Ted and Kat take their cousin, Salim, who is visiting them before he and his mother move to New York, to ride the Eye.  They are offered a free ticket by a stranger, but there’s only one.  Since Ted and Kat have ridden it before, Salim takes the ticket.  Half an hour later, the pod he was riding empties out, but Salim has vanished. 

Frantic and feeling guilty, Ted and Kat put their heads together to solve the mystery of what happened to their cousin.  Their parents and Salim’s mother, Aunt Gloria, are freaking out.  The cops are investigating.  The media gets involved. 

But they should all listen to Ted and Kat – because they were the only witnesses. And they have the advantage of Ted’s brain, which is “wired differently” because he has Asperger’s, and Kat, his adventurous, take-charge sister.

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

Winner of the Newbery Honor and finalist for the Edgar Award for juvenile mystery. From the publisher: "Miss Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of Tupelo Landing, NC, where everyone’s business is fair game and no secret is sacred. She washed ashore in a hurricane eleven years ago, and she’s been making waves ever since. Although Mo hopes someday to find her “upstream mother,” she’s found a home with the Colonel–a café owner with a forgotten past of his own–and Miss Lana, the fabulous café hostess. She will protect those she loves with every bit of her strong will and tough attitude. So when a lawman comes to town asking about a murder, Mo and her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III, set out to uncover the truth in hopes of saving the only family Mo has ever known. "

Otherwood by Pete Hautman

Winner of the Edgar Award for juvenile mystery. It's a mystery, but also a ghost story.  Family secrets, lies, friendship, and memory... all wrapped up in the story of Stuey, who misses his grandfather and the stories he used to tell him about how their family's overgrown golf course is haunted.  Then he and his friend, Elly Rose, have an otherworldly experience in the deadfall in the woods, and everything changes. But theirs wasn't the first... and that's the key to it all! 

Check out the Bloodwater Mysteries series, too!

Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn

Edgar Award winner by the queen of ghost-y mysteries. From the publisher: "When thirteen-year-old Logan finds out that he and his family have moved into a house where the previous owner was murdered, he and his new neighbor Arthur go on a quest to solve the mystery surrounding the closure of an old amusement park and the murder in Logan's house."

Another of her mysteries, Deep and Dark and Dangerous, was also nominated for an Edgar.

Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Edgar Award winner. In 1924, Dovey Coe is accused of murder in her North Carolina mountain mining town. See, her sister Caroline's fiance, the snobby rich Parnell Caraway, was found dead in the storeroom, and Dovey was there, too.  The whole town thinks she did it, but she's going to "lay the record straight", and tell her story. Only her stoic parents, and her deaf brother, Amos, who "some folks [think is] stupid... though it was a far sight from the truth," stand by her.

Also by this author: Trouble the Water

The Dark Deception by Morgan Baden

Are you a fan of Scooby Doo? Then you'll recognize our two sleuths: Daphne and Velma, as they solve the longest-running mystery in their town, Crystal Cove: what happened to the original settlers who all disappeared?

Moxie and the Art of Rule Breaking  by Erin Dionne

Edgar-nominated mystery takes place in Boston. Have you ever heard of the famous robbery of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum?  It happened in 1990, and it's still unsolved. There's a $10 million reward for the recovery of the paintings!  This is one author's imagination of how a young person might solve the case.  From the publisher: "Moxie Fleece knows the rules and follows them–that is, until the day she opens her front door to a mysterious stranger. Suddenly Moxie is involved in Boston’s biggest unsolved mystery: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist. Moxie has two weeks to find the art, otherwise she and the people she loves will be in big-time danger.

Her tools? Her best friend, Ollie, a geocaching addict who loves to find stuff; her Alzheimer’s suffering grandfather, Grumps, who knows lots more than he lets on; and a geometry proof that she sets up to sort out the clues.

It’s a race against the clock through downtown Boston as Moxie and Ollie break every rule she’s ever lived by to find the art and save her family."

Girl, Forgotten by April Henry

Winner of the Edgar Award, by the queen of thrillers, April Henry! Piper Gray is a big fan of true-crime podcasts. She starts one of her own to investigate a cold case in her town -- a teen girl named Layla Trello who was murdered, but the killer was never found.  Piper digs into the case, determined to solve it. But she starts getting threatening messages, warning her to stop investigating. To shut up, OR ELSE!

For more thrills, check out April Henry's newest novel, Stay Dead!

Just Do This One Thing For Me by Laura Zimmerman

Edgar nominated suspenseful story of Drew, a teen girl who has been holding her family together for years.  Her mom's always been a scammer, and Drew is more mom to her brother and sister than their mom is.  When Mom disappears on the way to a concert, Drew is under a lot of pressure to clean up her mother's mess, take care of her siblings, and keep the 'con' going.

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson

For fans of Karen McManus, Holly Black, and Jennifer Lynn Barnes!  Alice used to be super popular, everything seemed perfect. She had her boyfriend, Steve, and her best friend, Brooke. But things are never as perfect as they seem. After a nasty breakup with Steve, Alice disappears for 5 days (like her idol, mystery author Agatha Christie).  Like Christie, Alice does come home, and never tells anyone what happened or where she was. But when she comes back, she's a total outcast, and Brooke is dating Steve. Then Brooke and Steve have a loud fight at a party, and Brooke disappears.  unlike Alice, she doesn't come home... alive! Everyone thinks Steve killed her, but Alice knows that can't be true. At the urging of Brooke's grandmother, and with help from Iris, a peer tutor who might just be a new friend, Alice is determined to uncover the truth.

Hope this will be a long series, like Good Girl's Guide to Murder!

Sequel: The Night in Question

Three Drops of Blood by Gretchen McNeil

Teen actress Kate got her big break as the BFF to the star of a tv show, and she is ready for her acting career to take off!  She even got her GED so she wouldn't have to do school on set!  Then, there's a big scandal involving the director, and the show is cancelled.  Kate doesn't really want to go back to high school -- she already got her diploma and her best friend seems to have moved on without her.  She can't get an acting gig since nobody wants to hire anybody from that scandalized show, so her parents tell her to get a job or go to college.  Not willing to give up on her career, she gets a night job filing in an office, with the help of her former BFF's newly hot older brother.  It's boring, but whatever.  Then, one night, looking out the window at the building next door, Kate witnesses a murder! But when she tries to report it, nobody believes her -- the body is gone!  What can Kate do but try to solve it herself, before the murderer figures out they need to silence the witness...

Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie Richards

On her 17th birthday, Cleo gets a little boxed gift that starts her out on a scavenger hunt. Is it from her brother? her BFF? Nobody fesses up.   But the messages and clues and locations all point to someone who knows Cleo's deepest, darkest secret... and they all have to do with her boyfriend, Declan, who died on a rafting trip a year ago.  Or did he? What really happened to Declan? Somebody knows, and they want Cleo and her friends to pay...

Check out all of Richards' other books, too! She's the master of suspense!

Sugaring Off by Gillian French

Owl, 17, loves hiking, exploring, and tracking in the mountains and forests of her aunt and uncle's maple sugar farm. She feels safe there, and can avoid those that treat her differently because she was left partially deaf from a tragic incident in her childhood that sent her father to prison.  She fears the day he is released. 

Then one day, a mysterious, handsome, and dangerous young stranger appears in her refuge.  Cody has been hired to help with the harvesting of the maple syrup. He looks past her deafness, and seems to see the real her. But he has secrets and problems of his own, and everyone is against their relationship.  When a local murder points to Cody, Owl realizes trouble has come to her mountain.

The Headmaster's List by Melissa De La Cruz

From the publisher: "When high school sophomore Chris Moore is tragically killed in a car crash, Armstrong Prep is full of questions. Who was at the wheel? And more importantly, who was at fault?

Eighteen-year-old Spencer Sandoval wishes she knew. As rumors swirl that her ex, Ethan, was the reckless driver, she can’t bring herself to defend him. And their messy breakup has nothing to do with it – she can’t remember anything from that night, not even what put her in that car with Ethan, Chris, and Tabby Hill, the new loner in school.

Was it all just a night out that went very wrong? And is it a coincidence that all but Chris is on Armstrong's esteemed honor roll, the Headmaster’s List? In a place ruled by pedigree and privilege, the truth can only come at a deadly price. "

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

If you like puzzles, mansions with secret passageways, family secrets, and the idea of suddenly being the richest teen girl in the world... you will love this!  Avery Grambs is from the wrong side of the tracks, and not living her best life. She has plans to get out of high school, get out of town, and get a new life, and she's willing to work hard to get there.  And then... a multi-billionaire, Tobias Hawthorne, dies and leaves his entire fortune to Avery, a complete stranger. Why? what for? Just to cut his two spoiled daughters and four entitled grandsons out of the will? Avery doesn't know. 

But the catch is, she has to live in the Hawthorne Mansion (with the family!) for one year, in order to inherit.  If what's left of her family doesn't mess it up for her, she just might get the loot!

The four handsome (and aggravating) boys, Nash, Grayson, Jameson, and Xander, have been solving their grandfather's puzzles all their lives.  They're game, and so is Avery!

Sequel: The Hawthorne Legacy

Blank Confession by Pete Hautman

A thoughtful mystery by a master storyteller, this book in alternating viewpoints pulls you in right away.  It's short and suspenseful. Officer Rawls (who used to be a school officer and knows about kids) is about to end his shift when Shayne Blank, a cool and mysterious teen who rides a motorcycle and lies about his past, walks in and calmly confesses to a murder. Then there's Mikey, a sarcastic little guy with a big mouth who wears suits to school, his sister Marie, and her drug-dealing bully of a boyfriend, Jon.  One day, Jon hands Mikey a paper bag, and tells him to stash it in his locker, but there's a locker-check that day for drugs, so Mikey shoves the bag into the trashcan. Unfortunately, when he goes back for it, the trash has been emptied. Now Jon says Mikey owes him, and that starts the whole mess. But what really happened on that rooftop?

This award-winning author has written books in other genres, too -- sci-fi, love stories, dystopian, realistic fiction, etc.  

Girl Stolen by April Henry

Cheyenne is dozing in the back of her stepmother's car. She's sick, and her stepmom ran into the pharmacy to fill a prescription for her pneumonia.  Suddenly, a boy jumps into the car and steals it, not knowing she's there.  Griffin is worried that he can identify her, but Cheyenne is blind.  Not sure what to do, and afraid his dad will be mad at him for making such a mistake, he takes her home with him.  When Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne's dad is rich, he decides to bump up from grand theft auto, to kidnapping, and make money off the mistake.  Cheyenne is resourceful, but she's in a strange place, and is getting sicker. Griffin doesn't seem to be as bad as his dad and the creeps who work for him, but can he, will he, protect her?  It's a suspenseful story, well-told.  

Be sure to check out some of the authors many other books, too!

In the Hall with the Knife by Diana Peterfreund

Have you ever played the board game Clue? Or seen the old cult movie version? This is the first of a planned Clue Mystery series. The characters' names are inspired by the game's characters, though they are completely new!  Beth "Peacock" Picach, Orchid McKee, Vaughn Green, Sam "Mustard" Maestor, Finn Plum, and Scarlet Mistry are students at the elite Blackbrook Academy boarding school in the backwoods of Maine. When everyone else goes home for a winter break, a snowstorm leaves them stranded and huddled in one dorm (an old mansion), along with their dorm housekeeper, Mrs. White, and the school's headmaster, Mr. Boddy. When the headmaster's body turns up murdered in the conservatory with a knife, they will all suspect each other. Who did it? They all have a motive... Each chapter is from a different character's perspective, and reveals their secrets, one by one, in this classic locked-in mystery.  The sequel, In the Study with the Wrench, should be out in October, 2020. A third book is planned!

Wolf Rider by Avi

There is danger lurking in ordinary things – just answering the phone can change your life.

Alone one night, 15-year-old Andy Zadinski answers the phone.  The gruff voice of a man calling himself “Zeke” says “I killed her”… He describes the body of the girl lying in front of him -- Nina Klemmer… Confused and scared, Andy tries to talk to him. Then he calls the cops. They dismiss it as a crank call. But Andy knows in his heart it was real. He wants to track Zeke down, but nobody believes him. His friend doesn’t. The school counselor warns him not to “cry wolf”.  The cops don’t care. Worst of all, even his dad thinks he’s making it up -- he just gets madder and madder when Andy gets involved. 

With everyone against him, Andy must investigate on his own. When he finds Nina Klemmer, at least he knows she’s real, and she’s still alive.  But Zeke’s description of her, her car, everything, is chillingly accurate. Andy knows Zeke is watching her. Nina’s in danger, and Andy is the only one who can save her. But when Andy tries to talk to Nina, she thinks HE’s the stalker!! She’s afraid of HIM!

In this psychological thriller, the suspense builds along with Andy’s fear and confusion, as he endangers own life to save Nina from the mysterious and frightening Zeke.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Kat Bishop comes from a long line of art thieves -- her whole family is in the 'business'.  But Kat wants to get out of the life, so she scams her way into a fancy boarding school.  Unfortunately, her family sucks her back in.  See, a dangerous mobster's priceless art collection was stolen, and Kat's dad is the number one suspect.  Either the cops will get him or the mobster will... So Kat decides she has to steal it back, with the help of Hale, a handsome and suave thief who works with her family.  Gadgets, cons, suspense, danger, romance... it's all here. 

OCDaniel by Wesley King

Edgar-winning book from the point of view of a teen guy who struggles with severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, hiding it from his family in an effort to just be 'normal'.  Until he gets a message from a "fellow Star-Child", and starts hanging out with the girl in school known as "Psycho Sarah", and realizes that he's not alone, and it's okay to ask for help.  Sarah enlists his help to find her father, whom she thinks her stepfather has murdered.  So many people joke around about being "OCD", but this book will help you understand how and why it's actually NOT just a preference for keeping things neat. 

Endangered by Lamar Giles

Lauren "Panda" Daniels is a biracial teen who avoids attention at high school. But online, she's the anonymous photo-blogger, Gray Scales, who outs everyone's dirty little secrets -- catching students and teachers alike in incriminating photos in a weird form of karmic justice.  Then an 'Admirer' discovers her identity, and threatens to reveal it to everyone, unless she complies with increasingly dangerous demands. When one of Panda's 'subjects' winds up dead, she must decide whether to fess up and catch a killer, even if it means dealing with the consequences of her own actions.

People Like Us by Dana Mele

If you like Pretty Little Liars, We Were Liars, or Gossip  Girl, you will like this, too.  It's a mystery that unfolds bit by bit.  Kay Donovan and her friends are ready for the annual jump in the lake after the Halloween Dance at their boarding school, when they find a dead body. Everything will change, and many will suffer.  Kay gets a cryptic email (supposedly from the dead girl) that leads her to a website with clues and tasks she must follow, or else the sender will reveal all her secrets.  But to keep her own, she must take down all her friends. Can she solve the mystery before she's the last one standing?  Or will she be implicated in the murder? The author is originally from Bridgewater, and her mom was a BRMS teacher!   HS

The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson

Are you a fan of CSI??  Are you squeamish?  If your answer to the first question is yes, and the second question is no, you’ll love this mystery.

17-year-old Cameryn Mahoney wants to be a forensic pathologist (the person who figures out how people died by examining their dead bodies).  Her father is the coroner for their small town of Silverton, Colorado, and he hires Cameryn as his “assistant”.  Now Cammie’s pretty smart, very determined, and luckily, she has a strong stomach (yes, the author describes every detail!).  Little does she know that her first autopsy will be that of someone she knows – a girl her age who was murdered by a serial killer who leaves St. Christopher medals on his victims.  Nobody else wants Cammie there -- the crabby medical examiner, the new deputy sheriff, and least of all her Mammaw (her grandmother, who’s lived with them since her Mom disappeared years ago).

Cammie has to put aside her feelings for her friend in order to figure out who killed her.  Is it the goth guy that everybody calls “Adam the Freak”?  And what about that creepy new deputy, who always seems to be hanging around?  To top it off, a famous psychic comes to town and predicts another death.  There’s definitely more than one mystery for Cammie to figure out.  As she uncovers clues to the killer’s identity, the danger mounts –  she could be the killer’s next victim.

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

Described by the publisher as "Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars", this is a popular mystery/suspense story filled with secrets and lies.  Simon knows everyone at Bayview High's secrets, and he makes them public on a gossip blog, so everyone's a little afraid of him. Bronwyn's the brain, class valedictorian, planning to go to Yale. Addy's the homecoming queen with the perfect boyfriend. Nate's the bad boy who sells drugs on the side. Cooper's the jock deciding between college and major league baseball.  They all get detention, but Simon won't leave it alive. He was planning to reveal the dirt on all of them, so each one has a motive. What really happened that day?

Binge it today! 

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

From the author of We Were Liars, and for fans of Karen McManus.  From the publisher: "Imogen lives at the Playa Grande Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. She spends her days working out in the hotel gym and telling other guests how she was forced out of Stanford.

But Imogen isn’t really Imogen. She’s Jule. And she’s on the run from something. Or someone. Which means . . . where is the real Imogen?

Rewind: Jule and Imogen are the closest of friends. Obsessed with each other, even. Imogen is an orphan, an heiress; she and Jule spend a summer together in a house on Martha’s Vineyard, sharing secrets they’d never reveal to another soul.

But that was months ago. Where is Immie now? And why is Jule using her name?"

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

First of a series. Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a nice guy who just wants to be normal. But his father was a serial killer who got caught and put in jail, so everyone treats Jazz like he will be one, too. The thing is, his father DID teach him things, like how to not be noticed, and how to see people's weaknesses, and how to manipulate them. And he's very good at it. He doesn't want to use these skills to kill people, but he can't help noticing things... so when a copycat killer ends up in his town, Jazz uses his knowledge of killers, and of his father's crimes, to help the police. 

HS

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

From the publisher's website: "Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. 

Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. At the same time, she grows concerned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims.

Now, as the deceptions—and deaths—keep growing, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go for her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known."

HS

And Then There Were Four by Nancy Werlin

This page-turner was inspired by Agatha Christie's classic And Then There Were None. Five teenagers, Saralinda, Antoine, Evangeline, Kenyon, and Caleb, are in an old building when it comes crashing down -- they survive, barely. Soon after, one of them is killed in an 'accident', and the four remaining have a theory that their parents are trying to kill them. Why? What do they all have in common? Can they save themselves? More of a why-dunnit than a who-dunnit, but quite suspenseful and full of twists and turns.

Check out the author's other books: Locked Inside, The Killer's Cousin, Rules of Survival, Black Mirror, Impossible and many more.       

HS

Lie to Me by Kaitlin Ward

From the author's website: "Ever since Amelia woke up in the hospital, she's been suspicious. Her friends, family, and doctors insist her near-fatal fall was an accident, but Amelia is sure she remembers being pushed. Then another girl is found nearby--one who fell but didn't survive. Amelia's fears suddenly feel very real, and with the help of her new boyfriend, Liam, she tries to investigate her own horrific ordeal. But what is she looking for, exactly? And how can she tell who's trustworthy and who might be--must be--lying to her?

​The closer Amelia gets to the truth, the more terrifying her once-orderly, safe world becomes. She's determined to know what happened, but if she doesn't act fast, her next accident might be her last."

Also by this author: Girl in a Bad Place, and survival stories Bleeding Earth and Where She Fell.

Even if We Break by Marieke Nijkamp

If you are a fan of role-playing games, cabin-in-the-woods thrillers where teens get picked off one-by-one, and the drama of teen relationships, this book is for you! Five friends head up the mountain to an isolated (but posh) cabin with high security to play their on-going mystery table-top game for the last time before they split up (as some are going off to college). Each has a secret. Each is coping with trauma of some kind. But the 'body' in their mystery story is not the only one to turn up dead... With an Agatha Christie vibe, and representation of trans, enby, and disabled characters, this is a thriller with a heart -- you'll see from all perspectives... until the killer is revealed!

Allegedly by Tiffany Jackson

From the publisher: "Mary B. Addison killed a baby. Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: a white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it?

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary’s fate now lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But does anyone know the real Mary?"

HS

Also by this author: Monday's Not Coming; Grown.

Shelter by Harlan Coben

The first of a series, featuring Mickey Bolitar, nephew of Myron, the main character of the author's best-selling adult mysteries. Nominated for the Edgar Award for young adult mystery. From the publisher: "Mickey Bolitar’s year can’t get much worse. After witnessing his father’s death and sending his mom to rehab, he’s forced to live with his estranged uncle Myron and switch high schools. Fortunately, he’s met a great girl, Ashley, and it seems like things might finally be improving. But then Ashley vanishes. Mickey follows Ashley’s trail into a seedy underworld that reveals that Ashley isn’t who she claimed to be. And neither was Mickey’s father. Soon Mickey learns about a conspiracy so shocking that it leaves him questioning everything about the life he thought he knew." Sequels are: Seconds Away; Found.

Rat Life by Tedd Arnold

From the publisher: "The dead body found in the Chemanga River has nothing to do with Todd. He’s been busy making beds at the family motel and writing alien stories to entertain his friends. Sure, a murder is big news, but what would really interest him? A paying job and a story line free of UFOs and poop jokes. And then he meets Rat.  Just a little older than Todd, Rat’s already been to Vietnam and back. He’s got a tattoo and a messed-up family life. And when he offers Todd a gig at the drive-in theater, Todd takes it. After all, it pays actual money. But hanging out with Rat leads to a host of strange experiences and perplexing questions. More and more, that corpse from the river is on Todd’s mind, and no matter how he shifts the pieces around, Rat is always part of the puzzle. "

The Other Side of Dark by Joan Lowery Nixon

Edgar Award winner for best young adult mystery by one of the most popular early YA mystery authors. From the publisher: "Stacy wakes up in a hospital room, in a body she doesn’t recognize. Her mother is dead—murdered—and Stacy is recovering from a gunshot wound. She is the sole eyewitness to the crime, but she has only a shadowy memory of the killer’s face. Will Stacy be able to regain a clear memory of that fateful day before the killer reaches her?"

Don't Look Behind You by Lois Duncan

By the queen of the YA suspense thrillers, and adapted into a TV movie. April is a golden girl: smart, nice, blonde, plays tennis, has a handsome boyfriend. Her dad works for the FBI, and while testifying in a drug-smuggling case, is shot at in the courtroom. Their whole family is whisked away into witness protection. But April misses her boyfriend, and writes him a letter, putting herself and her family in danger.

The author believes the book to be a premonition. Just a few months after its publication, her own daughter, Kaitlyn, was shot and killed; several scenes and situations were eerily similar. Kaitlyn was chased by a gunman, driving the same red pickup truck, and he even looked like the guy on the cover of the book. 

Read the real story of the author's investigation into her daughter's unsolved murder: Who Killed My Daughter?