Mystery/Crime Fiction Books
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term that is often used as a synonym of detective fiction — in other words a novel or short story in which a detective (either professional or amateur) solves a crime. The term "mystery fiction" may sometimes be limited to the subset of detective stories in which the emphasis is on the puzzle element and its logical solution (cf. whodunit), as a contrast to hardboiled detective stories which focus on action and gritty realism. However, in more general usage "mystery" may be used to describe any form of crime fiction, even if there is no mystery to be solved.
The Westing Game
by Ellen Raskin
A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger—and a possible murderer —to inherit his vast fortune, one thing's for sure: Sam Westing may be dead ... but that won't stop him from playing one last game!
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
by E. L. Konigsburg
When Claudia Kincaid decides to run away, she knows she doesn’t want to run from somewhere, she wants to run to somewhere—to a place that's elegant. She chooses the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Knowing her little brother Jamie has money and can help her with a cash-flow problem, she invites him along. Once settled, Claudia and Jamie find themselves caught in the mystery of an angel statue the museum bought for $225. The statue is by Michelangelo, and worth millions. Is it? Or isn’t it?
The One of Us is Lying Series
by Karen M. McManus
Monday afternoon, 5 students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal, is on probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's gossip app. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And his death wasn't an accident. On Tuesday, he'd planned to post reveals about all 4 of his classmates, making all 4 of them suspects.
When You Reach Me
by Rebecca Stead
Miranda is an ordinary sixth grader, until she starts receiving mysterious messages from somebody who knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late.
The York Series
by Laura Ruby
In 1798, the Morningstarr twins came to New York with a vision for a great city. Years later, they disappeared, leaving behind the Old York Cipher—a puzzle laid into the city with a promised treasure at the end. By present day, however, it's never been solved. Tess and Theo Biedermann and their friend Jaime Cruz live in a Morningstarr apartment—until the city agrees to sell the five remaining Morningstarr buildings. If the kids want to save their home, they have to solve the Old York Cipher.
Where Things Come Back
by John Corey Whaley
*MATURE CONTENT*
Before Cullen Witter's senior year of high school, everything he thinks he understands about his small town vanishes. His cousin overdoses; his town becomes obsessed with the reappearance of an extinct woodpecker; and his 15-year-old brother, Gabriel, disappears. As Cullen navigates a summer of holding his family together and muddling his way into adulthood, a young missionary in Africa searches for meaning wherever he can find it.