9 YA Mystery Novels That Are Full of Twists and Turns

Edited by Ezvid Wiki Editorial on 30 October 2018

Breathing a sigh of relief when you finally learn the secrets of a thrilling "whodunit" is a feeling that mystery enthusiasts know and love. If you're a younger fan of the genre, or an adult looking for something less explicit than the average thriller, you've come to the right list. These YA mystery novels will leave you guessing until the very end, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. When you click links from this website, we may receive advertising revenue to support our research. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

9 YA Mystery Novels That Are Full of Twists and Turns

Title Author More by the Author
1. Find Me Romily Bernard Remember Me Trust Me
2. Lock & Mori Heather W. Petty Mind Games Final Fall
3. No One Else Can Have You Kathleen Hale Nothing Bad Is Going to Happen Never Can Say Goodbye
4. To Right the Wrongs Sheryl Scarborough To Catch a Killer Scary Howl of Fame
5. The Cheerleaders Kara Thomas Little Monsters The Darkest Corners
6. Dangerous Girls Abigail Haas Dangerous Boys I'll Never Tell
7. The Amateurs Sara Shepard Pretty Little Liars The Elizas
8. Vision Lisa Amowitz Breaking Glass Fractured
9. The Sweet Dead Life Joy Preble The A-Word It Wasn't Always Like This

6 Fun & Exciting Mystery Movies

  1. Clue (1985)
  2. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
  3. Dial M for Murder (1954)
  4. Scooby-Doo (2002)
  5. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
  6. The Da Vinci Code (2006)

The History of the Mystery Genre

Some of the world's oldest known stories used the same elements that make modern mysteries so enticing. Homer's famous epic poem The Odyssey is something of a prototype of the genre. The hero's life is in constant danger as he uses his cunning to solve problems and overcome his enemies. But the genre isn't exclusive to Western culture. One of the stories in One Thousand and One Nights (commonly known as Arabian Nights) is considered to be the oldest known murder mystery. This tale, The Three Apples, is full of plot twists and revolves around a mysterious death. Centuries later, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle popularized the genre with his stories about the now-famous Sherlock Holmes. Eventually, of course, mystery made its way from the pages of books to the big screen. Some of the most well-known of these movies were directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who worked on several classics throughout his career, including Psycho, Vertigo, and Rear Window.

Classic Mystery Books

If you're new to the genre, consider diving into its rich history with these classics:

  1. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
  2. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  3. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
  4. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
  5. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

What Is a Mystery?

In Depth

With riveting plots that include cold-blooded murder, unexplained hauntings, and looming threats, mystery books are sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats. And you don't need to be an adult to enjoy this chilling genre; there are plenty of options out there that are written with teens in mind. Here are nine of the best Y.A. mystery novels, listed in no particular order.

At the #1 spot is "Find Me," a fast-paced thriller by Romily Bernard. It features the life of Wick Tate, a teenager who is also a skilled computer hacker. One day she finds the diary of Tess Waye, a girl who recently committed suicide, sitting outside her front door. She decides to read it, and investigate the case. Soon, she finds out that Lily, her sister, will be the next victim of whoever abused Tess.

Coming in at #2 is "Lock and Mori." Written by Heather W. Petty, this is an interesting re-imagination of Sherlock Holmes. Set in modern-day London, the book is titled after its main characters, who are both emotionally awkward and troubled teenagers. They team up to solve a series of mysterious deaths occurring in Regent's Park. As the story progresses, Mori's family secrets are unearthed, threatening her friendship with Lock.

As the story progresses, Mori's family secrets are unearthed, threatening her friendship with Lock.

Following at #3 is "No One Else Can Have You" by Kathleen Hale. The plot begins with the murder of Ruth Fried, a teenager in Friendship, Wisconsin. The town suspects that her boyfriend killed her, but her best friend, Kippy Bushman, thinks there's a different killer on the loose. She tries to find the murderer with the help of some clues from Ruth's diary. This quest brings her to all kinds of trouble in strange places.

Next, at #4 is "To Right the Wrongs." Written by Sheryl Scarborough, this is the second book in a series titled after the main character, Erin Blake. In this volume, the father of her boyfriend, Journey, is in prison for murder and her uncle, a forensic expert, is looking into the case. While Erin is not allowed to get involved, clues keep falling into her lap, making her more and more determined to prove that Journey's father is innocent.

Taking the #5 spot is "The Cheerleaders," a gripping thriller about three separate tragedies that led to the death of five cheerleaders at Sunnybrook High. Five years later, Monica is still feeling the pain of losing her sister to suicide. Around the same time, two of her sister's friends had died in a car accident and the other two were murdered. Monica makes some discoveries that cause her to question these stories. In this book, author Kara Thomas keeps readers guessing until the very end.

Around the same time, two of her sister's friends had died in a car accident and the other two were murdered.

At #6 is "Dangerous Girls" by Abigail Haas. It follows the life of Anna, a high school senior from an elite private school in Boston. She goes to Aruba for spring break with her boyfriend and best friend. What was supposed to be a week of partying turns out to be a gruesome affair when she finds her best friend Elise brutally murdered. Worse, Anna becomes the subject of prosecution. The book is told from the protagonist's point of view, keeping readers glued to the pages as the thrilling story unfolds.

Coming in at #7 is "The Amateurs." This piece is the first installment in a series from Sara Shepard. Main character Seneca Frazier decides to travel to Connecticut, responding to a plea for help on an online forum where aspiring detectives try to solve old murder cases. There, she meets her online friend Maddy and the two try to help Aerin, whose sister disappeared five years ago. As they work on the case, dark secrets are revealed, derailing the investigation.

At #8, "Vision" is a haunting and intense story about Bobby, a high school student who is struggling to support his family. He works hard every night, but he soon starts seeing visions of murder, pointing him to clues leading to a serial killer. He sets out to find this dangerous person after realizing that the killer's next victim could be him or his girlfriend. Written by Lisa Amowitz, this is an exciting thriller with a plot twist that readers will not see coming.

Written by Lisa Amowitz, this is an exciting thriller with a plot twist that readers will not see coming.

Finally, at #9 is "The Sweet Dead Life" by Joy Preble. The story revolves around the life of Jenna Samuels, a young girl whose life is miserable. She is terribly sick and when she collapses one day, her brother Casey brings her to the hospital. However, they get into an accident on the way and Casey dies. Soon after, his ghost appears before Jenna to help her find out who poisoned her. Turns out she wan't just sick after all. This thrilling tale is sure to entertain any fan of paranormal mysteries.