Ten Recommendations for Mystery Books

Hello everybody! Today, I’m going to be giving you some recommendations for mystery books, as part of today’s Top Ten Tuesday. Onto the post!

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The Murder Most Unladylike series– unless you’re new around here, you’ll know I love this series a lot because I talk about it ALL the time. It sees 1930s schoolgirls Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells solve murders in various brilliant locations, and the mysteries are always exceptionally done, I adore the girls with all my heart and I’m just such a huge fan of these books in general. The character development is absolutely incredible as well.

The Adventure Island series– I can’t quite explain how much this series means to me. I read it when I thought I didn’t love reading any more, and this series (along with another also on this list) showed me that I most certainly did still love books and that I loved mysteries. I love the detective trio and their dog, I loved each and every interesting island-set mystery they solve over the series and the blend of history and present day in a lot of them worked very well indeed. Such a brilliant series.

The Sinclair’s quartet/Taylor and Rose series- we first meet Sophie and Lil while they are working at Sinclair’s department store and solving mysteries connected to their roles there, and then the sequel series sees them becoming spies and travelling the world, which is super cool. I’ve loved seeing their progression as the books have went on and meeting the many people they come across while working on their cases, and the mysteries themselves are fantastic. These books are just getting more and more impressive, and I already can’t wait for the next instalment even though I only read the latest one in May.

The Wolfe and Lambe Mysteries series– this is Lauren St John’s latest series, and it’s been really enjoyable in the two books so far. The environmental spin and focus on animals makes them a bit different, the detectives are great and Lauren St John is such a brilliant writer. I’m really looking forward to more!

The Laura Marlin Mysteries– this is the other series I mentioned when I was talking about Adventure Island. Without this series, I have no idea what my reading life would be like, or even if it would exist. Everything about it just appealed so much, from the characters to the mysteries to the settings to the series arc, and I really must try and reread them one day because I have such amazing memories of them.

The Rose Raventhorpe trilogy- this is a historical mystery series with a really interesting secret society at its centre, even though they follow Rose. It’s very hard to explain without giving literally everything about the first book away but it’s a great historical mystery series with humour and intrigue and all that good stuff.

The Last Chance Hotel- this brilliant middle grade is a murder mystery but in a fantasy setting, and it’s such a clever idea. Seth is such a lovable hero, his sassy cat Nightshade was an utter delight, and it nailed both the mystery and the fantasy aspects. I’m really excited that the second in the series is out next month!

One of Us Is Lying– when I heard this was Breakfast Club inspired, I had to read it and when I did I loved it. I adored each and every character of the main 4 by the end (though not as much as the originals obviously, I love that film so much), but especially Cooper and it was just a really gripping, entertaining read. I’m not sure what I think about the impending sequel, but I’m hoping it’ll be good after how disappointing I found the author’s sophomore Two Can Keep a Secret.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder– this is another one I read in May, and it was brilliant just like the aforementioned Spies in St Petersburg (my reviews of these will be in my upcoming monthly review post for May soon!). This is a YA mystery about Pip, and the rather dangerous school project she is working on in which she is trying to solve a local cold case about the disappearance of schoolgirl Andie Bell. It’s so pacy and perfectly plotted and I loved the characters. It’s also VERY funny in places which makes things feel less dark and more entertaining, which is often something I find thrillers lack. It’s great, basically.

The Lost and the Found– I don’t know if I’d enjoy this so much if I read it now (I think I would though), but I loved it at the time. It’s about a girl who vanished as a child reappearing as an adult, told from the perspective of the sister who grew up very much in the looming shadow of her absence. It’s so thought provoking and much more of a psychological thriller than a traditional mystery, if you’re interested in that, and it’s very addictive.

Edit- I’ve just realised I missed out the Five Find Outers series by Enid Blyton, which was another formative mystery series for me, so wanted to add it in! They’re a bit dated in dated in places and you need to stick with the first couple before Fatty becomes the group’s leader, but after that they’re brilliant and such good mysteries! Much better than the more popular Enid Blyton mystery series as well.

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What are your favourite mysteries? Are you planning to try any of the ones I love? I’d love to hear in the comments!

Amy x