I didn’t set out to write a mystery, at first. But when the Blood Flesh Bone trilogy took me there, well, I was undeniably happy because I love mysteries! I spent my teens and early twenties devouring Trixie Belden books, Elizabeth George, and Patricia Cornwell. I just never thought I could write one.
There are quite a few excellent young adult mysteries out there–here are a few of my favorites:
1. Holding Court by K. C. Held: A wacky, heartfelt mystery with romance and a ton of humor. Highly recommend!
2. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly: Gorgeous historical fiction set in the early 1900s, with true-to-life characters who tugged at my heartstrings.
3. Mister Death’s Blue-Eyed Girls by Mary Downing Hahn: Another historical mystery, this one is set in the 1950s.
4. The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George: Elizabeth George is a master of mystery. This one ends on a little bit of a cliffhanger, fair warning!
5. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart: More of a psychological mystery, it nonetheless had me flipping pages as fast as I could. People either love or hate this one–I personally loved it.
6. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead: This might be considered more middle grade than young adult, but I believe readers of all ages will love this story.
7. Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma: Beautifully written with magical realism, this is a book I could read a thousand times.
8. The Diviners by Libba Bray: Not for the faint of heart! This one is terrifying (says the author of gothic mysteries featuring ghosts).