Unlikely Amateur Sleuths Are On the Case in These Books

Wallbrook's debut has been one of the best mystery surprises of 2025.

Professor Daphne Ouverture's titles are as intriguing as this mystery. An assistant professor of European history, a scholar of modern French imperialism, and a (self-titled) semi-professional rambler on the horrors of colonial medicine, she leads a quiet academic life.

But when a colleague—brilliant but insufferable anthropology professor Sam Taylor—is murdered at the top of our story, Daphne finds herself tangled in a dangerous game.

There is so much to love about Daphne, but one of the most intriguing aspects of Daphne's character is her photographic memory. This ability becomes key to the mystery when she recalls that Sam sent her a cryptic text in French referencing a book that has now mysteriously vanished from her library.

As Daphne brilliantly pieces together the puzzle, she realizes that personal and institutional history has a way of repeating itself and that some secrets refuse to stay buried. It's a page-turner!

Related-2025 Summer Reading Guide

Related- Unforgettable Campus Novels With All the Drama

Related- Black History Month Books (To Read All Year Long)

From the author of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder comes a gripping adult debut with a killer premise: Jet Mason has seven days to solve her own murder... before it happens.

After surviving a violent attack on Halloween night, doctors warn that a head injury will soon turn fatal. With her time ticking down, Jet must revisit old relationships, expose hidden secrets, and outwit a would-be killer with nothing left to lose.

Sharp, twisty, and emotionally charged, this novel offers everything fans love about amateur sleuths—raised stakes, unreliable allies, and a ticking clock that won’t wait.

Release Date- 22 July 2025

Related- Best Time Travel Books To Escape Real Life

Related- Time Loop Books

Related- Books About Alternate Realities or Parallel Lives

Related- Best Time Travel TV Shows and Movies

Set on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, this deliciously witty debut blends homicide with a dash of romance and a whole lot of flavor.

When a neighborhood lothario drops dead at table two of her soul food café, Savvy Summers never expects her sweet potato pie to be the prime suspect.

With her restaurant’s reputation crumbling and the press circling like vultures, Savvy—along with her spirited assistant Penny—sets out to solve the mystery herself.

Release Date- 29 July 2025

In a cozy Santa Barbara bungalow complex just steps from the beach, a group of quirky tenants becomes unlikely detectives when their landlady confesses to a murder they’re sure she didn’t commit.

What begins as a case of neighborhood drama quickly turns into a full-fledged amateur investigation with a sculptor, a playwright, a finance bro, and an anxious agoraphobe forming the most endearing sleuth squad you didn’t know you needed.

When Finlay’s partner-in-chaos, Vero, gets slapped with theft charges and house arrest, Finlay heads straight to Maryland to clear her best friend’s name because if there’s one thing these accidental sleuths have learned, it’s how to sniff out trouble and survive it together.

With sorority secrets, threatening notes, and a vanishing alibi in the mix, this sixth installment brings the same blend of twisty mystery, sharp humor, and ride-or-die friendship fans adore.

Release Date- 10 March 2026

Related- Best Books About Road Trips

Kirby Cornell's life is already a mess when a chilling message lights up her old group chat: Everyone in the group chat dies. It's creepy enough on its own—except it's from a roommate who's been dead for a year.

Now someone is resurrecting the past and picking off her old friends one by one, forcing Kirby to untangle a tangled web of secrets, guilt, and a second-rate serial killer who may not be so dead after all.

Release Date- 9 December 2025

Related- L.M. Chilton Interview (Podcast)

When Sierra Angelos enters season five of The Escape Game, a televised competition built around high-stakes escape rooms, she’s not just playing to win.

She’s playing to uncover the truth about her sister’s murder.

As the puzzles grow more dangerous and clues point to something far more sinister, Sierra and her fellow contestants realize the game isn’t just for entertainment—it’s a deadly hunt for justice.

Fast-paced, full of sabotage and secrets, this young adult thriller is a twisty ride perfect for fans of One of Us Is Lying and Only Murders in the Building—with a locked-room vibe and a countdown clock you won’t want to stop.

Release Date- 7 April 2026

Fans of The Good Place will find much to love in this surprisingly philosophical story pitting good against evil.

Thea can transfer life years between people—an ability that quickly spirals into a full-blown ethical dilemma when she redistributes time from the dangerous to the deserving.

What begins as a righteous mission grows more tangled with each choice, and this story's emotional depth caught me off guard.

This plot unfolded in such unexpected ways, and by the end, I was in tears, both from the emotional payoff and the way the author brilliantly tied everything together.

St. Barth’s may boast a murder rate of zero, but that stat doesn’t hold up once Audrey Collet arrives. Blackmailed by her eccentric billionaire ex, Audrey finds herself on a luxury island estate surrounded by secrets, scandal, and suspects.

When a foot washes ashore in the Everglades and a birthday dive ends in death, Audrey realizes the person extorting her isn’t the only danger in paradise.

Trapped on a yacht with seven potential killers, she must solve the murder before she becomes the next body to surface. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie with a modern, sun-soaked edge.

Related- Best Books to Get Out of a Reading Slump

When book-loving Mia Crawford takes a long-overdue vacation to a private island resort, she expects her biggest decision to be which book to read next—until she discovers cryptic notes scribbled in the margins of a mystery novel.

As the clues begin to point toward a missing guest and the resort’s glossy perfection starts to crack, Mia is drawn into an investigation filled with suspects, secrets, and a dangerously charming bartender.

Related- Enthralling Books Set on Islands

When Cath discovers that her late mother had secretly booked tickets to a staged murder mystery week in the English countryside, she impulsively decides to go in her place.

What begins as a quirky getaway in a small Peak District village turns into something deeper, as Cath and her two fellow amateur sleuths—an overwhelmed birding shop employee and a romance author in a rut—find that solving fake crimes might just help them face the real mysteries in their lives.

Related- Fascinating Books About Authors and Publishing

When college student Jane Sharp plunges into the online world of amateur sleuthing after her father’s death, she finds comfort in chasing cold cases with fellow internet detectives.

But when a series of shocking murders rocks a small town in Idaho, Jane’s obsession turns deadly. As she digs deeper into the Delphine killings, it becomes clear that the truth is more twisted than she imagined. Told in the aftermath of the case, this chilling novel explores the blurred line between solving a mystery and becoming part of it.

Related- Ashley Winstead Interview (Podcast)

Related- Fictional Serial Killer Books

Related- Books on Grief and Loss

Related- Best Atmospheric Books

You'll know immediately if this book is for you from the opening line:

"The missing boy is ten-year-old Alfie Risby, and to be perfectly honest with you, he's a little shit."

Florence Grimes is in a rut after the collapse of her promising girl band career. Instead of pursuing her dreams, she's delivering overpriced balloon arches to influencer events. But in her heart of hearts, Florence knows Mariah had a comeback. She, too, will find her Emancipation of Mimi moment to begin her singing career again.

Just as she is about to have her comeback interview with a promising lead in the music industry, an incident at her son's private school changes everything.

Alfie Risby, a problematic classmate, becomes a field trip partner with her son on a nature excursion. But when they return to school, the teachers realize that the pair is now down to one, and Dylan is the last person to have seen him.

Later, when Florence finds Alfie's backpack hidden in Dylan's room, she discovers a diary tucked inside with a chilling entry that says, "Dylan Palmer said he's going to kill me."

She realizes she must put her music career on hold, get rid of this backpack, clear her son's name, and discover what REALLY happened to this mini heir to a frozen food empire.

Related- Sarah Harman Interview

Related- Page Turners About Motherhood

Vera Wong is back and as meddling as ever in this follow-up to the hit Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Vera Wong’s teahouse is thriving, her matchmaking skills are unmatched, and life is good, but wouldn’t another murder make things more exciting?

When a young woman seeks help finding a missing friend, Vera stumbles upon a case file about the mysterious death of influencer Xander Lin. Online, he had it all, but in reality, no one seems to know who he truly was.

Determined to impress her future daughter-in-law, Officer Selena Gray, Vera launches her own investigation. But as every clue leads to another dead end, she’ll need her signature meddling (and a few cups of tea) to crack the case—before the killer strikes again.

I haven't met a Jess Kidd book that I haven't loved. This new cozy mystery is the first in the Nora Breen Investigates series and a fun new writerly direction for Jess Kidd fans to follow.

In 1954, Sister Nora Breen's quiet world is upended when her former novice, Frieda Brogan, suddenly stops writing.

Concerned for her friend's safety, Nora leaves her monastery after 30 years and follows Frieda's last known trail to Gull's Nest, a fading seaside boarding house in Gore-on-Sea.

Masquerading as a guest, she settles among the eccentric residents, quickly realizing she's not the only one harboring secrets.

Related- Incredible Books About Faith and Churches

When Nova Davies moves to the quaint Cornish village of St. Tredock, she hopes to quietly settle into life with her fiancé's family despite her overbearing mother-in-law's wedding meddling.

But after taking a job at the local community center, she finds herself at the helm of a book club filled with an eclectic mix of members, from studious teens to cantankerous retirees.

Just as she begins to bridge their differences, disaster strikes: £10,000 meant for the center's roof repair vanishes, a book club member disappears, and a murder shakes the village.

Now, with suspicion falling on their beloved club, Nova and her fellow bookworms—led by a Miss Marple-obsessed octogenarian—must channel their inner sleuths to uncover the truth.

Related- Books About Book Clubs

These beloved TV icons get a delightful whodunit makeover in Murder by Cheesecake, a nostalgic and laugh-out-loud mystery featuring the ladies of The Golden Girls.

When Rose's niece plans a wedding in Miami, her Norwegian American relatives descend upon Florida, sending her stress levels soaring.

But family drama takes a backseat when Dorothy is arrested at the bridal shower—accused of murder after a man from a VHS dating service turns up dead, face-first in a cheesecake.

Determined to clear Dorothy's name, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia band together, proving that friendship (and a well-timed quip) can solve anything.

Related- 17 Stunning Friendship Stories

When her grown daughter is suspected of murder, a charming and tenacious widow digs into the case to unmask the real killer in this twisty, page-turning whodunnit—the first book in a cozy new detective series from the acclaimed author of Ayesha at Last.

With sharp intuition, a meddlesome aunty streak, and help from old friends and her spirited granddaughter, this new novel sounds like a page-turner.

But as she unearths long-buried secrets, she realizes the truth may be more dangerous than even she ever imagined.

Nita Prose returns with another irresistible mystery in The Maid's Secret, blending an art heist, a long-buried family secret, and a touch of romance in a captivating whodunit.

When the Regency Grand Hotel hosts an episode of Hidden Treasures, head maid Molly Gray is stunned to learn that her late grandmother's beloved display egg is no mere trinket—it's a priceless Fabergé. But before she can fully grasp the revelation, the egg vanishes, setting off a chain of threats, investigations, and shocking discoveries.

As Molly races to uncover the truth, her grandmother's long-hidden diary emerges, unlocking secrets that reach back decades and tie her family's past to the very heart of the mystery.

Related- Best Books About Art and Artists

A retired nurse, expert cake maker, and sharp-eyed sleuth, Miss Hortense has lived in Bigglesweigh, a quiet Birmingham suburb, since emigrating from Jamaica in 1960.

With decades of nursing experience, she's unafraid of anyone, and can uncover secrets with a glance.

When a man is found dead in one of the Pardner network's homes, an influential group of Black investors, Miss Hortense, steps in to investigate.

However, when a Bible quote found by the body brings unsettling memories of a traumatic past, she must dive deeper into long-buried secrets.

Related- Books About Nurses

By day, Joe is a buttoned-up hotel accountant. By night, they transform into Misty Divine, a dazzling star of London's drag scene.

But when Misty's beloved drag mother, Lady Lady, is found dead beside a poisoned box of chocolates, the spotlight turns on Misty and her fellow queens as the prime suspects.

Determined to get justice and unwilling to let the police's biases cloud the case, Misty launches her own investigation. But in a world of glitter and glam, a killer lurks in the wings, and Misty Divine won't stop until she finds out who's behind the crime.

Related- LGBTQ History Month Books

Julia Mann, a sharp-tongued ex-actress with a knack for making enemies, has a problem. There's a dead body in her swimming pool, and the cops are convinced she put it there.

(Not an unfair assumption, considering she's already done time for murder once.)

Enter Natasha Mason, a by-the-book investigator who meets Julia at an AA meeting and can't help but get involved.

What starts as a reluctant partnership turns into a wild investigation through Hollywood's glitzy underbelly, from burlesque clubs to country clubs, with a supporting cast of showgirls, cat burglars, and shady agents.

But will they find the real killer before Julia lands back behind bars?

This captivating debut mystery, a Reese’s Book Club pick for September 2023, was written by former NASA engineer Nina Simon while her mother was undergoing cancer treatment, a heartfelt collaboration to pass the time together.

In this charming and heartfelt whodunit, an unlikely trio of amateur sleuths—a sharp-witted grandmother, her determined single mother daughter, and an inquisitive teenage girl—team up to solve a shocking murder.

Lana Rubicon, a formidable Los Angeles real estate mogul, is forced to slow down after a cancer diagnosis lands her in a quiet coastal town with her estranged daughter, Beth, and granddaughter, Jack.

Just as she struggles to adjust to her new reality, their world is upended when Jack discovers a dead body during a routine kayaking trip.

Now, three generations of strong-willed women must set aside their differences and uncover the truth before the killer strikes again.

Related- Nina Simon Interview (The Remarkable Murder Mystery That Changed Everything)

Related- My Top Celebrity Book Club Picks

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends—Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron—meet every Thursday to investigate cold cases as part of their quirky Thursday Murder Club.

Their sleuthing is mostly a harmless hobby until a local developer is found dead under mysterious circumstances, and the club suddenly finds themselves at the center of an active murder investigation.

Armed with sharp wit, decades of life experience, and a few unexpected connections, the four retirees take it upon themselves to solve the case—much to the frustration of the local police.

As they dig deeper, they uncover secrets that some would prefer to stay buried, all while proving that age is no obstacle when it comes to cracking a mystery.

Ingrid, a 29-year-old Ph.D. student, is struggling to finish her dissertation and drowning in student debt.

As her funding runs out and the deadline for her research on renowned poet Xiao-Wen Chou approaches, she discovers a mysterious note in the archives correcting her conclusion about the location referenced in Chou's famous poem.

Intrigued, Ingrid embarks on an unexpected investigation with the help of her best friend, Eunice, whose wild K-Drama theories may hold the key to unraveling the truth.

Jennifer Kim's deadpan delivery in the audiobook adds a layer of humor as she leads us through her coming-of-consciousness narration. If you love satirical novels, lean into this one!

Related- 14 Books By AAPI Authors to Read Now

Gwen Turner is just trying to navigate the horrors of online dating—ghosting, bad pickup lines, and the occasional awkward first date. But when her matches start turning up dead, Gwen realizes she's swiping through a serial killer's hit list.

As the body count rises, Gwen takes matters into her own hands, determined to unmask the murderer before she becomes the next victim.

Packed with red herrings, laugh-out-loud moments, and a clever spin on the dangers of modern romance, Don't Swipe Right is a binge-worthy thriller for fans of Scream.

Related- L.M. Chilton Interview (Digital Dating Turns Deadly in This Debut Mystery)

Related- 30 Fictional Serial Killer Books to Read Now

Daniel has a rare disease that limits his movement, but nothing gets past him especially when he witnesses a woman's abduction from his front porch.

He decides to take his story to Reddit, where he begins a conversation with the captor. As he discloses more and more, Daniel is convinced he might be the one to help solve the case, but it is tough to convince the police that you have valuable information when you can't speak or move.

Trust me, the characters in this novel are unforgettable, as are the laughs.

Related- Books to Get Out of a Reading Slump

Related- Disability Pride Books

Looking for a really great audiobook to indulge in? The narration on this smart murder mystery delivers in spades!

In this wildly entertaining series, struggling novelist Finlay Donovan finds herself in a bizarre mix-up at a Panera Bread. While discussing the plot of her next suspense novel with her agent, a nearby eavesdropper mistakes her for a contract killer—and offers her a job.

As a financially strapped single mom, the offer is shockingly tempting. After all, what better way to research a thriller than by accidentally living one?

Packed with sharp humor, witty banter, and an unexpected (and hilarious) partner-in-crime, this book delivers nonstop laughs and twists that will keep you flipping pages (and giggling) all the way through.

Stephanie Plum is broke, jobless, and desperate enough to take on a new bounty hunter gig despite having zero experience.

Her first assignment?

Bring in Joe Morelli, a charming and infuriating cop-turned-fugitive who also happens to be the guy who broke her heart years ago. Determined to prove herself, she dives headfirst into a world of car chases, eccentric criminals, and one very mysterious (and dangerously attractive) bounty hunter named Ranger.

Fast-paced, hilarious, and filled with quirky characters, this is a classic in the amateur sleuth genre, with 31 novels to dig into in this series.

Get ready to laugh a lot because Vera Wong is my new favorite meddling older protagonist! She’s up to date on all the latest TikTok trends and never misses an opportunity to dish out unsolicited advice... whether people want it or not.

Vera keeps busy running her struggling tea shop in San Francisco’s Chinatown, humorously named Vera Wang’s World Famous Tea House (because, hey, brand recognition matters).

But when she stumbles upon a dead man in her shop clutching a flash drive, she does what any self-respecting amateur sleuth would do. She swipes the evidence and takes the case into her own hands, convinced she can outsmart the police.

As she investigates, Vera unexpectedly finds herself forming deep connections with her customers, forcing her to juggle detective work with her growing friendships.

If you’re craving a charming and cozy mystery, the audiobook of this novel is delightful.

Ernest Cunningham follows the family rule: he always tells the truth. And the truth is, everyone in his family has killed someone.

When a family reunion at a remote mountain resort turns deadly, Ernest finds himself caught in a classic whodunit, complete with an isolated setting, a rising body count, and a web of long-buried secrets.

As tensions mount and accusations fly, Ernest must use his knowledge of crime novels (and his own family's dark history) to unravel the mystery before anyone else meets an untimely end.

Dark humor, twists, and a protagonist who feels like a hardboiled detective trapped in the wrong novel make this an unforgettable read.

Related- 26 Books About Books You Will Love

Precocious 11-year-old Flavia de Luce has a passion for chemistry and a knack for solving crime.

When she stumbles upon a dying man in her garden, she's determined to uncover the truth even if it means outwitting the police, her father, and her nosy older sisters.

There are twelve beloved books in the Flavia de Luce Series to read if you fall in love with this fun character.

Related- 13 Coming-of-Age Books Any Adult Will Love

When bestselling author Alan Conway dies under mysterious circumstances, his editor, Susan Ryeland, is tasked with finishing his latest manuscript—only to discover that the story within its pages mirrors the very real murder of Conway himself.

As Susan dives deeper into the manuscript, she uncovers a tangled web of secrets, lies, and potential motives. The more she reads, the more she finds herself drawn into a puzzling investigation that seems to blur the lines between fiction and reality.

Molly Gray isn’t like everyone else. Her world is guided by strict routines, a love of cleanliness, and a deep devotion to her job as a hotel maid at the prestigious Regency Grand. She takes great pride in restoring each room to perfection, finding comfort in the order of it all.

But when she discovers a wealthy guest dead in his suite, Molly’s carefully structured life is thrown into chaos.

Due to her unusual demeanor, she quickly becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation. With the help of a few unlikely allies, Molly must navigate a world of secrets, deception, and hidden agendas to clear her name and uncover the truth.

Related- Books With Autistic Characters to Read Now

Lila Macapagal's fresh start running her aunt's Filipino restaurant takes a deadly turn when her food critic ex-boyfriend drops dead... right after a meal at the café.

With her family business on the line and the cops eyeing her as the prime suspect, Lila must devise a plan to clear her name.

This story is sweetly satisfying and, at the end, filled with some fun recipes for replicating a few of these great dishes that you are reading about.

Four strangers sit in the Boston Public Library when a woman's scream shatters the silence. As they rush to investigate, they discover the body of a woman in the library’s reading roo,m, setting off a chain of events that will forever link them together.

The story is told through the perspective of author Hannah, who is working on a novel inspired by the real-life crime, using the voices of the four strangers—Freya, Cain, Whit, and Marigold—as characters in her fictional work.

As the lines between reality and fiction blur, the characters begin to unravel not just the truth about the crime, but also dark secrets within their own lives.

Related- Books About Libraries You'll Want to Add to Your Shelf Now

Five years ago, Andie Bell was murdered, and everyone knows who did it. The case is closed, except Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn't convinced.

For her senior project, she re-examines the case, uncovering secrets the town would rather keep buried. But as Pip approaches the truth, someone wants to stop her—at any cost.

This young adult series is excellent on audiobook and you can binge the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series on Netflix when you finish the book!

Related- 11 Shows to Watch With Your Tween

Related- Better Than The Movies Movie List (FREE PRINTABLE!)

This novel made me fall in love with Simone St. James.

Carly Kirk never believed in ghosts until she takes a job at the eerie Sundown Motel in search of answers about her aunt's disappearance decades ago. But something sinister still lingers in the motel's halls, and Carly's investigation may put her in the same danger her aunt once faced.

This mystery had a very Hitchcock feel to it and I loved the layering of all the guests stories and how they intertwined with Carly & Viv's story. It's a ghost story isn't too scary, but has just the right kind of creepy vibes for any reader.

Related- 24 Atmospheric Books to Get Lost In This Season

Set at an elite prep academy, two students, Devon and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected as senior class prefects. This coveted spot holds notoriety in their school and puts them in the running for its valedictorian. 

After this announcement, the two start receiving threatening messages from someone who identifies only as Aces. What begins as a harmless prank evolves into dangerous threats that lead the two to realize that these pranks are rooted in a dark history at their school that they could have never expected. 

Related- Social Horror Books

College student Joe Talbert, is assigned to write a biography of a stranger as part of his English class project. He chooses Carl Iverson, a dying Vietnam War veteran who has spent decades in prison for the brutal murder of a young woman.

As Joe begins to interview Carl, he uncovers inconsistencies in the story and starts to suspect that Carl might not be guilty after all.

Becoming more entangled in the case, Joe must confront his own painful past while racing against time to bring justice to a man who may have been wrongfully convicted.

Related- The Best Book Club Books to Discuss Now

Related- Beautiful Lessons from a Book Club for Inmates

When Claire's husband is brutally murdered, she uncovers shocking secrets about his past—ones that link him to the disappearance of her sister decades earlier. As she digs deeper, she realizes the truth is darker than she ever imagined.

As a lover of horror films and fiction, this book is the first book that has absolutely terrified me and kept me up with nightmares at night...and I loved it. Slaughter perfectly crafts each character so skillfully that it is as though you are watching a film.

Dark, psychologically twisted, evil, and graphic, the tale is gruesome and horrific and kept me on the absolute edge of my seat from the opening page.

Related- Best Psychological Thrillers to Read Now

Related- 19 Thrillers to Keep You Up All Night