The Teen Place

 

Mysteries for Teens

 

From the flat-out mysterious to the subtly suspenseful, these titles and authors will feed your need for intrigue.

Avi.  Wolf Rider. After receiving an apparent crank call from a man claiming to have committed murder, fifteen-year-old Andy finds his close relationship with his father crumbling as he struggles to make everyone believe him.

Cooney, Caroline.  Face on the Milk Carton. (and many others) A photograph of a missing girl on a milk carton leads Janie on a search for her real identity.

Cross, Gillian. Tightrope. When she begins receiving bizarre threatening messages from someone who seems to know her every move, teenage Ashley, after seeking help from the neighborhood tough guy, comes to realize that she alone can end the stalker's reign of terror.

Duncan, Lois. Don't Look Behind You. (and many others) From the author of I Know What You Did Last Summer, comes a novel about April, who must enter the witness protection program to flee the pursuit of a hired killer.

Hoobler, Dorothy. Ghost in the Tokaido Inn. While attempting to solve the mystery of a stolen jewel, Seikei, a merchant's son who longs to be a samurai, joins a group of kabuki actors in eighteenth-century Japan

Kerr, M.E. Fell. A strange incident on the night of the senior prom changes John Fell's entire life, leading him to enroll in an exclusive private school under an assumed name

Koningsburg, E.L. Silent to the Bone. When he is accused of gravely injuring his baby half-sister, thirteen-year-old Branwell loses his power of speech and only his friend Connor is able to reach him and uncover the truth about what really happened.

Plum-Ucci, Carol. The Body of Christopher Creed. Torey Adams, a high school junior with a seemingly perfect life, struggles with doubts and questions surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the class outcast.

Pullman, Philip. Ruby in the Smoke. In nineteenth-century London, sixteen-year-old Sally, a recent orphan, becomes involved in a deadly search for a mysterious ruby.

Qualey, Marcia. Close to a Killer. Seventeen-year-old Barrie finds herself involved in a string of murders that are somehow connected to her mother's hair salon.

Raskin, Ellen. The Westing Game. The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance.

Sykes, Shelley. For Mike. When Jeff's best friend Mike disappears in the fall of their senior year in high school, Jeff has disturbing dreams in which Mike urges him to come get him, and a secret begins to unfold.

Werlin, Nancy. Killer's Cousin. After being acquitted of murder, seventeen-year-old David goes to stay with relatives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he finds himself forced to face his past as he learns more about his strange young cousin Lily.

Mystery authors for teens: Jay Bennett, Joan Lowery Nixon, Caroline Cooney, Lois Duncan, Willow Davis Roberts. For more mysteries, try the mystery section of Booklists for Young Adults on the Web or see the winners of the prestigious Edgar award in the Young Adult category.

Adult Mysteries for Teens

Deaver, Jeffrey. The Devil's Teardrop. (and others) Special Agent Lukas and Parker Kincaid (retired FBI and top forensic investigator in the country) team up to try to prevent a New Year's Eve massacre.

Savage, Tom. Scavenger. Mystery writer Mark Stevenson has just published a bestselling novel based on a series of   unsolved murders. Mark is contacted by a stranger, calling himself "Scavenger," who claims  to know the truth behind his fiction. Scavenger proposes that Mark play a game with him--a nationwide hunt in which Mark will revisit the original crime scenes, ultimately leading to unmasking the Family Man's true identity.

Kay, Terry. The Kidnapping of Aaron Greene. Who would kidnap a nobody like Aaron Greene? Will anyone pay his ransom?

Gilstrap, John. Nathan's Run. Wrongly imprisoned at twelve years old, Nathan Bailey kills a guard in self-defense, escapes, and finds himself on the run from the police, the Mafia, and a county prosecutor determined to stop him at all costs.

Adult mystery authors for teens:  Nevada Barr, Agatha Christie, Jeffrey Deaver, John Grisham, Sue Grafton. For more suggestions try Adult Mysteries for Teens and ALA's Popular Paperback Adult Mysteries for Teens.

 

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