Mystery & Crime

This diverse collection of study guides highlights mystery and crime titles for middle grade, YA, and adult audiences -- from Agatha Christie’s iconic “whodunits” to John Grisham’s popular page-turners. Read on to get the most out of these exceptional books that present baffling puzzles and expose dark secrets.

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Globalization

Tags Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality, Mystery / Crime Fiction

The Harbinger, by Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic Jewish rabbi and author, is Cahn’s debut novel. The Harbinger is described as a Christian novel; it uses and relies on themes, concepts, and scripture that are prevalent in the Old Testament. It was initially published in September 2011 by FrontLine, an imprint of Charisma House, which is a religious publishing group dedicated to spreading religious messages. FrontLine is the imprint of Charisma House used for discussing cultural... Read The Harbinger Summary


Publication year 1959

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Classic Fiction

Published in 1959, The Haunting of Hill House, a Gothic novel by Shirley Jackson, was a 1960 finalist for the National Book Award. The protagonist is Eleanor Vance, a young woman with a troubled past who, along with two other guests, is invited to spend three months in a haunted house to take part in research gathered by Dr. John Montague. Like other Gothic novels, The Haunting of Hill House takes place in an old... Read The Haunting Of Hill House Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Literature, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death, Addiction / Substance Abuse


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Music

Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World

The Huntress is a historical fiction novel published in 2019 by the American author Kate Quinn. Set in the years before, during, and after World War II, the novel weaves together the stories of three central characters: a Russian pilot in the Soviet Red Army’s all-female bomber unit; an American photographer whose father falls in love with a mysterious Austrian woman; and an English war correspondent committed to exposing Nazi war criminals. According to Washington... Read The Huntress Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Liane Moriarty’s novel The Husband’s Secret was published in 2013. It is classified as a thriller, though it could also be classified as women’s fiction because of its focus on women’s life experiences and relationships. Moriarty is perhaps best known for her novels Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, both of which have been adapted for television. Moriarty's other well-known works include The Chaperone (2012), Truly Madly Guilty (2016), and Apples Never Fall (2021)... Read The Husband's Secret Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, Romance


Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Incarceration, Crime / Legal, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Biography

In The Innocent Man, noted crime-fiction author John Grisham takes on the true story of a series of murders in Ada, Oklahoma that led to the conviction, imprisonment, and near execution of not one, but four innocent men. Grisham uses a no-nonsense, journalistic style to present the facts, though an occasional sarcastic aside from the author slips in when the true events become almost too ridiculous to believe. Tracing the aftermath of the murders of... Read The Innocent Man Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality

Critically acclaimed, The Institute (2019) is the 60th entry in Stephen King’s body of more than 100 works. While best known as a horror writer (and one of the most popular writers since the 1970s in general), King dabbles in many genres, including fantasy, mystery, and science fiction—often blurring the boundaries between them. The Institute is more sci-fi thriller than horror, sharing story beats and themes with King’s earlier novels Firestarter and It: It follows... Read The Institute Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Class, Grief / Death, Education, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1927

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Modernism, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Classic Fiction

“The Killers,” by American author Ernest Hemingway, is a short story that tackles the themes Loss of Innocence, Passivity Versus Activity, and Disillusionment With Reality.Originally published in 1927 in Scribner’s magazine, “The Killers” was later included in Hemingway’s short story collections Men Without Women, which came out later the same year, Snows of Kilimanjaro, and The Nick Adams Stories. The story has also been adapted into various film and animation versions over the years.“The Killers”... Read The Killers Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Politics / Government, Russian Literature, History: World, History: European

The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar (2003) is a historical fiction novel detailing the fate of the Romanovs by Robert Alexander (a pen name for Robert Zimmerman). Although Alexander is American, he spent decades in Russia. He attended Leningrad State University and, afterward, ran various businesses in St. Petersburg. As such, he has personal experience with Russian culture. He wrote several historical fiction novels that take place during the Russian Revolution—including Rasputin’s... Read The Kitchen Boy Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Daughters & Sons

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance

The Lake House, a 2015 mystery novel by Australian author Kate Morton, centers on the mysterious disappearance of Theo Edevane, an 11-month-old baby who goes missing from his crib during a party in 1933. The devastated family members each have their own theories about who is responsible, but no one is more affected than his teenage sister, Alice. Seventy years later, Sadie Sparrow, an ambitious young detective, discovers the cold case while visiting her grandfather... Read The Lake House Summary


Publication year 1959

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction

“The Landlady” is a short story by Roald Dahl. It appears in his Collected Stories, the Everyman’s Library version of which was published in 2006.The story is set in Bath, England. It begins with 17-year-old Billy Weaver arriving by train in Bath; he has come here from London, for a job that is never specified. We know only that he has never been to Bath before and knows no one in the town, other than... Read The Landlady Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World

The Last Days of Night (2016) is a novel of historical fiction by Graham Moore, author of the The Sherlockian (2010). The story follows a young lawyer in New York City in 1888, as he attempts to discern who invented the light bulb: Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, or Nikola Tesla. The Washington Post named The Last Days of Night one of the best books of 2016.Plot SummaryIt is 1888 on the island of Manhattan, and... Read The Last Days of Night Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Historical Fiction, Arts / Culture, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World

In Part 1, thieves steal At the Edge of a Wood—assumed to be the only surviving work of 17th-century painter Sara de Vos—from the apartment of Martijn “Marty” de Groot during a fundraiser for orphans. Marty does not discover the theft until months later because the thieves replace the original painting with a forgery created by Eleanor “Ellie” Shipley, an Australian doctoral student studying art history at Columbia University. Smith tells the story of how... Read The Last Painting of Sara De Vos Summary