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 2004

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Sociology, US History, Race & Racism, Immigration & Refugeeism, Creative Nonfiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Journalism, World History, Social Justice, Politics & Government

Luis Alberto Urrea’s book, The Devil’s Highway, tells the story of a disastrous border crossing between Mexico and The United States. The Devil’s Highway refers to a particularly brutal stretch of desert. In the past, it was not used as often as other routes, but as the story shows, the development and proliferation of the Border Patrol has made it necessary to use this dangerous route. The story is divided into four sections: “Cutting the... Read The Devil's Highway Summary

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Dinner (2009) is a novel by Dutch author Herman Koch. In 2012, Sam Garrett translated it into English. The novel has been adapted into a film multiple times. It tells the story of a dinner at a restaurant, where the guests discuss a serious matter involving their children. Paul Lohman narrates the story, though his version of events may not be reliable.  Plot Summary Paul Lohman, a former history teacher and the narrator of the... Read The Dinner Summary

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Modern Classic Fiction

For the first time in 20 years, Falk returns to his hometown of Kiewarra to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke Hadler. Luke is suspected of killing his wife, Karen Hadler, and son, Billy Hadler, before turning the shotgun on himself. Many residents in Kiewarra do not blame Luke for taking such drastic, violent measures, considering how desperate everyone has become because of the two-year-long drought. Falk and Luke’s father, Gerry Hadler, discuss... Read The Dry Summary

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, World History, Romance

The Essex Serpent is a novel by Sarah Perry, released in 2016. Set in 1893, it tells the story of Cora Seaborne, a recently widowed woman with a burning interest in the natural sciences. Escaping London, she visits a small village in the Essex countryside. There, she finds a population in thrall to the local legend of a sea monster lurking in the nearby estuary and a village priest who is desperately trying to dissuade... Read The Essex Serpent Summary

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Safety & Danger, Justice, Siblings, Family, Place, The Past, Mental Health, Memory

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Death, Social Class, Safety & Danger, Siblings, Revenge, Mothers, Guilt, Fear, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Marriage, Justice, Trust & Doubt, Hate & Anger, Politics & Government, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Conflict, Perseverance

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Crime & Law

OverviewBook DetailsThe Firm is the second legal thriller written by attorney John Grisham. It followed his 1988 debut novel A Time to Kill. The Firm was the top-selling novel of 1991 on the New York Times bestseller list, bringing its author international fame. It focuses on new Harvard Law School graduate Mitch McDeere, who accepts a financially lucrative position with a Memphis law firm that he discovers is embroiled in unethical and illegal activities.Author HighlightsGrisham... Read The Firm Summary

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags British Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance

The Forgotten Garden is the second novel by Australian author Kate Morton. First published in 2008, the book is classified as a historical mystery and won the Australian Book Industry Award for General Fiction in 2009. It later became a New York Times Best Seller. The Forgotten Garden is heavily influenced by the Gothic novel genre and pays homage to The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Events in the story were inspired by the... Read The Forgotten Garden Summary

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Justice, Femininity, Race, Literature, Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, Victorian Period, British Literature, Race & Racism, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Order & Chaos

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Girl Before is a 2016 novel by JP Delaney. The thriller is told from the perspectives of two women, Emma and Jane. Emma is the previous tenant and Jane the current tenant of One Folgate Street, an austere London flat built by the charming Edward Monkford, a leading innovative architect. As the narrative goes back and forth from the past to the present, mystery builds around the circumstances of Emma’s death, until Jane discovers... Read The Girl Before Summary

Publication year 1843

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Appearance & Reality, Mental Health, Race

Tags Classic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Horror & Suspense, American Literature, Gothic Literature, World History

An instant success, Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Gold-Bug” was published in 1843. Poe submitted the short story to a writing competition that was sponsored by the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper. “The Gold-Bug” was awarded first place and subsequently published in three installments. The story was Poe’s most widely read work during his lifetime. Other works by Poe include “The Oval Portrait”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, and “The Black Cat”. This guide refers to the 2021 Amazon Kindle... Read The Gold Bug Summary

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Order & Chaos, Grief, Art

Tags Arts & Culture, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Donna Tartt’s 2013 novel, The Goldfinch, was a national best seller and won the Pulitzer Prize in 2014. It follows the life of Theo Decker from his early teens into his late twenties. The novel is told in five parts and begins when Theo is hiding out in a hotel room in Amsterdam as an adult. It moves back in time and finally makes a circle back to his adulthood, explaining the reason for his stay... Read The Goldfinch Summary

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Good Girl (2014) is a thriller novel by Mary Kubica. It follows the kidnapping of 25-year-old Mia Dennett, an art teacher in Chicago, and her struggle to recover her memory after returning home. It won a Strand Critics Award Nomination for Best First Novel, and two Goodreads Choice Awards, one for Mystery and Thriller and one for Debut Goodreads Author.Plot SummaryThe novel alternates between moments before and after Mia’s rescue, finally focusing on the... Read The Good Girl Summary

Publication year 2013

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Science & Technology, Politics & Government, Safety & Danger, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Hate & Anger

Tags Crime & Law, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Biography, Health, US History, Depression & Suicide, Mental Illness, Trauma & Abuse

The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber is a true crime biography of the life of Charles Cullen, one of the most prolific serial killers in US history. Graeber is an American journalist who spent time as a medical student before moving on to journalism, writing for many prolific news outlets. His joint history in medicine and writing provides him with the necessary expertise to explain the intimacies... Read The Good Nurse Summary

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Hannah Tinti's 2008 debut novel, The Good Thief, is the story of Ren, a one-handed orphan, and his life after being adopted by a pair of thieves in late-19th-century New England. The novel deals with themes of loss and redemption and explores the world of 19th-century medicine. The narrative moves quickly from a Catholic orphanage named after the patron saint of lost things, Saint Anthony, to an impoverished mining town, with stops at moonlit cemeteries... Read The Good Thief Summary

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Forgiveness, Perseverance, Conflict, Equality, Truth & Lies, Power & Greed, Politics & Government

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Crime & Law, Social Justice, Race & Racism, Incarceration, Politics & Government

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Social Class, Truth & Lies

Tags Psychological Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Social Class, Gender & Feminism, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Marriage, Siblings, Appearance & Reality, The Past

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Modern Classic Fiction

The Guest List by Lucy Foley is a contemporary murder mystery novel published in 2020. Foley, an English author, weaves a tale of intrigue, secrets, and betrayal upon the backdrop of an isolated island in West Ireland. Foley is also known for the thrillers The Hunting Party (2018) and The Paris Apartment (2022), among others. Often likened to Agatha Christie, Foley’s novel is a slow-burn whodunit.Plot SummaryMany perspectives compose The Guest List; each chapter jumps... Read The Guest List Summary