A solid whodunit can’t be beat, especially when it comes to young adult books. There’s nothing like a winning combination of a young detective, a horrifying crime, and a question mark over the culprit. Is this a serial killer hiding in the darkness? Is it a dear friend turned violent? Is it someone sitting right under the hero’s nose? Often faced with the shortcomings of school administrators, law enforcement, or adults who are supposed to take control, these stories feature young adults forced into situations that would otherwise occur to much older people.
The books on this list are no different. Whether it’s the story of a young detective investigating a cold case and a new case at a prestigious academy or the story of a best friend trying to prove who murdered a black homecoming queen, all the books on this list are ones you can’t miss.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by holly jackson
Five years ago, Andy Bell went missing. When her boyfriend, Sal Singh, sent a message to her parents in which he confessed to killing her and then committing suicide, everyone assumed he was guilty. But when teenager Pippa begins researching the case for her senior project, it doesn’t all seem so cut and dry. With no body, no physical evidence and very little else to do, Pippa made up her mind to solve the case once and for all.
really, crooked By Maureen Johnson
When young detective Stevie Bell is accepted into Ellingham Academy, one of her goals is to solve the kidnapping of the founder’s wife and daughter in the 1930s. However, soon after his arrival, when one of Stewie’s classmates is killed, the crime scene is greatly reduced, with evidence appearing to tie the cases together. Stewie is determined to find out how the cases are connected and who is behind them both.
where sleeping girls lie By Faridah Ábíké-Íyímídé
After a lifetime of homeschooling, Sade is intimidated by the idea of entering her junior year at a prestigious boarding school. Due to her father’s death, she joins after the school year begins, drawing even more attention to her. Then, on her first night there, her roommate, Elizabeth, disappears. The school says Elisabeth is gone, but Sade finds this too suspicious to believe. Then another student is found dead, and her worries about boarding school grow from social anxiety to a secret killer.
black Queen By Jumata Emil
On the night of her coronation, the school’s first black homecoming queen, Nova, is murdered. Her best friend, Duchess, thinks she knows who did it. After all, Nova defeated rich white girl Tinsley to take the crown, and everyone knows Tinsley won’t take no for an answer. There is also a video of him threatening to kill Nova. But as Duchess investigates her friend’s murder, she discovers secrets hidden in Nova’s past that muddy the suspect pool.
perfect little monsters By Cindy RX Hay
Dawn is the new girl at school, forced to move in after financial hardship forces her family to live with her aunt. When Dawn gets an invitation to the party of Ella, the most popular girl in school, she thinks she’s finally fitting in. Ella is then murdered at the party, presumably with a poisoned cup, and eyes turn to Don as he was the last person to give Ella a drink. To clear his name, Don must solve the crime himself. However, it won’t be easy, as it seems like everyone has a reason to take down Ella.
nothing more to tell By Karen M. McManus
Shortly after the unsolved murder of his favorite teacher, Brian and his family move in. Brianna is not only dealing with the murder, but she’s also dealing with a sudden rift with her best friend, who was one of the kids who discovered the body. A few years later, his father’s job brings him back to the city and school, which still haunts him. Now, she’s starting an internship with a true-crime show, and she’s determined to find out what happened that day in the woods.
I hope one of these can’t-miss YA whodunits will grab your attention. For more on YA, check out these 50 Must Read Mysteries for Young Adults or these YA thrillers about friendship!
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