Our Favorite Mystery Reads
"If the book is a mystery to its author as she's writing, inevitably it's going to be a mystery to the reader as she or he reads it." ~ Nicole Krauss
It's October and #spooky season has officially arrived! What better way to get ready for all things spooky, sinister, and mysterious, than telling you about a few of our favorite mystery reads! It's the one time of year that we love to dive into mysteries and thrillers as we snuggle up under the blankets, sit around a campfire, or just curl up on the couch and read while leaves fall outside.
Kelli's Picks
It by Stephen King
I first came across It with the remake movie several years ago, and I fell in love with the mystery and scariness behind the story! Last year I got the hardback edition of the book by Stephen King so that I could read (because we all know the book is almost always better than the movie or show!). Yes, I held that almost 1200 page book night after night as I dove into the story, and I loved it!
It centers around the small town of Derry in Maine. A mismatched group of teenagers first witnessed the disappearances, the murder, and odd illusions of horror. Though they feel that they came out on top and defeated the horror their town has been hiding for centuries, they made a vow that if the disappearances and killings happened again, they would all promise to come back and do what they can for their town. Years later as adults who have achieved happiness and success, they all feel a pull to the town that slipped their minds over the years. It was a distant memory with no real relevance...until they return and the memories come back. Can they defeat the nightmare once more and actually bring it to an end?
The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates
The Carrow Haunt by Darcy Coates was a book club find for me a few years ago. Around this time of year, we all wanted to read a mystery of some sort, and this is what was chosen! After finishing the story, I was so happy that I found it. It was such an interesting read that gave me Clue vibes! Please tell me you've seen the 80s classic movie Clue after the board game?? If not, check it out! Anyways, I digress...
The Carrow Haunt follows Remy, who is a tour guide for the infamous Carrow House, known for being haunted. Remy is asked to host a group of seven guests for a whole week's stay in the infamous house so that they can research the house and all of it's phenomena. Even though she has been hosting tours, Remy has never experienced any sightings or strange happenings within the house as she does not normally do overnights, so she agrees excitedly since this might be her chance to finally witness some of these famous sightings!
At first, it's exactly what the guests were hoping to be a part of, and then a disastrous storm rolls in, cutting the house off from the outside world. Things quickly start twisting and turning in mysterious ways. Doors are opening by themselves. Seances go disastrously wrong. Red liquid, or should we just say blood, is dripping down the wallpaper. One of the guests, who is a spirit medium, wanders around at night, in the dark, in a complete trance. Then one of the guests mysteriously dies. Now, Remy is seriously considering that the ghost of the original owner to the house, that they learn was a twisted serial killer, may still be walking the halls. Is it too late to escape?
Chelsea's Picks
One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
If you love a good mystery, but prefer to read mysteries that are less scary, than Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series should be on your radar. There are almost 30 books in this series, so it'll keep you busy for a while! I've been reading these books for years and still finish the newest release in about two days. It's actually become a family tradition that we all read it right around Christmas so that we can just pass the book around until we all finish it.
Although I'm technically recommending the whole series, I'm just highlighting the first book, One for the Money. In One for the Money, we're introduced to Stephanie Plum. She no longer has a job and is desperate. She ends up taking a job as a bail bond agent for her cousin, Vinnie, despite her lack of skills or ability to stay out of trouble. Throughout the story, we're introduced to a number of characters that you come to know and love, including the hot, bad boy, Joe Morelli, who is now a respectable (yet still totally hot) cop. Stephanie's antics always make me sigh, roll my eyes, and laugh out loud. She's totally relatable and is a must read for anyone looking for light-hearted, chaotic characters.
One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus
So I didn't realize until I wrote out the titles on this page that I chose two books with 'one' in the title. But I'm not changing my picks, because they're both too good. One of Us is Lying was the first Karen McManus book I read and ever since, I've made sure to read every new book of hers. Don't let the fact that this is a Young Adult book fool you. It is full of twists and turns and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end.
Much like The Breakfast Club, five students are in detention: Bronwyn (the brain), Addy (the beauty), Nate (the criminal), Cooper (the athlete), and Simon (the outcast). Only four make it out. Before the end of detention, Simon has died, but who's to blame? He died Monday, but on Tuesday, he had planned to release juicy details about the four other students in detention...which makes them all a suspect. Are any of them willing to kill to keep their secrets? Or is the killer still on the loose?
We love hearing about other people's favorite mystery reads! What mysteries do you like to read, especially during this time of year!? Have you read any of our favorites? If not, do you know of a book that is similar that you think we might enjoy checking out? Now is the time to get all our scary, mysterious reads in!
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