That's Not My Name by Megan Lally

 

Mary has amnesia. She is found by the side of the road and taken to a police station and a man who has her birth certificate and photos frantically comes to take her home. But Mary doesn't remember this father who takes her to a cabin in the woods, doesn't answer her questions, and tries to dress her in conservative clothes. As a reader, it's pretty clear that this man might not be her father, but who is he and why does he have photos of her? 

Meanwhile, in a separate story, a teenager named Drew is searching for his missing girlfriend, Lola. He was the last one to see her alive and is a suspect in her probable murder. All he wants is to find Lola alive. 

These stories are going to intertwine and the real question is whether or not Mary is Lola and whether she will live long enough to be found. This is a gripping mystery for high schoolers. I was hoping it would work for middle schoolers who are clamoring for thriller/murder mysteries, but there was enough language and themes to make me feel like this is better left for 9th-12th graders. Definitely recommended for older teens looking for a suspenseful thriller.  

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

 

Six older teenagers in an RV on a long road trip get stranded in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. There's no internet, their tires are flat. It feels like a big adventure until a rifle shot alerts them that they are prisoners of someone who wants something. They learn that someone in the RV has a secret and the shooter won't stop until he gets the information he needs. This truly terrifying story takes place in just 8 hours. Red, the 18-year-old protagonist, tells the story and secrets, cruelty, and scares abound. The book has a lot of foul language and is truly frightening. Five Survive is reviewed for grades 9-up. I can promise you that middle schoolers (who are huge fans of Holly Jackson and only want to read murder mysteries) are eating this one up. 

Gaslit by Megan Davidhizar

Ella volunteers to babysit for her nephew on New Year's Eve. When she arrives at her aunt's house she finds the door open and bodies on the floor. She pulls two people to safety but can't save the life of one of the people in the house. But why were people in the house and who disconnected the hose that created the gas leak? Was this murder or a terrible accident? Is her older cousin telling the truth? Can the good looking neighbor boy be trusted? Is Ella's medical condition making her see things that aren't really there? This is a twisty mystery with a YA vibe that's appropriate for middle schoolers. 

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

Kaylani is spending a few weeks on Martha's Vineyard with family friends when a local teenager goes missing. When it is determined that his death was not accidental, Kaylani realizes that she may have some knowledge of the events leading up to the murder. Kaylani is living with a snooty and not very welcoming family that is part of the Black community on Martha's Vineyard, and it becomes clear that they are hiding some secrets. Kaylani is most interested in communicating with her father who is in prison for financial crimes he may or may not have committed, and her father's status affects how people perceive her on the island. Readers will relate to Kaylani and her outsider status. Murder mysteries are in high demand in middle schools, and this is a fine selection for 6th and 7th graders (or even younger students). It does not have the edginess of a YA murder mystery but the ending will likely surprise readers and its shorter page count and beautiful cover will draw students in.  

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Kids are clamoring for this series from the author of The Inheritance Games series. The Naturals was first published in 2014 but has had a social media resurgence in 2025. It's the story of 17-year-old Cassie, recruited by the FBI because of her natural ability to read people. She's brought together with a small group of teens who are also "naturals" at some aspect of crime solving. The teens aren't supposed to get directly involved with murder cases, but Cassie is motivated by her mother's murder many years ago, and one of the other teens has a criminal father. So the crime solving is personal, and the naturals get access to some evidence they can't put down. As in many YA books, there's also a love triangle. It's a gritty murder mystery, one that I would say is most appropriate for 8th-up (but younger kids are asking for it). It's smart and feels like watching a crime TV show. CW: mention of sexual abuse, mutilation, and use of the word "whore"

The Dysfunctional Family's Guide to Murder by Kate Emery

 

The Dysfunctional Family's Guide to Murder by Kate Emery is thoroughly enjoyable murder mystery with a quirky, funny 14-year-old Australian narrator. Ruth's extended family is visiting the rural home of GG, their wealthy step grandmother, when GG is murdered by a blow to the head with a typewriter. Ruth and her cousin Dylan go into full detective mode against the wishes of their parents and they discover that multiple family members had either a reason or an opportunity to kill GG, or at least to want her dead. Our snarky, smart narrator, Ruth, breaks the fourth wall by talking right to the reader, telling us that a second body is going to turn up dead, admitting that she is crushing on her handsome cousin, and letting us know when she's about to do something dangerous that her father wouldn't approve of. There's no blood and gore, but it's a legit mystery with references to Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, and Murder She Wrote. Ruth is an outstanding storyteller. A top choice for middle school mystery fans. 

Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter

 

Maddie's Dad is a secret service agent, and when a plot to kill the First Lady of the United States goes wrong, he quits the secret service and takes his daughter with him to live off the grid in Alaska. Maddie is crushed to leave her best friend Logan behind, and receives not a single reply to her many snail mail letters. Six years later, when Logan shows up in Alaska, Maddie is mad. But there's no time to make Logan pay for ignoring her. Logan is the son of the President of the United States and terrorists know his location. Maddie has to use all of her hard-earned survival skills to save his life. It's a wild survival/adventure/action story that is perfect for young teen readers. Maddie and Logan are both smart, funny, bold, and more than a little bit sweet on each other. Highly recommended for 6th-8th graders.   

I Witnessed: The Lizzie Borden Story: A Graphic Novel by Jeramey Kraatz (Author)and Crystal Jayme (Illustrator)

 

Middle school kids are very interested in murder mysteries, so this graphic novel caught my attention. It features a 14-year-old boy who is the next door neighbor of Lizzie Borden. The year is 1892 and soon Lizzie's father and stepmother will be killed with an ax and Lizzie, the spinster daughter, will be accused of murder. Charlie is the next door neighbor (and there was actually a 14-year-old Charlie who lived next door). He knows the family, sees Lizzie try to purchase poison at a store in town, and even sees the shadow of someone lifting an ax. After news of the horrific crime becomes public, Charlie does a little sneaking around to try to find some answers. His mother is called to testify at the trial, and Charlie is at her side viewing the drama that unfolds in the tiny Massachusetts town. Much of the book is based on the well-known facts of the historical Lizzie Borden murder case, but Charlie's story is fictional. Nothing gory here, and kids might need some context to understand fact from fiction, but I think middle school readers will like this. 

This Book Kills by Ravena Guron

 

Jess Choudhary is a scholarship student at an elite British boarding school. She's one of very few Indian students, and she only has one friend. She and a classmate write a short story about a murder for a class assignment, and within days, a popular, wealthy student named Hugh is murdered on school grounds exactly how they wrote it in their story. Shortly after the murder, Jess receives a message saying, "Thank you for the inspiration." Jess fears that if she doesn't solve the mystery that she will either be expelled or the next to be killed. The police, a private investigator, and the school staff are failing badly at protecting the students (there are more murders and threats!), so Jess gets to work analyzing all her classmates, sneaking around, and generally doing things that the reader knows she shouldn't do. There are lots of characters and possible motivations and a powerful secret society made up of students who come from old money. Good readers will love following all the threads and trying to predict the surprise ending. This twisty boarding school mystery is ideal for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen McManus. Young teens are clamoring for murder mysteries and finding quality stories that are appropriate for middle school libraries is tough. This one fits the bill, and I can't wait to recommend it to my 7th and 8th graders. 

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepytus and Steve Sheinkin

 

Historical fiction and mystery are expertly combined in this fast-paced book set in the summer of 1940. It begins with Lizzie on a ship bound for her grandmother's home in America to avoid the war. Lizzie escapes from her guardian just before the ship sails, proving herself to be no ordinary 14-year-old girl. She stays in England with her older brother Jakob who is covertly working as a code-breaker at Bletchley Park where Alan Turing and other real historical figures are frantically cracking Nazi codes. While Jakob works on the Enigma machine codes (fascinating!) Lizzie is solving the mystery of her mother's disappearance in Poland just as the Nazis invaded. Lizzie provokes government agents, works as a messenger at Bletchley Park, and evades her grandmother's attempts to retrieve her yet again, all the while solving mysterious codes in messages seemingly being sent by her missing mother. It's great fun and there is much to be learned about the potential Nazi invasion of Britain during World War II. Pair this with Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming and Spying on Spies by Marissa Moss and Radar and the Raft by Jeff Lantos for readers of any age (adults included) who want to know more about this time period. Septetys and Sheinkin are top-notch writers for young teens and pairing them up is a big treat for readers. 

If Anything Happens to Me by Luann Rice

 

Young teens love murder mysteries and horror books, and it is hard to find age-appropriate titles to satisfy their interests but don't cross into being too gruesome or sexual for readers in the 13-15 year old age range. This mystery about Oli, a 16-year-old whose sister was murdered less than a year ago, is being sold at middle school Scholastic Book Fairs and is appropriate for young teen readers. Oli visits the site of her sister's murder once a month, and in the opening chapter of this book she finds a teenage girl left for dead in the same site. Her name is Iris and she insists on not notifying the police. Iris does not remember much about her situation, but she does know that she has a sister who is being held in captivity, so Iris and Oli set off to find the captor, save Iris's sister, and find the person who killed Oli's beloved sister. This book is not nearly of the same quality as The Good Girl's Guide to Murder or One of Us is Lying or The Agathas, all popular mysteries with middle school and high school students. The teen characters are poorly developed, and the kidnappings and murders are highly implausible, and the characters lack racial diversity. However, I already know an 8th grade reader who devoured this book and loved it, and that is worth a lot. 

Twelfth by Janet Key

 

If ea ever dreamed of going to theatre camp this may be the book for you. Maren is a 12-year-old who is reluctantly sent to a summer camp in the woods that her sister attended for many years. Maren isn't as outgoing or theatrical as her sister, but she becomes involved in a mystery at the camp that has her delving into Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, the history of the camp, and a long-ago story of a woman who longed for a career as a Hollywood director. It's a mystery with a chain of clues that should lead to a valuable ring that might save the camp from bankruptcy. Maren and a couple of new friends are decoding clues from the Shakespeare play they are producing that send them all over the camp (and force them to avoid camp counselors at all costs). As you would expect at theatre camp, there are kids with a variety of gender identities and precocious teenagers who recite Shakespeare. This book's target audience is definitely theatre kids and readers who enjoy intricate puzzle mysteries. The clues and connections to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night sometimes went over my head, but smart theatre kids will likely devour this mystery.  

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

 

Bel's mother disappeared from her car on the highway many years ago when Bel was just a toddler. No one knows if she was abducted, murdered, or simply ran away, but she has not been seen since and Bel has grown up with her father in the same small town. In order to pay for the care of her aging grandfather, Bel and her father agree to be filmed for a documentary about the disappearance of Rachel Price. In the midst of filming, a woman in a tattered red shirt and black pants shows up in town claiming to be Rachel Price and saying she was kidnapped and held in a basement for 16 years. She moves into their house and agrees to be filmed for the documentary. She wants to resume being "mom" to Bel, but Bel has doubts about her motives and her story. This super-compelling mystery is great for teenagers. It is full of F-bombs, but other than that language there is nothing inappropriate for 8th graders looking for a twisty mystery. I will definitely be recommending this to my older middle school readers. 

What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski

 

Anna Hunt is the new girl at East Middle School and she notices that there is something strange about her classmates and how they treat Rachel Riley. Not one person claps for Rachel's birthday when it is announced in the cafeteria--which makes Anna want to find out why Rachel, a formerly popular girl, has become the class outcast. Anna, who is an aspiring podcaster, finds herself in the midst of a mystery that includes a fire, anonymous notes, and a game that no one will talk about. The changing format--including some texts and podcast interviews, keeps the story moving along. Ultimately, this is a book about standing up against harassment and how individuals can make things better. Much like Maybe He Just Likes You, I recommend this book for 5th-7th graders, and I predict that girls will want to read it even though it is boys who might benefit the most from the story. 

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson

 

This missing person/murder mystery kept me reading and guessing up to the end. A small, cliff-side town in California is the setting--and when a wealthy girl goes missing, her former best friend and a classmate investigate to try and clear the name of her boyfriend, who is jailed for the crime. One of the detectives is Alice, a rich girl with neglectful parents and a history of running away. The other is Iris, who needs the reward money and has an abusive past that she doesn't want to share with anyone. Together the two girls follow in the footsteps of Agatha Christie, tracking down leads, sneaking around, acquiring questionable evidence, and generally being sneaky and brilliant. I will definitely recommend this to my 8th grade mystery lovers and have it in my middle school library, but there are elements that make it less appropriate for younger middle schoolers. Highly recommended for fans of The Inheritance Games, Truly Devious, and the Karen McManus mysteries.  

The Da Vinci Code (adapted for young adults) by Da Brown

 

The Da Vince Code (adapted for young adults) tells the same story as the adult novel--an exciting, puzzling thriller involving ancient symbols, secret societies, and Biblical secrets. I've read the book several times and every time I'm caught up in the puzzles and the twists and turns. This YA version is 400 pages, and while they did make cuts, it still captures the full sweep of the story of Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they find the clues left behind by Sophie's grandfather after being murdered at the Louvre Museum. This book isn't about characterization and fine writing--it's pure action, puzzles, and intrigue. It starts off strong and can hook young readers. I have found this to be a great intro to adult fiction and Dan Brown's other work for 8th graders who are good readers.  

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

 

Stevie Bell is a modern-day girl who loves true crime. She goes to Ellingham Academy, a private school in the mountains of Vermont specifically so she can try to solve a crime that happened there in the 1930s. The founder, a man fond of games and puzzles, founded the school to bring together brilliant students, but his own wife and daughter were kidnapped and the crime was never solved. Stevie arrives at school hoping to investigate the long-ago crime, and becomes friends with some interesting students--an actor, an inventor, a writer, an artist. But when the past comes back to haunt them and tragedy strikes one of her new friends, Stevie has a new murder to solve. If you like solving crimes and if you're willing to read the whole trilogy (spoiler--you don't get all the answers without reading all three books), try this mystery. Recommended for grades 7-12. 

Spin by Lamar Giles

 

Spin is a murder mystery. The victim is Paris Secor, also known as DJ ParSec. She's a high school student on the verge of making it big in the music industry when her body is discovered by two teenagers. Kya is her former best friend and Fuse is her former social media manager. Kya and Fuse can't stand each other, but when they are both kidnapped and threatened, they decide to team up to try to solve the mystery before one of them is the next murder victim. There are passionate fans willing to kill for DJ ParSec, as well as a former manager, a new manager, and an ex boyfriend. The police are getting nowhere and don't even seem to care anymore, so Kya and Fuse are on their own in a dangerous world. It took me a while to fully immerse myself in the characters and their relationships, but once I was in I was hooked. Lamar Giles is a talented writer and I recommend this mystery to 8th-12th graders with an interest in music and/or mysteries. 

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

 

Zoe Washington gets a surprise on her twelfth birthday—a letter from Marcus, the father she has never met who is in prison. She writes back to him (without her mother's knowledge) and finds out he seems like a good guy who may actually be innocent of the crime that put him behind bars. But what can a 12-year-old aspiring chef do to exonerate a criminal? This feel-good novel has some mystery and action, but mostly it's the heartfelt story of a girl learning how to make things right in her world without getting in trouble with her parents. This is the first novel from Janae Marks--can't wait to read her next book, A Soft Place to Land. Recommended for 6th and 7th graders. 

War Stories by Gordon Korman

 

This is a contemporary story about a kid who loves playing World War II video games and learning about the war from his great grandfather, G.G. Trevor idolizes G.G. and is thrilled to be invited on a trip to relive his war experiences in France. G.G. helped liberate a French village, and as the last living soldier from his company, is set to receive a medal there. Trevor travels from Fort Benning to Normandy to Paris and through rural France, but strange things are happening and an angry blonde teenage girl seems to be following them. This story goes from the present to the past, painting a vivid picture of D-Day, fighting through hedgerows, and the French Resistance. Readers will learn a lot, get drawn into the suspenseful story, and come to understand that right and wrong are hard to judge in a war-time setting. Middle school fans of Gordon Korman and anyone with an interest in World War II will want to read this book.