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I rarely read mysteries, but I often read mysterious books. What's a mysterious book? It's a book where you know that something bad is happening, but you don't know how bad it'll get. It's a story about morally gray characters with murky motives. You can't trust anybody in these novels.
Here are ten mysterious books for your to-be-read list.
Most Mysterious Books
THIS SWEET SICKNESS BY PATRICIA HIGHSMITH
Adult Thriller
David Kelsey, a young scientist, has an unyielding conviction that life will turn out all right for him; he just has to fix the Situation: he is in love with a married woman. Obsessed with Annabelle and the life he has imagined for them—including the fully furnished cabin he maintains for her—David prepares to win her over, whatever it takes.
Why I recommend it: The book is terrifying because of its realism. David is obsessed with Annabelle, even though she shows 0 signs of being romantically interested in him. Annabelle attempts to be friendly with David, but her attention is never enough for him. Eventually, his obsession spirals out of control because she won't give him what he wants. It's every woman's nightmare. I can see why this book is becoming a modern classic. Read it if you enjoyed YOU by Caroline Kepnes.
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Misery by Stephen King
Adult Horror
Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has finally met his number one fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes, and she is more than a rabid reader—she is Paul’s nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also furious that the author has killed off her favorite character in his latest book. Annie becomes his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house.
Annie wants Paul to write a book that brings Misery back to life—just for her. She has a lot of ways to spur him on. One is a needle. Another is an axe. And if they don’t work, she can get really nasty.
Why I recommend it: Annie Wilkes is one of the most iconic horror villains (and most intense bookworms) of all time. There’s a good reason for her infamy: She’s scary! From the outside, she doesn’t seem threatening. She’s a frumpy middle-aged woman who’s scared to say a curse word. But once Paul and the reader get to know Annie, her unpredictability becomes unsettling. Any tiny thing can get her angry. The suspense in this story builds slowly. The reader never knows what Annie will do next. Each of Paul’s missteps causes him to lose a body part.
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The Hound Of The Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
Adult Classic Mystery
You by Caroline Kepnes
Adult Thriller
When a beautiful aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.
There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.
As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.
Why I recommend it: All the people who recommended the audiobook are correct: This story is much creepier when you can hear Joe's voice. He's talking directly to the reader and saying scary stuff. It's . . . an intense audiobook experience.
I'm kind of worried about my sanity because I love this book. It scared me. I think I love it because it explores a nightmare situation. I understand why Beck is attracted to Joe. On the outside, he's helpful, funny, smart, sweet, and bookish. I'd probably date him too. Since the reader gets to hear his internal monologue, we know what Beck doesn't: He's violent, controlling, judgmental, and arrogant. It makes you wonder how well you can ever truly know a person.
Read it if you want to be terrified.
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CEMETERY BOYS BY AIDEN THOMAS
Young Adult Paranormal Fiction
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.
However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
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The Terror by Dan Simmons
Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon
Adult Mystery
Eighty-four-year-old Florence has fallen in her flat at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. As she waits to be rescued, she wonders if a terrible secret from her past is about to come to light. If the charming new resident is who he claims to be, why does he look exactly like a man who died sixty years ago?
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier
Adult Classic Mystery
Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick
Young Adult Historical Fiction
The cabin is silent, so silent, and then there's a knock at the door. It's a stranger, and as his extraordinary story of gold dust and gold lust unwinds, Sig's thoughts turn more and more to his father's prized possession, a Colt revolver, hidden in the storeroom.
A revolver just waiting to be used . . . but should Sig use it, or not?
The Wicker King by K. Ancrum
Young Adult Contemporary Fiction
August and Jack struggle to keep afloat as they teeter between fantasy and their own emotions. In the end, each must choose his own truth.
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