Young Adult Murder Mysteries

Crime drama isn’t just for adults! Experience thrilling narratives and do some teen sleuthing with these young adult murder-mystery titles.  


Gritty Crime Novels

Shorter days. Longer nights. Cold. Sleet. Gray skies. If you really want to lean in to the bleak midwinter, check out these gritty crime novels. Don’t be fooled by some of the sunny settings. Flawed heroes, pessimistic viewpoints, and stark writing all feature in these harsh tales tailor-made for days you’d rather stay inside.


Getting Weird in Los Angeles

The history and mystique of Los Angeles lends itself to many works of fiction, songs and movies. These are some of my favorite movies tinged with (or steeped in) oddness, the kind of oddness that can only play out against the background of Los Angeles.


Catfishing on CatNet

If you’re looking for an action-packed, robot-filled, cat-tinged but realistic story, check out “Catfishing on CatNet.”


Welcome to Pittsburgh: Mysteries and Thrillers

Since mystery, crime and suspense stories are a big and popular genre, it’s no surprise that they are also the biggest genre of Pittsburgh-based fiction. Literary crime stories, cozy mystery series, hardboiled detectives and all kinds of Mafia families are represented here.



Queer Historical Mysteries

Atmospheric, gritty and/or a little romantic, these mysteries featuring queer characters serve up some history with their sleuthing. 




Middle Grade Mysteries

Mysteries may be big or small, but they’re always fun to read about. Check out these suggestions for middle grade readers.