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If you're searching for books like A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, you're in for a treat. Holly Jackson's gripping YA mystery series has captivated readers with its blend of true crime intrigue, a determined teen sleuth, and a small-town setting brimming with secrets. Whether you're craving more twisty plots, amateur detectives, or high school drama with a dark edge, we've compiled a list of compelling reads that will keep you on the edge of your sea.
Five students walk into detention, but only four come out alive. When the school’s gossip blogger Simon dies in front of them, the remaining four become suspects in his murder. But each of them has secrets they were desperate to keep hidden—secrets Simon was about to reveal. As the investigation deepens, loyalties are tested, lies unravel, and new truths emerge. McManus masterfully weaves multiple perspectives and shifting alibis to create a fast-paced mystery that keeps you turning pages. This bestselling series goes beyond just the murder—it explores friendship, reputation, guilt, and redemption. If you loved the layered characters and morally complex storytelling in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, One of Us Is Lying offers more of that addictive mix of crime, character, and chaos. The sequels dive even deeper into Bayview High’s dark side, proving that sometimes, the biggest danger is hiding in plain sight.
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What if your whole life was a lie? That’s the chilling question Lauren must face when she stumbles upon a missing child website—and finds a photo of herself. As she begins to dig into her past, she uncovers a shocking truth: she may have been kidnapped as a young child. But the more she learns, the more dangerous her search becomes. The Girl, Missing trilogy blends high-stakes mystery with personal identity and family secrets, making it emotionally gripping as well as thrilling. Like Pip in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Lauren is determined, brave, and occasionally reckless—qualities that drive the story forward and make you root for her every step of the way. If you love a twisty mystery with real emotional stakes, this is the perfect series to dive into.
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It all starts with a secret. When popular girl Alison disappears, her four best friends drift apart—until they begin receiving anonymous messages from someone calling themselves “A”. The messages know things only Alison could’ve known, and soon, secrets from the past threaten to destroy their carefully constructed lives. Pretty Little Liars is the ultimate blend of glamour and danger, with each book revealing new twists, betrayals, and shocking truths. Like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, it’s set in a world where nothing is as it seems and the people you trust most may be hiding the darkest secrets. With sixteen books in the main series (and spin-offs too), there’s plenty to get stuck into. If you enjoy high school scandals, toxic friendships, and slow-burn suspense, this iconic YA series delivers all of that and more.
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Ivy is grieving the loss of her best friend. Audrey is the new American girl trying to fit in. Both find themselves at the centre of a chilling mystery when a student’s death at their elite boarding school is dismissed as an accident—until a podcast claims it was murder. The Magpie Society, a secret group hidden in the school’s history, may be at the heart of it all. Told from alternating perspectives, the story builds slowly, revealing a web of lies, old secrets, and shadowy threats. Much like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, this series incorporates true-crime podcasts, amateur investigation, and smart, flawed teen protagonists. It’s dark academia with a modern twist, and it will leave you questioning who to trust right up until the final page.
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Ellingham Academy is a famous school for gifted students—and the site of one of the most infamous unsolved kidnappings in American history. For true-crime-obsessed Stevie Bell, it’s the perfect place to study and maybe, just maybe, solve the cold case that’s haunted the school for decades. But when a modern-day murder echoes the past, Stevie finds herself caught in a mystery that’s far from over. This trilogy (with spin-offs!) expertly combines historical mystery with present-day sleuthing. Like Pip, Stevie is a determined amateur detective who uses logic, research, and a bit of bravado to untangle the truth. With a compelling boarding school setting, layered puzzles, and sharp humour, Truly Devious is perfect for fans of Holly Jackson’s intelligent and twist-driven storytelling.
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If you’re obsessed with the Riverdale TV show, these official tie-in novels give you even more time with your favourite characters—while peeling back new layers of mystery. Told from multiple points of view, these books offer never-before-seen backstories, secrets, and side plots that don’t always make it to screen. Each title focuses on different members of the core Riverdale crew—Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead—as they navigate small-town life filled with crime, corruption, and complicated feelings. These books don’t just retell the show; they expand it, offering deeper emotional insight and fresh storylines. Expect plenty of secrets, dramatic reveals, and tangled loyalties as the characters you thought you knew reveal their darkest sides.
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Avery Grambs is just trying to survive high school and secure a college scholarship when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and inexplicably leaves his entire fortune to her—a stranger. To claim her inheritance, Avery must move into the sprawling and puzzle-filled Hawthorne House, alongside the disgruntled Hawthorne grandsons who believe she’s conned her way in. As Avery searches for answers about why she was chosen, she uncovers deadly riddles, secret passageways, and a web of clues tied to the Hawthorne family's dark past. Each book in this addictive series ups the stakes, balancing high-stakes puzzles with romance, betrayal, and the constant threat that someone might be willing to kill for what Avery has inherited. It’s Knives Out meets One of Us Is Lying—and it’s utterly unputdownable.
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Before she wrote The Inheritance Games, Jennifer Lynn Barnes gave us The Naturals—a gripping series about a group of teens recruited by the FBI to solve cold cases using their exceptional talents. Cassie Hobbes can profile anyone within seconds, and soon finds herself living in a secret training facility with other ‘Naturals’—each with unique abilities like lie detection, emotion reading, or logic analysis. But when the serial killer who murdered Cassie’s mother resurfaces, the teens realise they’re not just learning to solve crimes—they’re being targeted by one. This high-stakes thriller blends Criminal Minds with A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, and will leave you breathless.
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Linden’s summer on Martha’s Vineyard should be perfect: beach days, parties, and a taste of the rich life. But when a boy is found dead in the pool, the dream turns dangerous. Everyone at the house has something to hide — and Holiday, a sharp girl from Linden’s past, won’t let the truth stay buried. A smart, twisty mystery that blends teen drama with a classic whodunit vibe, Liar’s Beach is perfect for fans of One of Us Is Lying and Riverdale.
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Ava, Caitlin, Mackenzie, Julie, and Parker have nothing in common — except a shared hatred for Nolan Hotchkiss. When he’s murdered in the exact way they once joked about, the girls become suspects in a crime they didn’t commit. Or did they? Packed with twists and secrets, The Perfectionists is a slick, addictive mystery duology from the author of Pretty Little Liars, perfect for fans of complicated friendships and deadly lies.
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