When I was a child, it was mystery books that first attracted me and sparked my interest in reading. I loved feeling like an undercover detective gathering valuable clues to be the first to solve the case.
Kids love to have fun, and mystery books are, without a doubt, one of the funniest genres out there. So if you’re looking for a great read to inspire your kids to pick a book this year, look no further. Here’s a list of 10 amazing chart-topping mystery books that kids will love. Most of these titles are part of a larger series, so there is much more mystery and intrigue for your child to enjoy after turning the last page. I’ve included a mix of classic stories and recent bestsellers, and even some of my own favorites from my own childhood. enjoy!
You are reading: Murder mystery books for kids
1. escape from mr. lemoncello library by chris grabenstein
kyle keeley loves games. no matter what kind of game it is – board games, card games, puzzle games, video games – he loves them all. So when he finds out that his all-time hero, world famous game creator Luigi Lemoncello, is the man behind the town’s new library, he’s thrilled.
and just when i thought it couldn’t get any better, kyle manages to win a ticket to be one of the first to set foot inside the library. he and 12 other kids are honored to spend the night there for an opening show filled with fun, food, and lots of games.
but the next morning, when it’s time to leave, there’s a problem. the doors are still locked and no one seems to have a key. Now Kyle and the other kids must work together to solve a series of clues, puzzles, and brain teasers to find the secret escape route before they’re trapped inside forever.
2. the secret of carolynkeine’s antique clock
In this first installment of the Nancy Drawn mystery stories, Nancy is tasked with finding the lost will of recently deceased millionaire Josiah Crawley. All of his friends and relatives were promised a share of his wealth upon his death, but to everyone’s surprise, his entire fortune is left to the undeserving Topham family.
Using her quick wits and razor-sharp detective skills, Nancy Drew figures out that the clue to the missing will is in an old watch owned by Mr. crawley, and goes on a hair-raising quest to find him before it’s too late. can she solve the mystery and make sure mr. Crawley’s family gets the inheritance it deserves?
3. the most improper murder of robin stevens
Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong launched a new secret detective agency at Deepdean School for Girls, but until now, they didn’t have many mysteries to solve.
But all that is about to change when Hazel makes a shocking discovery at the gym. There, dead on the floor, is Miss Bell, the science teacher. Hazel runs to alert her help, but when she returns just a few minutes later, her body is nowhere to be seen.
Now, the girls have to solve the biggest case of their careers. With Hazel as the only witness, no one believes Miss Bell is dead, so the pair are left to gather evidence and track down their suspects alone. Can they use their secret agent intuition to solve the case? Or will someone at deepdean school for girls get away with it?
4. winter home for ally carter’s courage and vengeance
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April, an 11-year-old girl, knows that she is not like the rest of the children of winterborne home. To begin with, she is not an orphan and her mother will come to pick her up at any moment.
But soon after his arrival, he realizes that Winterborne is not like any other children’s home. This sprawling, spooky mansion holds some dark secrets, including the mystery of missing billionaire Gabriel Winterborne. Everyone, including the police, believes he is dead, but April has discovered him alive and well, living in a secret basement lair.
Now, April and her new orphaned friends must protect Gabriel. someone is after him and wants to take winterborne home with him.
5. thrice lucky by sheila turnage
moses -molobeau washed up on the shores of tupelo landing, north carolina, eleven years ago after a deadly hurricane, and has been causing a stir in the sleepy southern town ever since.
From the moment she arrived, Mo was welcomed into the home of the local cafe owners, the Colonel and Miss Lana. And so, although she is convinced that her real mother is out there somewhere, waiting to find her, she loves her adoptive family as if she were her own.
But when Colonel and Miss Lana are in danger, Lana and her best friend Dale Earhardt Johnson III find themselves in the fight of their lives. Now, the pair must solve the biggest mystery tupelo landing has ever seen, and they won’t stop until they find out the truth.
6. chasing vermeer by blue balliett
11-year-old students Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay have a lot in common. they live down the street in chicago, share the exact same birthday, and have the same sixth grade teacher, the fabulous ms.hussey. but can they work together to solve one of the greatest art crimes of the century?
When the pair learn that the famous Vermeer painting has been stolen from its rightful home, they embark on a dangerous mission to solve the case. everyone, their neighbors, teachers and even their parents, are suspects. Using their keen intuition and sharp mind, along with a little knowledge of art history, they set out to unravel a mystery not even the FBI can handle.
7. midnight at the barclay hotel by fleur t. hunting
jj jacobson was just trying to do something nice for his mom when he convinced her to accept an invitation to the exclusive barclay hotel for an all-expenses-paid luxury getaway. but now he has put them both in hot water.
He suddenly finds himself embroiled in a murder mystery scandal and his mother is the prime suspect. but jj knows his mother didn’t kill the hotel owner, and now he must fight to clear his name. but the only way to do that is to solve the case himself. And so, with the help of his new friends Penny and Emma, he sets out on a mission to find the real killer and bring him to justice before it’s too late.
8. serafina and the black cape by robert beatty
serafina has always been under strict instructions from her father to stay within the confines of the grand biltmore estate. and with so much to explore, she didn’t even think of disobeying him. but when she comes out of the basement, she serafina must be careful not to be seen. That’s because no one knows that she and her father, the property’s maintenance staff, have been secretly living in the basement for years.
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But Serafina will soon be forced to reveal her identity when she uncovers the terrifying truth behind a series of Biltmore child abductions. A mysterious and creepy figure dressed in a long black coat wanders the halls at night, and when she tries to capture Serafina, she knows for sure that he is the one behind the disappearances.
And so he enlists the help of the biltmore owner’s nephew, braeden vanderbilt, and together they embark on a dangerous mission to uncover the true identity of the man in black. But can they solve the mystery before more kids go missing? And serafina’s secret life in the basement is about to come to light?
9. delaware detectives by dana rongione
abby patterson and her little brother jamie are spending one last summer at their grandmother’s old house in delaware. Unfortunately, her great-uncle Harold has a terrible gambling problem, so he is selling the property to pay off his debts. Abby Pop Pop and Jamie is furious about the deal, but with no money of his own to buy the house, he has no choice but to help get it ready for sale.
One day during the summer, Abby and Jamie decide to explore the creepy old attic. while searching through the dusty belongings, they discover a mysterious collection of old stamps. Each stamp has a secret message scrawled on the back, and kids know right away it’s a clue.
Now, the pair are on a secret mission to discover a hidden treasure. Following the clues, they begin to unravel the mystery of a missing fortune. could there be a way to save his grandmother’s house after all?
10. michael buckley’s fairy tale detectives
sabrina and daphne grimm have not had it easy. His parents mysteriously disappeared, leaving them with no one to care for them, or so they thought. But it turns out that her old grandmother, whom they thought was dead, is alive and well, and has invited the girls to live with her.
Grandma explains that Sabrina and Daphne have two very famous ancestors; the authors of fairy tales, the brothers grimm. but according to her, those stories weren’t fairy tales after all; they were case files of magical mischief, and they’re all true.
At first, the girls don’t believe a word of it. your old cook must be crazy. But when a 200-foot giant takes Grandma away, it soon becomes clear that he was telling the truth. Suddenly, all the fairy tale characters they thought belonged in the books appear in front of her eyes; Prince Charming, Magic Mirror, Belle, Little Pigs, just to name a few.
Now, they must work together to save their grandmother and follow their birthright to become the world’s only pair of crime-fighting fairy tale detectives.
conclusion
These ten incredible action-packed mystery books are so addictive kids won’t want to put them down. many are part of a series, so if your child enjoys one of these books, be sure to check out the other titles in the collection as well.