From stolen paintings to shocking murder mysteries, these suspenseful stories are awash with terrible crimes. Luckily, there’s always a brave investigator first to the scene to try and save the day.
Crime and mystery books for ages 5 to 8
Hello! It's me, Ruby Thumb. Me and my dad have loads of amazing adventures in Dinotropolis - an incredible island, full of dinosaurs who live just like us humans do. And when we go there using our special magic Ammonite shell, we turn into dinosaurs too! I can't wait to tell you all about our next adventure. It was fantastic - I got to be a real-life dino detective! Me and dad had to solve the mystery of a missing fossilised dinosaur egg... and we discovered something amazing along the way...!
Recommended reading age: 5-8 years old
The first title in a brand-new series by Megan Rix is perfect for little readers new to the mystery genre. Lizzie really wants a dog, but first she needs to convince her parents. So, she’s started to write a list of 101 reasons why it is paramount they get one – one of those reasons being that as Lizzie and her parents are deaf, Lizzie could train one to be a hearing dog. Then one day whilst out on a walk, Lizzie spots a suspicious-looking man running out of an alleyway with a little puppy in his arms. He throws it into his van and drives off, leaving Lizzie very worried for the poor dog’s safety. Will she be able to track down this shifty character and save the day?
Recommended reading age: 5-8 years old
There’s nothing as exciting as going on a class trip, and Class 3 of Hampstead Primary School is going to Paris! But things take a turn for the unexpected when Morgan spots a mysterious bearded man driving behind their bus and another bearded stranger on the ferry. The class get a lot more than they bargained for when they find themselves entangled in a criminal plot to steal the Mona Lisa! From start to finish, A Mona Lisa Mystery is a humorous and enjoyable escapade.
Recommended reading age: 6-9 years old
Young Emil is packed off on a train to stay with his grandmother when his holiday money goes missing. A gang of boys come to the rescue and together they’re determined to catch the thief and get the money back.
Originally written in 1928, this crime caper has been loved through the generations. Bursting full of courageous characters, it celebrates children and their hidden strengths. A classic crime tale of its time.
Recommended reading age: 6-9 years old
Crime and mystery books for ages 8 to 12
When Ava and Luke discover a mysterious box of papers in their attic they are instantly curious about secrets it might hold. As they read through letters, diary entries, newspaper cuttings and listen to secret recordings, they realize that a decades-old, still unsolved, murder mystery is unfolding right in front of them... Ava and Luke decide to try and crack the case themselves. But as they work through the clues, it soon becomes clear that the mystery isn't something left in the past: the killer is still be out there - and might be closer than they think… YOU know the facts. YOU have all the clues. Can YOU solve the mystery before they do?
Recommended reading age: 9-13 years old
The Starlight Stables Summer Show is over, and Ellie will be starting at a new school very soon. Even though her best friends Summer and Jessie will be there too, Ellie still can't help but worry a little - will she be able to make friends in her own year? Will she be able to fit in? But excitement is on the horizon - news of a half-term pony camp reach the gang, and they're all keen to attend! Along with new faces, horses and activities, there's a mystery to be solved. Will super-sleuth Ellie and the rest of the gang be able to get to the bottom of it before the end of camp?
Recommended reading age: 8-12 years old
Shenanigan Swift hates burglars... So when the famous criminal gang Ouvolpo target Swift House and swap a valuable painting for an exploding inflatable bird, Shenanigan sets off in pursuit, determined to make them pay. The trail leads to Paris, home of her eccentric French cousins, the Martinets. The two sides of the Family have been squabbling for centuries, but when a body is discovered at the scene of Ouvolpo's latest robbery, the quarrelsome cousins must join forces to solve the mystery. Can Shenanigan uncover the answers and set right a century-old injustice? Or will she be left adrift as her Family pulls itself apart?
Recommended reading age: 9-12 years old
The world is at war, and a secret arm of the British government called the Ministry of Unladylike Activity is training up spies. Enter May Wong: courageous, stubborn, and desperate to help end the war so that she can go home to Hong Kong (and leave her annoying school, Deepdean, behind forever). May knows that she would make the perfect spy. After all, grown-ups always underestimate children like her. When May and her friend Eric are turned away by the Ministry, they take matters into their own hands. Masquerading as evacuees, they travel to Elysium Hall, home to the wealthy Verey family - including snobby, dramatic Nuala. They suspect that one of the Vereys is passing information to Germany. If they can prove it, the Ministry will have to take them on. But there are more secrets at Elysium Hall than May or Eric could ever have imagined. And then, someone is murdered…
Recommended reading age: 8-13 years old
Alex Cross has made a name for himself as a tenacious detective and his son, Ali, hopes to follow in his footsteps. So, when his friend goes missing, he springs into action to try and piece together the clues. He’s learned the tricks of the trade from his father; the only thing he hasn’t learned is patience. Because Ali knows that with every day that passes, his friend is less likely to ever be found. And, being Alex Cross’ son, Ali can’t accept those odds.
This fun mystery introduces a brilliant new hero who truly takes after his father. A great one for older kids – or a light read for anyone who loves the Alex Cross series.
Recommended reading age: 10- 12 years old
Last night Wesley and his friends Josephine and Margot threw their neighbour Rachel a surprise birthday party. This morning, Rachel is dead. And Wesley is the one who finds her body. Rachel's friends throw a traditional Caribbean Nine Night celebration to help guide her soul to the next world. But Wesley, Margot and Josephine don't have time to mourn Rachel. They are determined to find out who did this - and find out what secrets Rachel was keeping…
Recommended reading age: 8-13 years old
Lucy Carlyle is a teenage ghost-hunter who joins Lockwood and Co as a junior field operator. Not only does she have an unusual talent of hearing ghosts, she’s also prepared to spend the night in one of the most haunted houses in England to help rid the country of dangerous apparitions. But will she come out alive?
Sherlock meets Ghostbusters in the first in this chilling new series full of spooky suspense, supernatural beings and a good dose of humour added in. It’s a real page turner with a deliciously creepy atmosphere. Enjoy it if you dare.
Recommended reading age: 10-12 years old
Jonno Archer has just started at Hanbridge High and it's not been the start he was expecting. After heading into the equipment shed at school, Jonno comes across the body of his new PE teacher and it looks like Mr Baynton was murdered! He quickly forms a plan though that this crime could make his parents realise what a huge mistake it was relocating to Hanbridge. With the help of school reporter Lydia and young carer Daniel, it's up to the three Year 7 misfits to solve the case.
Recommended reading age: 9-11 years old
'Every fairy-tale needs a good old-fashioned villain!
From the strange case of 'The Red-Headed League' to the extraordinary tale of 'The Engineer's Thumb', Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr Watson grapple with treachery, murder, and ingenious crimes of all kinds. But no case is too challenging for the immortal detective's unique power of deduction.
Recommended reading age: 9-11 years old
LONDON, OCTOBER 1775. Lettice Breech is itching to go on another adventure. But her beloved Pa is sick, and their home is in danger. Letty needs money. She needs treasure. So, when a mysterious socialite appears in London, promising more treasure than she can imagine, Letty finds herself embroiled in a thrilling new mystery right in her home city. Baffling poems, puzzling clues in dictionaries, and curious notes from a mysterious group known only as The Alphabetters lead Letty on a whirlwind adventure through the streets of London. And then there is - nearly – a murder... Can Letty use her deductive skills to unravel the mystery of the word thieves?
Recommended reading age: 8-12 years old
Ivy and Maggie are the best of friends. And they've been the best of friends ever since they were born at exactly the same time on Friday 13th 12 years ago. They live in Crowood Peak and are always on the lookout for a new adventure. Problem is, Crowood Peak is the most BORING place in the world. But then children start to go missing and the adults don't seem to notice. And this all started after a mysterious woman moved into the old Hokum House... Can Ivy and Maggie figure out what's going on?
Recommended reading age: 9-12 years old
Arlo Banks has always wanted to be a detective. And when he solves a fiendish puzzle in The Times, set by an elderly Oxford professor, he might just get his chance. The reward for solving the puzzle is a trip of a lifetime – a journey on the famous Orient Express. It is a journey full of mystery and murder. Clues are everywhere. As Arlo Banks, your job is track down the truth. But there are puzzles and riddles at every turn, and the answers are not always as straightforward as they seem. You choose what path you take, what puzzles you solve, and what answers you take to help you solve a murder. Your choices could take you to the killer – or lead to a more unfortunate fate.
Recommended reading age: 8-12 years old
Daisy Wells’ and Hazel Wong’s detective society doesn’t have much to do at Deepdean School for Girls; that is, until Hazel discovers the science mistress lying dead in the bathroom. Alarmed, Hazel alerts Daisy to the scene, but on their return, they are shocked to discover that the body has been removed. Set in a 1930s English boarding school, the thrilling first book in Robin Stevens' series is filled with suspense, mystery, and mischief – think Enid Blyton meets Agatha Christie .
Recommended reading age: 8-12 years old
Charley – a 12-year-old viral singing sensation – and her best friend George – a videographer and up-and-coming comedian – are taking the world by storm on their European tour. But after some priceless artefacts start to go missing wherever they go, the pair find themselves at the centre of the investigation. The police are convinced Charley and George are behind the robberies, and their fans soon start to have doubts about their innocence. It's now up to the duo to find the real art thief and clear their names! Don't forget to check out the second instalment in the series, Rockstar Detectives: Murder at the Movies
Recommended reading age: 9-11 years old
Misdirection maestros Alex, Zane, Jonny, and Sophie are back for their second adventure in The Young Magicians and the 24-Hour Telepathy Plot . After proving their worth to the Magic Circle – which is for magicians what NASA is for astronauts – the quartet are on their way to attend the society’s Annual Convention in Blackpool. All seems to be going well until they stumble upon a plot to poison President Pickle of the Magic Circle! Will the four friends get to the bottom of this dastardly scheme?
Recommended reading age: 7-11 years old
Siblings Ted and Kat’s cousin Salim is visiting with his mum. The trio decides to have a day in London and head to the London Eye, but frustratingly the queue is very long. Then a stranger approaches the cousins, offering his ticket for the Eye – which he can’t bring himself to ride now because of his claustrophobia. Having never been on the Eye, Kat and Ted encourage Salim to take it. They wave their cousin off onto one of the pods, but when it comes back down half an hour later, Salim is nowhere to be seen. Has he been abducted? Did he ever get off the London Eye? It’s up to Ted and Kat to find out.
Recommended reading age: 9-11 years old
Crime and mystery books for ages 12+
My name is Ted Spark. Three months ago, I solved the mystery of how my cousin Salim disappeared from a pod on the London Eye. This is the story of my second mystery. This summer, I went on holiday to New York, to visit Aunt Gloria and Salim. While I was there, a painting was stolen from the Guggenheim Museum, where Aunt Gloria works. Then Aunt Gloria was blamed for the theft, and I realised just how important it was to find the painting, and discover who really had taken it.
Recommended reading age: 9-13 years old
Margot, Wesley and Josephine have got an awesome weekend mapped out for the end of the holidays before they start high school – and they don’t want anything to stand in the way of their BIG plans in London. But when they are staying with Margot's mum and her new boyfriend Teddy in Notting Hill, something happens that they just can't ignore… Join the kids as they follow the case across wild West London, following the trail of a super creative murderer as well as some epic street art. From skate parks, tower blocks and canal towpaths they end up on a float at the colourful Notting Hill carnival - the biggest party of the year! How will they piece together the evidence to solve the mystery at the heart of London's coolest sights?
Recommended reading age: 9-16 years old
Five students go into detention, but only four come out alive. The suspects are Yale hopeful Bronwyn, bad boy Nate, popular girl Addy and sports star Cooper. All four have secrets to hide – and motive for killing Simon, whose gossip site destroyed lives – but who is guilty?
This book is a TikTok sensation and inspired a major Netflix series, and we can see why. The plot is fast-paced, twisty and completely unpredictable. Once you’ve finished the first book, you’ll want to finish the series with One of Us Is Next and One Of Us Is Back .
Recommended reading age: 12+
Life hasn’t been easy for 17-year-old Avery, but she plans to work hard for a better future. Until suddenly an eccentric billionaire in Texas dies, leaving her almost his entire fortune. Nobody knows why – not least his family, who have been practically disinherited. Together with the billionaire’s four grandsons, Avery must solve a series of puzzles to find out why she has been chosen. But in this deadly game, the family will go to extreme lengths to keep “their” money…
