My winter break was pretty standard. I worked as much as I could, went on chilly walks with my friends and family and slept often. However, when I was not doing these activities, you could likely find me in one of two places: watching “Criminal Minds” with my mom or staying awake reading.
Up until July of 2020, “Criminal Minds” was the show I never could watch. I had seen a few episodes in middle school and was totally freaked out by all the blood, so I surprised even myself when I decided to give it another go. My mom and I are prolific television watchers. Since we started “Gilmore Girls” almost seven years ago, rare are the shows that we do not watch together. My mom was like me, thinking “Criminal Minds” would be too much for her to handle, but shockingly enough, after a few days it was my mom scolding me for “watching without her”.
As I watched this show, I became more and more entranced with the mystery of it all, which re-sparked a love of mystery/thriller novels within. While television shows give me the visual, I love the way that mystery novels keep me wondering, forcing me to read yet another chapter even if it’s late. I am a nut for the suspense.
If you are like me and you have just finished all 15 seasons of “Criminal Minds,” and you are desperate to solve another crime, look no further than these recommendations.
For an easy read… “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson
Five years ago, Andie Bell was murdered. Everyone blamed her boyfriend, Sal Singh. But Pippa has a different idea as she re-opens the case for her senior capstone project. She has one goal in mind: prove Sal’s innocence and find the real killer. This book kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end, and I flew through it. The end caught me by surprise, and I finished the story itching for more. To people who are not avid readers, this one’s for you!
For a classic story… “The Big Sleep” by Raymond Chandler
Lovers of classic film and film noir will devour this book. “The Big Sleep” is a classic detective story with the private detective Philip Marlowe, who is hired by the wealthy Sternwood family to investigate an unlawful bookseller. However, Marlowe quickly finds himself in the midst of a murder mystery and a missing person case, and intertwined in the lives of two mysterious women. This book will definitely keep you wondering about how the story ties together until that last classic Hollywood kiss.
For a book that will mess with your head… “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins
A psychological thriller as well as a mystery novel, “The Girl on the Train” is a book you cannot put down. I remember reading it during a flight out-of-town, and I was hooked. Following the lives of three women, prepare to enter an ordinary world of deceit, lies, lovers and trauma. This book messed with my head, but it is always one of the first books I recommend to anyone in the mood to fall deep into the darkness of a story. Plus, I also recommend the film adaptation of it, which of course is not as good as the book but is still worth the watch!
For lovers of history and myth… “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown
This might be my favorite book ever… which is saying a lot. But I really loved this book! I remember flying through it and just wanting more at the end. Symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to Paris on urgent business: to examine a dead body in the Louvre. What begins as a simple murder mystery transforms into an analysis of famous Christian art and the search of the infamous Holy Grail, or the key to immorality. The book is definitely a whirlwind but full of great attention to detail. Though it has some historical and religious inaccuracies with a few far-fetched theories, the book is highly imaginative!
For a major twist… “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart
This book I picked up after seeing it one too many times on my TikTok algorithm. It is the story of a classic old money New England family that is beautiful on the outside but harbors the darkest secrets within. After Cadence suffers from an accident, she cannot remember the details, her life becomes filled with lies, and only by finding clues can Cadence understand just what happened to her two summers ago. And once she does understand… well, there’s no changing the past. This book shocked me, and left me in a book-coma for days. It’s a one-time read, but once you read it, you don’t forget.
There’s nothing quite like getting lost in a mystery full of twists and turns. Whether you are a devoted reader or someone who occasionally picks up a book, I hope you can find something worth your time on this list.