Books
11 murder mysteries where you play detective
If you loved Choose Your Own Adventure books as a child, you’ll remember the thrill of those interactive stories, where your choices shaped the plot. Thankfully, those books have made a comeback – this time, with a murder mystery twist.
Thanks to the huge success of interactive detective stories like The Appeal by Janice Hallett and crime-themed puzzle books like Murdle, there has been a flurry of meta-fictional and solve-it-yourself murder mystery books published in recent years. These stories transform readers from passive observers into active participants in a murder investigation, with fiendish puzzles to solve and clues to pick over.
If, like most crime fiction fans, you’re sure you would make a great detective, here’s your chance to prove it. Below, we have rounded up the best interactive choose-your-own-adventure mysteries, puzzle books, and cryptic crime novels that will make you think. Happy sleuthing!
Interactive ‘choose your own adventure’ mysteries
You’re the detective in these mysteries – so grab a pen and paper, and get ready to piece together the clues to solve the crime…
Can You Solve the Murder? by Antony Johnston
Can You Solve The Murder? by Anthony Johnson
The story opens with the discovery of businessman Harry Kennedy’s body at Elysium, a wellness retreat housed in a grand Gothic manor. You’ll need a notebook for this one, and your full attention, as clues are dotted throughout this devilishly clever story and it’s the reader’s job to decide who to interview, decipher the clues and – ultimately – to find the culprit.
You are the Detective by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper
You Are The Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder by Maureen Johnson & Jay Cooper
In this interactive locked-room mystery, set in 1930s England, a famous writer has been killed in front of six witnesses who claim they saw nothing. There are detailed maps, photographs and interview transcripts for the reader to pore over in this fully illustrated mystery, as you work towards piecing together the evidence and finding the killer.
Murder At Christmas: You Solve the Crime by G. B. Rubin
Murder At Christmas: You Solve the Crime by G. B. Rubin
There’s not one but two crimes in this twisty 1930s-set mystery where your choices take you on a different route each time. You play the part of Dr Kinn Tenor, a Scotland Yard pathologist who must decide whether to investigate a locked-room mystery in Yorkshire or stick with his original plan of investigating a poison pen letter case on a country estate. Whichever path you go down, this is a fun, twisty mystery that’s perfect for the festive season.
The Game is Murder by Hazell Ward
The Game is Murder by Hazell Ward
The reader plays the role of the Great Detective, reinvestigating a never-solved case from the 1970s, in this witty mystery. One evening in 1974, a servant is found murdered in the basement of the Verreman family’s home and the evidence points to the killer being Lord Verreman, who allegedly mistook the woman for his wife. But is he the culprit? Fans of Golden Age crime writing will love all the nods to the classics.
Murder mystery puzzle books
If you’re looking for a fun brainteaser, and you’ve already finished your Murdle book, we recommend the following mystery-themed puzzles.
Murdoku by M. Garand
Murdoku by M. Garand
As featured in the Financial Times, this unique grid-based puzzle book blends Cluedo with Sudoku. Each puzzle is a mini crime scene – including a bakery, casino, chess tournament, farm and opera – where you must place all the suspects in order to work out who was closest to the victim and is therefore the killer. There are 80 cases to solve, each more complicated – and more addictive – than the last.
Death in Paradise: The Puzzle Book by Death in Paradise
Death in Paradise: The Puzzle Book
If you’re a fan of the long-running series set on the island of Saint Marie, you’ll love this puzzle book. You play the role of Detective Inspector and, as you’ve only just arrived on the island, you’ve been given the task of solving some cold cases. Featuring 150 fiendish puzzles, it’s up to you to work through the clues and find whodunnit.
Murder By Christmas: 25 Puzzles To Solve The Crime by Joel Jessup
Murder By Christmas by Joel Jessup
In the quiet English village of Candlestow, the locals are getting ready for Christmas when local resident, Mr. Holly, is found dead. On 1st December, a note arrives at the police station, revealing someone is taking revenge on the village and everyone is a potential target. Then on 2nd December, another clue arrives – and you have until 25th December to figure out the identity of the killer.
Detective books that make you think
These stories are full of cryptic clues, complex puzzles and meta-fictional plots; they’ll require your full attention if you want to solve the mystery before the detective.
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
The Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
When a literary editor gets the latest manuscript from her best-selling crime writer, she’s delighted: she knows fans love his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves crimes in the sleepy English villages of the 1950s. But all is not as it seems as the pages of the book contain clues to a real-life murder. This clever mystery-within-a-mystery hooks you in from the first page and is complex enough to hold you until the last.
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
In this fresh and inventive mystery, detective Aiden Bishop is trapped in an endlessly repeating day where he must work out who murdered socialite Evelyn Hardcastle to escape the loop. The day might be repeating itself, but the plot is far from boring: the reader is plunged straight into the action from page one, and Turton cleverly drops in clues throughout. But will you guess whodunnit before Bishop?
The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson
The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jonasson
When bestselling crime author Elín S. Jónsdóttir disappears one icy evening in a small town in Iceland, it’s up to young police officer Helgi to track her down. Cleverley told through multiple timelines, it’s up to the reader to piece together clues as to what has happened to the famous writer. Fans of Golden Age detective novels will love that Helgi consults his library of crime fiction to help him solve the mystery.
The Escape Room by L D Smithson
The Escape Room by L. D. Smithson
Fans of The Traitors and other reality shows that pit contestants against each other will love this ingenious thriller set on a remote sea fort off the coast of England. After her sister breaks her leg, Bonnie steps in to take her place on The Fortress TV programme, where those taking part must solve a series of puzzles to stay in the show. It’s all fun and games until the show turns deadly. The story is dotted with clever escape room-style puzzles that add even more fun and mystery.
Have you read any of the books on our list? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
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