11 Young Adult Suspense Novels
by Dena McMurdie
I love getting sucked into young adult suspense novels filled with secrets and intrigue. They offer creepy settings, unreliable narrators, and more twists and turns than a high-speed roller coaster. Whether you enjoy chills running up your spine or piecing together the clues in a murder investigation, these suspenseful, fast-paced thrillers will satisfy your hunger for something on the darker side.
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Liar’s Beach
Available from:Agatha Christie fans, this one is for you! Katie Cotugno brilliantly retells Christie’s classic murder mystery, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, for a YA audience. Friendship, secrets, and murder combine into a suspenseful mystery at a mansion in Martha’s Vineyard. Holiday Proctor, a brilliant teenage detective, believes she can piece together the clues and find the killer.
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Lying in the Deep
Available from:Hop aboard a cruise ship for a semester at sea! Jade should be thrilled about the cruise, but her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend are also on board. When dead bodies start piling up, Jade becomes the prime suspect. Broken hearts, obsession, and murder combine into a tension-filled thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
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The Black Queen
Available from:When her high school’s first Black Homecoming Queen gets murdered, Duchess Simmons wants justice. Convinced she knows who committed the crime, Duchess befriends the killer in an attempt to get close enough to expose them. Twists, turns, and nail-biting suspense will keep you reading all night!
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A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Available from:When you need a book jam-packed with thrills and chills, dive into the multi-million bestselling series about a teenage true crime podcaster and the cold case she heats up. This highly suspenseful three-book series will keep you turning pages into the wee hours of the night. Keep a flashlight close by because you’ll need it!
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The Legacies
Available from:I love stories about exclusive clubs and sinister secrets, and The Legacies delivers on all accounts! Four seniors get invited to the most prestigious party of their lives — one that could set them up for a lifetime of success and wealth. But their night of glitz and glam takes a dark turn when someone at the party ends up dead.
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The Island
Available from:When several teenage influencers get invited to an all-expenses paid weekend at an island amusement park, they don’t hesitate to accept. The island has everything a young influencer could hope for — exciting rides, gorgeous scenery, gram-worthy resort rooms, and… murder? It’s the perfect summer thriller for long-time fans of Natasha Preston’s books and new readers alike!
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How to Survive Your Murder
Available from:Right before Alice is supposed to testify at her sister’s murder trial, she gets knocked unconscious and transported back to the night of the crime. Alice knows who killed her sister; she saw it happen. Now, she has the chance to stop the horrific event from happening. This spooky YA slasher novel is filled with twists, turns, and enough hair-raising suspense to keep you glued to the page!
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The Wicked Unseen
Available from:If you watch 90s horror movies on repeat, you’ll love this bone-chilling slasher novel! A secret Satanic cult in the woods, a missing preacher’s daughter, and a small town full of secrets combine into a spooky story you can’t set down. If you love escaping into an engrossing mystery, this much-anticipated debut novel is just the thing.
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Two Can Keep a Secret
Available from:Ellery and her twin brother Ezra move to a picture-perfect small town where secrets are held close, teenage girls go missing, and murders go unsolved. From the author of One of Us Is Lying comes a new twisty YA suspense novel you won’t be able to get enough of.
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What's Coming to Me
Available from:When an armed robbery at the ice cream shop stirs up rumors of hidden money on the premises, strapped-for-cash Minerva and her neighbor Cece team up to find it. A unique spin on YA suspense novels, this coming-of-age story combines dirty cops, a heist, and a sexist, shady boss for a thrilling tale of revenge and redemption.
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The Cheerleaders
Available from:After the deaths of five cheerleaders, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. Now five years later, Monica wants to find out what happened. But the more questions she asks, the more people clam up. With secrets, suspense, and a possible murderer on the loose, The Cheerleaders is a thrilling whodunit you’ll want to binge-read all at once.
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2023.