Murder mystery books are an exciting read, even the bad ones. This genre offers many great reads because of how you are kept on the edge of your seats, puzzled, terrified, and frustrated. Reading makes you feel the danger of murder looming in the background while also having the satisfaction of solving the crime along with the protagonists. Murder mystery books keep you up all night since you’ll be dying to find out whodunnit. If you enjoy the feeling of binge-reading all night, then this article is for you. We’ve rounded up five favorite books that might lose you several nights’ worth of sleep. 

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Karen M. McManus’ One of Us Is Lying has been dubbed as The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars. The story is about the mystery surrounding an event where five strangers walked into detention one Monday afternoon, and only four walked out alive. Everyone was a suspect, and every person had something to hide. These five strangers come from different backgrounds: the brain Bronwyn, the beauty Addy, the criminal Nate, the athlete Cooper, and the outcast Simon. Only Simon never makes it out of the detention room. Before the end of detention, Simon was already dead, and investigators believe that his death wasn’t an accident. Who could have done it? Everyone has secrets, right? What will they do to protect themselves?

The Priestly Murders by Greg Van Arsdale

The Priestly Murders is one of the many murder mystery books by Greg Van Arsdale. This is an action-packed book about twelve-year-old Peter and Detective Dan. Peter witnessed a murder of a beloved priest, and Ex-special forces Detective Dan Franco promises to protect him 24/7. As they hunt for the serial killer, another man is after Peter, who also wants to kill him. Dan will do everything in his power to hide the boy while fending off attack after attack. More priests were found murdered, and Dan and Peter must find the mystery killer before he strikes again. Luckily for Dan, Peter will be of great help; after all, he is a powerful psychic. Will Dan find the mysterious killer? Or will Peter be in much trouble? 

Journey Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino

Journey Under the Midnight Sun was originally in Japanese, later translated to English by Alexander O. Smith. Journey Under the Midnight Sun started when a man was found murdered in an abandoned building in Osaka in 1973. Sasagaki, an unflappable detective, was assigned to the case but could not find the killer for the next twenty years. He found two teenagers Ryo, the son of the murdered man, and Yukiho, the main suspect’s daughter. Whose lives were most affected by the crime. Sasagaki, the obsessed detective, continues to investigate the murder, looking for the elusive truth. 

The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey

The Dark Lake tells the story of a lead homicide investigator in a rural town, Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock. She became unnerved when a high school classmate is found strangled, the body floating in a lake. However, this was not just any classmate; Rosalind Ryan was a glamorous star in high school whose beauty has a magnetic pull on Smithson High School. Not much was known about Rosalind’s life, but her death presents even a more puzzling circumstance. Many questions surrounded Rosalind’s life. Why did she return to her hometown? Why did she live in a small, run-down apartment when her father is a rich man?

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Alan Bradley brings a story set in the summer of 1950 at the once-grand mansion of Buckshaw. This is about young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison. She is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events, such as a dead bird found on the doorstep or a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. Hours later, Flavia finds an unknown man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath. This was appalling and delightful for Flavia. And that is when life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw.