I'm looking for recommendations for a crime book for a 14 year old girl.
Requirements are:
– true crime or fiction are ok
– not too complex (possible reading issues in process of being diagnosed), but not too childish
– setting isnt hugely important for fiction, but prefers some realism
– ideally available on kindle, but not essential (allows us to adjust fonts etc)
– there does need to be an answer at the end. Open ended/we don't know who did it true would not go down well
– ideally minimal romance but it's not a complete no, it just bores her đ
Her other interests are historical fiction (esp. WW2),history generally, motorracing and soccer. She's not averse to quirkiness in books but probably wouldn't go to full fantasy.
I'm kind of stuck, because the crime books I read arent suitable, but she's keen to get reading.
by Low_Revenue_3521
11 Comments
James Moriarty Consulting Criminal by Andy Weir. Sherlock Holmes’ greatest villian solves problems for the criminal underworld. It’s a short book, but engaging.
The Sheriff Bo Tully series by Patrick McManus. An Idaho sheriff solves crimes. The first book in the series is The Blight Way.
The Westing Game.
The Brother Cadfel or Sister Frivisse series. Both are mysteries set in the middle ages.
WWII fiction but not a mystery: Code Name Verity.
Have you tried looking into Japanese mystery/detective novels?
Try looking for “cozy mysteries”. That usually means nothing too graphic, low/no profanity, and no sex. Some I liked that should be appropriate:
Cleopatra Fox by CJ Archer (Glass and Steele is also enjoyable, but has fantasy elements).
Coffeeshop Mysteries by Cleo Coyle
Haunting Danielle by Bobbi Holmes/Anna J McIntyre. (This involves ghosts, so again, fantasy is involved.)
I feel like there should be more but I read a lot of stuff that at least has profanity if it isn’t graphic.
The good girls guide to murder series? There is a little romance but itâs âalongâ with the story if that makes sense(it happens kinda simultaneously I guess)Â
You get answers at the end of all three books as well
Spoilers: the third book has the main character wrapped in ducktape and about to be murdered, just fyi. It was quite disturbing for me when I read it (at 14-15)
The Moonwind Mysteries by Johan Rundberg are on the upper end of middle grade, but I fully enjoyed them as an adult. They are set in Stockholm in 1880. Mika Moonwind is a twelve-year-old orphan living at a children’s home who teams up with a rundown police detective to solve mysteries. They deal with some heavy subjects — crime, poverty, child neglect, and social inequality — in a fairly unflinching, although age-appropriate, manner.
There are currently three books, last ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that sets up the fourth book coming out soon.
Robin Stevenâs murder most unladylike series and the follow up series set in ww2
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote is considered the first âtrue crimeâ book.
Murder Most Unladylike series
Enola Holmes series
I enjoyed Artemis Fowl at that age.
Flavia De Luce series