Grab your phone, plug in your headphones and immerse yourself in a mystery/thriller novel that features a (fake) true crime podcast! From cults to court cases, these novels explore the relationships between victims, investigators and podcast fans.
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Young Adult Books
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
For her senior project, Pip reexamines a closed case involving the murder of high school senior Andie Bell. The man accused of the crime died by suicide, and Pip finds herself on a trail of dark secrets that might prove his innocence. But someone in town doesn’t appreciate Pip digging in the past for answers.
The Headmaster’s List by Melissa de la Cruz
Spencer can’t remember anything from the night she got into a car with her now-ex and two other kids from school. All she knows is that one of them was tragically killed when the car crashed. But when a local true crime podcast takes an interest in the case, Spencer finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into a sinister mystery.
Sadie by Courtney Summers
After Lo and Bea’s parents died in a car accident, Bea abandoned Lo to join an elusive community called The Unity Project. When Lo is given the opportunity to gain access to Bea, she thinks they’ll finally be reunited. But as she delves deeper into The Project and its charismatic leader, she learns there’s more at risk than just her relationship with her sister.
Adult Fiction Books
Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore
Almost a decade ago, magician Violet Volk vanished mid-act, never to be seen again. Her sister, Sasha, can’t seem to escape the memories of her sister and their tumultuous relationship – especially now that a podcaster devoted to Violet is vying for an exclusive interview. As he tries harder and harder to connect with Sasha, he isn’t the only one wondering what she has to hide.
The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon
This genre-bending novel jumps between various perspectives. In the late 70s, a psychiatrist brings home a child to stay with her grandchildren and asks them to treat her like a sister. The child, Iris, doesn’t speak and behaves strangely, but the children love her and let her join their Monster Club. And four decades later, a podcaster travels to a town in Vermont where a young girl was abducted and a monster spotted.
Conviction by Denise Mina
True crime podcasts figure into this story about an upper-class housewife whose world is turned upside down when a new true crime podcast connects to her own past. This spellbinding thriller balances mystery and humor with intriguing commentary on modern life.
I Know You Know by Gilly Macmillan
Podcaster Cody Swift was friends with two boys murdered back in 1996, when they were just 11 and 10 years old. In 2017, a mentally disabled adult convicted of the killings dies by suicide in prison, prompting Cody to reexamine the murders. As his podcast raises doubts about who was to blame, he’s increasingly under threat from one of the victim’s mothers, a detective who lost his career because of the case, and the detective who first built the now-crumbling case.
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
Rachel Krall is a household name, thanks to her true crime podcast that set an innocent man free. Her podcast’s newest season brings her to a small town torn apart by a trial in which a local boy has been accused of sexually assaulting the police chief’s granddaughter. She sets out to cover the case but becomes more and more unsettled when mysterious letters keep turning up for her – someone must be following her.
Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz
After receiving a tip on her podcast, Pallas visits a small college town to explore an abandoned asylum. She’s hoping to connect with others who had a lost night they can’t remember – and investigate a brutal murder that connects her to her mysterious tipster.
