Student Sleuths: 11 YA Mysteries and Thrillers Set on Campus

It’s time to return to Bayview for another tense thriller jump started by a billboard teasing a new game. The entire crew is home for the summer, trying to move on from their traumatic past, but when one of them disappears, they discover that they are all targets. First, one of us was lying, then one of us was next and now One of Us is Back, solidifying Karen McManus and her One of Us Is Lying series as a cornerstone of YA mysteries.  

What if one slip up cost you your Ivy League dream? With her college aspirations hanging in the balance, Adina enters the Finish — a high-stakes contest that can provide endless possibilities for her future. But there’s only one way to survive this deadly game: change the rules. A delightfully dark tale about power and privilege, Their Vicious Games is a brutal and daring debut.   

How far would you go to make it into your dream school? For the Ivies — five girls determined to make it into the Ivy League — there is nothing off-limits. A tale of privilege, prestige and pressure, The Ivies is a ruthless thriller of ambitious aspirations, perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Julie Buxbaum’s Admission. 

Like The Ivies, Katie Zhao’s How We Fall Apart explores the extreme lengths students resort to when academic aspirations and pressures are involved. After the death of their ex-best friend Jamie, four students scramble to find the murderer their secrets are anonymously revealed to the school on a social media app. Don’t miss a moment of this story full of deception, murder and betrayal.  

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s debut spills all the tea in this elite school’s thrilling tale. When two students are selected as prefects, someone going by the name of Aces starts unveiling their secrets and threatens to topple their precariously balanced futures. Ace of Spades is a thought-provoking story full of strength, resilience and social commentary. 

Discover the darker side of the glittering lives of wealthy socialites in Jessica Goodman’s newest thriller. Four students score an invitation to the Legacy Club in New York City, but can they survive an intense week of lavish social engagements that culminate in the Legacy Ball? After all, it’s a night that’s supposed to be the best night of their lives. A story of blackmail, backstabbing and deadly secrets, The Legacies is a hair-raising story perfect for fans of Holly Jackson. 

Reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s writing, Diana Urban’s debut pulls readers in and won’t let go. When six students receive an invite to a scholarship dinner, their night takes a deadly turn. With each person hiding something and no evident connections between them all, All Your Twisted Secrets is a nail-biter that you will devour. 

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a gripping murder mystery that will have you racing to buy the sequel. When Pip decides to dig into a closed case, she uncovers secrets that suggest the case wasn’t as open-and-shut as the police said it was. Perfect for fans of true crime, Holly Jackson’s debut established her as a must-read YA mystery and thriller author. 

Enroll at Ellingham Academy alongside Stevie Bell in a mystery that’s perfect for fans of E. Lockhart. While Stevie arrives on campus determined to discover what happened to the wife and daughter of the school’s founder, death revisits the school, and suddenly she finds startling similarities between the two cases. The first of a series, Marueen Johnson’s Truly Devious kicks off a fast-paced series you’ll want to read all at once.  

One of our previous YA Monthly Picks, The Grimrose Girls is a darkly delightful collision of murder and Grimm’s fairy tales. When three friends set out to discover what really happened to their dead roommate, they uncover a secret their boarding school has desperately tried to keep hidden: more murders connected to curses of ancient fairytales. Perfect for fans of Cinderella is Dead, this chilling story threatens the happily ever afters of all three girls.  

We might be heading to Sunnybrook, but it’s not all clear skies and warmth. In fact, it’s more like doom and gloom after the deaths of five cheerleaders and a little sister’s discovery that there’s more to the story and no one is safe.  A disturbing tale that will make you question every character’s actions, The Cheerleaders is an addictive read that traps you in its not-so-peppy rally.