Books
When Veronica Mars first premiered back in 2004, it was met with rave reviews from critics and... very few viewers. The show, which starred Kristen Bell as the titular teen detective, was canceled in 2007 after just three seasons, but love for the mystery drama was so strong that a movie was made in 2014, all thanks to a fan-funded Kickstarter campaign that earned over $5 million. And on July 26, 2019 — 15 years after the show first premiered — Hulu is releasing an eight-episode fourth season of Veronica Mars.
Whether you've been waiting for the Veronica Mars revival since 2017 or you just recently marathon-watched the entire show on Hulu, you're probably so excited for a new season of mysteries, friend drama, and love triangles. But if you can't wait until the end of the month, I suggest that you dive into more teen detective mystery stories like Veronica Mars. The 11 books below all share similar themes to the show: young female sleuths, super secretive small towns with tragic backstories, and enough eerie goings-on to keep you occupied until July 26. Dip into these before, after, or during your marathon-watch for more Veronica Mars vibes:
'Sadie' by Courtney Summers
When Sadie's sister, Mattie, is found dead, she hits the road in search of the killer. When radio personality West McCray learns of Sadie's story, he starts a podcast to track her journey, figure out what happened, and try to find her before it's too late. The book alternates between Sadie's perspective and transcriptions of West's podcast.
'A Study in Charlotte' by Brittany Cavallaro
From the moment Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes meet at their Connecticut prep school, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than allies. But then Jamie and Charlotte are framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names.
'Monday's Not Coming' by Tiffany D. Jackson
Monday Charles is missing, and only Claudia seems to notice. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable — more sisters than friends. As Claudia digs into her friend’s disappearance, she discovers that no one remembers the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing?
'The Spellman Files' by Lisa Lutz
Isabel “Izzy” Spellman is a talented private investigator, despite her checkered past. When Izzy decides to leave the family business in pursuit of a normal life, she takes one last job before she goes. When she experiences a disappearance closer to home, it becomes the most important case of her life.
'Two Can Keep a Secret' by Karen M. McManus
Echo Ridge is a small-town with a tragic history: Ellery's aunt went missing there at age 17. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with her grandmother. And she'll soon discover that the town is hiding more dangerous secrets than she could have imagined.
'Trouble is A Friend of Mine' by Stephanie Tromley
When it comes to Philip Digby, Zoe just can't say no. Which is how she gets dragged into a series of hilarious, dangerous, and only vaguely legal schemes all related to their investigation into the kidnapping of a local teenage girl.
'Pasadena' by Sherri L. Smith
When Jude’s best friend is found dead in a swimming pool, her family calls it an accident, her friends call it a suicide, and Jude calls it a murder. Everyone is a suspect, and Jude is digging up the past like bones from a shallow grave. But she's got a few skeletons of her own.
'Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead' by Sara Gran
Claire DeWitt is the world’s greatest P.I. — at least, that's what she tells herself. A one-time teen detective in Brooklyn, she also has deep roots in New Orleans, where she was mentored by esoteric French detective Jacques Silette’s student, Constance Darling — until Darling was murdered. She only returns to New Orleans when a respected DA goes missing and she takes on the investigation.
'Undead Girl Gang' by Lily Anderson
When Mila's best friend Riley and two other classmates die under suspicious circumstances, Mila refuses to believe everyone's explanation that her BFF was involved in a suicide pact. Instead, she uses a spell to bring the girls back to life. Now they all have to work fast to discover who murdered them... before the killer strikes again.
'The Truth Commission' by Susan Juby
This was going to be the year Normandy Pale emerged from her older sister Keira's shadow. Instead, she turns to the "truth commission" she and her friends have started to find out the secrets at their school. It’s a great idea — until it leads back to Kiera, who has been hiding some pretty serious truths of her own.
'Special Topics in Calamity Physics' by Marisha Pessl
After a childhood moving from one academic outpost to another with her father, high school senior Blue van Meer has finally fallen in with a group of friends and their captivating teacher, Hannah Schneider. But when Hannah dies under mysterious circumstances, Blue is left to make sense of it all.
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