Must Read Murder Mysteries

With some areas ramping up their lockdown restrictions, it seems like now, more than ever, we could all use something good to read! And if you like getting your blood pumping and your heart racing, the team here at Plotive has a couple of compelling murder mystery recommendations just for you!

Night Film by Marisha Pessl. Night Film tells the tale of journalist Scott McGrath, who is tasked with investigating the death of Ashley Cordova, the daughter of a controversial film director. Of course, while conducting his investigations, McGrath discovers that he himself may be in danger… Night Film was named as a finalist for the 2013 Shirley Jackson Award, and after reading the first few pages you’ll quickly understand why. Night Film also reached sixth on The New York Times Bestseller’s list in September 2013.

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke. Bluebird, Bluebird tells the story of Darren Matthews, an African-American Texas ranger who is summoned to investigate two murders in the small town of Lark. One of those murders is of a Chicago lawyer named Michael Wright, himself an African-American. Bluebird, Bluebird has been described as a thrilling depiction of the intersection between love, race, and justice. Locke, a writer and producer on the Fox drama Empire, won the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction for her 2016 novel Pleasantville, so you know you can expect a great read.

Ready to crack open a great mystery? Visit our online library at Plotive for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

The Many Faces of Mystery

Murder mystery? Spy thriller? It’s one of our favorite genres, but with so many different titles falling into the mystery folder a look into the sub-genres of mystery is definitely worthwhile. Here are some of the more notable sub-genres within the wide world of mystery that you can start exploring today.

Murder/crime mystery. Perhaps most commonly representative of the mystery genre, the classic “who done it” covers a wide range of mystery novels, often with a key protagonist (usually a detective - professional or amateur.)

Noir. Borrowing many elements from murder and crime mysteries, the world of Noir gives us a stylised interpretation of the classic mystery, often focussing on the private investigator of the 1940s and 1950s.

Spy thriller. Often focused on the world of intrigue, spy thrillers combine mystery with suspense to keep us guessing with every turn of the page.

Paranormal. Without a doubt, the unexplained can simply be out of this world, and the paranormal certainly plays a big part in the success of many mystery novels to the point where it could be a stand-alone genre of its own.

Historical. Often times mystery books are no work of fiction. With countless unsolved mysteries found in the pages of history books, deep dives into non-fiction mystery make up a significant portion of the genre.

Ready for a deep dive into the world of mystery? Visit our online library at www.plotive.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more, available anytime on your favorite devices.

Books Inspired by Real Life Mysteries

Real life often can be stranger than fiction, and can also serve as excellent inspiration! Though some authors choose to craft tales of pure imagination, others take real life events and carefully weave fact into fiction. Here are three stories of murder and mystery inspired by real life events.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. A classic by all accounts, Truman Capote’s tale of the brutal murder of a local Kansas businessman, his wife, and their children, at the hands of two ex-farmhands is closely based on real life events. At the trial, the jury took just 45 minutes to arrive at the guilty verdict, which at the time carried a mandatory death sentence. It took Capote six years to write the book after extensive research, much of which was assisted by famed author Harper Lee.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. Featuring Belgian Detective Hercule Poirot, Murder on the Orient Express was inspired by the real life tragedy of the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby just two years prior to the book’s publishing. The novel would later spawn two movie adaptations and serve as inspiration for three different television series as well.

The Long Drop by Denise Mina. The Long Drop tells the story of William Watt, a man wrongly accused of the murder of his family in 1950s Scotland, and Peter Manuel, the only man who seemed to have any answers. The award-winning Mina carefully crafts facts into a gripping tale of a dark and dangerous time.

Looking for more deep dives into the world of mystery? Check out www.plotive.com for a wide variety of compelling reads.