Whodunnit?

My days of winter break fill up with hours and hours of reading. It is glorious. It's even more glorious when the winter weather gets fierce, and everybody is forced to stay put and stay inside. Ah, what a splendid week!

The Likeness by Tana French was a book Santa stuck in my stocking. It is a sequel of sorts to a book I read last year, so it was intriguing to see what the characters had been up to since I last "saw" them. While it's not a book most kids would enjoy, I really do recommend it (and it's predecessor In the Woods) to grown-ups who enjoy good mysteries.

Knowing how much a good mystery can grab readers and engage them for a wild and thrilling ride, I decided to collect a list of books for teens who like mysteries. It's not exclusive, so let me know if you have others to add.

Here are a few that I found...hope you enjoy! Keep reading, everyone!

First, my favorite new mystery for young adults

Blundell, Judy. What I Saw and How I Lied. 2009.

In 1947, with her jovial stepfather Joe back from the war and family life returning to normal, teenage Evie, smitten by the handsome young ex-GI who seems to have a secret hold on Joe, finds herself caught in a complicated web of lies whose devastating outcome change her life and that of her family forever.

Hiaasen, Carl. Scat. 2009.

Nick and his friend Marta decide to investigate when a mysterious fire starts near a Florida wildlife preserve and an unpopular teacher goes missing.

Grisham, John. The Client. 1993.

Eleven-year-old Mark Sway accidentally witnesses a murder and becomes the target of relentless prosecutors and the mob, and the only person who can save him is Reggie Love, an attorney barely out of law school.

Duncan, Lois. I Know What You Did Last Summer. 1973.

Four teenagers, trying to conceal their responsibility for a hit-and-run accident, are pursued by a mystery figure seeking revenge.

Plum-Ucci, Carol. The Body of Christopher Creed. 2000.

Did he run, was he kidnapped, or was he murdered?

Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. 1999.

Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. As the circumstances unfold, readers get a chance to think carefully about the crime and decide his innocence or guilt.

Konigsburg, E.L. Silent to the Bone. 2000.

Is the British nanny lying when she accuses 13-year-old Bramwell of injuring his baby step-sister? His best friend thinks so, but Bramwell isn't talking. He's gone mute.