Mystery/Thriller

QUIZ: What Dark Crime Book Should You Read Next?

Susie Dumond

Senior Contributor

Susie (she/her) is a queer writer originally from Little Rock, now living in Washington, DC. She is the author of QUEERLY BELOVED and the forthcoming LOOKING FOR A SIGN from Dial Press/Random House. You can find her on Instagram @susiedoom.

Size Zero by Abigail Mangin.

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on fashion runways. A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage. The body is identified as Annabelle Leigh, the teenager who famously disappeared over a decade ago from her boyfriend’s New York City mansion. This new evidence casts suspicion back on the former boyfriend, Cecil LeClaire. Now a monk, he is forced to return to his dark and absurd childhood home to clear his name. He teams up with Ava Germaine, a renegade ex-model. And together, they investigate the depraved and lawless modeling industry behind Cecil’s family fortune.

If you’re looking for some light, cozy mysteries, you’ve come to the wrong place. These dark crime books aren’t for the faint of heart.

Crime fiction includes a number of genres familiar to mystery readers. From courtroom dramas to psychological thrillers to police procedurals, crime fiction can come from many perspectives. But the books suggested in this quiz have a certain noir vibe that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

If you’re a voracious crime reader, you may find yourself running through the crime classics and desperate for something new. The dark crime books featured in this quiz are fairly new and less likely to already be on your shelf. But if you’re looking for more crime book recommendations, we’ve got your back. Love true crime? Check out this list of ten great true crime books, or ten novels for true crime fans. Enjoy crime books that crossover into horror? Try these nine crime novels for horror fans. Fascinated by the paranormal? These fifteen paranormal mystery books might be right up your alley. Are you an anglophile? These nine British mystery series are sure to entertain.

A lot of things in the world right now are scary. We’re experiencing a public health emergency that means lots of readers are staying at home and trying to find a distraction from the world outside. Plenty of readers are turning to fantasy or romance. But there’s room for all kinds of distractions in reading, and sometimes reading about an even darker and scarier world can provide its own relief. I hope the recommendations in this dark crime books quiz will do just that.

Dark Crime Books Quiz

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