10 Best Human Drama Mystery Books Leaving a Lasting Emotional Impact!
In the realm where elegant prose meets enthralling puzzles, lies a beloved genre - the human drama mystery. An addictive fusion of gripping detective work and potent emotional narratives, these books are designed for those whose literary appetites crave both, suspense and sentiment. If you're longing for stories that keep you on edge till the last page, yet leave you emotionally drenched, then bingo, this treasure trove is for you!
These ten recommended reads are not just about solving whodunit enigmas. They tease you with complex, emotional threads woven between their characters, feeding your curiosity and empathy in equal measures. They are swathed in rich human dramas that capture struggles, triumphant moments, and everything in-between. To top it all, they plant mysteries deep into these dramas, roping readers into an autonomous quest for truth.
Each book on this list is guaranteed to take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, right from the unsettling suspense to the soothing resolution. They may provoke tears, invoke anger or even force a smile onto your face. But each emotion, each reaction, will be profoundly meaningful. By the end of these novels, we are sure you'll find yourself remembering their characters' journeys like your personal experiences. Buckle up, and let the emotional mystery engulf you.
『The Lovely Bones』
The internationally bestselling novel that inspired the acclaimed film directed by Peter Jackson. With an introduction by Karen Thompson Walker, author of The Age of Miracles. My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. In heaven, Susie Salmon can have whatever she wishes for – except what she most wants, which is to be back with the people she loved on earth. In the wake of her murder, Susie watches as her happy suburban family is torn apart by grief; as her friends grow up, fall in love, and do all the things she never had the chance to do herself. But as Susie will come to realize, even in death, life is not quite out of reach . . . A luminous, astonishing novel about life and death, memory and forgetting, and finding light in the darkest places, Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones became an instant classic when it was first published. There are now over ten million copies in print. It inspired the film starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon and Saoirse Ronan.
Author | Alice Sebold |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Pan Macmillan |
Release Date | Dec 15, 2014 |
Source | Google Books |
『Where the Crawdads Sing』
Viewed with suspicion in the aftermath of a murder, Kya Clark, who has survived alone for years in a marsh near the North Carolina coast, becomes targeted by unthinkable forces.
Author | Delia Owens |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | National Geographic Books |
Release Date | Apr 30, 2019 |
Source | Google Books |
『The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle』
"Pop your favorite Agatha Christie whodunnit into a blender with a scoop of Downton Abbey, a dash of Quantum Leap, and a liberal sprinkling of Groundhog Day and you'll get this unique murder mystery." —Harper's Bazaar THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER! The 71⁄2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a breathlessly addictive mystery that follows one man's race to find a killer, with an astonishing time-turning twist that means nothing and no one are quite what they seem. Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others. With a locked-room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy, Stuart Turton unfurls a breakneck novel of intrigue and suspense. International bestselling author Stuart Turton delivers inventive twists in a thriller of such unexpected creativity it will leave readers guessing until the very last page. ALSO BY STUART TURTON: The Devil and the Dark Water The Last Murder at the End of the World
Author | Stuart Turton |
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Price | $9 |
Publisher | Sourcebooks, Inc. |
Release Date | Sep 18, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『We Were Liars』
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. Don't miss the #1 New York Times bestselling prequel, Family of Liars. A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth. Read it. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE. "Thrilling, beautiful, and blisteringly smart, We Were Liars is utterly unforgettable." —John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars
Author | E. Lockhart |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Ember |
Release Date | May 29, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Color of Bee Larkham's Murder』
A boy with synesthesia—a condition that causes him to see colors when he hears sounds—tries to uncover what happened to his beautiful new neighbor—and if he was ultimately responsible in this “compelling and emotionally charged mystery that warrants comparisons to Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” (Library Journal). In this highly original “fantastic debut” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), thirteen-year-old Jasper Wishart lives in a world of dazzling color that no one else can see, least of all his dad. Words, numbers, days of the week, people’s voices—everything has its own unique shade. But recently Jasper has been haunted by a color he doesn’t like or understand: the color of murder. Convinced he’s done something terrible to his neighbor, Bee Larkham, Jasper revisits the events of the last few months to paint the story of their relationship from the very beginning. As he struggles to untangle the knot of untrustworthy memories and colors that will lead him to the truth, it seems that there’s someone else out there determined to stop him—at any cost. Full of page-turning suspense and heart-wrenching poignancy—as well as plenty of humor—The Color of Bee Larkham’s Murder is “completely original and impossible to predict” (Benjamin Ludwig, author of Ginny Moon) with a unique hero who will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
Author | Sarah J. Harris |
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Price | $11.99 |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Release Date | Jun 12, 2018 |
Source | Google Books |
『The Last Thing He Told Me』
Don’t miss the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick that’s sold 3 million copies strong—now an Apple TV+ limited series starring Jennifer Garner! The “page-turning, exhilarating” (PopSugar) and “heartfelt thriller” (Real Simple) about a woman who thinks she’s found the love of her life—until he disappears. Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother. As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared. Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated. With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a “page-turning, exhilarating, and unforgettable” (PopSugar) suspense novel.
Author | Laura Dave |
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Price | $13.99 |
Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Release Date | May 04, 2021 |
Source | Google Books |
『And Then There Were None』
And Then There Were None is the signature novel of Agatha Christie, the most popular work of the world's bestselling novelist. It is a masterpiece of mystery and suspense that has been a fixture in popular literature since it was originally published in 1939. First there were ten-a curious assortment of strangers summoned to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to any of them, is nowhere to be found. The ten guests have precious little in common except that each has a deadly secret buried deep in their own past. And, unknown to them, each has been marked for murder. Alone on the island and trapped by foul weather, one by one the guests begin to fall prey to the hidden murderer among them. With themselves as the only suspects, only the dead are above suspicion.
Author | Agatha Christie |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Macmillan |
Release Date | May 03, 2004 |
Source | Google Books |
『One of Us Is Lying』
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY • BUZZFEED • POPCRUSH “Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club” (Entertainment Weekly) in this addictive mystery about what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Pay close attention and you might solve this. On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app. Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose? Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them. All the secrets of the Bayview Four will be revealed in the TV series now streaming on NBC's Peacock! And don’t miss the #1 New York Times bestselling sequel, One of Us is Next!
Author | Karen M. McManus |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | National Geographic Books |
Release Date | May 30, 2017 |
Source | Google Books |
『Mr. Flood's Last Resort』
From the award-winning author of Himself comes a spellbinding and “magically entertaining read” (Good Housekeeping, UK) about a lonely caregiver and a cranky hoarder with a house full of secrets that “will appeal to fans of Tana French and Sophie Hannah, as it charms and unsettles in equal measure” (BookPage). Maud Drennan is a dedicated caregiver whose sunny disposition masks a deep sadness. A tragic childhood event left her haunted, in the company of a cast of prattling saints who pop in and out of her life like tourists. Other than visiting her agoraphobic neighbor, Maud keeps to herself, finding solace in her work and in her humble existence—until she meets Mr. Flood. Cathal Flood is a menace by all accounts. The lone occupant of a Gothic mansion crawling with feral cats, he has been waging war against his son’s attempts to put him into an old-age home and sent his last caretaker running for the madhouse. But Maud is this impossible man’s last chance: if she can help him get the house in order, he just might be able to stay. So the unlikely pair begins to cooperate, bonding over their shared love of Irish folktales and mutual dislike of Mr. Flood’s overbearing son. Mr. Flood’s Last Resort is “a rare delight” (Cosmopolitan, UK) examining the space between sin and sainthood, a novel that “perfectly balances tragedy with dark comedy” in which “the dialogue crackles and every detail enchants” (Shelf Awareness). Note to readers: In the UK, this book is published under the title The Hoarder.
Author | Jess Kidd |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Atria Books |
Release Date | Mar 12, 2019 |
Source | Google Books |
『Little Broken Things』
“If you liked Big Little Lies, you’ll want to crack open [Little Broken Things].” —Southern Living An unforgettable and moving novel about an affluent suburban family whose carefully constructed façade crumbles with the unexpected arrival of an endangered young girl. I have something for you. When Quinn Cruz receives that cryptic text message from her older sister Nora, she doesn’t think much of it. They haven’t seen each other in nearly a year and their relationship consists mostly of infrequent phone calls and the occasional email. But when a haunted-looking Nora shows up just hours later, a chain reaction is set into motion that will change both of their lives forever. Nora’s “something” is more shocking than Quinn could have ever imagined: a little girl, cowering and wide-eyed. Nora hands her over to Quinn with instructions to keep her safe and disappears, leaving Quinn as the unlikely caretaker of a girl introduced simply as Lucy. “Steeped in menace…a race-to-the-finish family drama” (People), Little Broken Things explores life and death, family and freedom, and the lengths one woman will go to protect the ones she loves.
Author | Nicole Baart |
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Price | unknown |
Publisher | Pocket Books |
Release Date | Aug 25, 2020 |
Source | Google Books |
Wow, what a wild ride, right? Each and every one of these human drama mystery books will drag you in, spin you around, and spit you out feeling like you've just lived an entire lifetime in a few hundred pages. Complex characters, tangled plots, and heart-wrenching resolutions; they've got it all. Isn't it fascinating how a good book can make us question our perceptions of right and wrong? How it can allow us to live deep, intense emotional experiences right from our comfy armchairs? Trust me, if you're into the kind of storytelling that moves you to tears, makes you scream in frustration, or leaves you staring blankly at the last page, asking yourself, "What the heck just happened?!" then these books are for you. They will tunnel their way right into your heart and settle there forever. Enjoy the ride, folks. After all, isn't that what's the best about reading? The thrill of plunging into a new world that shakes us to our core. Brilliant, isn't it?
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