"12 Gripping LGBTQIA+ Crime Novels to Add to Your Reading List—And How You Can Become the Detective"
Looking for fresh crime novels to read this fall and winter? Here’s a list from LGBTQIA+ authors to consider. These new releases cover various subgenres and settings, from 1950s San Francisco to sun-soaked Palm Springs. Some feature retired detectives or private investigators, while others introduce everyday people thrust into extraordinary situations. If you’re intrigued by true crime, you’ll find these fictional mysteries engaging.
Here’s why:
- They offer diverse perspectives, notably from LGBTQIA+ characters.
- The novels present a wide range of locations and time periods. You can explore different crime mysteries just like you would in our murder mystery games, which also bring diverse settings to engage the player.
- They tackle various crime sub-genres: cozy mysteries, noir, psychological thrillers, and historical crime.
In this blog post, you’ll find 12 newly released books that will make excellent companions for cooler nights. If you ever wanted to be part of a story like these, we have an idea: you can try your hand at solving a mystery yourself. More on that later—first, here’s the list of new crime novels.
1. Desert Reunion, A Dante & Jazz Mystery by Michael Craft
Set in sunny Palm Springs, retired cop Jazz and concierge Dante team up to solve a murder at a reunion. Did Zola, a Palm Springs decorator, kill the guest? Or is there something more sinister at play?
2. Istanbul Crossing by Timothy Jay Smith
A young Syrian refugee becomes a smuggler. His connections lead to a high-stakes chase involving the CIA and ISIS. This book explores choices, survival, and identity.
Set in 1950s San Francisco, a private detective takes a missing-person case that spirals into a mafia conspiracy involving queer literature.
4. The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan
This cozy mystery takes you to Nova Scotia, where the protagonist is invited to his estranged family’s mansion. Pirate lore, hidden treasure, and secrets lead to an unexpectedly high body count.
5. Scrambled: A Tuesday Night Book Club Mystery by Jaime Maddox
A missing neighbor and a Fabergé egg draw a retired librarian into a mystery in a small Pocono town.
6. Stolen Hearts by Michael Castleman
A teenager hunts down the thief who stole her late mother’s painting. What she uncovers could tear her family apart—and expose dangerous secrets.
7. Fatal Foul Play by David Pederson
What starts as a winter retreat turns deadly as a group of friends is trapped in a remote lodge. One friend has a secret crush. Another is a killer. This novel delivers a closed-circle mystery with rising tension.
8. Under the Cold Moon by C. Jean Downer
This second entry in the Sloane West series combines a private investigator’s methods with witchcraft. A missing child and an ancient demon raise the stakes.
9. Havoc by Christopher Bollen
An octogenarian finds herself in competition with an eight-year-old boy as they both try to stay one step ahead of each other. Set in a decaying hotel along the Nile, this psychological thriller explores obsession.
A dating detective agency uncovers dangerous secrets when one of its clients dies under suspicious circumstances. A queer love triangle adds tension to a plot filled with espionage and corporate intrigue.
11. Waterlogged: A Northwoods Mystery by Nance Sparks
A conservation warden returns to her childhood vacation spot for a quieter life. However, a floating body and several strange incidents suggest this town may not be as innocent as it seems.
12. The Case of the Missing Maid by Rob Osler
Chicago’s first female detective takes charge of locating a missing maid but finds dark secrets lurking behind the locked doors of Prairie Avenue mansions.
These 12 novels highlight how today’s writers are reimagining what crime fiction can be. The characters are deeply human. The plots are fraught with tension. The mysteries are a reflection of real-world struggles, just like our Halloween Murder Mystery Games, packed with suspense and exciting twists that keep you on your toes until the very end.
How does this interest you?
- Do you enjoy solving puzzles?
- Do these whodunits make you feel like you could figure out the answer before the final page? If so, you might enjoy our murder mystery themes, where you too can solve the case.
- Do you wish you could immerse yourself in solving a case?
If so, you should put down the book for a moment and try playing a mystery that unfolds in real time. Our murder mystery games offer the same suspense and engagement you experience in these novels. You work with clues. You interrogate suspects. You piece together the case until you discover the truth.
When you’re ready to go beyond the page and experience the thrill, check out our game options. Whether you want to work solo or host a murder mystery dinner with friends, you’ll find a game that challenges your detective skills.
Try it. Take on the role of detective. Solve the case yourself.
