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Quick answer: If you liked I Know What You Did Last Summer, try Killing Mr. Griffin, Down a Dark Hall, Stranger with My Face, One of Us Is Lying, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and Truly Devious. They share teen secrets, guilt and a threat that will not go away.
Lois Duncan's 1973 thriller follows four teens who hit a boy with their car and cover it up, until someone starts sending threats a year later. It is a quieter story than the slasher film. Readers who want more usually look for Duncan's other suspense novels, or for modern YA mysteries where teens hide secrets and pay for them. These 15 books deliver that mix.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Killing Mr. Griffin | Lois Duncan | 12+ | more Lois Duncan |
| Down a Dark Hall | Lois Duncan | 12+ | readers who like gothic suspense |
| Stranger with My Face | Lois Duncan | 12+ | supernatural thriller fans |
| Don't Look Behind You | Lois Duncan | 12+ | readers who want suspense |
| Locked in Time | Lois Duncan | 12+ | readers who like mystery with a twist |
| One of Us Is Lying | Karen M. McManus | 13+ | readers who want a modern whodunit |
| Two Can Keep a Secret | Karen M. McManus | 13+ | readers who like small-town mysteries |
| A Good Girl's Guide to Murder | Holly Jackson | 14+ | readers who like amateur detectives |
| Truly Devious | Maureen Johnson | 13+ | readers who like cold cases |
| The Naturals | Jennifer Lynn Barnes | 13+ | fans of crime shows |
| Pretty Little Liars | Sara Shepard | 14+ | readers who like drama |
| The Cheerleaders | Kara Thomas | 14+ | readers who like creepy small towns |
| We Were Liars | E. Lockhart | 13+ | readers who love twists |
| Fear Street: The New Girl | R.L. Stine | 12+ | nostalgic readers |
| Final Girls | Riley Sager | Adult | adult thriller fans |
1. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
A group of teens plans to scare a strict teacher, and their prank goes terribly wrong. Duncan's classic of peer pressure and guilt.
Best for: more Lois Duncan.
2. Down a Dark Hall by Lois Duncan
Kit is sent to a mysterious boarding school where the students begin to channel the voices of long-dead artists. Spooky and gripping.
Best for: readers who like gothic suspense.
3. Stranger with My Face by Lois Duncan
Laurie learns she has a twin who can send her spirit out of her body, and the twin wants her life. Eerie and fast.
Best for: supernatural thriller fans.
4. Don't Look Behind You by Lois Duncan
April is forced into witness protection and starts a new life, but the killer is closing in. A taut chase.
Best for: readers who want suspense.
5. Locked in Time by Lois Duncan
Nore moves to her father's new family's Louisiana home and discovers a secret about their age. A creepy short novel.
Best for: readers who like mystery with a twist.
6. One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Five students go to detention, and one dies. Each has a secret, and each is a suspect.
Best for: readers who want a modern whodunit.
7. Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
Ellery returns to the town where her aunt vanished and a homecoming queen was killed. Another murder is now looming.
Best for: readers who like small-town mysteries.
8. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Pip investigates a murder case that was closed five years ago. Twisty, with a strong sleuth.
Best for: readers who like amateur detectives.
9. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
Stevie Bell attends a school where a famous kidnapping happened in 1936 and tries to solve it. Clever and funny.
Best for: readers who like cold cases.
10. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Cassie joins an FBI program for teens with special gifts for profiling killers. Fast and twisty.
Best for: fans of crime shows.
11. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
Four friends are tormented by an anonymous texter who knows their secrets. Soapy, addictive and fast.
Best for: readers who like drama.
12. The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
Five years after five cheerleaders died in a small town, Monica has begun to doubt the official story. Dark and gripping.
Best for: readers who like creepy small towns.
13. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Cadence tries to remember what happened on her family's island two summers ago. A twisty, lyrical story with a shock ending.
Best for: readers who love twists.
14. Fear Street: The New Girl by R.L. Stine
Anna becomes the new girl in Shadyside, and her arrival coincides with a series of strange events. A classic of 1980s teen horror.
Best for: nostalgic readers.
15. Final Girls by Riley Sager
Quincy, the sole survivor of a massacre, is pulled back into her past when another survivor dies. A page-turner for older readers.
Best for: adult thriller fans.
How to Choose
For more Duncan, begin with Killing Mr. Griffin or Stranger with My Face. For modern teen mysteries, try One of Us Is Lying or A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. For lighter reads, start with Truly Devious. For slasher vibes, look at Fear Street or Final Girls. The older Duncan books have no gore, but some of the newer ones include violence and strong language.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the book scarier than the movie?
It is quieter and focused on guilt and suspense, not gore, so it feels different.
What age is I Know What You Did Last Summer for?
It is usually shelved for ages 12 and up.
Did Lois Duncan write other thrillers?
Yes. She wrote dozens of suspense novels for teens, including Killing Mr. Griffin and Down a Dark Hall.
Is it connected to the movie?
The 1997 film was based on the book, but the film is a slasher and the book is a mystery.