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Quick answer: If you liked Two Can Keep a Secret, read One of Us Is Lying, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, We Were Liars and Truly Devious. All offer teen mysteries with secrets, twists and unreliable friends.
Karen M. McManus writes fast, twisty young adult thrillers about small towns and old crimes. Two Can Keep a Secret follows a girl who returns to a town where a murder and a disappearance are not forgotten. The books below share that whodunit pace and teen cast. All are for teens and up, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| One of Us Is Lying | Karen M. McManus | Teen | more McManus |
| One of Us Is Next | Karen M. McManus | Teen | series readers |
| The Cousins | Karen M. McManus | Teen | family secrets |
| Truly Devious | Maureen Johnson | Teen | boarding school mysteries |
| A Good Girl's Guide to Murder | Holly Jackson | Teen | amateur sleuths |
| We Were Liars | E. Lockhart | Teen | twist lovers |
| Pretty Little Liars | Sara Shepard | Teen | soap-style suspense |
| Dangerous Girls | Abigail Haas | Teen | trial suspense |
| The Inheritance Games | Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Teen | puzzle plots |
| I Know What You Did Last Summer | Lois Duncan | Teen | classic suspense |
| Sadie | Courtney Summers | Teen | podcast mystery |
| The Cheerleaders | Kara Thomas | Teen | small-town secrets |
| Ace of Spades | Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé | Teen | school secrets |
| People Like Us | Kara Thomas | Teen | boarding school thriller |
| The Naturals | Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Teen | FBI-style teen mysteries |
1. One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
Five students enter detention and only four leave alive. McManus's best-known thriller, told from four viewpoints.
Best for: more McManus.
2. One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus
A sequel with a new prank game that turns dangerous. Tense and quick.
Best for: series readers.
3. The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
Three cousins are summoned to a mysterious island by their grandmother. A family-secret mystery.
Best for: family secrets.
4. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
A teen detective investigates a decades-old kidnapping at an elite school. Layers of mystery and a series.
Best for: boarding school mysteries.
5. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Pip reopens a closed murder case for a school project. Clever, twisty and often tense.
Best for: amateur sleuths.
6. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
A girl tries to remember a summer accident on a private island. Short, lyrical and shocking.
Best for: twist lovers.
7. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
Four girls receive messages from a mysterious A. Gossipy, glamorous and addictive.
Best for: soap-style suspense.
8. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
A teen is accused of murder after a vacation trip. Dark and gripping.
Best for: trial suspense.
9. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
A teen inherits a billionaire's fortune and a puzzle-filled mansion. Clever and fun.
Best for: puzzle plots.
10. I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan
Four friends cover up an accident and are stalked a year later. A classic of teen suspense.
Best for: classic suspense.
11. Sadie by Courtney Summers
A girl hunts for her sister's killer, with a podcast investigating. Dark and effective.
Best for: podcast mystery.
12. The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
A town revisits the murders of five cheerleaders five years later. Moody and twisty.
Best for: small-town secrets.
13. Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Two students at an elite school are targeted by an anonymous blackmailer. Sharp and topical.
Best for: school secrets.
14. People Like Us by Kara Thomas
A girl at a boarding school investigates a murder. Quick and tense.
Best for: boarding school thriller.
15. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Teens with special skills help the FBI solve cold cases. Fast and twisty, with a profiling twist.
Best for: FBI-style teen mysteries.
How to Choose
For more McManus, begin with One of Us Is Lying. For clever puzzles, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder or The Inheritance Games. For short and shocking, We Were Liars. For a classic, I Know What You Did Last Summer. For FBI-style teen cases, try The Naturals. Mysteries like these work best when you read quickly and avoid spoilers online. Read the opening chapters in a quiet place and notice small details, since YA authors plant clues early. A group read with friends, where everyone guesses the culprit, is part of the fun.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Two Can Keep a Secret about?
Ellery moves to Echo Ridge, where her aunt vanished years ago, and new threats begin to appear.
Do I need to read other McManus books first?
No. Each one is a standalone, apart from One of Us Is Lying and One of Us Is Next.
Is it scary?
It is tense and suspenseful but not graphic.
What age is it for?
Most readers are 13 and up.
Which teen mystery has the best twist?
We Were Liars is famous for its ending.
Is there a TV adaptation of McManus's books?
Yes. One of Us Is Lying was adapted as a TV series in 2021.
Are the McManus novels all linked?
Most are standalone. Only One of Us Is Lying and One of Us Is Next are a pair.
Which is the best choice for a reluctant teen reader?
One of Us Is Lying is fast and short-chaptered, which keeps pages turning.
Is this list in order of quality?
No. The books are listed by similarity and variety, so start with the one that sounds best to you.