Two Truths and a Lie: May Mystery Picks to Test Your Sleuth Skills
Mystery May
If you’re in the mood for a good mystery, May is the perfect time to shake things up with our “Two Truths and a Lie” reading challenge. Think of it as part game, part reading list: every story hides secrets, but only some truths lead you in the right direction.
Directions: Each round is named after a reading “vibe” that describes a type of mystery. Under it, you’ll see three statements; two are true descriptions of that vibe, and one is a lie. Your job is to figure out which two actually match the mood you’re in when you reach for that kind of mystery story.
Small Town Secrets Paranormal Stories Whodunit Mysteries Red HerringsRound 1: Small-Town Secrets
1) You want generations of families all hiding a scandalous crime.
2) You’re looking for characters who use ancient rituals and texts to solve a mystery.
3) You want crime and corruption in a charming, friendly setting.
Reveal the Lie and Get a Recommendation
#2 is the Lie – try Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees + Book Club for Troublesome Women
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees written and illustrated by Patrick Horvath
Samantha Strong is a serial killer (and a brown bear!) with one important rule: never murder the locals. Life in her cozy animal-filled town is perfect, until a resident turns up dead. Now Sam’s furious, suspicious, and determined to catch the copycat killer before the whole town falls apart and the sheriff blames the wrong suspect.
Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick and read by Lisa Flanagan
In the early 1960s, four suburban housewives start a book club that becomes a lifeline. As they bond over The Feminine Mystique, they begin questioning the “perfect” lives they’re supposed to want. Through friendship, secrets, and big social changes, they slowly reshape their futures—and themselves.
Round 2: Paranormal Stories
1) You want a story in which the past refuses to stay dead.
2) You’re looking for characters who question reality.
3) You want ethical gray areas that make the criminal (somewhat) sympathetic.
Reveal the Lie and Get a Recommendation
#3 is the Lie – read The Crone of Arcane Cinders + Carmilla, the First Vampire
The Crone of Arcane Cinders by Iris Beaglehole and read by Bethan Dixon Bate
Delia Spark is juggling magical family secrets, a messy divorce from her cult-leader ex, and a hunt for a powerful fire dragon. With help from an immortal warrior, her fellow Crones, and a sarcastic demon cat, she learns that real magic means surviving life’s chaos with humor and heart.
Carmilla, the First Vampire by Amy Chu and illustrated by Soo Lee
In 1990s New York during Lunar New Year, a social worker investigates the murders of homeless LGBTQ+ women after the police ignore the case. Her search leads to a mysterious Chinatown nightclub and a dangerous romance that pulls her into a dark mystery tied to her own hidden past.
Round 3: Whodunit Mysteries
1) You want a sleuth who methodically figures out the culprit’s identity.
2) You’re searching for stories where attention is focused on sensational but irrelevant details.
3) You want a cast of characters who all have secrets, motives, or suspicious behavior.
Reveal the Lie and Get Recommendations
#2 is the Lie – try Murder at the Secondhand Shop , Three Bengal Kittens , The Heir of Whitestone or Where the Body Was
Murder at the Secondhand Shop by Anna Grue and read by Joan Walker
In a sleepy Danish town, volunteers at a secondhand shop keep dying in “accidents.” The police call it old age, but nosy retiree Mrs. Mortensen and her dachshund smell murder. Armed with gossip, grit, and plenty of cake, she’s determined to catch the killer before she becomes the next victim.
Three Bengal Kittens by Philipp Schott
After Sam is arrested for his neighbor’s suspicious death, his brother Peter refuses to believe he’s a killer. While investigating the case, Peter teams up with his sniffer dog, Pippin, to clear Sam’s name and track down a missing Bengal kitten tied to the mystery.
The Heir of Whitestone by Catherine Coulter
In 1840s London, gifted engineer Alex Ivanov is hiding a forgotten past after being rescued from the Thames as a child. When he falls for the clever Lady Camilla, romance quickly turns dangerous. Deadly attacks and buried secrets force them to uncover who Alex really is, before someone kills him first.
Where the Body Was by Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Sean Phillips
One suburban summer, the lives of a lonely housewife, a runaway girl, a tired cop, a wannabe superhero kid, and a private detective collide after a murder rocks the neighborhood. Everyone has a different version of what happened, but nobody seems to know the full truth.
Round 4: Red Herrings
1) You want a small-town setting where each resident holds one fragment of the mystery.
2) You want to encounter evidence that intentionally points toward the wrong suspect.
3) You’re looking for stories in which the real culprit distracts investigators with misleading clues.
Reveal the Lie and Get Recommendations
#1 is the Lie – read Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect + The Deviant Vol. 1
Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
A crime-writing festival aboard Australia’s famous Ghan train sounds like the perfect inspiration trip, until one of the authors is murdered. Now six mystery writers become five amateur detectives, each with expert knowledge of how to solve a crime…or cover one up.
The Deviant Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV and illustrated by Joshua Hixson
In 1972 Milwaukee, a Santa suit–wearing killer goes on a brutal rampage. Decades later, a writer interviews the imprisoned man, who insists he’s innocent. As Christmas nears again, old horrors resurface, and the line between truth and nightmare starts to blur in this dark holiday horror story.
Mystery May
This May, find a mystery that really speaks to you. Check out all the other mysteries and mystery tropes Hoopla has in our digital collection. Happy sleuthing!
*Title availability may vary.
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