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Let's Play: How To Make An Ominous-Sounding Mystery Title

Posted by Marie on April 2, 2018
361 likes · 1633 comments
Goodreads Mystery & Thriller Week 2018

Mystery & Thriller Week is sponsored by Penguin Random House Audio. Enjoy the suspense on audio.

Mainstream mystery titles have the uncanny ability to turn the ordinary into the ominous. Like a macabre version of Mad Libs, sometimes all a title needs is a combination of a person and a place to achieve maximum foreboding. The Body in the Library, The Couple Next Door, and The Woman in the Window are all prime examples of this. And if you want to turn the terror up a notch, you can never go wrong with adding the word "girl" to let readers know that trouble isn't too far away.

The rules to this game are simple: Match your birth month and birth date to the chart below. Then stand back for that spine-tingling (or snicker-inducing) effect. Who knows? Your title could be the next big name in the mystery genre!



What's your bestselling mystery title? Share it with us in the comments!

Check out the complete coverage of Mystery & Thriller Week:
'Til (Potentially Imminent) Death Do Us Part: Suspenseful Reads for Romantics
Twisty Teen Mysteries: Sara Shepard's YA Must-Reads
20 Top-Rated True-Crime Books on Goodreads

 · 361 likes · 1633 comments

Comments Showing 451-500 of 1,633 (1633 new)


message 451: by Jennifer (new)
Apr 03, 2018 03:23PM

Jennifer Williams Death at the Two-Star Hotel

This definitely has promise!!!


message 452: by Patti (new)
Apr 03, 2018 03:33PM

Patti Evil in the Waiting Room


message 453: by Emma (new)
Apr 03, 2018 03:39PM

Emma The Stranger in the Waiting Room


message 454: by [deleted user] (new)
Apr 03, 2018 03:54PM

The Devil in the Swamp


message 455: by Arensb (new)
Apr 03, 2018 04:09PM

Arensb Then there's the MST3K technique of just taking a well-known phrase and replacing one of the words with "murder".
'Til Murder Do Us Part
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Murder
Be All That You Can Murder
The Grapes of Murder
Grey's Murder
A Series of Unfortunate Murders
The Handmaid's Murder


message 456: by Denise (new)
Apr 03, 2018 04:13PM

Denise The Shadow on the Fire Escape


message 457: by Olha (new)
Apr 03, 2018 04:20PM

Olha Pavlyshyn The Shadow in the All-Night Diner


message 458: by Maria (new)
Apr 03, 2018 04:26PM

Maria The Shadow in the Casino... feels like a new Alec Baldwin book


message 459: by Elisa (new)
Apr 03, 2018 04:34PM

Elisa Brogan Murder at the Empty Zoo


message 460: by Ricardo (new)
Apr 03, 2018 04:35PM

Ricardo Borgo The Body at the Car Dealership


message 461: by Sheila (new)
Apr 03, 2018 04:35PM

Sheila P. The Liar in the Vitamin Aisle.


message 462: by leo (new)
Apr 03, 2018 04:45PM

leo The Imposter in the All-Night Diner haha


message 463: by Amanda (new)
Apr 03, 2018 05:10PM

Amanda Evil at the Farmer's Market!!


message 464: by Tawnee (new)
Apr 03, 2018 05:18PM

Tawnee Calhoun The Woman in the Cemetery


message 465: by Denise (new)
Apr 03, 2018 05:34PM

Denise The widow in the wardrobe


message 466: by Subaru (new)
Apr 03, 2018 05:45PM

Subaru Uchimaki The Widow at the empty Zoo


message 467: by LiteraryMarie (new)
Apr 03, 2018 05:46PM

LiteraryMarie The Woman in the Wardrobe


message 468: by Super Cool Dudette (new)
Apr 03, 2018 05:55PM

Super Cool Dudette The Imposter in the Broom Closet


message 469: by Candice (new)
Apr 03, 2018 06:17PM

Candice Evil Under the Stairs


message 470: by Sienzo (new)
Apr 03, 2018 06:22PM

Sienzo these sound more like Nancy Drew book titles


message 471: by Raneet (new)
Apr 03, 2018 06:28PM

Raneet The Stranger at The Empty Zoo


message 472: by Nisanka (new)
Apr 03, 2018 06:32PM

Nisanka The Widow in the Elevator


message 473: by Sabrina (new)
Apr 03, 2018 06:34PM

Sabrina Aokira The Shadow at the DMV.


message 474: by Reoma (last edited Apr 03, 2018 06:36PM) (new)
Apr 03, 2018 06:35PM

Reoma McGinnis The Liar in the Emergency Room -- Someone is not telling the truth about their health insurance and when it is denied, goes on a rampage.


message 475: by Jess (new)
Apr 03, 2018 06:47PM

Jess The Woman on the Steamboat


message 476: by Meera (new)
Apr 03, 2018 06:51PM

Meera The Devil in room No. 8! :)


message 477: by Luella (new)
Apr 03, 2018 07:09PM

Luella Mcglaughlin The Shadow at the two star hotel


message 478: by Carolina (new)
Apr 03, 2018 07:12PM

Carolina Téllez Murder in the Casino!
hahaha


message 479: by Martine (new)
Apr 03, 2018 07:31PM

Martine Marina wrote: "The Woman on The Midnight Train

Sounds good to me!"

Cool! We have the same birthday!


message 480: by Martine (new)
Apr 03, 2018 07:37PM

Martine My husband’s is The liar in room No. 8.


message 481: by Sarah (new)
Apr 03, 2018 08:12PM

Sarah Welton-Lair The Body in the Warehouse


message 482: by [deleted user] (new)
Apr 03, 2018 09:02PM

The Liar in the Panic Room


message 483: by Judy (new)
Apr 03, 2018 09:05PM

Judy Timmons Evil on Flight 42.I thought that was the snack they gave me.


message 484: by [deleted user] (new)
Apr 03, 2018 09:10PM

The Stalker in the Emergency Room


message 485: by Abigail (new)
Apr 03, 2018 09:24PM

Abigail The Devil at the DMV
Ha!


message 486: by Tejasvi (new)
Apr 03, 2018 09:46PM

Tejasvi Mehta The Shadow at the Two-Star Hotel...has a nice ring to it!


message 487: by Guadalupe (new)
Apr 03, 2018 09:53PM

Guadalupe P. Araujo Evil in the Cementery.


message 488: by Cirtnecce (new)
Apr 03, 2018 09:56PM

Cirtnecce Evil in the Vitamin Aisle! hahhhahhhahhhaa


message 489: by Marion (new)
Apr 03, 2018 10:11PM

Marion Coro The Shadow in the Casino.


message 490: by Pavan (new)
Apr 03, 2018 10:29PM

Pavan May sound ridiculous, it is "Death in the parking garage" 😁


message 491: by Abha (new)
Apr 03, 2018 10:55PM

Abha The stalker in the meat locker


message 492: by Asha (new)
Apr 03, 2018 10:58PM

Asha Seth The Imposter in the Meat Locker


message 493: by Jess (new)
Apr 03, 2018 11:02PM

Jess Thomas Amparo wrote: "The Devil at the Two-Star Hotel"

Birthday twin, 20 May :)


message 494: by Mohammad Sabbir (new)
Apr 03, 2018 11:18PM

Mohammad Sabbir Shaikh The Stalker in the Vitamin Aisle
What!


message 495: by Doanne (new)
Apr 03, 2018 11:40PM

Doanne The Stranger in the Vitamin Aisle

Eh?


message 496: by Barbara (new)
Apr 03, 2018 11:56PM

Barbara The Stalker in the Casino.


message 497: by Monique (new)
Apr 04, 2018 12:05AM

Monique Eichman The Stranger in the waiting room


message 498: by Catsamcat (new)
Apr 04, 2018 12:07AM

Catsamcat The Shadow in the Broom Closet.


message 499: by Veerle (new)
Apr 04, 2018 12:16AM

Veerle Logghe The shadow on flight 42


message 500: by Lolly (new)
Apr 04, 2018 12:50AM

Lolly The Woman in the Broom Closet sounds hilarious. Maybe a comedic thriller?


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