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

Posted by Marie on April 2, 2018
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!


Comments Showing 701-750 of 1,633 (1633 new)


message 701: by Glenys (new)

Glenys Death in the vitamin aisle ............................


message 702: by Pamela (new)

Pamela The Imposter in the Parking Garage


Kay Dee (what is your storygraph name? mine is in my bio. join me!) Meadows mine is a cozy mystery. yay! Death in the Waiting Room


message 704: by Marylyn (new)

Marylyn Leet The Stalker on the Cruise Ship


message 705: by Pat (new)

Pat The Stranger on the Cruise Ship...pretty much describes everyone on every cruise I ever took!


message 706: by Natalia (new)

Natalia Paez The liar on the Cruise Ship... sounds a little strange but mysterious... maybe it can be a story similar to the board game called Clue who's to blame? 😁


message 707: by Joy (new)

Joy The Stranger in the Landfill


message 708: by JAS (new)

JAS The Body at the Empty Zoo


message 709: by Mhbaneraol.com (new)

Mhbaneraol.com Evil in the Elevator


message 710: by Eddie (new)

Eddie "The stalker on the Midnight Train"


message 711: by carol (new)

carol Casey wrote: "The Liar Under the Stairs. Release date TBA lol"

Ditto, happy birthday to you too. ;)


message 712: by Meredith (new)

Meredith Johnson The Widow at the Two-Star Hotel


message 713: by Lisbeth (new)

Lisbeth Bengtsson The Shadow Under The Stairs


message 714: by Deanne (new)

Deanne Tanksley The Devil on the Steamboat. I think I'll use it!


message 715: by Risorgimento (new)

Risorgimento The imposter at the DMV


message 716: by Mikayla (new)

Mikayla The Liar In The Landfill


message 717: by Barbara (new)

Barbara The Liar in the Meatlocker


message 718: by Cindy (new)

Cindy Evil at the Farmer's Market


message 719: by Donna (new)

Donna J My new book: “The Shadow in the Elevator” Ya know I can really do a lot with this title‼️‼️ I’m so 😁 thrilled‼️


message 720: by Elehkim (new)

Elehkim The Liar at the Car Dealership

No surprise there!


message 721: by Merle (new)

Merle The Body in the Emergency Room!


message 722: by Jenny (new)

Jenny The Stalker in the Elevator


message 723: by Kirsten (new)

Kirsten Jenny wrote: "The Stalker in the Elevator"

You really have to have a big elevator to make that work.


message 724: by petrina ☽ (new)

petrina ☽  The Widow in the Parking Garage


message 725: by Martha (new)

Martha Rosemberg Murder in the All-Night Diner.


message 726: by Sarah (new)

Sarah The woman in the parking garage 😱😂


message 727: by Les (new)

Les The Stalker in the Casino ....


message 728: by Brenna (new)

Brenna C the body on the steamboat


message 729: by Natalie (new)

Natalie Schroeder Evil in the Swamp


message 730: by Nasreen (new)

Nasreen Narkedien The woman on the steamboat.


message 731: by Barb (new)

Barb Czz Mine is the Liar in the Fun House. I love to read mysteries and really enjoy when I can figure out some part of the end before I get there.


message 732: by Marjolein (last edited Apr 04, 2018 12:26PM) (new)

Marjolein Death on the Cruise Ship - it doesn't sound very exciting, there must be at least a dozen books with that title?


message 733: by Susan (new)

Susan Meldrum Evil in the Cemetary


message 734: by Sharon (new)

Sharon The Widow Under the Stairs.

Sounds ominous.


message 735: by Susan (new)

Susan Meldrum Nisha wrote: "Evil in the Cemetery :P"

Emma♔☯ wrote: "The body on the cruise ship"

Emma♔☯ wrote: "The body on the cruise ship"
Me too!


message 736: by Jan (new)

Jan Death in the Swamp


message 737: by Sue (last edited Apr 04, 2018 12:35PM) (new)

Sue Alexander-Devers Murder at the empty zoo! LOL Sounds like a winner!


message 738: by Melanie (last edited Apr 04, 2018 12:36PM) (new)

Melanie Murder In The Meat Locker


message 739: by Λευτέρης (new)

Λευτέρης Ευμορφόπουλος The Imposter on Flight 42....
woooooooooo....


message 740: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie Murder in the Parking Garage...the inciting incident of Monk!


message 741: by Danai (new)

Danai The Stalker on Flight 42


message 742: by Alan (new)

Alan Gordon The Shadow in the meat locker


message 743: by Jhj (new)

Jhj Beynen The Devil at the DMV?!?!


message 744: by Kammie Kaufman (new)

Kammie Kaufman The Body in the Meat Locker


message 745: by leanne (new)

leanne The Woman in Room No. 8.


message 746: by Kathryn (new)

Kathryn Scarborough Thew stalker tracks the girl to the empty zoo!!!
(added a few)


message 747: by Katie (new)

Katie Mcclelland The Murder in Room No. 8
Now to start plotting!


message 748: by Judy (new)

Judy Murder in the Cemetery

What's one more dead body?


message 749: by Mj (new)

Mj Rapp The Stalker in the Empty Zoo. Looks like the author has a real challenge ahead.


message 750: by Melanie (new)

Melanie The Shadow at the Empty Zoo


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