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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 801-850 of 1,633 (1633 new)


message 801: by Michelle.W (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:15PM

Michelle.W Death in the Wardrobe


message 802: by Mary (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:20PM

Mary Stueben The Devil at the Farmer's Market!!! Dang, I knew he was overcharging me on the baby kale!!


message 803: by Karon (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:21PM

Karon Hoffman The Shadow at the Empty Zoo


message 804: by Rachel (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:24PM

Rachel The Stalker on Flight 42


message 805: by Deb (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:29PM

Deb the devil under the stairs!


message 806: by Janet (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:32PM

Janet Donath "The Stranger at the Car Wash" creepy.


message 807: by Nadine (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:33PM

Nadine Murder in the Wardrobe


message 808: by Virginia (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:35PM

Virginia Matos Death at the Farmer's Market


message 809: by Luke (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:36PM

Luke The stranger in the casino


message 810: by [deleted user] (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:36PM

The Liar in the Vitamin Aisle


message 811: by Carla (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:36PM

Carla Death on the Fire Escape


message 812: by Rehannah (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:41PM

Rehannah The Body At the Abandoned Theme Park


message 813: by Lorraine (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:43PM

Lorraine The Devil in the waiting room


message 814: by Liz (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:44PM

Liz The Devil in the Warehouse 😈


message 815: by Evelin (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:53PM

Evelin Murder in the Parking Garage


message 816: by Melanie (new)
Apr 04, 2018 03:54PM

Melanie The Shadow in the all-night diner


message 817: by Jillian1201 (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:00PM

Jillian1201 The Stranger in the Cemetery


message 818: by Leslie (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:01PM

Leslie Davison Mehsi wrote: "The Body in the Fun House."

Hey! Me too. Coincidence? I think something fishy is going on...


message 819: by Tori (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:04PM

Tori Death on the fire escape? LOL


message 820: by Lily (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:07PM

Lily the shadow at the empty zoo. lol


message 821: by literaryfox (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:08PM

literaryfox The Devil in the Waiting Room.

.....interesting


message 822: by Ashley (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:17PM

Ashley Murder on the Midnight Train


message 823: by Athena (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:23PM

Athena Porter I would have called mine "On The Last Day Of Winter".


message 824: by Sherri (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:26PM

Sherri Smith The Widow on the Cruise Ship


message 825: by Nancy (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:33PM

Nancy The Stranger in the Landfill ~ sounds a bit stinky to me! lol


message 826: by Iris (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:37PM

Iris The Devil On The Fire Escape


message 827: by Sharon (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:44PM

Sharon Brown Death in the Elevator (and I've always been fearful of being in an elevator when it fell)


message 828: by Ellen (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:47PM

Ellen The Imposter in the Cemetery


message 829: by Jihane (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:48PM

Jihane The body in the warehouse


message 830: by Kandace (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:50PM

Kandace The Devil at the Farmers Market


message 831: by Ana (new)
Apr 04, 2018 04:55PM

Ana Morais The shadow in room nº8 i think this one is going to be okay :D


message 832: by Eva (new)
Apr 04, 2018 05:03PM

Eva Evil in the Meat Locker !


message 833: by Francesca (last edited Apr 04, 2018 05:11PM) (new)
Apr 04, 2018 05:10PM

Francesca Evil at the Two Star Hotel.


message 834: by Alf (new)
Apr 04, 2018 05:23PM

Alf Anderson The Body in Room 8.


message 835: by Lola (new)
Apr 04, 2018 05:27PM

Lola The Stranger in the Cemetery 😁


message 836: by JoAnne (new)
Apr 04, 2018 05:27PM

JoAnne Richards The Widow in the Swamp
Sounds like a little too much to drink LOL


message 837: by Alivia (new)
Apr 04, 2018 05:31PM

Alivia The Stranger at the Car Wash??? Lol


message 838: by Janis (new)
Apr 04, 2018 05:36PM

Janis The body in the meat locker


message 839: by Jennifer (new)
Apr 04, 2018 05:43PM

Jennifer Faith Evil in the Panic Room


message 840: by Nina (new)
Apr 04, 2018 05:52PM

Nina The Stalker in the Wardrobe


message 841: by Jeff (new)
Apr 04, 2018 06:01PM

Jeff P The Liar in the Two Star Hotel

sounds kinda seedy....


message 842: by Gail M. Ferguson (new)
Apr 04, 2018 06:02PM

Gail M. Ferguson Death at the Farmer's Market. Hmmmm, might work.


message 843: by Linda (new)
Apr 04, 2018 06:06PM

Linda The Stranger in the Warehouse


message 844: by Lyla (new)
Apr 04, 2018 06:16PM

Lyla Murder in the All-Night Diner


message 845: by Kota (new)
Apr 04, 2018 06:23PM

Kota Fujioka Death in the casino...


message 846: by Kathryn (new)
Apr 04, 2018 06:26PM

Kathryn The Widow in the Elevator (Again)

The original one was #554.


message 847: by Jane (new)
Apr 04, 2018 06:28PM

Jane Heuer Murder in the Elevator


message 848: by Frenchy (new)
Apr 04, 2018 06:29PM

Frenchy Murder at The Empty Zoo


message 849: by Betty G. (new)
Apr 04, 2018 06:35PM

Betty G. The Stalker in the Panic Room


message 850: by Aiko (new)
Apr 04, 2018 06:37PM

Aiko Ramsey The Devil Under the Stairs
A strange choice for a hiding place, oh, Devil.


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