Let's Play: Create an Ominous-Sounding Mystery Title

Posted by Marie on April 1, 2019
Goodreads Mystery & Thriller Week 2019

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 shirt color 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 mystery title? Share it with us in the comments!

Check out the complete coverage of Mystery & Thriller Week:
Top 100 Mysteries & Thrillers on Goodreads
24 New Voices to Discover in Mystery & Thriller
Spring's Most Anticipated Mysteries & Thrillers


Comments Showing 51-100 of 1,666 (1666 new)


The Sassy Bookworm The Widow on Flight 42


message 52: by RipWitch (new)

RipWitch The Devil in the Vitamin Aisle


message 53: by Cursed Herondale (new)

Cursed Herondale The Body in the Landfill. Oops! Haha


message 54: by Anna (new)

Anna The Body at the Car Dealership


message 55: by MA (new)

MA death in the wardrobe

sounds like something real cheap


message 56: by Rise (new)

Rise The Imposter on the Midnight Train


message 57: by Sara (new)

Sara The Stranger in the Wardrobe


message 58: by Eve (new)

Eve Death on the Fire Escape. Not too shabby.


message 59: by Syl (new)

Syl S. Tobaldini The Liar in the All-Night Diner


message 60: by Izzy (last edited Apr 01, 2019 10:01AM) (new)

Izzy The Stalker in the Fun House... sounds like a
horror / psychological thriller genre o_O


message 61: by Emma (new)

Emma Death in the waiting room


message 62: by Corinna (new)

Corinna Evil in the fun house. :D Sounds interesting.


message 63: by Ionut (new)

Ionut Death on Flight 42 ... not bad :)


message 64: by Cassie (new)

Cassie The Liar in the Waiting Room


message 65: by Shiv (new)

Shiv The Liar in the Vitamin Aisle.


message 66: by LJ (new)

LJ Evil in the Broom Closet - presumably about Ed the Duck going on a rampage.


message 67: by Lori (new)

Lori Anketell The Stranger on the Fire Escape!


message 68: by Samantha (new)

Samantha || Fictionally Sam The Stranger on the Midnight Train

....I feel like this is already a book 🤔🤔


message 69: by Elenariel (new)

Elenariel The liar in the wardrobe


message 70: by Anubhav (new)

Anubhav Bhattacharyya The Imposter in the Broom Closet. Wew :P


message 71: by [[ Frankie ]] (new)

[[ Frankie ]] The Widow in the Elevator! How strange. LOL!


message 72: by Georgann (new)

Georgann The Devil In The Meat-locker. I’d never pick it up. Sounds too gory!!


message 73: by Isha (new)

Isha Pawar The liar in the casino


message 74: by Diana (new)

Diana The Body on the Cruise Ship


message 75: by Ana (new)

Ana whe widow under the stairs


message 76: by Shawndra (new)

Shawndra The Stranger in the Waiting Room


message 77: by Malia (new)

Malia The Liar in the Cemetery...


message 78: by Vanessa (new)

Vanessa The Widow in the Panic Room


message 79: by Livia (new)

Livia Mello the shadow in all night diner


message 80: by rbabyblue (new)

rbabyblue The widow at the car wash


message 81: by Meryem (new)

Meryem Köksal Sara wrote: "The Stranger in the Wardrobe"

I'm The Stranger in the Wardrobe too! Sounds like a usual to me!


message 82: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie The Stranger in the Parking Garage. (I would not read this book.)


message 83: by Tina (new)

Tina The Liar on the Steamboat


message 84: by David (new)

David The Liar in the Waiting Room

It's about a hypochondriac


message 85: by Rasha (new)

Rasha The Shadow On The Cruise Ship


message 86: by Camila (new)

Camila Death in the Waiting Room.

I'd read that book lol.


message 87: by Elizabeth (new)

Elizabeth The Devil at the Abandoned Theme Park


message 88: by Suus (new)

Suus The Stranger in the broom closet


message 89: by Abdullah (new)

Abdullah Köksal The body at the DMV


message 90: by Sheila (new)

Sheila Samuelson The Stranger on Flight 42


message 91: by Paul (new)

Paul Death in The Fun House
Death at The Farmers Market


message 92: by BleuBelle (new)

BleuBelle Evil in the Wardrobe


message 93: by Divya (new)

Divya Karthikeyan The Lair at the car wash


message 94: by Merry (new)

Merry Death on the Fire Escape


message 95: by Adrianna (new)

Adrianna Evil at the Carwash
Sounds like a Goosebumps title, lol.
(I'm wearing grey and white stripes so maybe I'll make it a series. The Body at the Carwash and The Widow at the Carwash.)


message 96: by Tiffanie (new)

Tiffanie The stranger in the waiting room

Ironically, it could be a good mystery novel or a series if it could be made


message 97: by Holly (new)

Holly Death on the Steamboat - sounds like an Agatha Christie :)


message 98: by Emilie (new)

Emilie The Woman at the Farmer's Market. It sounds like a pleasant shopping experience XD.


message 99: by Ace (new)

Ace The Widow at the Abandoned Theme Park. How that would be a mystery/thriller, I do not know..!


message 100: by Raven (new)

Raven Black The Stalker in the Warehouse (well THAT'S dull)


back to top