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 1,251-1,300 of 1,666 (1666 new)


message 1251: by Michayla (new)

Michayla Lovitt Eleanor wrote: "The Widow on the Cruise Ship"

Funnily enough, there are usually a couple deaths on every single commercial cruise. They have whole morgues on some ships for exactly this reason. Old people going on cruises instead of putting themselves in care facilities. So it would actually be 100% believable to have a little old lady become a widow on a cruise ship.


message 1252: by Shahenaz (new)

Shahenaz The body at the abandoned theme park


message 1253: by Desy (new)

Desy The Body on the Midnight Train


message 1254: by Kasey (new)

Kasey Catania The devil in the waiting room


message 1255: by Library (new)

Library Queen The Body in the Panic Room. oooh.


message 1256: by Diane (new)

Diane The stranger in the wardrobe.


message 1257: by Kimberly (new)

Kimberly Valentine The stranger in the landfill


message 1258: by Mackenzie (new)

Mackenzie Blackwood The Stranger at the Car Wash


message 1259: by Eydie (new)

Eydie The Imposter at the Empty Zoo
(apparently the Orangutan is not who we thought it was!)


message 1260: by Madeleine (new)

Madeleine In the face of fear


message 1261: by Xarel (new)

Xarel The stranger in the waiting room


message 1262: by Christine (new)

Christine Holiva The woman in the swamp


message 1263: by Tea (new)

Tea the liar in the cemetery


message 1264: by Rose (new)

Rose The imposter at the farmers market...


message 1265: by Amy (new)

Amy The Body in the Emergency Room. Seems logical to me.


message 1266: by Gabby Coleman (new)

Gabby Coleman Murder in the Wardrobe


message 1267: by RoarOutLoud (new)

RoarOutLoud The Widow In The Cemetery


message 1268: by Meghan (new)

Meghan Death at the abandoned theme park


message 1269: by Logan (new)

Logan The stranger at the two star hotel


☠︎︎༒︎✞︎ ѕℓιм ☠︎︎༒︎✞︎ The Devil Murder in the parking garage.. (my shirt is a pinkish purple) ....


message 1271: by Marilyn (new)

Marilyn Pelletier robins Murder in de swamp...perfect for N’awlins, darlin’.


message 1272: by RanEC (new)

RanEC The Liar in the Casino


message 1273: by Lyndsey Nicole (new)

Lyndsey Nicole Murder in the wardrobe.


message 1274: by Oliver (new)

Oliver Terrones The devil in the panic room!


message 1275: by Tasha (new)

Tasha The body at the car wash.


message 1276: by Tonia (new)

Tonia Kestner The Stranger in the wardrobe (I actually feel like that every day)


message 1277: by Devon (new)

Devon The imposter in room number eight


message 1278: by Kristy (new)

Kristy Watson The Stranger on the Fire Escape


message 1279: by Anna (new)

Anna Death in the Swamp


message 1280: by Lena (new)

Lena The Widow on Flight 42


message 1281: by Katie (new)

Katie The Body in the Panic Room


message 1282: by Maddie (new)

Maddie The Liar in the waiting room


message 1283: by Maliha (new)

Maliha The shadow under the stairs


message 1284: by Wyatt (new)

Wyatt The Liar In The Meat Locker


message 1285: by Meresger (new)

Meresger The stranger in the broom closet, sounds like my kind of book


message 1286: by Moula (new)

Moula The liar on the Midnight train


message 1287: by Nkosazana ✨☕️ (new)

Nkosazana ✨☕️ The Body in the Landfill. Holy crap, lmao. 🙉😂


message 1288: by Angela (new)

Angela Murder in the Cemetary


message 1289: by Jenna (new)

Jenna the stranger in the fun house.


message 1290: by Karen (new)

Karen Gilbert Murder in the Emergency Room


message 1291: by Fictionophile (new)

Fictionophile Murder in the cemetery.


message 1292: by Mrs. Morningstar (new)

Mrs. Morningstar Death under the stairs.


message 1293: by leila (new)

leila The shadow at the farmer's market LMAO I'm a hip mystery


message 1294: by Sabrina (new)

Sabrina Peterson The Stranger in the Emergency Room


message 1295: by Daniel (new)

Daniel Rebolledo The Liar at the Botanical Garden


message 1296: by Jacqui Lynn (new)

Jacqui Lynn Death at the farmers market
Or the shadow at the farmer's market. (2 shirts on)


message 1297: by Graciela (new)

Graciela Murder in the meat locker


Charmer (+ Vibes Only) The Stalker in the Broom Closet. Hahaha!


message 1299: by Lyn (new)

Lyn The Liar in the Broom Closet. Might work for a comic mystery, I suppose.


message 1300: by Linda (new)

Linda Evil at the Botanical Garden


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