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 1,301-1,350 of 1,666 (1666 new)


message 1301: by Giuliane (new)

Giuliane Berry The liar at the botanical garden.


message 1302: by Elise (new)

Elise Teresa wrote: "The body in the casino."

your supposed to do the month not the day their are not 28 months in the year


message 1303: by Henriette (new)

Henriette The Imposter in the All-Night Diner


message 1304: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie Death on Flight 42


message 1305: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie Stephanie wrote: "The Shadow Under the Stairs."

This sounds like a Nancy Drew :D


message 1306: by Janis (new)

Janis Hill As my shirt is equally blue and white, I feel this an apt title:

"The Liar's Widow in the swamp."


message 1307: by Maria (new)

Maria The Widow in the Casino! 😮


message 1308: by Cathie (new)

Cathie Evil on the Steamboat


message 1309: by kalyn (new)

kalyn The Shadow in the Cemetery


message 1310: by Raquel (new)

Raquel The body at the empty zoo


message 1311: by Zach (new)

Zach Banman The Shadow in the Wardrobe


message 1312: by Katie (new)

Katie The stranger in the emergency room


message 1313: by Lori (new)

Lori The Body at the Two-Star Hotel


message 1314: by Tahassür (new)

Tahassür The Stranger in the All-Night Diner


message 1315: by Anna (new)

Anna Karpowicz The liar in the broom closet


message 1316: by Adriana (new)

Adriana Rincon The widow on the Fire Escape


message 1317: by icelord (new)

icelord ather the devil on flight 42 lol sounds like a lame cartoon


message 1318: by kora (new)

kora death in the cemetery... clearly this shall be a parody of sone sorts ...


message 1319: by Katarína (new)

Katarína Harčová The Shadow in the Parking Garage :D :D :D


message 1320: by Nikoleta (new)

Nikoleta The Shadow in the waiting room


message 1321: by April (new)

April The Body in the Warehouse


message 1322: by Julie (new)

Julie The Shadow in the Broom Closet


message 1323: by Lee (new)

Lee The Body in the Broom Closet (It will sweep you off your feet.)


message 1324: by Kasey (new)

Kasey Catania The devil in the waiting room


message 1325: by Gregg (new)

Gregg The Liar in the Broom Closet. Sounds like a Count Floyd offering.


message 1326: by minx_24 (new)

minx_24 The Liar in the broom closet!!


message 1327: by Penny (new)

Penny Just like the top person, mine is 'The Body in The Casino', but I love my wife's one: 'The Woman under The Stairs' - that title would work!


message 1328: by Mateo (new)

Mateo shadow at the car dealership!


message 1329: by Audrey (new)

Audrey Benten-sama wrote: “The body in the cemetery”

My first thought was, “Duh. That’s where it’s supposed to be.” Then I laughed at me.


message 1330: by Audrey (new)

Audrey The Woman in the Casino

I like the alliterated ones.


message 1331: by Kristina (new)

Kristina The widow & The shadow at the Two-Star hotel.. Sounds promising 😎


message 1332: by Sara (new)

Sara Is I got the murderer in the fun house. An image of a bloodstained clown comes to mind...I will have nightmeres. Thank you for that.


message 1333: by Andrea (new)

Andrea Stoeckel The Widow on the Fire Escape....


message 1334: by Vanessa (new)

Vanessa The body on the cruise ship


message 1335: by Erin (new)

Erin Evil in the All-Noght Diner


message 1336: by Paige (new)

Paige The Liar on Flight 42


message 1337: by Sumiko (new)

Sumiko The Stranger at the farmer's Market.


message 1338: by AyyyDaria (new)

AyyyDaria _Reads The Widow in the Emergency Room.


message 1339: by Addy (new)

Addy  B The body at the botanical garden...


message 1340: by Majo (new)

Majo Death at the two-star hotel


message 1341: by Karousel (new)

Karousel The Stranger in the Wardrobe!


message 1342: by Tosca (new)

Tosca Wijns-Van Eeden The widow on the cruise ship.
Doesn't sound very omnious to me


message 1343: by Aimee Dars (new)

Aimee Dars The Body at the Empty Zoo


message 1344: by Matthew Parkin (new)

Matthew Parkin The devil in the cemetery


message 1345: by Maureen (new)

Maureen Smith The Devil in the Vitamin Aisle .....


message 1346: by Ruth (new)

Ruth The Liar at the Botanical Garden.


message 1347: by Zaytoon (new)

Zaytoon The devil in the fun house


message 1348: by True Review (new)

True Review The list in the vitamin


message 1349: by Tammy (new)

Tammy The Widow in the Warehouse.


message 1350: by Amy the book-bat (last edited Apr 07, 2019 05:00PM) (new)

Amy the book-bat The Liar at the Empty Zoo


I guess the liar tries to convince us that the zoo is really full?


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