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 101-150 of 1,666 (1666 new)


message 101: by Ioana (new)

Ioana The Liar at the Empty Zoo


message 102: by Andria (new)

Andria Potter Evil on Flight 42


message 103: by Steph (new)

Steph The Body on Flight 42


message 104: by Katerina (new)

Katerina Stournara The Stanger at the Car Wash


message 105: by Mikayla (new)

Mikayla The Body In The Landfill


message 106: by QNPoohBear (new)

QNPoohBear The Stranger in the Emergency Room
That sounds silly to me.


message 107: by Cariatide ✨ (new)

Cariatide ✨ The stranger in the waiting room 👀


Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* The Stranger on the Midnight Train


message 109: by ☇Briannan∞ (new)

☇Briannan∞ The Body in the Vitamin Aisle


message 110: by [deleted user] (new)

The Liar on the Steamboat


message 111: by Júpiter (new)

Júpiter Menfis The liar at the Car Wash


message 112: by Sunshine✰✰✰ (new)

Sunshine✰✰✰ Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) wrote: "The Shadow at the DMV (what the heck is the DMV?)"

Department of Motor Vehicles. :-D


message 113: by Jessica (new)

Jessica Death in the Emergency Room...


message 114: by Noem (new)

Noem Murder at the Two-Star Hotel


message 115: by Patty (new)

Patty Wilkin The widow in the warehouse

hmm doesn't sound entirely bad it has a nice ring to it


message 116: by Wendy (new)

Wendy The Imposter in the Vitamin Aisle. Sounds like a cozy mystery


message 117: by ☆Maggie☆ (new)

☆Maggie☆ The Stranger in the Landfill


message 118: by Jeanette (new)

Jeanette The Liar in the Swamp


message 119: by Leilani (new)

Leilani Diaz The Body in the Waiting Room


message 120: by Anissa (new)

Anissa The Liar at the DMV. Sounds like it hould be part of a cozy mystery series.


message 121: by Lisa (new)

Lisa The Liar in the Vitamin Aisle!


message 122: by JoAnn77PL (new)

JoAnn77PL The Body/ The Murder on the Midnight Train :)


message 123: by Krista (new)

Krista The Stranger in the All-Night Diner


message 124: by Morgan (new)

Morgan Cavett The Devil In The Wardrobe


message 125: by sophia ! (new)

sophia ! Murder in the Emergency Room


message 127: by Samantha (new)

Samantha (bookstasamm) The Stranger on the Cruise Ship


message 128: by Nita (new)

Nita Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore|32620349] Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan


message 130: by Adrienne (new)

Adrienne The Body in the Parking Garage


message 131: by Lisa (new)

Lisa Brick The Liar on the Cruise Ship


message 132: by [deleted user] (new)

The body at the farmer's market


message 133: by Ilana (illi69) (new)

Ilana (illi69) The Body in the Broom Closet


message 134: by Klaudia (last edited Apr 01, 2019 02:23PM) (new)

Klaudia The Stranger in the Elevator. Sounds more like a romance novel than a mystery thriller :D


message 135: by Taylor (new)

Taylor Ardoin The Stranger at the DMV
ROFL!


message 136: by Morgan (new)

Morgan Long The Shadow at the Two-Star Hotel. Not as bad as I thought it would be.


message 137: by ☠tsukino☠ (new)

☠tsukino☠ Death in the Broom Closet


Piepie | The Napping Bibliophile The Devil in the Panic Room!


message 139: by Anika (new)

Anika The Liar at the DMV.


message 140: by Maddy (new)

Maddy Murder at the car wash :D


message 141: by Dana Al-Basha | (new)

Dana Al-Basha |  دانة الباشا Murder at the Botanical Garden

sounds interesting :)


message 142: by Bee (new)

Bee Evil in room No. 8


Jennie-Lee~abookishwonderer~ The Liar in the All Night Diner🙂


message 144: by Amanda (last edited Apr 01, 2019 03:22PM) (new)

Amanda The Body at the Farmer's Market


message 145: by Pashmina (new)

Pashmina The Body at the Two-Star Hotel...


message 146: by Chloe (new)

Chloe The stranger at the abandoned theme park


message 147: by evofox (last edited Apr 01, 2019 03:27PM) (new)

evofox the body in the vitamin aisle.


message 148: by Lionel (new)

Lionel Torres Th Devil in the Cemetery


message 149: by Johan Alexander (new)

Johan Alexander The Liar in the Emergency Room

¡I like it!


message 150: by Evie (new)

Evie The Shadow in the Panic Room. (Funny thing is, I would actually be that shadow and panicking)


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