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 1,451-1,500 of 1,666 (1666 new)


message 1451: by Jonquill (new)

Jonquill The Body Under the Stairs


message 1452: by G (new)

G S The Devil at The Abandoned Theme Park


message 1453: by Adrian (new)

Adrian The stranger at the botanical gardens , OOOGA BOOGa


message 1454: by Deepthi (new)

Deepthi The liar in the swamp


message 1455: by cheeruplovely (new)

cheeruplovely The Shadow At the Botanical Garden!!


message 1456: by Kara (new)

Kara The Stranger in the All-Night Diner


message 1457: by Barbara J Smith (new)

Barbara J Smith The Liar on the Fire Escape


message 1458: by Jennifer (new)

Jennifer The Body on the Fire Escape


message 1459: by Cianna (new)

Cianna The Stranger on the Midnight Train. Oooh, creepy. Or... maybe kind of normal? Some other possible combinations are making me laugh - The Widow at the Car Dealership or the DMV sounds like pretty typical situations. They could be a series. Or The Body in the Cemetery - macabre, but also, okay? Normal.


message 1460: by Victoria (new)

Victoria Higgs The Stranger
in the Wardrobe.


message 1461: by India (new)

India Lavoyce The Liar in the Broom Closet, lol


message 1462: by Rizki (new)

Rizki Utami The Stranger in the Broom Closet

wow. that's an interesting tittle


message 1463: by India (new)

India Lavoyce Ishika wrote: "The Widow at the two-star hotel! I would actually read it!!"

India Lavoyce I would read that too. I can't tell by the title if it's an erotica or mystery lol.


message 1464: by Lyssa (new)

Lyssa The Body in the Broom Closet


message 1465: by Denise (new)

Denise Elwyn McKenzie The imposter in the Cemetery


message 1466: by Eleftheria (new)

Eleftheria The Widow in the Casino


message 1467: by Rachel (new)

Rachel Murder at the Carwash


message 1468: by Saeed (new)

Saeed Ammaneh The Body on the Cruise Ship


message 1469: by Praise (new)

Praise The widow in the broom closet


message 1470: by Sophia (new)

Sophia The devil in the wardrobe


message 1471: by Caroline (new)

Caroline The Body in the Warehouse..


message 1472: by Elke (new)

Elke combined into: a strange devil under the stairs...


message 1473: by নিটোল (new)

নিটোল The Stalker on the Cruise Ship.


message 1474: by Bela (new)

Bela "The Liar in the Wardrobe". Lol, my title sounds like a psychological thriller about a guy who has trouble accepting he's gay. Now that would be a hit story.


message 1475: by Jack (new)

Jack Devil in the Wardrobe


message 1476: by Kim (new)

Kim The Liar in the Cemetary, sounds interesting!


message 1477: by Sara (new)

Sara Rastakhiz Evil in the broom closet
That kinda sounds lame...like its a comedy not horror...why would an evil creature go to a broom closet?


message 1478: by Skye (new)

Skye Eder The Body in Room No. 8


message 1479: by Gieliza (new)

Gieliza The Stranger in the Waiting Room.


message 1480: by Ivana (new)

Ivana The Widow in the Panic Room


message 1481: by Monika (new)

Monika The Woman on Flight 42


message 1482: by Habiba (new)

Habiba The Body at the DMV


Bookkitten (collector of nice things) Death in the elevator.

Wasn´t that a movie?


message 1484: by Christy (new)

Christy The Stranger in the Cemetery


message 1485: by Robin (new)

Robin Bishop Murder in the Elevator.


message 1486: by A_ bookbound _soul (new)

A_ bookbound _soul The murder on the fire escape


message 1487: by Victoria (new)

Victoria The Body Under the Stairs


message 1488: by shaniece (new)

shaniece The woman in Room No.8


message 1489: by Mei (new)

Mei The Stranger on the Midnight Train. LOL


message 1490: by [deleted user] (new)

"The stranger in the Meat Locker" 😱


message 1491: by Segrose (new)

Segrose The Stranger in the Fun House


message 1492: by Matostat-Rusu (new)

Matostat-Rusu Romina-Mariana The Stranger in the Emergency room


message 1493: by Yusra (new)

Yusra Asaad Evil in the Casino


message 1494: by Licha (new)

Licha The Stranger and the Widow in the Steamboat. Lol. Sounds more like a steamy, erotic fantasy.


message 1495: by Suvo (new)

Suvo Murder in the broom closet!


message 1496: by Mina (new)

Mina Rockwood Murder in room no. 8


message 1497: by Kamil (new)

Kamil Pomykała The Widow at the Abandoned Theme Park


message 1498: by Raven (new)

Raven Morbisk The Liar at the Carwash

Most likely a title I would ignore.


message 1499: by Abu (new)

Abu Syed sajib The Devil at the Farmer's Market


message 1500: by Ivan (new)

Ivan Dimitrov I'm Agatha Christie novel "Death on a Cruise Ship'', or maybe mystery novel with love story taste.


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