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 1,501-1,550 of 1,666 (1666 new)


message 1501: by Moon The Book Owl (new)

Moon The Book Owl The body at the car wash


message 1502: by Frieda (new)

Frieda The widow in the cemetery.


message 1503: by Nada (new)

Nada The Devil in Room No. 8


message 1504: by Cheryl (new)

Cheryl Diary The Body on the Midnight Train.

nice!


message 1505: by Jenni (new)

Jenni Murder in the Landfill xD


message 1506: by Aimee (new)

Aimee The Widow in the Elevator


message 1507: by Mona (new)

Mona The body on Flight 42


message 1508: by Glasha (new)

Glasha The widow in the fun house


message 1509: by Myriam (new)

Myriam Bowser The Stranger on the Cruise Ship


message 1510: by Brandon (new)

Brandon LaDuke The Shadow in the All-Night Dinner
Sounds like a good one!


message 1511: by Meerah (new)

Meerah The Devil in the Swamp


message 1512: by Rain (new)

Rain The body in the meat locker......😬😬😬


message 1513: by Poulomi (new)

Poulomi Das The shadow on the midnight train.


message 1514: by Vai13 (new)

Vai13 The Body in the Elevator


message 1515: by Ally (new)

Ally The Devil Under The Stairs...sounds like the title of a Goosebumps book 😝


message 1516: by Muhanad (new)

Muhanad YOUNIS The Liar on the Farmer's market


message 1517: by Sindhu (new)

Sindhu The Stranger in the All- Night Diner


message 1518: by Kaylene (new)

Kaylene The Liar in the panic room- actually an interesting title


message 1519: by Melissa (new)

Melissa De Cunto The liar on the steamboat


message 1520: by Daniel (new)

Daniel Fernandes The Devil at the Empty Zoo


message 1521: by Amor (new)

Amor Asad Teresa wrote: "The body in the casino."

Me too, same.


message 1522: by J.F. (new)

J.F. Duncan Death in the Wardrobe... !! How can I resist?


message 1523: by Wreade1872 (last edited Apr 08, 2019 04:10AM) (new)

Wreade1872 The Body in the Wardrobe, too standard... i'd have to modify it, how about "The Body Through the Wardrobe", someone's murdered Mr.Tumnus ;) .


message 1524: by Ebster (new)

Ebster Davis The Stranger in the All-Night Diner


message 1525: by Carol (new)

Carol Bailey Evil in the Wardrobe................


message 1526: by Maddie (new)

Maddie The Liar in the wardrobe
OR
The Widow in the wardrobe
(I'm wearing a striped shirt)


message 1527: by Roz_Star (new)

Roz_Star The liar in the warehouse


message 1528: by Jill (new)

Jill A widow in the cemetary


message 1529: by Molly (new)

Molly O'Neill The Body in the Swamp


message 1530: by Eleanor (new)

Eleanor The Shadow in the broom closet
I think it would be better without the broom bit.


message 1531: by Erion (new)

Erion The widow at the Botanical Garden


message 1532: by Munaya (new)

Munaya Al salhee The Stranger on Flight 42


message 1533: by Ri :) (new)

Ri :) The Stranger in The Swamp! 😂


message 1534: by Priyadarshni (new)

Priyadarshni Palanikumar The Widow in the Casino


message 1535: by Lindemberg (new)

Lindemberg Teixeira The Stalker in room no. 8


message 1536: by Susan (new)

Susan Carey The body st the two star hotel


message 1537: by Maria (new)

Maria Evil at the Carwash.


message 1538: by Jean (new)

Jean Cole The Stranger in Room #8


message 1539: by Laura (new)

Laura Death under the Stairs


message 1540: by Harper Nicole (new)

Harper Nicole My sister's: The Widow in the Parking Garage


message 1541: by Helen (new)

Helen Hensley The devil in the broom cliset


message 1542: by Addy (new)

Addy  B Now I'm the devil at the botanical garden...


message 1543: by Audrey (new)

Audrey Appels Death at the Car Wash...
Yeah; I'm not gonna read this. (Horror / murder stories are not my cup of tea.)
Good title when it comes to actually sounding ominous though.
Lots of options to make this one scary.
Or it could be something misleading and actually be a comedy instead...


message 1544: by Cristal (new)

Cristal williams love horror and murder stories


message 1545: by Amy (new)

Amy 'Death at the Abandoned Theme Park' sounds like a Batman comic, probably one starring the Joker.


message 1546: by Marjolein (new)

Marjolein The stranger in the funhouse


message 1547: by Catherine (new)

Catherine Culver The Shadow in the wardrobe


message 1548: by Read-n-Bloom (new)

Read-n-Bloom The Woman in the Elevator


message 1549: by ~CharlieAngel~ (new)

~CharlieAngel~ #Beware The Stalker at the Carwash! LOL!!!


message 1550: by Sarah (new)

Sarah The Shadow at the Farmer's Market


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