The best mystery books with a science fiction feel

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been fascinated by science fiction and by Biblical Scripture. That may seem dichotomous to some, but not to me. I have a passion for science and for Scripture because both bring understanding about our world from the microcosm to the macrocosm. My writings are a mixture of science and mystery with a science fiction feel and a Christian perspective. I like stories that show how truth arises even from the dark, confusing, and ambiguity of life to help one discover something about God they may not have considered before, and at the same time enjoy a fun, fast-paced, and exciting journey as they read.


I wrote...

Book cover of T-H-B

What is my book about?

Luke, an astrophysicist working on a Mars mission, finds his world is far more dystopian than he ever considered. Three simple letters lead him down a road of deception, mind manipulation, and espionage, and all seem tied to the planned flight to Mars. The deeper he gets into understanding that an elite few are in control, the more discoveries point to the letters T-H-B being the answer to everything.

Luke and his friends try to stay under the radar while traveling from Houston to Paris to Hong Kong to unravel this mystery of T-H-B that consumes his every waking hour.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Maze Runner

Randy C. Dockens Why did I love this book?

To be honest, I read this book after seeing the movie because I wanted to understand how the author described the creature in the maze. The author did a great job of giving just enough information to let the reader’s imagination swell. Whoever designed the creature for the movie certainly let their imagination go wild, for sure! Even after seeing the movie, I found the book so powerful in stirring my imagination—and my adrenaline. It’s one of those books you just can’t put down.

By James Dashner,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked The Maze Runner as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

The first book in the New York Times bestselling Maze
Runner series - now a series of major movies starring Dylan O'Brien!

SEE THE FILMS. READ THE BOOKS. ENTER THE MAZE ...

When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers
is his first name. But he's not alone.

He's surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade - a
walled encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible stone
maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they came to
be there - or what's happened to the world outside.

All…


Book cover of By Darkness Hid: Volume 1

Randy C. Dockens Why did I love this book?

Although in the fantasy arena, this is a great story of someone becoming a hero just because he was willing to do the right thing and fight the injustice around him. The story was so captivating as I became immersed in a new world with forces I as a reader had to understand along with the main character of the book. It made me feel I was a part of the journey with him. Very captivating.

By Jill Williamson,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked By Darkness Hid as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Darkness divides the land.

Half of Er'Rets is locked beneath an impenetrable shroud. On the side that still sees the sun, two young people struggle to understand the mind-communication abilities thrust upon them.

It's called bloodvoicing. Some say it's a gift. One of the newly "gifted" wish it had never come.

Achan had been a slave all his life. Worse than a slave—a stray. He is consigned to the kitchens of a lord and forced to swallow a foul potion every day. When an enigmatic knight offers to train Achan for the Kingsguard, he readily accepts. But his new skills…


Book cover of Edge of Apocalypse

Randy C. Dockens Why did I love this book?

When I read this book, I felt our world was on the brink of such a scenario. The bravery and fortitude of the main character was inspiring, and I hoped I could be so brave in the moment when it really matters. Granted, if I had the money this character did, it may make some choices easier to pull off. But still, he had a lot at stake to consider when push came to shove. Hopefully, at such critical times I hope we all can have faith in what truly matters.

By Tim LaHaye, Craig Parshall,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Edge of Apocalypse as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From Tim LaHaye, co-author of the renowned Left Behind series, and Craig Parshall comes an epic story ripped from the headlines of world events and filtered through Scriptural prophecy.

Joshua Jordan, former US spy-plane hero now turned weapons designer, has come up with a devastatingly effective new missile defense system-the Return to Sender laser weapon. But global forces are mounting against America, and corrupt White House and Capitol Hill leaders are willing to do anything to stop the nation's impending economic catastrophe-including selling-out Joshua and his weapon.

With help from a group of powerfully connected Christian leaders known as the…


Book cover of Messages

Randy C. Dockens Why did I love this book?

The main character sees messages in almost everything. I was impressed that even when he began to think himself crazy, he still stuck to his gut instinct and in the end was a hero rather than being insane as he and others sometimes thought. Conviction is a driving force that we sometimes too often give up on when the choices seem too hard.

By John Michael Hileman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Messages as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The David Chance Series: Messages, Voices, Lies

David Chance can see messages in the sea of words around him, messages that warn him of future events.

Words are everywhere-- on labels, magazines, sign posts, t-shirts-- everywhere. And as much as David Chance would like to hide from them, he can't. Words keep leaping off objects around him, forming messages in his mind. But how is this possible? Has his brain suddenly taken an evolutionary leap forward, or are the mysterious messages proof of divine intervention?

Driven to answer a question he'd long ago abandoned, and stalked by the killer he's…


Book cover of Awakening

Randy C. Dockens Why did I love this book?

I was intrigued by this storyline where the main character seems to live in the past and the present simultaneously. She loves ancient artifacts yet when she discovers them, she somehow seems to be tied to them supernaturally and finds herself living the historical moments of what she is investigating. A great storyline for sure! A book hard to put down.

By Tracy Higley,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Awakening as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Kallie Andreas is a mystery, even to herself. Seven years ago Kallie woke up in a New York City museum, injured and traumatized. Alone and unclaimed. Despite her shattered memories, she's worked her way into a position as assistant curator in that very museum, and now she wants nothing more than to pursue funding for her project--assembling pieces from the ancient Minoans. But then the blackouts start. Lost time, stranded in terrifying danger, frantic visions that can't be real. A threatening phone call may be nothing more than paranoia and madness. Or perhaps not. It's time to start seeing her…


You might also like...

Book cover of Dulcinea

Ana Veciana-Suarez Author Of Dulcinea

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I became fascinated with 16th-century and 17th-century Europe after reading Don Quixote many years ago. Since then, every novel or nonfiction book about that era has felt both ancient and contemporary. I’m always struck by how much our environment has changed—transportation, communication, housing, government—but also how little we as people have changed when it comes to ambition, love, grief, and greed. I doubled down my reading on that time period when I researched my novel, Dulcinea. Many people read in the eras of the Renaissance, World War II, or ancient Greece, so I’m hoping to introduce them to the Baroque Age. 

Ana's book list on bringing to life the forgotten Baroque Age

What is my book about?

Dolça Llull Prat, a wealthy Barcelona woman, is only 15 when she falls in love with an impoverished poet-solder. Theirs is a forbidden relationship, one that overcomes many obstacles until the fledgling writer renders her as the lowly Dulcinea in his bestseller.

By doing so, he unwittingly exposes his muse to gossip. But when Dolça receives his deathbed note asking to see her, she races across Spain with the intention of unburdening herself of an old secret.

On the journey, she encounters bandits, the Inquisition, illness, and the choices she's made. At its heart, Dulcinea is about how we betray the people we love, what happens when we succumb to convention, and why we squander the few chances we get to change our lives.

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in knights, amnesia, and the end times?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about knights, amnesia, and the end times.

Knights Explore 67 books about knights
Amnesia Explore 50 books about amnesia
The End Times Explore 37 books about the end times