Love The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side? Readers share 100 books like The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side...

By Agatha Christie,

Here are 100 books that The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side fans have personally recommended if you like The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Talented Mr. Ripley

Stan Parish Author Of Love and Theft

From my list on thrillers with beautiful, unforgettable violence.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write thrillers full-time these days, but for many years, I was a writer and editor at publications that take reporting and fact-checking seriously. I still strive for accuracy in my novelsā€”which always involve violence. As a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, the mechanics and psychology of close-quarters combat are things I think about daily. This is not to say that you need to rob banks to write a heist scene. And while technical knowledge is helpful, thereā€™s no substitute for close noticing of what happens to our bodies and minds in extreme situations. Here are some books (and one screenplay) which do that incredibly well. 

Stan's book list on thrillers with beautiful, unforgettable violence

Stan Parish Why did Stan love this book?

Highsmith never fails to blow my mind, and this is her best work. The scene in which Tom Ripley (spoiler alert) kills his ā€œfriendā€ Dickie Greenleaf is a masterclass in writing a murder. The two men are in a tiny boat off the Italian coast. We have access to Tomā€™s thoughts right up until the actual killing when his internal monologue cuts out. Iā€™ve always wondered: Does Tomā€™s mind go blank? Does he somehow will it to?

These are the kinds of questions that great writers raiseā€”but donā€™t answer. And the writing is incredible. Hereā€™s my nomination for Best Consecutive Use of the Same Word in Its Adjective and Verb Form: ā€œDickie was on the bottom of the boat, twisted, twisting.ā€ Thatā€™s as good as it gets. 

By Patricia Highsmith,

Why should I read it?

26 authors picked The Talented Mr. Ripley as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It's here, in the first volume of Patricia Highsmith's five-book Ripley series, that we are introduced to the suave Tom Ripley, a young striver seeking to leave behind his past as an orphan bullied for being a "sissy." Newly arrived in the heady world of Manhattan, Ripley meets a wealthy industrialist who hires him to bring his playboy son, Dickie Greenleaf, back from gallivanting in Italy. Soon Ripley's fascination with Dickie's debonair lifestyle turns obsessive as he finds himself enraged by Dickie's ambivalent affections for Marge, a charming American dilettante, and Ripley begins a deadly game. "Sinister and strangely alluring"ā€¦


Book cover of Night Shift

Monique Gliozzi Author Of Facets of the Past: No Dark Deed Goes Unpunished

From my list on combining the paranormal and psychopathy.

Why am I passionate about this?

Let me tell you a little about myself. I was born in Dublin, and being the daughter of a diplomat afforded me to experience different cultures. Since childhood my fascination with the unknown caused me to gravitate towards stories related to hauntings. I shared this interest with my maternal grandparents, who contributed to my education by telling me ghost stories (some true whilst others are fictional). Tales of haunted castles were my favorite, which is reflected in my book. In later life, my own experiences with the paranormal cemented the notion of the unexplained and the thin veil between us and those departed.

Monique's book list on combining the paranormal and psychopathy

Monique Gliozzi Why did Monique love this book?

A brilliant collection of horror stories, my favourite being Sometimes They Come Back.

I recommend this ghostly tale for its depiction of the fine line between the spirit realm and the world we live in. The narrative of earth-bound ghosts and their determination to exact revenge on the living bringing forth a fierce battle between good and evil. The latter played on my mind as I empathised with the main characterā€™s psychological struggle with recapitulated past events, leaving those around him to question his sanity.

By Stephen King,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Night Shift as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Stephen Kingā€™s first collection of short stories, originally published in 1978, showcases the darkest depths of his brilliant imagination and will "chill the cockles of many a heart" (Chicago Tribune). Night Shift is the inspiration for over a dozen acclaimed horror movies and television series, including Children of the Corn , Chapelwaite, and Lawnmower Man.

Here we see mutated rats gone bad (ā€œGraveyard Shiftā€); a cataclysmic virus that threatens humanity (ā€œNight Surf,ā€ the basis for The Stand); a possessed, evil lawnmower (ā€œThe Lawnmower Manā€); unsettling children from the heartland (ā€œChildren of the Cornā€); a smoker who will try anything toā€¦


Book cover of The Shining

Mia Dalia Author Of Haven

From my list on renting a haunted house for vacation.

Why am I passionate about this?

My name is Mia Dalia. I write dark speculative fiction across genres. A lot of it is psychological horror, which I love! My latest novel features a rather unique haunted house and a family who spend their summer vacation there. Hauntings are a theme I have visited before in shorter forms and were very excited to explore in full. My goal here was to deconstruct the myth of an all-American happy family within the frame of a classic may-or-may-not-be-haunted house. Those who have dared to stay in Haven have been profoundly unsettled. It is a hungry house, always looking for more visitors. I hope youā€™ll come for a stay!

Mia's book list on renting a haunted house for vacation

Mia Dalia Why did Mia love this book?

And speaking of hotels, there is, of course, the infamous Overlook Hotel, staying in which does terrible things to the Torrance family. I loved the idea of the place jeopardizing peopleā€™s sanity as it reveals its nightmarish secrets to them. Plus, a haunted hotel concept really works for meā€“why limit yourself to a single-family history of horrors when you can have a variety?

This book is a more in-your-face approach to the haunted house theme and, in my opinion, incredibly effective as such. Also, this one traps its characters, and the readers along with them, inside a winter storm to double down on that stuck-can't-leave feeling. Brr.

By Stephen King,

Why should I read it?

28 authors picked The Shining as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ā€¢ Before Doctor Sleep, there was The Shining, a classic of modern American horror from the undisputed master, Stephen King.

Jack Torranceā€™s new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, heā€™ll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote . . . and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering aroundā€¦


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Book cover of The Jack of Hearts Murders

The Jack of Hearts Murders by Kate Haley,

"New generation Holmes and Watson - if Holmes was adorable and Watson was a beautiful woman."

Set in an alternate and progressive Victorian London, anarchist Charles Shilling and noblewoman Amelia Florin inadvertently cross paths and join forces to catch a notorious serial killer. Romance, murder, and mystery abound as theā€¦

Book cover of Evil Twins: Chilling True Stories of Twins, Killing and Insanity

Monique Gliozzi Author Of Facets of the Past: No Dark Deed Goes Unpunished

From my list on combining the paranormal and psychopathy.

Why am I passionate about this?

Let me tell you a little about myself. I was born in Dublin, and being the daughter of a diplomat afforded me to experience different cultures. Since childhood my fascination with the unknown caused me to gravitate towards stories related to hauntings. I shared this interest with my maternal grandparents, who contributed to my education by telling me ghost stories (some true whilst others are fictional). Tales of haunted castles were my favorite, which is reflected in my book. In later life, my own experiences with the paranormal cemented the notion of the unexplained and the thin veil between us and those departed.

Monique's book list on combining the paranormal and psychopathy

Monique Gliozzi Why did Monique love this book?

This book contains a series of true (biographical) stories about twins who murder. What I found captivating was the way each story was told in a True Crime format. It outlined the complex dynamics between each set of siblings, their unhealthy attachments to one another, and dominant vs submissive relationships.

Some had descriptions of paranormal experiences following the death of a twin, giving them ā€œpermissionā€ to go on living and committing dark deeds. I found the concept of ESP (extra sensory perception) interesting, resulting in me researching this phenomenon and presenting a case at a medical seminar.

By John Glatt,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?


They give a whole new meaning to the phrase "Dead Ringers"

Identical twins, with the exact same genetic information, are a fascinating study in human behavior. It is a known fact that when separated at birth, they will often end up with very similar lives, without ever having met one another. So it seems to follow that if one twins turns out to be a "bad seed," the other will also go to the dark side. the shocking stories in Evil Twins prove this to be the case time and time again. And even more astounding are stories of twinsā€¦


Book cover of The Likeness

Celina Grace Author Of Hushabye

From my list on kickass female detectives.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve always been interested in the dark side of the human psyche and how people choose or are driven to do the awful things that some of them do. Equally, I enjoy reading and writing stories that feature strong women, who may be scared and vulnerable at times, but who are brave, intelligent, and determined to see justice done. I began writing The Kate Redman Mysteries because I wanted to write about a detective who, despite an appalling upbringing and without much care and support, really believes in her career and in protecting the underdog. In the interests of equality, I like to include quite a few female villains too. šŸ˜‰

Celina's book list on kickass female detectives

Celina Grace Why did Celina love this book?

We first meet Cassie Maddox in Tana Frenchā€™s debut book, In the Woods, but in her second showing, she really shows her mettle. Recovering from the betrayal she undergoes in the investigation of a brutal childā€™s murder in the first book, Cassie is recruited for an undercover assignment to solve another murder ā€“ but this time, itā€™s the death of a young woman who she eerily resembles. Cassie must pretend to be the dead woman and gain the trust and confidence of the group of charismatic oddballs who were the closest friends of the victim. I loved Donna Tarttā€™s The Secret History and The Likeness is something of an homage to that modern classic ā€“ with a heroine whoā€™s brave, scrappy, and determined to see the case through to the bitter end.

By Tana French,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Likeness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Still traumatised by her brush with a psychopath, Detective Cassie Maddox transfers out of the Murder squad and starts a relationship with fellow detective Sam O'Neill. When he calls her to the scene of his new case, she is shocked to find that the murdered girl is her double. What's more, her ID shows she is Lexie Madison - the identity Cassie used, years ago, as an undercover detective. With no leads, no suspects and no clues to Lexie's real identity, Cassie's old boss spots the opportunity of a lifetime: send Cassie undercover in her place, to tempt the killerā€¦


Book cover of I Only Read Murder

Kate Hilton Author Of Bury the Lead

From my list on amateur detective novels that keep you laughing while they keep you guessing.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve loved murder mysteries since childhood, and during the pandemicā€“when reading became a challengeā€“I returned to my first literary love, binging on one mystery series after another. Eventually, I decided to write one with my friend Elizabeth Renzetti. Itā€™s been the most enjoyable writing experience either of us has had. Iā€™ve written three other published novels, and I have a day job as a therapist (I like to think this helps with realistic characterization, but it also pays the bills). I write humor because I like to have fun at work, and I appreciate a good laugh when Iā€™m reading.

Kate's book list on amateur detective novels that keep you laughing while they keep you guessing

Kate Hilton Why did Kate love this book?

I couldnā€™t help but root for Miranda Abbott, the hilariously self-absorbed heroine of I Only Read Murder. The formerly famous television star of the Pastor Fran crime-fighting series, Mirandaā€™s path to redemption requires her to solve a real-life murder where all the suspects are members of an amateur theatrical society. I Only Read Murder is ridiculously entertaining, a very fun romp that takes full advantage of the cozy mystery tropes we all love. 

By Ian Ferguson, Will Ferguson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Only Read Murder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

ā€œStrap in for a hilarious and satisfying ride.ā€ ā€”Terry Fallis, bestselling author of Operation Angus

A once-famous TV sleuth
An amateur theater production
An onstage murder
A town full of suspectsā€¦

Miranda Abbott, once known for the crime-solving, karate-chopping church pastor she played on network television, has hit hard times. Sheā€™s facing ruin when a mysterious postcard arrives, summoning her to Happy Rock, a small town in the Pacific Northwest. But when she gets there, nothing is what she expected.

In dire straits, she signs up for an amateur production at the Happy Rock Little Theater. On opening night, oneā€¦


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Book cover of Murder and Malice

Murder and Malice by Hugh Greene,

Dr. Power is promoted to a chair of forensic psychiatry at Allminster University and selected by the Vice Chancellor for a key task which stokes the jealousy of the Deans, and he is plunged into a precariously dangerous situation when there is a series of deaths and the deputy Viceā€¦

Book cover of A Stroke Of Malice

J L Wilson Author Of Heir

From my list on mystery with first person narration.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've read mystery books since I was a kid in a small Iowa town and my mother was on the library board and in charge of reviewing books for purchase. She would bring home mysteries and I grew up reading about James Bond, The Saint, Miss Marple, and many, many other 'classic' detectives. I wrote my first mystery 'novel' when I was ten and it took me forty more years to finally decide to get serious about it. I found I wanted to write about an older demographicā€”my heroes and heroines are usually in their 40s or 50s. I try to make my characters believable and down-to-earthā€”except they get involved in the occasional murder!

J's book list on mystery with first person narration

J L Wilson Why did J love this book?

I enjoy reading historical fiction, especially when I'm in the middle of writing my next mystery story. I like to read outside my genre so historical mysteries satisfy that desire for me to learn about the past while still studying how other mystery authors craft their stories.

This book features a heroine who is an artist and who was also initially ostracized by society because of her first husband. Her current husband is an 'investigative agent' in the 19th century and she's frequently drawn into his cases.

I like her because she's not afraid to speak her mind but she also knows when to keep quiet ā€“ a talent she had to acquire when dealing with some of the high-and-mighty people she meets.

By Anna Lee Huber,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Stroke Of Malice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Lady Kiera Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage are looking forward to celebrating with new friends at an exciting yearly soiree, but they soon learn that murder never takes a holiday in the latest riveting installment in this national bestselling series.

January 1832. After enjoying a delightful few weeks with her family, expectant mother Kiera and Sebastian Gage have been invited to the Duchess of BowmontŹ¼s Twelfth Night party in Traquair, Scotland. Though she normally avoids such fashionable, rambunctious events, Kiera is ready to join in the festive merrymaking. But upon their arrival at the opulent estate, it becomes obviousā€¦


Book cover of Murder Is Binding

Daphne Silver Author Of Crime and Parchment

From my list on cozy mysteries about rare books and museums.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the Agatha-winning author of the Rare Books Cozy Mystery series. My first in the series, below, won the Agatha Award for Best First Mystery Novel. Iā€™ve worked for more than twenty years in museums and symphonies and have the great fortune of being married to a librarian. When not writing, Iā€™m drawing and painting. I live in Maryland with her family. Although Iā€™m not much of a baker, I wonā€™t ever turn down a sweet lokshen kugel.

Daphne's book list on cozy mysteries about rare books and museums

Daphne Silver Why did Daphne love this book?

Who wouldnā€™t want to go to a quaint town where the streets are lined with bookstores? Sign me up! Lorna Barrettā€™s series features mystery bookshop owner Tricia Miles ending up solving her own crimes, including one featuring a rare cookbook.

The idea of owning a bookstore, sharing a love of mysteries, and being part of such a special community really grabbed me as a reader. Since I canā€™t actually move to Booktownā€”aka Stoneham, New Hampshireā€”Iā€™m glad I can read so many books about it!

By Lorna Barrett,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The streets of Stoneham, New Hampsire are lined with bookstores...and paved with murder.

When she moved to Stoneham, city slicker Tricia Miles met nothing but friendly faces. And when she opened her mystery bookstore, she met friendly competition. But when she finds Doris Gleason dead in her own cookbook store, killed by a carving knife, the atmosphere seems more cutthroat than cordial. Someone wanted to get their hands on the rare cookbook that Doris had recently purchased-and the locals think that someone is Tricia. To clear her name, Tricia will have to take a page out of one of herā€¦


Book cover of Tombland

Terry Morgan Author Of Whistleblower

From my list on international crime exotic locations nasty politics.

Why am I passionate about this?

What I look for in a book is something that triggers my serious side. So be it if that removes a whole range of fantasy books or those that merely titillate. Because Iā€™ve traveled a lot, ā€˜feasible fictionā€™ is what I write and what I look for in other books. A story might be entirely fictitious, but as long as itā€™s not far-fetched, has a cast of realistic characters, an international or historic location, and keeps me on my toes to the very end, thatā€™s great. If itā€™s got some politics and science thrown in, thatā€™s even better. I hope my list lives up to expectations. 

Terry's book list on international crime exotic locations nasty politics

Terry Morgan Why did Terry love this book?

C. J. Sansom, a historian, died just recently, but heā€™s left a legacy of historical crime novels based around the time of Henry VIII. The main character is a charismatic, hunchbacked lawyer called Matthew Shardlake.

If, like me, you like books with strong characters, then, together with Sansomā€™s skill at weaving in the sights, sounds, smells, political shenanigans, and countless characters of Tudor England, Tombland is a fantastic read. Itā€™s a long book (800 pages), so take your time on it, but I think this is historical crime fiction at its best. 

By C.J. Sansom,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Tombland as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Tudor England is brought vividly to life in Tombland, the seventh novel in C. J. Sansom's number one bestselling Shardlake series, for fans of Hilary Mantel and Philippa Gregory.

'When it comes to intriguing Tudor-based narratives, Hilary Mantel has a serious rival' - Sunday Times
'Sansom has the trick of writing an enthralling narrative. Like Hilary Mantel, he produces densely textured historical novels that absorb their readers in another time' - Andrew Taylor, Spectator

The Sunday Times Number One Bestseller

England, 1549: Two years after the death of Henry VIII, England is sliding into chaos . . .

The nominalā€¦


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Book cover of Love Love TV

Love Love TV by Gabriel Ruesso,

Christopher Jope was supposed to be the next great celebrity heartthrob. But then he was demoted to third wheel in the supernatural throuple romance he starred in years ago. Now, heā€™s a B-list celebrity at best, struggling to find success in his work or love in his personal life. 

Thingsā€¦

Book cover of Class Reunions Are Murder

Paula Charles Author Of Hammers And Homicide

From my list on cozy mysteries with strong family ties.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a cozy mystery writer and reader who loves to suss out family dynamics in the books Iā€™m devouring. My love of genealogy and turning family stories into fiction played a large role while writing my first book, Hammers and Homicide. Wherever my husband and I travel, we search for ancestors in ancient cemeteries and try to find out more about their stories. Youā€™ll find a few of them between the pages of my books. I hope youā€™ll enjoy these books, all featuring some level of family ties, as much as I did! 

Paula's book list on cozy mysteries with strong family ties

Paula Charles Why did Paula love this book?

I canā€™t even tell you how much I love Aunt Ginny in Libby Kleinā€™s Poppy McAllister Mystery series! She is an absolute hoot. While I love the whole series, the first introduction to Aunt Ginny in this book remains my favorite. 

Poppy is newly widowed and a grief-stricken disaster when she receives an invitation to her high school reunion. She heads home to Cape May and her eccentric Great Aunt Ginnyā€™s house. As they do in cozy mysteries, a murder happens, and Poppy and Aunt Ginny are on the case.

Poppy and her auntā€™s relationship, paired with Aunt Ginnyā€™s crazy antics, always leaves me wiping tears of mirth out of my eyes. Such a fun read!

By Libby Klein,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Class Reunions Are Murder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fans of Jana DeLeon and Joanne Fluke will love Libby Klein! For fortysomething Poppy McAllister, taking a stroll down memory lane in Cape May, New Jersey, isn't just awkward--it's deadly.
 
Newly widowed and stuck in a middle-aged funk, Poppy has been running on cookies, infomercials, and one-sided chats with her cat for months. There's no way on earth she's attending her twenty-five-year class reunion--especially after receiving a very bizarre letter from Barbie, the popular cheerleader who taunted her all through high school. At least, not until Poppy's best friend practically drags her to the event . . .
 
Using theā€¦


Book cover of The Talented Mr. Ripley
Book cover of Night Shift
Book cover of The Shining

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