It’s almost October y’all! Also known as my favorite month of the year! Why? I have no idea. I’m not an October baby nor am I that big on Halloween. Or anything paranormal, really. I am, however, a fan of the classic Disney Halloween movies and mystery books, so that works. And of course, I can’t forget the fact that October is the peak of the Autumn season – the “falliest of the fall” (go with me here).

So in a little celebration of the best month of fall, I have some recommendations of books that are great to read during this time of year, or more specifically, this month. Most are mysteries, but there might be one or two wild cards thrown in because of the autumn and/or spooky vibe.

October Book Recommendations

The Vanishing Girl by Josephine Ruby – The first in the Daphne and Velma trilogy takes you to the supposedly haunted town of Crystal Cove, before the Mystery Inc. gang becomes the super-sleuths we know and love from Scooby-Doo. After a rift in their friendship, Daphne and Velma have to work together once again to find out what happened to Daphne’s friend when she goes missing.

The Third Twin by C.J. Omolulu – Lexi and Ava are indentical twins, but when they were younger, they made up a triplet named Alicia. Now, as seniors, Alicia serves as an alias when the girls go on dates with guys they’d never be in a relationship with. But when one of those boys ends up dead, the evidence leads up to Alicia, only neither Lexi or Ava were with the boy who died.

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus – Ellery and her twin brother move in with their grandmother in a small town in Vermont that has its own mysterious past. Though, that was years ago, so the town must be safe now, right? Wrong. Soon after their arrival, a girl goes missing, and it somehow seems to fall on Ellery and her new acquaintance, Malcolm, to find out what happened.

Mirror, Mirror by Jen Calonita – In this Twisted Tale we find out what happens when the infamous Evil Queen poisons the prince instead of Snow White. It’s a great new tale of the story we know of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney) and gives us a new villain origin story for The Evil Queen.

Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer – From the outside, Vladimir Tod seems to be your average eighth grader. He gets bullied, the girl he likes doesn’t notice him, and basically, eighth grade just bites. But Vlad has a secret. His dad was a vampire… and so is he. Only Vlad is just beginning to find out what kinds of powers he holds. Eighth grade might turn out a lot differently than he expected.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro – If you’re a fan of Sherlock Holmes, this young-adult series about his great-great-great granddaughter will hook you right in. Told from Jamie Watson’s (yes, that Watson) point-of-view, these two descendants end up teaming up to solve the murder of a fellow student at their prestigious Connecticut boarding school.

Private by Kate Brian – The beginning of a wonderful young-adult mystery series follows Reed Brennan to her new Connecticut boarding school, where she makes friends and enemies right off the bat. Soon she falls for the bad-boy, Thomas, despite some warnings she heard about him. And when he disappears, she and some other students try to find out what happened to him before it’s too late.

Jek/Hyde by Amy Ross – A retelling of the classic story, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, follows Lulu as she notices her best friend Jek beginning to act differently. The problem is, she’s in love with him, but can she handle his weird actions and disappearances, or will she stick through to find out what’s going on with him?

Recommendations From My TBR

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie – Who doesn’t love a good Poirot mystery? While I’ve only read a couple of stories that feature this iconic detective, I’m looking forward to reading what is probably one of the best stories Christie wrote of him.

Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella – A freshman attends Harvard in hopes of finding out why her older brother committed suicide there. Was he crazy or is there something going on in the walls of Harvard that drove him to his end? I’m not usually one for creepy ghost tales, but I’ve been wanting to give this book a try when I’m ready for it.

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley – A group of old friends reunites for a holiday break, but it turns disastrous when one of them ends up dead. One of them is a murderer, but who? 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie – Probably one of her most well-known novels, a group of strangers gather to a private island where their host is nowhere to be found. Each person has their own secrets, and when they start dropping off like flies, soon none will be left.

Have you read any of these books or are they on your own TBRs already? What other suggestions would you add to this list? I’d love to see your answers!