Stuff for the Teen Age, Biblio File

Not-So Innocents Abroad: 10 YA Mysteries and Thrillers for the Dog Days of Summer

See if this sounds familiar: Summer is winding down and you’re wondering what to read next before you have to take that leap back into required reading (although let’s be honest—you should already be doing that—just saying). Maybe you want some suspense and action in your life? Maybe a story that takes place in an exotic location? Well, I’ve got you covered on both counts.

Here are ten novels filled with thrills, action, suspense, murder, romance and all set in exotic and romantic locations around the world—all perfect reads for the last days of summer. So check out a book, grab those sunglasses and don’t forget the sunscreen!

malice

With Malice by Eileen Cook

Jill wakes up in an American hospital to find she is accused of murdering her best friend Simone while on a study abroad trip in Italy—however, she can’t remember anything that happened—before or after Simone's death. All the evidence points to her and all of social media is sure she did it but Jill knows she could never hurt Simone, who was like a sister to her... or could she? The perfect beach read with lots of fun twists and turns that you won't see coming.

 

 

 

blue

Blue Voyage by Diana Renn

While on a forced mother-daughter bonding trip to Turkey, Zan, who’s often in trouble with the law, gets caught in the crosshairs of an antiquities smuggling ring. They think that she can lead them to priceless ancient treasures. The action takes you from the beautiful Aegean coast to bustling Istanbul, where to save herself and her family and recapture the treasures, Zan will have to think fast on her feet and rely on new friends before the bad guys get away. Renn’s books are great adventures and never disappoint!

 

 

 

charlie

Charlie Presumed Dead by Anne Heltzel

Starting in Paris, Lena and Aubrey both attend the funeral of Charlie, the boy they both considered their boyfriend. Neither of them knew each other existed and that’s just the first of the secrets that come out when they meet. The big question however is, is he really dead? Clearly neither of them knew Charlie as well as they thought they did. Follow the clues from Paris to Mumbai, India to Bangkok, Thailand and see if you can spot the truth from the lies. A fun, twisty book that will keep you guessing.

 

 

 

tokyo

Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn

When Violet agrees to spend the summer in Seattle with her artist father, she never thought she'd get get entangled with an art heist and dangerous art thieves. But that’s what happens, when clients of her father, the Yamadas, have three priceless Van Gogh sketches stolen from them, putting them all, including Violet and her father, in danger. Soon Violet is on the hunt for a missing Van Gogh painting, which takes her from Seattle to yakuza-infested Tokyo and beyond, unsure of who she can trust. With its Japanese setting and great heroine, Renn once again proves her masterful storytelling skills.

 

 

all fall down

All Fall Down/ Embassy Row series by Ally Carter

Set in an unnamed Middle Eastern country, Grace, an Army brat, returns to Embassy Row and the American Embassy, where her grandfather is a powerful ambassador. She used to spend every summer there, until her mother was killed and she was institutionalized in a mental hospital. Now out, everyone just wants her to put on a pretty dress, smile  and pretend like nothing has happened... but Grace is determined to track down her mother’s murderer. With no one believing her and no one she can trust, Grace is on her own. Ally Carter knows how to build suspense and mysteries that will keep you guessing. Book 2 is See How They Run

 

 

brown suit

The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie

When young Anne Beddingfield witnesses a murder on a platform of a London tube station, she’s left with more questions than answers so she takes matters into her own hands. Following the clues leads her to another murder and more questions and she soon finds herself on a luxury ocean liner headed to South Africa and in the crosshairs of jewel thieves. This book has it all: murder, diamond heists, a murky criminal underground, a handsome, irritable man and an indomitable heroine. This one is a bit of a throwback, but it’s one of my all time favorites and you can never go wrong with Agatha Christie.

 

 

latitude

Latitude Zero by Diana Renn

After her boyfriend, Juan Carlos, an Ecuadorian cycling superstar, dies mysteriously during a charity bike ride, Tess, an aspiring journalist, decides to run her own investigation. She was one of last people to speak to him and she grapples with grief and guilt knowing she didn’t return his desperate phone call to her before he died. Her pursuit of answers takes her to Ecuador and the dark underbelly of the cycling world. Stalked by people wanting her to stop looking into Juan Carlo’s death, she’ll have to find out the killer before time runs out and she becomes their next victim. Another excellent action-adventure mystery from Renn, you won’t be disappointed.

 

heist

Heist Society series by Ally Carter

Kat is trying to go straight, after a childhood of conning and thieving with her criminal family. But when an Italian mobster’s art collection is stolen and her father is the only suspect, she’s forced to come back and clear his name. To do it she’ll need to get the (criminal) band back together, outsmart Interpol and make a deal with the most dangerous man in Europe... which is all in a day’s work for Kat. This is a roller coaster ride of action, humor and romance that you will fall for at page one. You'll find more of the Society's adventures in Perfect Scoundrels and Uncommon Criminals

 

 

envelopes

13 Little Blue Envelopes series by Maureen Johnson

Three months after her Aunt Peg’s death, Ginny gets a letter from her. That's weird thing number one. Weird thing number two is that it contains $1,000 and a roundtrip plane ticket to Europe. The instructions are simple: Ginny must backpack through Europe with only her Aunt’s letters (13 in all) as her guide. No laptop. No phone. No adults. Just the letters. Weird thing number three is that Ginny actually goes and now her life will never be the same again. This is a mystery of the unknown, of taking a giant leap of faith and discovering new things about yourself. Would you have the guts to do that? The second book is The Last Little Blue Envelope.

 

 

bunker

Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks

In London, young runaway Linus is kidnapped by an unnamed assailant and put in an underground bunker with very little food or water and no way to escape. He’s soon joined by five other people ranging in age from nine to seventy. In close quarters, the situation becomes more desperate as time goes on and with no answers as to why they were taken. They can only hope that they will either find a way to escape or communicate with the outside world before it’s too late. If you’re into dark, psychological thrillers, this is the perfect book for you, but you might need a to buy a night light when you’ve finished. You've been warned. 




 

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YA books

Please note that all these books except one have girls as the major player. I know there are good books for boys, all the new ones seem to have girls as the major player. And you wonder why boys don't like to read!