We Were Liars
E. Lockhart
Like the Angels, the wealthy Sinclair family hides rot beneath privilege, and its narrator's fractured memory drives a mystery that unsettles you the same way Tandy's recollections do.
12 books to read next
Books Like Confessions of a Murder Suspect
If you loved Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro
Readers who enjoy Confessions of a Murder Suspect come for its fast, short-chaptered locked-family mystery: a wealthy Manhattan household, two dead parents, and four siblings who are all suspects. Tandy Angel is a cool, analytical and unreliable narrator whose buried memories slowly reshape what she thinks she knows. The appeal lies in the dark family secrets, the glamorous but cold setting, the sense that nobody can be trusted, and a breakneck pace that makes it easy to read in a sitting.
Rich families, dark secrets
The Inheritance Games
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
A teen thrown into a powerful family's puzzles, rivalries and mansion secrets, with the twisty momentum and suspicious-sibling tension that fans of the Angel household will enjoy.
The cheerleaders
Kara Thomas
A small town's old deaths resurface as the narrator digs into her own family's role, offering the same mix of grief, secrets and amateur sleuthing.
Teens accused of murder
One of Us Is Lying
Karen M. McManus
Four students become suspects in a classmate's death, each hiding something, much like the Angel siblings under police scrutiny, told at a similarly fast clip.
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
Holly Jackson
A determined teen investigates a closed case to clear a name, using the methodical, evidence-driven approach that Tandy's analytical mind will make readers appreciate.
Sadie
Courtney Summers
A darker, emotionally gripping hunt for the truth about a family tragedy, for readers who liked the grim edges beneath Tandy's investigation.
Narrators you can't trust
Liar
Justine Larbalestier
Micah openly admits she lies, and a death at school forces readers to question every word, echoing Tandy's warning that she can't even trust herself.
Dangerous girls
Abigail Haas
A teen stands trial for her best friend's murder abroad, and the shifting perspective keeps you doubting her innocence just as Confessions does.
Truly Devious
Maureen Johnson
A sharp, self-aware teen detective tackles a cold case at an elite school, blending clever deduction with a slow drip of revelations.
Classic mysteries to try next
The Westing Game
Ellen Raskin
A wealthy man's death and a gathering of suspicious heirs make this a lighter, puzzle-filled classic for readers who loved untangling the Angel family's motives.
And Then There Were None
Agatha Christie
The ultimate everyone-is-a-suspect mystery, with the escalating paranoia and tight pacing that made Patterson's whodunit hard to put down.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Mark Haddon
A logical, unusual young narrator investigates a death and uncovers family secrets, appealing to anyone drawn to Tandy's precise, detached way of seeing.
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