The 52 Book Club: 2026 Challenge discussion

5 -- Featuring A Conspiracy

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a conspiracy is “the activity of secretly planning with other people to do something bad or illegal". This may be a conspiracy to commit murder, treason, to cover up a crime, etc. Any book featuring multiple characters secretly planning or conspiring to commit a crime would fit this prompt.

You may also choose a book featuring a conspiracy theory (a belief that some influential or controlling organization or group is secretly responsible for a notable event or phenomenon). Many thrillers or action stories involve uncovering larger conspiracies (may also be called paranoid thrillers). Books fitting this description may also be non-fiction about conspiracies, or a fictionalized version of a real conspiracy theory. (For example: Untold Story by Monica Ali, a novel about Princess Diana faking her own death).

You might also choose a book in which a conspiracy revolves around the author. (For example, Stieg Larsson, author of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and conspiracy theories around his death.)

The word conspiracy may or may not appear in the title, subtitle, or book blurb.



Here is our Goodreads List for this prompt

If you're more into the nonfiction side of things I suggest UNDER THE EYE OF POWER. Nice and through overview of the subject in the US

Under the Eye of Power: How Fear of Secret Societies Shapes American Democracy

I saw The Host by Stephenie Meyer on the Goodreads list for this prompt and I highly recommend it.

I'm planning to read Impostors by Scott Westerfeld

Time to hit up the UFO section at the bookstore!

Even though I own several, most are in my wrapped TBR so I don't know when I'll get to them or when I'll pull them.

I found a couple Middle Grade books that look good for this one.

The Countdown Conspiracy
The Clockwork Conspiracy

Reading the JFK Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer

KayMarie wrote: "Reading the JFK Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer"

I saw this in the Goodreads Choice nominees and was intrigued. Please report in with how it is.

I just finished The Secret Adversary for the Agatha Christie challenge, and it has a conspiracy that the heroes are working to thwart.

Slaughterhouse-Five

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 6 FEB

Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

A new publication for this one : The Doorman by Chris Pavone.

Six of crows

I decided to take the literal approach with "CONSPIRACY" being in the subtitle but it is also big part of the book
I will be reading ~ The Amish Wife by Gregg Olsen

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

The Crash Currently enjoying the second of Robert Peston's fiction books - a very well known economic/political journalist in the UK. I've just come across the word 'conspiracy' in the text which made me happier than it probably should :)

The first in the series would also be relevant to this prompt.

I read In Dubious Battle, which is a conspiracy to start a strike/to unionize. I will watch the film today, and it will be my first book/film for the mini-challenge.

Alchemy of Secrets has an entire magical world hidden in a Hollywood noir setting.

I'm reading Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann. I'll use this book and movie in the Read & Watch Challenge.

I read the latest in Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series, The Black Wolf.

I am reading the nonfiction book The Fifties. There were many conspiracies about communist infiltrators in the 50's that should be addressed in a history of the decade

I’m reading The Postman Always Rings Twice

I’m a huge fan of the Robert Langdon series by Dan Brown. For this prompt I am reading The Secret of Secrets. It is considered a mystery thriller with strong conspiracy fiction elements.

I had been saving Louise Penny’s latest in the Inspector Gamache series for after the holidays. The Black Wolf slotted nicely into this prompt, and I enjoyed the book very much.

My book club read 1984 by George Orwell and I thought it fit nicely here.

Just finished Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs for this prompt!

An Age of Winters by Gemma Liviero

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris

My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney

I used I Kill Killers by S.T. Ashman for this prompt.

The Disaster Tourist, by Yun Ko-Eun - there is a conspiracy by the resort’s owners to manufacture a ‘natural’ disaster to attract tourists. That one also works for prompt 9 - Featuring a natural disaster, and I think also for prompt 16 - Deus Ex Machina.

I read Shadow of the Raven by Tessa Harris.

The Wolf King or The Night Prince by Lauren Palphreyman

Completed reading - Symphony of Monsters: A Novel by Marc Levy

Blakie wrote: "I had been saving Louise Penny’s latest in the Inspector Gamache series for after the holidays. The Black Wolf slotted nicely into this prompt, and I enjoyed the book very much."

I loved the latest book as well. The Inspector Gamache series is the only series I have really devoured in a long time. I always look forward to visiting Three Pines and all the characters there.

The Irish Assassins: Conspiracy, Revenge, and the Phoenix Park Murders That Stunned Victorian England by Julie Kavanagh

The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown

A Killing Cold, by Kate Alice Marshall. A rich family conspires to hide the facts of an event from the past.

I read Warrior Princess Assassin for this one. I didn't enjoy it as much as her other work, but there was definitely a conspiracy going on, so it works!

Murder on the Orient Express- Agatha Christie

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Listened to the audiobook "God-Keizer op Duin" (God-Emperor of Dune) for this prompt. Really enjoyed this book and was hooked to the story. I didn't think I could hate a character more than a Harkonnen, but what a disgusting character is Leto II?!

“There is a Tide” by Agatha Christie has a conspiracy with hidden identities. This novel is different from many of her novels , but it is good.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt!

God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens - Finished 2/15/26

Catching Fire

King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

I read Silver and the Sunday Cypher, a cozy mystery. 4⭐️

I'm debating whether to list Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books for the conspiracy or hold it for later assignment. I'm a mystery reader so I may find a another one to fit.