The 52 Book Club: 2026 Challenge discussion

What is the Mystery Genre Challenge?
Welcome to our very first full-sized genre-specific challenge. This challenge is similar in premise to our annual 52 Book Club reading challenges, with a few key differences:

1) This challenge must be completed using one genre only. All books read for this challenge must be mysteries.

2) There is no timeline for completing this challenge. Take as long or as short as you like.

Our mystery challenge contains fifty different “cases” (we usually call them “prompts”). Match one mystery to each case for a total of fifty different books. Cases are related to different mystery elements and tell you what to look for in a book. Cases are loosely connected to their chapter heading but can be completed in any order.


Chapter Three: The Suspects
21. A serial killer (list)
22. An unreliable narrator (list)
23. A victim with lots of enemies (list)
24. Features small town secrets (list)
25. Written from multiple suspects' perspectives (list)
26. A “new-to-you” author (list)
27. A crime of passion (list)
28. A character wrongly accused (list)
29. Set by a lake (list)
30. A character with memory gap (list)


21. A serial killer. For this prompt, we’re looking for a plot featuring a serial killer. (A serial killer is an individual who has committed at least two separate homicides, although some may define it as at least three.) They may or may not be referred to as a serial killer within the book.

22. An unreliable narrator. An unreliable narrator cannot be trusted to tell the story accurately. They may intentionally mislead the reader or present inaccuracies due to personality, maturity, trauma, etc. A narrator may be revealed as unreliable at any point throughout the book, although often it occurs as a twist or surprise element within the story.

HINT: This prompt is difficult to plan without spoilers. Keep it open and see if it fills naturally while reading for other prompts. Feel free to shuffle book choices around from prompt to prompt after reading.

23. A victim with lots of enemies. Another common trope within mysteries is a victim with lots of enemies (and therefore, plenty of suspects for the detective to investigate). A book fitting this case will feature a character who is hated by multiple suspects. While this is often a murder mystery, it could feature any crime.

24. Features small town secrets. Small town settings are often ripe with secrets. Choose any small town setting with a plot full of secrets, gossip, and/or hidden pasts. The secrets will likely play a role in the book’s plot but may or may not feature in the final reveal.

25. Written from multiple suspects’ perspectives. For this prompt, we’re looking for books told from more than one suspect’s perspective. A suspect is an individual believed to be guilty of committing a crime. The story may alternate chapters, scenes, or parts of the book from various suspects’ perspectives.

26. A “new-to-you” author. Try a new author! This may be a debut by a brand new author, or an author who has released dozens of books but whom you haven’t yet read. Choose any author, as long as this is your first book by them!

27. A crime of passion. For this prompt, we’re looking for a book featuring a “crime of passion.” A crime of passion is a crime committed in the heat of the moment, due to sudden and intense feelings like jealousy, rage, etc. It lacks premeditation.

This could be a crime in which it appears to be a crime of passion (but isn’t) or a book in which the solution was revealed to be a crime of passion. (If you find this while reading for another prompt first, feel free to shuffle book choices around. You’re never locked in!)

28. A character wrongly accused. Mystery plots often feature characters who are wrongly accused of committing crimes. This book may be told from the perspective of a character trying to prove their innocence, or simply feature a plot in which the character initially charged or accused is later proven innocent.

29. Set by a lake. Mysteries set by a lake often emphasize the serene, isolated location to create suspense. This may be a book set by a lake house, set in an isolated camping area, or a lake in a public park in a big city, etc. The book may be fully or partially set at this location. The lake may or may not play a role in the mystery.

30. A character with memory gaps. Pick a book in which one of the characters (primary or secondary) experiences memory gaps, amnesia, or memory loss of any type. It may or may not affect the main plot or mystery.

#26 New to you author--A Late Phoenix by Catherine Aird

21. A serial killer
22. An unreliable narrator
23. A victim with lots of enemies
24. Features small town secrets
25. Written from multiple suspects' perspectives
26. A “new-to-you” author
27. A crime of passion The Housemaid's Secret
28. A character wrongly accused The Green Mile
29. Set by a lake Verity
30. A character with memory gap A Good Day for Chardonnay