Books Like The Inheritance Games: Twisty Mysteries You Won’t Be Able to Put Down

If you were com­plete­ly hooked by Jen­nifer Lynn Barnes’ The Inher­i­tance Games — with its mind-bend­ing rid­dles, elab­o­rate puz­zles, unex­pect­ed twists, and a hint of romance — you’re not alone. Read­ers love its blend of mys­tery, high-stakes dra­ma, and clever sto­ry­telling. But what do you read next once you fin­ish the series?

Here’s a deep dive into books that cap­ture the spir­it of The Inher­i­tance Games , along with high­lights on why you’ll love them — and why they deserve a spot on your must-read list.

1. One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Key High­lights:

• A mur­der mys­tery set in a high school.
• Told from mul­ti­ple points of view, each char­ac­ter has secrets that keep you guess­ing.
• Themes of trust, betray­al, and social pres­sure.

Why You Should Read It:
Like The Inher­i­tance Games , One of Us Is Lying is filled with twists you won’t see com­ing. The lay­ered sto­ry­telling and focus on solv­ing a dead­ly puz­zle will appeal to fans who love secrets slow­ly unrav­el­ing through well-craft­ed clues.

2. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Key High­lights:

• An ambi­tious teenag­er inves­ti­gates a mur­der that every­one believes is already solved.
• Inte­grates police inter­views, diary entries, and mes­sages for an immer­sive expe­ri­ence.
• Fea­tures smart, deter­mined pro­tag­o­nists and real-world con­se­quences.

Why You Should Read It:
Pip, the main char­ac­ter, mir­rors Avery from The Inher­i­tance Games with her sharp mind and tenac­i­ty. The cre­ative for­mat makes the mys­tery feel more imme­di­ate and grip­ping, offer­ing that same addic­tive, can’t-stop-read­ing vibe.

3. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Key High­lights:

• A pres­ti­gious board­ing school with a dead­ly past.
• A dual time­line mys­tery: past and present crimes inter­twine.
• Intel­li­gent puz­zles, rid­dles, and cryp­tic clues.

Why You Should Read It:
The Elling­ham Acad­e­my set­ting is just as atmos­pher­ic and com­pelling as Hawthorne House. With its intri­cate plot and ama­teur sleuth lead, Tru­ly Devi­ous cap­tures the same sense of lux­u­ri­ous mys­tery and elite dan­ger.

4. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Key High­lights:

• A priv­i­leged fam­i­ly’s dark secrets on a pri­vate island.
• Dreamy, lyri­cal writ­ing style.
• A heart-wrench­ing plot twist you won’t for­get.

Why You Should Read It:
If you loved the emo­tion­al com­plex­i­ty of The Inher­i­tance Games —espe­cial­ly the com­pli­cat­ed rela­tion­ships among the Hawthorne broth­ers— We Were Liars offers a sim­i­lar­ly haunt­ing explo­ration of fam­i­ly, loy­al­ty, and truth.

5. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Key High­lights:

• A clas­sic who­dunit puz­zle involv­ing a wealthy man’s will.
• Diverse cast of quirky char­ac­ters.
• Clever rid­dles and a race to inher­it a for­tune.

Why You Should Read It:
Often cit­ed as inspi­ra­tion for The Inher­i­tance Games , The West­ing Game laid the ground­work for high-stakes inher­i­tance mys­ter­ies. It’s per­fect for read­ers who enjoy piec­ing togeth­er puz­zles along­side col­or­ful char­ac­ters.

6. Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Key High­lights:

• Secret soci­eties, hid­den crimes, and dark fam­i­ly lega­cies.
• High-ten­sion dra­ma among the elite.
• Themes of iden­ti­ty, pow­er, and betray­al.

Why You Should Read It:
Writ­ten by the same author as The Inher­i­tance Games , this book promis­es the same clever twists and lux­u­ri­ous world-build­ing. If you crave more of Barnes’ addic­tive sto­ry­telling style, this is the nat­ur­al next step.

Why Books Like The Inheritance Games Are So Addictive

These nov­els suc­ceed because they com­bine sev­er­al irre­sistible ele­ments:

• Puz­zles and Mys­ter­ies: Read­ers love being part of the game, solv­ing rid­dles along­side the char­ac­ters.
• High Stakes: Whether it’s for­tune, rep­u­ta­tion, or life itself, there’s always a lot on the line.
• Com­plex Char­ac­ters: Rich­ly lay­ered char­ac­ters keep you invest­ed emo­tion­al­ly, adding depth to the plot twists.
• Atmos­pher­ic Set­tings: From sprawl­ing man­sions to elite acad­e­mies, the set­ting feels like a char­ac­ter itself, height­en­ing the dra­ma.
• Unex­pect­ed Twists: The best sto­ries keep you guess­ing — and gasp­ing — until the final page.

Books like The Inher­i­tance Games let you step into a world of secrets, strate­gies, and high-risk deci­sions. They’re per­fect for read­ers who love sharp dia­logue, smart hero­ines, slow-burn romances, and shock­ing reveals.

In Con­clu­sion:
If you’re chas­ing the thrill you felt read­ing The Inher­i­tance Games , these books will more than sat­is­fy your crav­ing for twisty, thrilling mys­ter­ies with emo­tion­al depth. Grab a cozy blan­ket, set aside a few hours (or days — you’ll need them), and dive into your next adven­ture.