Could You Solve Your Own Murder?

A serial killer's victim is brought back in a speculative crime novel, a young Wiccan brings back some murdered girls, and more.

͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌

To get all Unusual Suspects content plus community features, upgrade to All Access!

Join Now

Could You Solve Your Own Murder?

A serial killer's victim is brought back in a speculative crime novel, a young Wiccan brings back some murdered girls, and more.

Jamie Canaves

April 15, 2026

|

I love a book that poses a complicated question that feels like a fun dinner conversation game. Could you solve your own murder? How would that even work—would you be alive, resurrected, are there in between options? Below I’ve got three books with different tones and ways of taking on this challenging question.

My Murder by Katie Williams

This is a speculative crime novel, a genre mix that I wish there was more of as it allows for so many interesting questions and dives into things like ethics. Imagine our exact world with the tiny addition of there being a service that could bring people back to life. That’s how Lou, murdered by a serial killer, is now alive, though the program controls what and how memories from life come through. The good news is she’s back home with her husband and baby, and she’s in a serial killer survival group for any help she may need. The problem is: things in her new life just don’t seem to be adding up...

|

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson

This is a super fun YA novel that takes a bit of a sideways approach since the lead, Mila, is teamed up with the girls who are solving their own murders. Mila’s also the reason the dead girls are "alive," because she accidentally resurrected them while performing a spell. The even bigger issue? She’s an inexperienced Wiccan and only meant to bring back her best friend to prove she didn’t die by suicide, but she accidentally also brought back two "enemy" girls. In good news, they can all now figure out who murdered them. In bad news: they have to work together, and only have seven days left on the spell.

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

What if you knew you were dying and had to solve your murder? Jet was attacked on Halloween night and left with a death sentence from an impending aneurysm. What has she decided to do with the week she’s told she has left? Figure out who attacked her in order to solve her murder.

|

Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this she lf, and see 2026 releases! Until next time, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Goodreads, Litsy, and Multitudes Contained.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you or you read it on bookriot.com and you’d like to get it right in your inbox, you can sign up here.