Mystery and romance are both bedrocks of fiction, but their combination gives rise to something that remains as of yet unbeaten in the entire history of literature.
Every great tale has a bit of romance in it. Every memorable story takes advantage of suspense and mystery to keep the readers hooked. And the two of them together turn out to be entirely too irresistible to bookworms all over the world. Whether it falls on you the reader to piece together the puzzle and divine the hidden truth of a tale or the writer to suddenly upend your expectations, the idea is to keep you on your toes throughout the narrative. As for romance, what is character dynamic and chemistry without a bit of sexual tension? Or a tinge of social apprehension and dysphoria?
From the beginning of the Romanticism movement in the 18th century, mystery romance has remained a potent and insightful storytelling tradition, and even now, it manages to steal hearts and rope in readers with as little as a simple enigmatic premise. So, in case you’re itching for your next fiction mystery romance book, read ahead for some of our best picks, old and new, from across the literary timeline.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
A highly acclaimed and revered young adult trilogy, followed by a standalone sequel, The Inheritance Games tells the story of Avery Grambs, who is suddenly bestowed with the immense fortune of a billionaire named Tobias Hawthorne. Avery has no idea why she was chosen, but she has to move to the Hawthorne mansion to claim this unexpected inheritance. The only problem is that the Hawthorne mansion is filled with secrets, mysteries, puzzles, and dangers, with Avery trying to uncover the truth and maneuver her way through Tobias’ disgruntled family—especially his four grandsons. Trust me when I say that you’ll never be bored with The Inheritance Games and its intricate plot, not to mention the layered romance sitting at the heart of the adventure.
Five Decembers by James Kestrel
One of the best books of the past decade, Five Decembers turned into an instant classic when it came out in 2017, largely thanks to Kestrel’s nuanced and atmospheric storytelling. You follow a detective called McGrady, who is investigating a brutal murder case at the height of World War II. McGrady’s story takes him to several regions in the war-torn world of the late ‘40s, and amid all the horrors of the conflict that rages across different countries, he finds solace in the company of a female partner, with whom he develops a romantic relationship. Five Decembers is epic, mysterious, and surprisingly rich, not only offering readers a gripping mystery thriller but also a profound historical study of the times.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Released at the height of gothic romance traditions of the 20th century, Rebecca is the story of an unmarried young woman who weds a widower called Maxim de Winter and moves into his great estate. The unnamed protagonist of our story soon learns that the Maxim estate is haunted by the master’s former wife, Rebecca, who died under mysterious circumstances. The narrator soon grows obsessed with Rebecca and the circumstances surrounding her death and struggles to learn the truth about the de Winter household, while simultaneously dealing with the tense dynamic she has with Maxim himself. Rebecca explores themes of identity and jealousy, with a boatload of suspense and twisting revelations added in for good measure.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
This is admittedly a bit of an odd choice for this list, but the romance in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo—while uncomfortable and unconventional—is rooted in past trauma and complex power dynamics. You follow the tale of Mikael Blomkvist, a discredited journalist, and Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant hacker, as they come together to explore the mystery of Harriet’s vanishing, the niece of an old businessman who went missing 40 years ago.
The author Stieg Larsson claimed that he got the inspiration for Lisbeth when he bore witness to a friend of his getting gang raped by three men. In his account, Larsson stood by and did nothing, which later wracked him with guilt. Later, one of Larsson’s colleagues revealed that the author only heard this tale second-hand, and then passed it off as his own. The truth of the matter remains ambiguous to date, but the fact does lend a lot of depth to the character of Lisbeth Salander as she develops a bond with Mikael and attempts to deal with past traumas.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
The story of Big Little Lies takes place in an idyllic suburb in Australia. You follow three women—Jane, Celeste, and Madeline—whose children attend the same school. Each of them is dealing with their own personal struggles like domestic abuse, past trauma, and infidelity, and as the mysterious plot of Big Little Lies unravels around a sudden murder at the school, Jane, Celeste, and Madeline have to piece the puzzle together and learn the truth at the heart of this unlikely tale.
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
One of the most popular mystery romance novels in recent memory, Then She Was Gone is about the disappearance of a 15-year-old girl named Ellie. Ten years later, Ellie’s mother Laurel is still grieving the loss of her little girl, when, unexpectedly, she meets a man named Floyd and is immediately attracted to him. Floyd has a 9-year-old daughter called Poppy, who bears a striking resemblance to Ellie. Meeting Poppy compels our main character to dig up old, unresolved traumas surrounding Ellie, and she begins to unravel a dark web of secrets at the heart of her life in a tension-filled narrative that explores themes of love, loss, and closure.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
One of the greatest novels in the English language, and a timeless exploration of love and morality with a deep sense of social, religious, and class criticism embedded in its core, Jane Eyre is still one of my foremost picks when it comes to the romantic and Gothic traditions. But it also serves that the novel is a mysterious ride as the titular character tries to discern the true nature of Mr. Rochester, with whom she falls in love. Jane’s love burns hot and fierce, but is weighed down, alas, by the moral dilemmas involving Rochester’s past life.
You might assume that many trendy “romantasy” books of the past decade, buoyed up to an absurd degree thanks to social media and “BookTok,” are a post-modern invention, but that would be a very reductive way of thinking about it. Many strong heroines of fiction trace their roots to works like Jane Eyre—as do many feminist undertones in literary traditions of the past century. The Brontë sisters were all about questioning gender roles and criticizing the social hierarchies of the Victorian era, but their work still remains a relevant and quintessential piece of social studies in our modern times.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Imaginative, poetic, and sensational. These are the best words to describe The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. The 2011 romance fantasy novel has been compared to many classic works like Harry Potter and Neil Gaiman’s Stardust because it involves magic, mysticism, and a fair bit of romance. The story follows a magical circus that appears without warning and only operates during the night. We follow a non-linear narrative centering around two young magicians, Celia and Marco, engaged in a high-stakes magical duel. Their spells, illusions, and wondrous apparitions soon create chaos within the circus, trapping a cast of unforgettable characters in the midst of their shenanigans.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Diana Bishop teaches history of science at Yale University, and by all tokens, she’s nothing but a reluctant scholar. Yet there’s more to this heroine than meets the eye, even if she doesn’t know it yet. Diana has magical powers, which she has suppressed after the death of her parents. One day, when conducting her research in Oxford, Diana comes upon an occult manuscript that reignites her powers and brings her to the attention of mythical and supernatural beings like demons and vampires. Among these monsters is Matthew Clairmont, who gets involved with Diana and eventually falls in love with her. A Discovery of Witches remains a timeless classic of the fantasy romance as well as the mystery romance genres.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
I wonder if anyone regardless of the depth of their grasp of literature could say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what genre Wuthering Heights belongs to. It’s certainly among the strangest works of fiction I’ve ever come across, and try as I might to divine all of its hidden meanings and allusions, it still eludes comprehension to a large degree. But as far as conventional wisdom allows, Wuthering Heights indeed belongs to the romantic tradition, and since the reader is suddenly thrust into the remote countryside of Yorkshire, England, and has to slowly unravel the mystery of Wuthering Heights, its peculiar Tennant’s, and its eccentric owner Mr. Heathcliff, it’s safe to presume that it belongs on this list as well.
Wuthering Heights is a haunting, grim tale of love, loss, and abuse. It underlines some of the darkest human tendencies, teaching us about class, prejudice, resentment, and the importance of a decent upbringing. It is poetic, yet brutal; It is romantic, yet cruel; It is mystifying, yet depressive. And it is, arguably, one of the best novels you could read in your lifetime. If you want to see the best and worst of humanity all in one tale, do yourself a favor and pick up Wuthering Heights.
Published: Oct 20, 2024 09:52 am