18 Puzzle-Filled Books Like The Inheritance Games

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a fun young adult mystery novel with puzzles, riddles, and a mysterious mansion setting. If you loved it, here are more books like The Inheritance Games to read (including young adult and adult fiction)!

Mystery Books Like The Inheritance Games

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The Inheritance Games Synopsis

The Inheritance Games is a YA mystery series about a teenage girl named Avery who suddenly receives a massive inheritance from a mysterious billionaire. But soon, she finds out there’s a lot more to the inheritance than money – especially once she moves into her new mansion and meets the billionaire’s four grandsons.

This book is best described as a cross between Knives Out and The Westing Game. There’s some family drama, some romance, some mystery and adventure, and of course: lots of puzzles.

It’s set in a mysterious mansion with hidden passageways, rooms to fit every possible activity, multiple libraries, and a dark forest on the grounds.

Who wrote The Inheritance Games?

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is an American young adult fiction author who’s written more than a dozen books.

The first two books in her The Inheritance Games series were Goodreads Choice Award nominees, and the third book was the winner of the 2022 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fiction.

The Inheritance Games books stacked on a white book cart with a house plant

Books to Read If You Liked The Inheritance Games

First off, be sure to finish the other books in The Inheritance Games series if you enjoyed the first book!

Aside from those, I’ve put together a list of books like The Inheritance Games, if you’re looking for more books in that vein to enjoy.

First, I’d like to preface this list by saying there is no book exactly like The Inheritance Games series. It’s a unique series with specific elements – like puzzles, riddles, and a mysterious mansion setting. Some of these elements can be found in other stories, but they will still differ in some ways, too.

I have done my best to share some recommendations below that are at least similar in some way, whether they share a similar vibe, setting, and/or have intriguing puzzles to solve. And now, on to the list!

(If you’re looking for books for a younger audience, such as your children or students, I’ve included a list of middle grade books like The Inheritance Games further down in this post.)

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Truly Devious book cover

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

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Synopsis: When true crime lover Stevie Bell starts her first year at the mysterious Ellingham Academy (a private school in Vermont), she’s determined to solve the school’s decades-old cold case. Years ago, the wife and daughter of the school’s founder were kidnapped, and it appears the perpetrator has returned.

If you love the puzzles and riddles in The Inheritance Games, this is a perfect series to read next!

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson book cover

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

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Synopsis: A teenage girl (Pippa Fitz-Amobi, or Pip for short) becomes an amateur sleuth determined to solve an old murder case in her small town. Someone was blamed for the crime, but Pip isn’t so sure they committed it – so she sets out to prove it for her school project.

Read my full review of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder here.

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes book cover

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

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Synopsis: A group of exceptionally-gifted teenagers – including Cassie, a girl who has a knack for reading people – helps the FBI track down infamous killers in this series by the same author as The Inheritance Games.

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts book cover

Genre: Adult Mystery/Fantasy

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Synopsis: When eccentric billionaire Vincent Pryce dies, he leaves behind a city-wide treasure hunt in Boston, which promises a fabulous prize: his fortune. A ragtag crew of puzzle lovers sets out to solve his clues – all the while having to face painful ghosts from their pasts.

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus

One Of Us Is Lying book cover

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

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Synopsis: An eclectic group of five Bayview high school students walks into detention one Monday evening, but only four of them walk out. One of them, Simon, is found dead – and not by accident. It turns out, he was planning to expose some juicy gossip about the other students online, which makes each of the four other students a top suspect.

These Deadly Games by Diana Urban

These Deadly Games book cover

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

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Synopsis: Crystal Donovan receives a terrifying video message of her sister, bound and gagged. At first, all the kidnapper wants is for her to complete odd tasks like baking brownies and making a prank call. But soon, the game turns serious, and she realizes she’s being forced to hurt – and possibly kill – her friends.

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Ace of Spaces book cover

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

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Synopsis: A shocking thriller that sheds light on institutionalized racism, Ace of Spades follows two talented students at a private school who have secrets to hide – and someone is determined to reveal them.

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

A Study in Charlotte book cover

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

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Synopsis: This imaginative mystery follows Sherlock Holmes’ great-great-great-granddaughter and a descendant of Dr. John Watson who team up to solve a murder at their prep school.

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

If We Were Villains book cover

Genre: Adult Mystery/Thriller

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Synopsis: Seven Shakespearean theater students at an elite arts college live together in a dramatic off-campus home, isolated from the outside world. In their fourth year of school, the typical roles they play are shifted, causing rivalries to ensue. And soon, someone turns up dead.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Ready Player One book cover

Genre: YA Science Fiction

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Synopsis: In the year 2044, a virtual reality called the OASIS has all but replaced actual reality – because the world is in rough shape. Wade Watts has devoted his life to finding and solving a ‘game’ of Easter eggs and puzzles hidden by the creator of the OASIS, which promises massive riches to whoever can complete it. But when Wade finds the first clue, it sets into motion events that he never could have anticipated.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore book cover

Genre: Adult Mystery/Fantasy

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Synopsis: When Clay Jannon gets a job on the night shift at a 24-hour bookstore in San Francisco, he’s not prepared for the strange happenings that are about to unfold. Soon, he’s knee-deep in code-breaking, conspiracies, and the world of high tech, as he tries to unravel the mystery of the bookstore’s odd customers.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Magpie Murders book cover

Genre: Adult Mystery/Thriller

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Synopsis: The editor of a (fictional) bestselling crime writer finds a dark story hidden inside the author’s most recent manuscript. The more she reads, the more she realizes this story may be linked to a real-life murder that’s about to unfold.

Younger/Middle Grade Books Like The Inheritance Games

If you’re more interested in books with a younger feel, check out these fun middle grade mystery books with puzzles and riddles:

  • The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (a childhood classic!)
  • Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
  • The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
  • Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
  • The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner
  • The Maze of Bones (39 Clues) by Rick Riordan

If you loved The Inheritance Games as much as I did, definitely give some of these books a try. I hope you enjoy them!

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