Aries is a fire sign—and they make sure that you know it. Anyone born between March 21st to April 19th falls under the sign of the Ram.
These individuals lead with their head, but not in the way you might think. Prone to acting impulsively, one might call their impatience enthusiasm. Depending on if you're feeling charitable or otherwise, you might also call them either passionate or aggressive.
Short tempers aside, those born under the sign of Aries are naturally confident leaders. They enjoy physicality and challenges. And when it comes to a good book, they like a little bit of an edge and a lot of action.
If you're looking for a perfect match for the Ram in your life, here are seven mystery and thriller books for Aries.
The Woman in White
Hailed as the “first and greatest sensation novel,” The Woman in White was a leader among mystery novels. In this tale, drawing instructor Walter Hartright comes across a mysterious woman in white as he's walking home one night.
She begs him for help getting to Limmeridge House, the country estate he just so happens to be traveling to in the morning. Though the woman is concealing her identity, Walter soon learns she has escaped an insane asylum…
As Walter teaches in Limmeridge, he can't help but fall for one of his students, Laura Fairlie. The virtuous beauty has no parents, relying entirely on her invalid uncle and her fiancé, Sir Percival Glyde.
Though Laura loves Walter, she marries Percival anyway, only to discover he's only after her inheritance. And Percival's whole plan hinges on her physical similarity to the desperate woman in white.
The pioneering nature of the novel on its own will spark the intrigue of an Aries. Passion drives the twists of this exciting read to dark, unexpected corners, and the courage and determination exhibited by the protagonists will spark a like-minded fire in a Ram.
Untamed Shore
In Baja California in 1979, a young woman named Viridiana tumbles into a dark coming of age. Under the blaring sun each day, she watches as the fishermen haul in their nets, a growing pile of dead sharks collecting on the shore beside them.
She wants more than this life that offers only marriage and children. She wants to travel and have a passionate romance.
When a rich writer from America arrives with his wife and brother-in-law in tow, Viridiana takes a job as his assistant. Wrapped up in the glamor of these Americans' lives, she finally has an escape from her mundane existence.
But when one of them dies, Viridiana's determination to protect the others pushes her into a lie. Now someone is coming around asking questions, and she's starting to doubt if the Americans have been truthful about who they really are…
Any true Aries will tell you that inaction drives them crazy, so Virdiana's restlessness will speak to them as a protagonist. Her choices can be a little reckless, prioritizing enthusiasm over weighing her options, as any Ram would.
Trouble is What I Do
P.I. Leonid McGill has a longstanding reputation in New York. He's got a sharp instinct and helpful insider information on the crime world, as well as a moral ambiguity that gives him an extra edge. He's the perfect person to help 92-year-old bluesman Phillip “Catfish” Worry.
All Catfish wants is for Leonid to deliver a letter that reveals the black ancestry behind a wealthy heiress and her corrupt father. Leonid can't resist an easy gig with shock value. However, Leonid is forced to reckon with his own shady past when a hit is put out on Catfish.
“Rough around the edges” is a great way to sum up an Aries, and that fits Leonid to a T. The grit in this exciting Walter Mosley read will feed the aggressive tastes of the Ram, and even for a sign that is so prone to boredom, the thrills within the pages will keep you on the edge of your seat.
A Killer in the Wind
Three years ago, Dan Champion was working for the NYPD's vice squad when he went undercover in a perverse community. He broke the case wide open, but it left him addicted to drugs and spiraling into hallucinations.
He was plagued with the sight of a dead child stalking the streets of New York, and a gorgeous woman named Samantha who offered him all the love he's ever wanted…
He's better now, and with the hallucinations laid to rest he can finally start to rebuild. Piecing his life back together as a small town detective, he's brought in one night to take a look at a dead body washed ashore.
All it takes is one look, and he knows it's Samantha, the haunting woman who was never supposed to exist. Now Champion must sift through his complicated past for the truth and find a killer on the run.
The hard-boiled subgenre is the ideal stomping ground for an Aries, and this contemporary work is a great example. This chilling feat of crime fiction will have readers drawing on all their determination to break through to the answers.
Blackbird, Farewell
NBA star Shandell Bird's career is at an all-time high. He's just signed a multimillion-dollar deal with the Denver Nuggets and scored a gig as a Nike spokesman. But he's not in the headlines for his success—he's in it for his murder.
When he and a journalist are shot to death on the court, investigator C.J. Floyd is too busy enjoying his honeymoon to investigate. Instead, he hands off the case to his godson, Damion Madrid.
Damion had been Shandell's best friend since they were in grade school. They played college ball together and were practically family.
Now Damion is discovering that Shandell had ties to organized crime, was throwing games, and got mixed up in selling steroids. But there are even more secrets that the talented “Blackbird” took to his grave, and to solve his murder, Damion must uncover them all.
Sports mysteries are of special interest to Aries, as anything with a physical nature excites them. The plethora of buried secrets will have them hooked, as this fire sign has a strong desire for honesty.
The Long Goodbye
In this classic noir tale by Raymond Chandler, the iconic private eye Philip Marlowe strikes up a friendship with downtrodden war veteran Terry Lennox. When Terry's rich nymphomaniac wife turns up dead, Marlowe is happy to help a pal out.
But when Terry goes on the run and commits suicide in Mexico, Marlow has to fend off both the cops and gangsters to find the truth.
Though Marlowe is knee-deep in a dirty world, he is ultimately a man of integrity, which will endear him to Aries readers. While he's not as violent as some of the other genre staples, you'll never find him running away from a challenge, physical or otherwise.
The Girl Who Played with Fire
If you read and enjoyed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, then don't hesitate to read on with the next book in the Millennium series. Crusading publisher Mikael Blomkvist is running a story in his magazine to shine on blaring spotlight on a sex trafficking operation.
The night before the story breaks, however, the reporters behind the article are murdered. Blomkvist's hacker friend Lisbeth Salander is framed for the crime when her fingerprints are found on the murder weapon.
As Blomkvist launches his own investigation to prove her innocence, Salander must face the darkness of her past to survive a deadly cat-and-mouse game.
Well of course an Aries would love playing with fire. But beyond the obvious titular connections, this is a story that has multiple layers of truths for the sign of the Ram to engage with.
As Aries love putting their talents on display, the flexing of these protagonists' skills will have them glued to the page.
