7 Mystery & Thriller Books to Read for Scorpio Season

Watch out—these suspenseful secrets can sting.

Covers of "Cherish Farrah" by Bethany C. Morrow, "The Woman in the Library" by Sulari Gentill, and "The Hunting Party" by Lucy Foley.
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  • Photo Credit: Xinyi W./Unsplash

Here we are in the thick of Scorpio season. From October 23rd to November 21st, this notorious water sign is really in their element.

Scorpios, also known as the sign of the Scorpion, don't have the best reputation amongst the zodiac. They're considered manipulative, prickly, and difficult across the board.

But like any other sign, Scorpios have plenty of wonderful qualities tucked in alongside the less desirable ones. They are incredibly brave, brilliantly resourceful, and true, loyal friends.

However, our favorite thing about them is how well-suited they are for mysteries and thrillers! No secret is safe when a Scorpio is around—except for maybe their own…

To celebrate our favorite Scorpions, here are seven of the best mystery and thriller books for Scorpios!

Mine

Mine

By J. L. Butler

Francine Day has prided herself on being one of London's best lawyers. But one client, Martin Joy, turns everything upside down.

All of Francine's natural defenses and professionalism get stripped away by the irresistible magnetism Martin carries. Before she knows it, she has broken every single rule to tumble into a steamy yet forbidden affair.

Martin swears that his marriage is over, but something in Francine has her doubts. Blinded by passion, she decides to follow Martin's wife, Donna one night.

Her obsessive mission leads her to find Donna having dinner with her not-so-estranged husband. What's worse, is in the morning Francine wakes up in her neighbor's apartment, covered in blood, with no memory of what happened after she spotted her lover with his wife.

As of this morning, Donna has been reported missing. The last place she was seen alive was at dinner with Martin.

Why can't Francine remember the rest of what happened that night? And who is responsible for Donna's disappearance?

This gripping read will be as magnetic to a Scorpio as Martin is to Francine.

Scorpios are incredibly passionate individuals. And they know a thing or two about distrust and jealousy twisting the fires of passion into obsession.

Mine
Cherish Farrah

Cherish Farrah

By Bethany C. Morrow

Farrah Turner is a 17-year-old Black girl. One of two in her country club community, in fact, and the only one who has Black parents.

Cherish Whitman is her best friend—a Black girl adopted by a rich white family. Brianne and Jerry Whitman raise Cherish “White Girl Spoiled,” as Farrah calls it, lavishing her in affection in a way that even an upper-class Black family couldn't afford.

The extravagance creates a dissonance in Cherish that Farrah is all too happy to exploit for personal gain. And when Farrah's family is blindsided by foreclosure, she regains control over her own life by moving in with Cherish.

The thing is, Farrah loves Cherish, even when she hates her. She may have manipulated herself into the heart of the Whitman's and their home, but she's not keen on believing there's anything wrong with the family, even if her parents start to suspect otherwise.

But then odd things start happening with Farrah at the Whitman home—all-consuming illnesses, disturbing fever dreams, and suffocating yet inexplicable tension with Cherish's temperamental boyfriend. On top of it all, there's a journal that appears to track every strange think happening to Farrah…

Farrah is certain she can handle it all, though. Until the Whitmans invite her even closer into their family, and the lines begin to blur between who exactly is in control over which manipulation.

A thrilling domestic mystery collides with a simmering social thriller in this book that is perfect for any Scorpio's TBR.

Scorpios are a resourceful bunch who can quickly slide into manipulation when the rush of control hits. They love the truth, but not when it comes to revealing their own secrets, and certainly not when it means it turns out they were wrong about anything.

Cherish Farrah
The Plot

The Plot

By Evelyn Piper

Jamey Vaughn has had a long career as a talented writer, but now he feels like his glory may be fading.  His secretary, Ethel Spock, knows he's spending more time reflecting right now than he is actually writing.

When a young admirer from New York, Louis Daignot, visits Jamey, Ethel is immediately uneasy. But Louis's deep understanding of Jamey's work and the praise he heaps onto him charms the older man.

Jamey invites Louis into his home, not knowing just how much trouble he's welcomed into his life. The relationship between the men soon blossoms into something dark and twisted.

Louis may idolize Jamey, but that doesn't mean his respect for him is bigger than his jealousy. The first part of his wicked plan is plagiarism—then comes murder.

Tapping into the jealous and manipulative well Scorpios are unfortunately known for, this book speaks to their distaste for feeling less than others. Louis, like this water sign, will do whatever is in his power to come out on top.

The Plot
the-hunting-party-book-cover

The Hunting Party

By Lucy Foley

As Christmastime begins to slide into the New Year, a group of 30-something-year-old friends from Oxford meet to celebrate in the same tradition they started a decade ago. For this particular getaway, they set themselves up at a remote estate in the Scottish Highlands.

It all begins as a nice exercise in unwinding: gorgeous scenery, a crackling fire, flowing champagne, soft nostalgia. But the coziness soon passes, and nostalgia shifts into a decade's worth of hidden resentment.

Their New Year's Eve party takes an abrupt nosedive as the tensions boil over. And at the same time, an historic blizzard traps them in the lodge.

On New Year's Day, one of the friends turns up dead. Only one of the other friends could have killed them.

But who?

This gripping read is sure to delight and unnerve Scorpios in equal turns. Friendship is a vital virtue to these Scorpions, but you better believe they always get the last word in any argument.

the-hunting-party-book-cover
We'll Never Tell

We'll Never Tell

By Kayla Perrin

Shandra James takes pride in the fact that she can steal a man from whoever she wants—whenever she wants. But she should've known better than to make a move on the boyfriend of an Alpha Sigma Pi sister.

This exclusive sorority doesn't take betrayal lightly. When Shandra sets her sights on Henry Reid, the man's fiancée, Phoebe, and her sorority sisters, Miranda and Camille, take it upon themselves to teach her a lesson.

Their plan was just supposed to humiliate her, to show her her place. But when their little lesson turns deadly, they have to scramble for a new plan.

They devise three rules: Don't ever speak about what happened that night, keep each other safe, and don't tell another living soul.

When a killer comes calling, it seems both the rules and the bonds of sisterhood are much more easily broken than they ever would have thought.

Scorpios love keeping their secrets buried deep, and anything threatening that privacy is sure to get their hearts racing. Prone to jealousy, scheming, and violence, this water sign will find every twist and turn more exciting than the last.

We'll Never Tell
the woman in the library

The Woman in the Library

By Sulari Gentill

The Boston Public Library reading room is a beautiful and serene place to enjoy a good book. Until a woman's horrified scream shatters the calm.

Security guards rush to investigate, insisting that all of the visitors remain in their seats until the problem is handled. Four strangers who happened to sit at the same table figured they might as well use the time to get to know each other.

The group strikes up an easy friendship, and while they may have things in common, they all have a different reason for visiting the reading room that morning. For one of them, that reason is murder.

Everyone has something to hide in this treacherous mystery within a mystery.

It's difficult to say whether a Scorpio is ruled more by their dedication to friendship or their inclination toward distrust. When the two compete against one another in this exciting read, they'll be hooked.

the woman in the library
Everyone Here Is Lying: A Novel

Everyone Here Is Lying: A Novel

By Shari Lapena

Stanhope is a beautiful, safe neighborhood for families. On the surface, William Wooler is a family man who fits right in.

But anyone who digs a little deeper will see that William has been tangled up in a torrid affair. An affair that came to a horrible end at a motel this afternoon.

He's falling down a spiral of heartbreak and fury when he returns home. So, when he unexpectedly finds his difficult nine-year-old daughter, Avery, home from school, he can't help but lose his temper.

Young Avery is declared missing hours later, shattering the safe facade of Stanhope. But William is far from the only resident harboring a secret.

Witnesses begin to come forward with questionable information about what happened that day, and the neighbors grow increasingly unsettled. Everyone is desperate to know what happened to Avery, but no one is ready for the truth.

A Scorpio cannot stand being left out of a secret, so the drive for the truth will have them glued to the page. The machinations of a domestic thriller are right up their alley, sowing seeds of distrust and betrayal.

Everyone Here Is Lying: A Novel

Featured image: Xinyi W./Unsplash