Mystery
Read Mystery Classics in English
390 mystery books at CEFR A2 to C2 — learn English by reading the stories worth reading. Select any word for an instant translation, listen to the narration read the page aloud, and save the vocabulary you meet. Pick your level and start with a free sample.
What are the best mystery classics to read in English as a learner?
The best mystery classics for English learners are the well-known titles you can read in the original — start with The Chink in the Armour, The Childerbridge Mystery and The Chief Legatee. Each one is labelled with a CEFR level, any word you do not know is one selection away from a translation, and the narration reads the page aloud while it highlights the words.
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Level B2MysteryThe Beautiful White DevilIn the sultry heat of Hong Kong, a group of colorful characters gather in a smoky billiard room, setting the stage for a mysterious tale where chance encounters and whispered secre…
Level B2MysteryThe Bartlett MysteryAt a lavish New York club, a high-society dinner with mysterious theater tickets spirals into chaos, drawing in Detective-Inspector Clancy to untangle secrets hidden beneath glitte…
Level B2MysteryThe Barrel MysteryIn the grimy shadows of New York’s East Side, a shocking discovery—a man’s body stuffed into a barrel—unleashes a tense investigation that exposes dark secrets and ruthless assassi…
Level B2MysteryThe Banner Boy Scouts on a Tour; or, The Mystery of Rattlesnake MountainFour brave Boy Scouts face eerie sounds and a half-open door at a closed feed store, sparking a thrilling mystery tied to a recent robbery.
Level B2MysteryThe Babbington case; Or, Nick Carter's strange questIn the dead of night, a man enters a locked estate with a woman but emerges alone—leaving behind puzzling footprints in fresh snow.
Level B2MysteryThe Automobile Girls at Palm Beach; Or, Proving Their Mettle Under Southern SkiesFour adventurous young women arrive at vibrant Palm Beach, ready to explore automobiles, sailing, and social intrigues under the southern sun.
Level B2MysteryThe Automobile Girls at Chicago; Or, Winning Out Against Heavy OddsTwo young women on a train overhear a sinister conspiracy to ruin powerful men financially, thrusting them into a dangerous web of ambition, revenge, and secret schemes.
Level B2MysteryThe Auto Boys' MysteryFour boys camping by a remote lake stumble upon an abandoned clubhouse harboring secrets tied to a stolen fortune and dangerous men.
Level B2MysteryThe Arctic legionsIn the harsh Arctic wilderness, a tense standoff unfolds between Corporal Conroy and the cunning half-breed hunter Yeyik, as they navigate survival amid a relentless migration of m…
Level B2MysteryThe Apartment Next DoorIn the shadowed streets by the river, a young man with a secret is tailed by a mysterious pursuer, while nearby, a restless woman longs to play her part in a world at war—until the…
Level B2MysteryThe Apaches of New YorkDive into the gritty underworld of early 20th-century New York, where gangsters, corrupt politicians, and weary street musicians collide.
Level B2MysteryThe Amateur CracksmanA desperate man, ruined and dishonored, confronts Raffles, a composed and enigmatic figure, seeking help—or perhaps revenge—in a foggy London night.
Level B2MysteryThe Adventures of the Eleven Cuff-Buttons: Being one of the exciting episodes in the career of the famous detective Hemlock Holmes, as recorded by his friend Dr. WatsonWhen the earl’s priceless cuff-buttons vanish, a bald visitor bursts into Holmes’s London flat seeking help.
Level B2MysteryThe Adventure of the Red CircleA mysterious lodger, shrouded in secrecy and isolation, puzzles a worried landlady with his silent presence and cryptic printed notes.
Level B2MysteryThe Adventure of the Dying DetectiveWhen Sherlock Holmes falls mysteriously ill with a deadly, contagious disease, his friend Dr.
Level B2MysteryThe Adventure of the Devil's FootHolmes retreats to the eerie Cornish moors for rest, only to face a chilling local mystery known as "The Cornish Horror.
Level B2MysteryThe Adventure of the Cardboard BoxOn a scorching August day, Sherlock Holmes deciphers a puzzling letter that sets him on a trail of a strange and terrible chain of events, revealing his uncanny ability to read sub…
Level B2MysteryThe Adventure of the Bruce-Partington PlansIn a fog-shrouded London, a mysterious death on the Underground draws the attention of an extraordinary mind who connects the threads of national secrets and unseen dangers.
Level B2MysteryThe Adventure of Wisteria LodgeA respectable man seeks Holmes’s help after a bizarre and unsettling experience at Wisteria Lodge, only to discover it’s connected to a mysterious death that has the police puzzled…
Level B2MysteryThe Adventure LeagueOn a sunlit Scottish island, a group of adventurous youths scramble cliffs and gather seabird eggs, their excitement mounting as a distant steamer approaches—promising new mysterie…
Level B2MysteryThe 'Phone Booth MysteryAs secret intelligence threatens to ignite a war between Great Powers, a young secretary races against time to decode crucial dispatches while navigating the enigmatic and unsettli…
Level B2MysteryThe "Dock Rats" of New York; Or, The Smuggler Band's Last StandOn a moonlit shore, a mysterious girl warns a government detective of a deadly betrayal aboard a yacht, thrusting him into a dangerous game with ruthless smugglers determined to si…
Level B2MysteryThe "Canary" murder caseWhen the glamorous Margaret Odell, a famed figure of New York’s nightlife, is found strangled in a ransacked apartment, the baffling crime defies all logic—until the brilliant anal…
Level B2MysteryThat Little Girl of Miss Eliza's: A Story for Young PeopleIn the isolated, struggling community of Shintown, Eliza Wells stands out with her vibrant spirit and unconventional ways, tending her unique golden-brown home and blossoming flowe…
Level B2MysteryThat Girl MontanaIn the rugged North, a young woman shrouded in mystery carries the weight of suspicion for a deadly crime she did not commit, while navigating a world of gold prospectors, wild lan…
Level B2MysteryTerminal CompromiseIn a high-stakes battle for America's future, a vengeful tycoon unleashes a devastating cyberattack, while a determined journalist and an FBI agent race to unravel a shadowy conspi…
Level B2MysteryTempest-Driven: A Romance (Vol. 2 of 3)Torn between love and looming tragedy, Jerry O'Brien faces a desperate struggle as his friend Alfred’s life hangs in the balance, while shadowy legal battles over salmon weirs thre…
Level B2MysteryTempest-Driven: A Romance (Vol. 1 of 3)A mysterious woman pleads for help from a locked house where her husband lies ill, sparking a tense night of secrets and danger in a quiet London neighborhood.
Level B2MysteryTangled Trails: A Western Detective StoryIn a world where cunning and power reign supreme, a ruthless promoter faces threats, betrayals, and a brewing scandal over a failed irrigation project.
Level B2MysteryStories by English Authors: Africa (Selected by Scribners)In the wilds of Cape Colony, two down-on-their-luck friends face eerie legends and unexpected dangers when a mysterious fiend haunts Sasassa Valley, threatening their fate as they…
Level B2MysterySt. Cuthbert's towerA coveted farm sparks fierce rivalry when a mysterious new tenant arrives in the quiet village of Rishton, unsettling long-standing local expectations and igniting tensions.
Level B2MysterySpooky HollowIn the quiet village of Hilldale, nestled among Vermont’s autumn hills, detective Fleming Stone arrives to unravel a mystery shrouded by an imposing, secluded mansion and the secre…
Level B2MysterySpies of the Kaiser: Plotting the Downfall of EnglandEngland faces a covert threat as thousands of German spies infiltrate its cities, gathering secrets about military defenses and vital resources.
Level B2MysterySnarled Identities; Or, A Desperate TangleA detective’s rare vacation is interrupted by shocking news of a notorious criminal’s fiery death, setting the stage for a tangled mystery that only Nick Carter can unravel before…
Level B2MysterySix Feet FourA fierce mountain storm traps a diverse group of strangers at a remote road house, where secrets and suspicions brew as they await the arrival of a missing stagecoach driver.
Level B2MysteryShuddering castleIn a secluded Long Island castle, a reclusive family’s quiet life shatters when a scientist’s quest to contact Mars via radio sparks eerie phenomena and a mysterious visitor from t…
Level B2MysterySharing Her Crime: A NovelOn a stormy Christmas Eve, a cold, commanding widow summons a mysterious doctor to a shadowy mansion where secrets and sinister plots begin to unfold beneath the eerie glow of a si…
Level B2MysteryShadowed by a detectiveA detective navigates a maze of intriguing cases, from stolen pay trains to mysterious puzzles, each demanding sharp wit and courage.
Level B2MysteryShadow, the Mysterious DetectiveOn a stormy night, a mysterious murder shocks the city, drawing Detective Howard into a dark investigation where danger lurks and secrets threaten to unravel.
Level B2MysterySergeant Silk, the Prairie ScoutA skilled scout and a young gentleman cross the vast Canadian prairie, where a mysterious stranger accused of a crime seeks the help of a North-West Mounted Police sergeant to clea…
Level B2MysterySea Mew AbbeyA grieving sailor seeks refuge for his motherless infant at a remote convent overlooking the sea, where secrets and sorrow intertwine beneath the abbey’s solemn walls.
Level B2MysteryScott Burton on the RangeAn eager newcomer to the rugged West encounters a seasoned old rancher whose tales of fierce rivalries and vast mountain ranges reveal a land shaped by courage, conflict, and the r…
Level B2MysteryScott Burton and the Timber ThievesA determined forest patrolman arrives in Florida to track down elusive timber thieves plundering the Okalatchee woods, armed with little more than a vague letter and his own grit.
Level B2MysteryRuth Fielding on the St. Lawrence; Or, The Queer Old Man of the Thousand IslandsAt a vibrant wedding filled with flags and military honors, a spirited young woman finds herself drawn into the mysteries surrounding a quirky old man of the Thousand Islands, unve…
Level B2MysteryRuth Fielding of the Red Mill; Or, Jasper Parloe's SecretA determined young girl leaves her old home for the mysterious Red Mill, where secrets and new friendships await in the quiet town of Cheslow.
Level B2MysteryRuth Fielding at Snow Camp; Or, Lost in the BackwoodsWhen Ruth and her friends head to a remote winter camp deep in the backwoods, a thrilling adventure unfolds amid icy rivers, mysterious signs, and the looming presence of a fierce…
Level B2MysteryRuth Fielding at Briarwood Hall; or, Solving the Campus MysteryA bright young girl, Ruth Fielding, leaves her rural home to attend school at Briarwood Hall, where she soon finds herself entangled in a captivating campus mystery.
Level B2MysteryRuth Fielding and the Gypsies; Or, The Missing Pearl NecklaceWhen a miller's errand goes mysteriously awry, quick-witted Ruth Fielding insists on rowing the dangerous river herself, setting off on a daring quest that may unravel the secrets…