Mystery
Read Mystery Classics in English
609 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 Pocket Island: A Story of Country Life in New England, Phineas Redux and Pharos, The Egyptian: A Romance. 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 B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 156, September 4, 1915: Blood Will Tell; or, Nick Carter's Play in PoliticsA prominent political candidate is arrested for the murder of a notorious socialite just days before a crucial election, thrusting a sharp detective into a high-stakes investigatio…
Level C1MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 155, August 28, 1915: The Gordon Elopement; or, Nick Carter's Three of a Kind.A distraught young woman begs a detective to uncover the truth behind her fiancé’s sudden disappearance and scandalous letter.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 154, August 21, 1915: The mask of death; or, Nick Carter's curious case.When priceless art and a legendary Stradivarius violin vanish from a reclusive collector's New York mansion, a determined detective steps in to unravel the tangled mystery and reco…
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 152, August 7, 1915: The Forced Crime; or, Nick Carter's Brazen Clew.A renowned detective investigates mysterious midnight intrusions into a professor’s locked bedroom, where the intruder never steals but seems to wield a hypnotic power.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 151, July 31, 1915: The Mystery of the Crossed Needles; or Nick Carter and the Yellow TongA millionaire Oriental scholar is found dead with crossed needles plunged into his heart, a chilling sign of murder.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 150, July 24, 1915: The House of Fear; or, Nick Carter's Counterstroke.A disguised detective finds himself trapped and threatened by a relentless enemy who blames him for a ruined life and promises deadly revenge.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 149, July 17, 1915: A Network of Crime; or, Nick Carter's Tangled Skein.When a double murder shocks a quiet Manhattanville neighborhood, a top detective and his assistant race against time to unravel a sinister web of crime tied to a rented house and m…
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 148, July 10, 1915; The Mark of Cain; or, Nick Carter's Air-line CaseA striking switchboard operator collapses after overhearing a mysterious call, drawing detective Nick Carter into a web of intrigue and danger.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 147, July 3, 1915: On Death's Trail; or, Nick Carter's Strangest CaseAt three a.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 146, June 26, 1915: Paying the Price; or, Nick Carter's Perilous VentureWhen a revered priest is found murdered in his Washington rectory, a sharp detective is summoned to unravel secrets lurking in the shadows of a newly built church and a city rife w…
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 145, June 19, 1915: An Unsolved Mystery; Or, Nick Carter's Goverment CaseIn Washington, a secret summons from the president draws famed detective Nick Carter into a shadowy government case, where a covert meeting at Union Station hints at a mystery that…
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 143, June 5, 1915: The sultan's pearls; or, Nick Carter's Porto Rico trailA daring detective and his assistants infiltrate a tramp steamer in Puerto Rico to recover stolen jewels, but when a dangerous prisoner mysteriously disappears overboard, suspicion…
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 141, May 22, 1915: The duplicate nightAt a lavish masked ball in a millionaire's mansion, a detective spots two identical women dressed as "Night," sparking a mystery that threatens to unravel amid dazzling guests and…
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 140, May 15, 1915: The Melting-PotA relentless detective confronts a cunning crook who escaped justice and now threatens a vengeful reckoning.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 139, May 8, 1915: The Pressing PerilWhen a distressed English gentleman seeks out New York’s sharpest detective, Nick Carter plunges into a tangled mystery of vanished women and shadowy threats, where danger lurks be…
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 138 May 1, 1915; The Traitors of the Tropics; or, Nick Carter's Royal FlushIn the shadow of an assassination attempt, a wounded prince insists on traveling against medical advice to save his Caribbean kingdom, while a sharp detective races to uncover dead…
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 137, April 24, 1915: The Seal of Gijon; Or, Nick Carter's Ice-House FightA daring detective navigates a fierce river chase, confronting ruthless gangsters determined to silence two mysterious prisoners.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 136, April 17, 1915: The Man They Held BackA clever detective dons a Mexican disguise to infiltrate a masked ball, hunting a cunning gang of counterfeiters.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 135. April 10, 1915; Straight to the Goal; Or, Nick Carter's Queer ChallengeA daring detective and his companions receive a chilling message: a spear bearing a captive’s necktie and an invitation to a mysterious city ruled by a cunning high priest.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 134, April 3, 1915; The Secret of Shangore; Or, Nick Carter Among the SpearmenA determined millionaire and a world-renowned detective venture into the treacherous Himalayas to capture a notorious crook and unravel the secrets of a mysterious race worshipping…
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 133, March 27, 1915: Won by Magic; or, Nick Carter's Mysterious Ear.A cryptic telegram summons detective Nick Carter to Nepal, sparking a tense search for a missing man linked to a powerful shipping magnate.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 131, March 13, 1915: A fatal message; or, Nick Carter's slender clewNick Carter eavesdrops on a cryptic telegram and a mysterious visitor, sparking a tense investigation into a secret message that could unravel a deadly conspiracy.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 124, January 23, 1915: The girl kidnaper; or, Nick Carter's up-to-date clew.A wealthy woman vanishes from her locked hotel room on a cliffside, leaving behind only a trail of mystery and missing jewelry.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 123, January 16, 1915: Half a million ransom; or, Nick Carter and the needy nine.When a woman suddenly faints in Central Park, detective Nick Carter suspects more than a simple medical episode—especially as a child under the nurse’s care mysteriously disappears…
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 122, January 9, 1915: The suicide; or, Nick Carter and the lost headA devoted wife seeks help when her husband's strange behavior and sudden despair hint at a hidden crisis.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 121, January 2, 1915: The call of death; or, Nick Carter's clever assistantA brilliant detective and his clever assistant race to unravel the mystery behind a daring bank vault burglary, tracking a notorious criminal mastermind lurking in the shadows.
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 120, December 26, 1914: An uncanny revenge; or, Nick Carter and the mind murderer.When a renowned actress collapses mid-performance, haunted by a face in the audience, a famous detective and his team dive into a baffling mystery of hidden grudges and eerie mind…
Level B2MysteryNick Carter Stories No. 11, November 23, 1912: Nick Carter Strikes Oil; or, Uncovering More Than a MurderIn a rugged Colorado valley, a desperate man accuses a clergyman of swindling over a land deal tied to a mysterious private school scheme.
Level C1MysteryNick Baba's Last Drink and Other SketchesOn a snowy Christmas Eve, a struggling shoemaker's lonely workshop is visited by a mysterious goblin who offers a chance for redemption, challenging him to confront his vices and r…
Level C1MysteryNever-Fail BlakeAn unyielding deputy commissioner faces off with a mysterious, irresistibly dangerous woman entangled in high-stakes crimes and deception.
Level B2MysteryNancy Brandon's MysteryAs Nancy’s mother departs for Europe, Nancy faces a lonely summer at her mysterious cousin Rosalind’s imposing estate, where unsettling secrets and strange tensions hint at a puzzl…
Level B2MysteryNan Sherwood at Pine Camp; Or, The Old Lumberman's SecretAs Atwater Mills faces an unexpected shutdown, Nan Sherwood confronts the harsh realities behind the yellow poster that spells hardship for the mill workers and their families—can…
Level B1MysteryNan Sherwood at Palm Beach; or, Strange adventures among the orange grovesAt a wintery Lake Huron boarding school, spirited Nan Sherwood and her friends navigate snowy adventures and icy thrills, but beneath the laughter and games lurk strange mysteries…
Level C1MysteryMystery of the inn by the shoreThree friends seek leisure and golf at a faded seaside town, but curiosity leads them to uncover secrets at a shabby inn and a mysterious colonel’s home, where mistaken identities…
Level B2MysteryMystery of the Chinese RingWhen a mysterious ring tied to a stone crashes through his window at dawn, Biff Brewster finds himself caught in a puzzling adventure just as he's about to embark on a journey to f…
Level B2MysteryMystery of the Caribbean PearlsA man discovers a hidden pearl fishery in the treacherous Caribbean waters, igniting a dangerous race to claim the treasure.
Level B2MysteryMystery of the Ambush in IndiaThree adventurous boys arrive in India, eager to explore gold mines and towering mountains, but a mysterious swimmer approaching their ship signals that danger and intrigue lie ahe…
Level C1MysteryMystery at Lynden SandsA family gathers at a troubled seaside hotel, where old estates, tangled inheritances, and simmering tensions hint at deeper mysteries.
Level B2MysteryMystery RanchA murder discovered on the edge of an Indian reservation ignites tensions as the Indian agent and chief of police race to uncover the truth, navigating cultural conflicts and simme…
Level B2MysteryMysterious Mr. SabinAmid London’s glittering supper scene, a mysterious duo captures the attention of curious onlookers who scramble to uncover their identity.
Level C1MysteryMysteries of Paris — Volume 03In the labyrinthine heart of Paris, a cunning countess schemes to wed a grand duke, weaving deceit and ambition around a hidden child whose true identity could unravel her plans.
Level B2MysteryMy friend the murderer, and other mysteries and adventuresA prison doctor in remote Australia encounters Maloney, a notorious murderer whose defiant story might shatter the monotony of his isolated life.
Level B2MysteryMy friend the murdererIn a grim Australian prison, a weary doctor encounters Maloney, a notorious bushranger whose fierce defiance and dark past promise a gripping tale of murder and survival beneath th…
Level C1MysteryMy Strangest CaseIn the sultry heart of Singapore, a shadowy hotel becomes the crossroads of secrets and intrigue, where mysterious patrons whisper of danger and deception.
Level C1MysteryMy Lady's MoneyWhen a series of mysterious letters from a struggling artist threaten to unravel her late husband's legacy, Lady Lydiard must confront secrets tied to family, art, and unexpected d…
Level B2MysteryMurderer's BaseOn a remote asteroid, two space beacon servicemen uncover a radioactive treasure, but greed turns deadly as one plots to eliminate his cautious partner to claim the prize alone.
Level C1MysteryMurder in the mazeAmid the serene Whistlefield estate, twin brothers—one a formidable barrister entangled in a complex case, the other a mysterious fortune-holder—navigate family tensions and secret…
Level C1MysteryMuch Darker DaysA showman haunted by lost love and bitter betrayal navigates a world of ambition and dark secrets, where beauty masks danger and every encounter threatens to unravel his carefully…