5 Must Read YA LGBTQ+ Mystery Suspense Books

Have you ever had one of those days where you wish you could just burn it all down? That's how Joey Rossi feels when he discovers that his boyfriend has been cheating on him. When he turns to his (very young) mom and best friend Gia for commiseration, he learns that her latest relationship has just imploded, too. Miserable and angry together, they commit a string of crimes that sends them fleeing their home state of New Jersey. They look for refuge at the empty lake house belonging to Gia's ex and the best man they know, but they won't be able to hide out for long without confronting what they've done, and finding out a way forward.

Years ago, Flora Calhoun stumbled upon the body of a murdered classmate and has never truly gotten over it, especially since the murder went unsolved. Now, she has a reputation for being that very nosy girl who discovered a body, which doesn't exactly make her popular. When she gets a text from her secret crush, the beautiful and popular Ava McQueen, and then witnesses Ava's murder, Flora is on the case to discover who is behind the crimes. Along the way, she uncovers a far-reaching conspiracy that puts her solidly in the killer's path.

Aidan is a seventeen-year-old teen who is visiting New York City and unexpectedly alone in a sweet hotel room...so he decides to take advantage of his freedom to try and hook up with someone. But when his app-based hook up leads him to a room with a dead guy and a flash drive, Aidan is immediately in over his head. When the FBI mistakes him for someone he's not, Aidan goes on a wild, desperate chase from the law to try and straighten out this mess...and stay one step ahead of a murderer.

The summer is winding down in San Diego. Veronica is bored, caustically charismatic, and uninspired in her photography. Nico is insatiable, subversive, and obsessed with chaotic performance art. They’re artists first, best friends second. But that was before Mick. Delicate, lonely, magnetic Mick: the perfect subject, and Veronica’s dream girl. The days are long and hot—full of adventure—and soon they are falling in love. Falling so hard, they never imagine what comes next. One fire. Two murders. Three drowning bodies. One suspect . . . one stalker. This is a summer they won’t survive.

Jess is in love with her best friend Angie, and Angie has no clue. That's okay—Jess is content to just be Angie's friend until she can get up the courage to tell her how she feels. But then Margot walks into the ice cream shop where Angie works, and suddenly Jess doesn't have a chance. Angie falls hard for this pretty, popular, rich prep school girl, and all Jess can do is watch as Angie gets dragged into their circle. But Jess senses something dangerous lurking beneath the surface with Margot and her friends. She's determined to stick close to Angie, and when a murder is discovered, Jess will prove that she'll be a true friend, no matter what.