Novels like Thirteen Tales of the Strange
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Thirteen Tales of the Strange, best match first.
- 1 Hunting Killers in the Dark 黑夜缉凶 Haisheng City, July 2015. A mysterious person calls the police, claiming to have found the brutally mutilated body of a woman in a residential complex. In just over two months, four cases of women being tortured and murdered in the exact same way have now come to light. What’s baffling is that the killer, usually meticulous and careful to leave no trace, has this time left a fingerprint on the victim. Was it a careless mistake, or is there more to it? Led by newly appointed Criminal Investigatio 143Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 Shh, Let Me Tell You a Ghost Story 嘘，让我讲个怪谈给你听 [Childhood nightmares + episodic tales + thrillers + the supernatural + horror mysteries + short stories + no main plot + folk customs] [In the style of a childhood magazine.] Contains graphic descriptions of violence. Not suitable for minors! Beneath the deepest night, fear quietly awakens. In the twisted, bizarre tale of The Orphan’s Grudge, who is the killer? You or me? What new form will The Snail Girl we all know take this time? What different tales await in Baby Soup and The Clown’s Amusem 920Reads—Score11614d adds
- 3 Special Cases Review Office 特别案件复查办公室 [Socially conscious mystery + two male leads in criminal investigations + standalone cases + not a power fantasy + no golden finger + emotionally devastating + no romance] Nanjing City Police Department has a Special Investigations Unit that takes on “solved cases” and “hot potatoes” no one else dares touch. Zhou Jin is a demoted forensic evidence expert: rational and sharp-tongued, able to reconstruct the truth from a single drop of water and enrage an entire room with one sentence. Fang Tuo is 1.1kReads8.0Score13714d adds
- 4 Crime Scene: A Match Made in Heaven 罪案现场之天仙配 What you see now is not the truth. A bizarre murder: a woman lies dead by the bed with a small knife lodged in her chest, while a man dies mysteriously without a mark on his body. A cultural relic tied to an imperial-green jade pendant is stolen, bringing to light a powerful family’s tangled love and hatred amid a catastrophic bar fire twenty years ago. Is this a cursed love, or hatred repeating itself through the ages? Is it a kind-hearted soul saving others and finding redemption, or a siniste —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 Tracing Clues Through Bones 证骨寻踪 An absolutely impossible crime: the unique DNA and fingerprints of Chen Shian, a victim personally identified and cremated by the forensic department's chief expert three years ago, keep turning up at the scenes of a series of new murders. Is this a shocking miscarriage of justice, an elaborate act of revenge, or an unprecedented challenge to science? 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Short Folk Horror Stories 短篇民间恐怖故事 A new work is here! Welcome to read my stories on Tomato Novel. I hope you enjoy them. Your support inspires me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! The contents of this collection are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 The Case of the Six-Petaled Snowflake 六角雪花迷案 A fire breaks out at a villa, and a dismembered corpse is discovered inside. Yet the scene where the body was cut apart is a hundred li away. How did the killer travel between the two places using an invisible thread? And why are the survivors of the fire dying one after another… As the investigation gradually deepens, more and more clues emerge, yet the case continues to move toward an impossible dead end… 123Reads—Score10214d adds
- 8 Salvation in the Torrential Rain 暴雨救赎 [No System, no golden finger, no romance, mystery + deduction + main plot + standalone cases] Some people receive WeChat messages from their future selves. Some act in a feel-good web short drama and end up dead at the scene. Some think they can sit back and watch the drama unfold after mouthing off online, unaware that someone is watching them from the shadows... In this world, there are always people who use terrifying methods beyond ordinary understanding to murder their fellow human beings. 113Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 The Sleuthing Scumbag 渣探 (Mystery + thriller + mind-bending) When a former scumbag boss gets out of prison and doesn’t plan to make a comeback or reclaim his territory, but instead becomes a detective, you’d better watch out. What happens when ruthlessness, cunning, scheming, and viciousness are all turned toward solving crimes? Every crime and conspiracy will be crushed completely! As the saying goes, only a villain can deal with another villain. For the sake of justice in his heart, he doesn’t mind playing the devil f 84Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 The Crime Hunter 缉凶者 What kinds of stories will you find here? Human-skin mannequins, jigsaw puzzles made from human bones, haunted-house mysteries, lifelike wax figures, locked-room murders, gruesome dismemberments... What kinds of people lie behind these stories? People with dissociative identity disorder, vagrants, beggars, office workers, people with exceptionally high IQs... Only when you stand in hell and look up at heaven can you truly hear the wails rising from the depths of hell. There are no born criminals 117Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 11 I Was Searching My Desk Mate's Backpack, I Swear I Didn't See the Murder Weapon 翻女同桌书包，我真没看见凶器 [High intelligence + investigations + no System + no female lead + ruthless decisiveness] What would you do if you suddenly found a murder weapon in your classmate's schoolbag... Call the police! Or... Save your own skin! People are as white as a sheet of paper. So... A little stain can turn them black... It's the middle of the night. Why hasn't my deskmate gone home yet? What is she doing... What? She's going through my schoolbag. What's going on... Half an hour later. My deskmate finally left. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 Riding Across the World in Search of Frost 纵马天涯探寒霜 No romance, no plot holes, standalone mystery cases. The male lead handles deduction and investigations, while the female lead specializes in poison and medicine. Every case contains clues and twists, combining suspense, deduction, and an ensemble cast. A sweeping conspiracy unfolds as the protagonists painstakingly piece together the clues, clear away the fog, and thwart a plot to betray the country and seize power. It has both the chivalry of the martial world and a deep love for the homeland! 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 The Seventh Investigation Team 第七探案组 The Seventh Criminal Investigation Unit, led by Captain Wan, specializes in unsolved cases in the city. Each member has a role to play, and together they piece together the truth. No romantic entanglements, no connections to old cases, no workplace drama: they let the evidence speak and tear through the fog to reveal the truth behind each case! 53Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 The Flute Player: I'll See You Off on Your Final Journey 吹笙人：送你最后一程 A terrifying shadow in the rain, a ghostly wail from a high-rise, a pair of eerie red high heels, inexplicable red stains in a bathroom stall... One wrongful case after another gradually comes to light. I'm the last person who plays the sheng: I'll see you on your final journey. A heads-up: The first chapter isn't very good, and I can't revise it. Please don't rush to drop the book, dear readers. Keep going and there are surprises ahead. This is a new book and doesn't have a rating yet. The lead —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 The Hidden River 隐秘的河 Dong Xiang, a disillusioned, hard-drinking veteran detective, is demoted to a local police station over an old case. A prostitute’s murder exposes a web of corruption between officials and businesspeople hidden in a small town. Every clue points to his former mentor, now deputy bureau chief, Lü Bin. With the System keeping him in check and witnesses being silenced one after another, Dong Xiang pursues the case alone, battered and ill, with the help of Li Li, a coolly beautiful forensic evidence —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 The Answer by the River 河畔的答案 The Answer by the Riverside —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 That Day, I Got a Call from a Classmate Who Had Died 那天，我接到了死去同学的电话 Months after a female classmate died in an accident, Su Mu unexpectedly received a phone call from her. In the midst of his terror, he had no idea this was the beginning of a series of bizarre and horrifying events. 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 Walker in the Dark 黑夜行者 [Night Walker + No System + No Romance] is a continuation of the first book, "Murder in the Mist", but this is an entirely new storyline! Protagonist: Wang Youyong The story follows Wang Youyong, current deputy chief of the criminal investigation squad, as he pursues a small group of vigilantes led by Ma Wenchao. Five years ago, the vehicle transporting Ma Wenchao, then deputy chief of the criminal investigation squad, to prison was involved in a horrific crash. Against all odds, he survived. Ma 470Reads8.0Score12114d adds
- 19 Detective Jia 贾案侦探 [Mystery + detective + case-solving + deduction + no System + mind-bending cases + steadily unfolding plot] A locked-room murder leads to an antiques donation case from years ago. A ruthless killer lurking in the shadows carefully assassinates the people who know what the police have discovered, cutting off every lead. But evidence of a crime never disappears, and the law's net may be wide, but no criminal can slip through forever. 26Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 A Ghost's Greeting 幽灵的问候 A threatening letter from a mysterious ghost. An opening line that foretells murder. A man who came back from the dead seven years ago. A string of killings in the city center, full of baffling locked-room mysteries. What is the truth? Join the great detective Xia Luoke as he investigates! 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 Dream Thief 盗梦魅影 After starting university, Yueban, a tomboyish student, finally lets herself relax. She loosens up and starts chasing new and exciting experiences. Little does she know that her sunny disposition will also attract countless pairs of eyes lurking in the dark. Gradually, Yueban encounters a drowned ghost at the bottom of the school lake in her dreams, an upperclassman who keeps jumping from the teaching building, a wronged spirit in the campus radio station who refuses to face the news of her own —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 At Midnight, I Witnessed a Killer at Work 半夜，撞见杀手杀人 After accidentally stumbling onto a crime scene, he becomes a murder suspect. As he tries to clear his name, he realizes he never wandered into the scene by chance at all: someone had led him into a trap… No grand ambitions here, just a story that will uncover the truth. 12Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 The Perfect Suspect 完美嫌疑人 Child disappearances are on the rise in Xingang City. Each missing child was wearing a red coat and vanished from a public place covered by surveillance cameras. Arabic numerals are left at every scene. Beyond that, there are no clues at all. Zhang Yiming, captain of the criminal investigation squad, is at a loss and turns to his former partner, Zhong Ning, a legend in Xingang's police force. The moment Zhong Ning takes over, he realizes that every clue points perfectly to his longtime friend an 10Reads9.2Score214d adds
- 24 When the Fog Lifts: The Mystery of the 307 Ghost Ship’s Appearance 迷雾散尽时，307幽灵船现身之谜 When the fog clears, the mystery of Ghost Ship 307’s appearance —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 Terror at the Girls’ School: The Mystery of the 307 Fall 女校惊魂之307跳楼之谜 Terror at the Girls’ School: The Mystery of the 307 Jump —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 The Hidden Corner 隐匿的角落 “...As the groom and bride placed rings on each other's fingers, the wedding hall's power switch clicked, plunging the entire venue into darkness. A moment later, the lights came back on, and someone's head fell to the floor...” The ghost story was only halfway through when the wedding hall lights suddenly flickered out for a moment, just as they had in the story. At the newlyweds' table, one of them was dead. Yang Ling, a storyteller, recounted a ghost story he'd written at his friend's wedding 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 A Box Set of Highly Rated Mystery and Suspense Novels (3 Books) 高评推理悬疑小说套装（共3册） This work brings together three highly rated mystery novels: The Invisible Elephant, Plum Blossom Nail, and The Long Night Is Coming. The Invisible Elephant: Elephant, whose real name is Wu Xing, is a newspaper reporter with an extraordinary sense of smell. He needs eight and a half hours of sleep every day and is afraid of camera flashes. One day, while working, he comes across a bizarre murder. The victim was strangled to death with a rope, dressed in a red bellyband, blindfolded with black cl 15Reads9.1Score—14d adds
- 28 The First Piece of Evidence 第一罪证 My name is Ye Fan, and ever since I was young, I was determined to become a forensic pathologist. But the year I passed the entrance exam for police academy, a car accident and a severed finger ultimately kept me out of law enforcement. I never imagined that after I was discharged from the hospital, Li Ming, captain of the city criminal investigation brigade, would seek me out and specially appoint me as a consultant on the team. From then on, I experienced countless cases that I will never forg 2.5kReads8.4Score24114d adds
- 29 The Dragon-Locking Coffin 锁龙棺 I have all five yin aspects, yet my allotted years are cut short. Every day, I wear burial clothes. The moment I take them off, one strange and eerie thing after another begins to happen... 133Reads7.0Score—14d adds
- 30 Midnight Livestream 午夜直播 Other people livestream to make money. I livestream to stay alive. When you see me on stream, you need to be careful. Shh, don't look back... There's a ghost there. 1.9kReads6.7Score19814d adds
- 31 Cavities 1 龋齿1 In short, tooth decay means cavities: the progressive destruction of the hard tissues of a tooth, an irreversible form of damage. The human heart is much the same. When it is hurt, the wound takes deep root and cannot be erased, slowly eating away at it... 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 The Great Chun Case of Vindication 大淳昭雪记 A touch of wuxia, with a strong focus on solving mysteries. [Physically frail but sharp-witted male detective] X [Brilliant female commander who can really fight] The Great Chun dynasty is flourishing under Emperor Shi, with prosperity everywhere. Yet beneath the stone bricks of this thriving dynasty, undercurrents continue to churn. There is nothing new under the sun, and innocent people are always wrongly put to death. Sun Xu is a private legal adviser with no official post. True to his name, 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 Master Ling, Forced to Change Careers 被迫改行的凌大师 In these dangerous murder cases, they still have a long road ahead. Where should they begin investigating the Cement Killer case to bring justice for the girl? And what hidden identity does the newly appeared boy, Li Zairan, have? Was the girl's death connected to him? What has Ling Qingyi seen in him? Liang Junchen has sent his friend Yi Bin to investigate Li Zairan in secret. Will Yi Bin make it back unharmed? Is Gong Junling safe inside Organization K? Is An Jingsen's soul really by his si 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 34 I Rule the Underworld 阴司任我行 Can you see spirits? I don't know what I did to deserve this, but the souls I've never met before come in all shapes and forms. Being around them is like meeting all kinds of people in everyday life. Every day, I witness strange stories and bizarre ways of expressing themselves. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 Sealed Case Files: The Stories of Those Who Went Astray 尘封案卷：那些失足者的故事 They were once “suspects” in case files, branded as “fallen souls.” But when you clear away the fog surrounding each case and step into their pasts, you discover that every fall from grace hides a complicated life story no one knows about. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 36 Echoes of Rusted Bones 锈骨回声 Echoes of Rusted Bones —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 The Encryption Mystery 加密疑案 A master detective from the Republic of China era; a detective’s notebook whose records begin in 1931; a special cipher tailored for detectives of the future; and an intellectual duel that forcibly draws in the Queen of Crime… A conspiracy passed down through generations, inherited schemes, an endless cycle of revenge, and a detective who cannot rest in peace. Only by cracking the double cipher hidden in the notebook can one reach the truth buried in the distant past. The detectives’ wordplay be 52Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 38 Light in the Darkness: Forensic Investigator Xia Luo 黑暗中的光明：法医夏洛 Crimes set ten years in the future, with one case every three chapters. Pure crime investigation, no dragging things out and no romance-obsessed leads. Does rapid technological progress help criminals, or bring crime to an end...? 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 In the Wake of Evil 恶果之下 A murder tears apart a once-prosperous, harmonious family, while an unseen hand manipulates everything from behind the scenes. Determined to uncover the truth about her mother's death, Tan Wan throws herself into the police force, ready to make a difference. Just as she is about to get to the bottom of it, a man's arrival overturns everything she once believed. His closeness is like honey in a jar, drawing Tan Wan in until she cannot break free, and slowly leading her astray. What really happene 2Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 40 I'm a Coroner, Pay Up 我，仵作，打钱 [Historical romance + mystery and crime-solving] A dozen young women have been brutally dismembered, yet no one has reported them missing. What conspiracy lies behind it all? A chilling children's rhyme spreads through the city from nowhere, followed by bodies that confirm its verses, one after another. Is this the work of ghosts and gods, or the wickedness of the human heart? Someone dances gracefully atop ruins scorched by fire. A husband returns from the dead, a giant infant kills in the dead 129Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 41 Half the City Beneath the Dark Rain 暗雨半城 In a small city, a mystery surrounding a beautiful young teacher sets off a series of bizarre murders. The brutal truth is beyond anyone's expectations, and reflections on human nature and society plunge people into an endless abyss... 83Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 The Great Case of Xijin 西金大案 In 1997, a dismemberment case at Xijin University caused a nationwide sensation. The case remained unsolved for 27 years. Against the backdrop of criminal investigation innovation at the Provincial Public Security Department, it has now resurfaced as a landmark case. The case forms the thread running through the whole novel, whose story weaves together suspense and deduction, archaeology, cutting-edge technology, love and family, and documentary realism... It paints a picture of the times from t 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 Behind the Twelve Murder Cases 十二道杀人案件的背后 He is just an ordinary office worker. He is just an ordinary police officer. They are classmates and childhood friends. If not for that murder case, they would each have gone on living dull, uneventful lives in their respective jobs. But what kind of sparks could the two of them create? What kind of miracles could they make happen? 2.9kReads—Score11014d adds
- 44 The Eerie Cases of a Young Lady Magistrate 诡案女少卿 Meng Wujia, a junior official at the Court of Judicial Review, returns to Luodu under a secret identity, determined to uncover the truth behind her master and mistress’s murder! She never expected someone to force her into household power struggles. Meng Wujia waves a hand. “I’ve already played all the tricks you’re using.” Someone frames her for murder? With autopsy tools in hand, Meng Wujia doesn’t care. “I’ll examine the body and find out how they died!” The Cat Ghost’s Heart Feast, Old Dream 316Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 45 Evidence from the Crime Scene: I’m Detective Fang Che 凶案罪证：我是刑警方澈 This is the author's first novel. If the writing isn't good, feel free to say so, and the author will do their best to improve it. One side offers a trail of clues with no clear direction; the other brings pressure from a superior demanding the case be solved by a deadline. The forensic autopsy reveals a startling detail, and the police investigation narrows in on a key suspect, but every step leads into deeper fog. Who is the killer? Can the truth emerge from the layers of confusion? 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 The Distance of Sin 孽之距 This novel is part of a mystery series. After finishing the college entrance exam, protagonist Li Sihang visited his girlfriend’s home to meet her parents for the first time. A murder took place in the house. He was knocked unconscious by a blow to the head and suffered a mild concussion, while everyone in his girlfriend’s family was killed. Afterward, he applied to join the police and eventually became a criminal investigator. He hoped that his efforts would help his girlfriend rest in peace so —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 The Beginning of the Abyss 深渊之开端 [Mystery + deduction + criminal investigation + transmigrate + another world] There's a reason people tell you to watch where you're going and not play with your phone! Look, one careless step and you fall into an underground passage! From then on, your family is ruined and your loved ones are lost! One murder case follows another! In the end, you even lose yourself! Are you an idiot? You'd really tap to connect to a red Wi-Fi signal? And add a stranger on WeChat just like that? You'd get sold a —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 The Blood Jade Feeds the Sinful City 血玉饲罪城 Seven bodies with their souls gnawed away are discovered in the morgue of a funeral home, and the shadow gu inside night watchman Mo Li stirs for the first time. The blind woman Jun Ying uses her blood as a medium to manifest a death prophecy: “The Seven-Day Feast.” Exorcist Bai Ye’s talisman gun shatters a vengeful spirit, but exposes a bullet casing engraved with “Killer of His Master.” The three are forced to enter seven haunted houses, each embodying one of humanity’s sins: the flesh-and-blo —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 The Last Suspect X 最后一个嫌疑人X You can never imagine how filthy the darkness buried beneath the sunlight can be. This world is not all paradise. Beneath the surface of human hearts lurk twisted things that disregard family bonds, love, morality, and human decency. The most extreme, utterly depraved acts do not happen only in novels. Greed is a bottomless pit in human nature. Are you ready? Ready to face one bizarre, shocking case after another? 255Reads5.7Score10114d adds
- 50 Lin Xia, Does This Look Like the Killer to You? 林夏，你看这个像不像凶手 Ever since her father died, Lin Xia has gone down the “wrong path.” That’s not what Lin Xia thinks, but what all her aunts and uncles think. The reason is that she didn’t fulfill her father’s dying wish and quietly marry, support her husband, and raise children. Instead, she chose a path of no return... —Reads—Score—14d adds
