Novels like The Root of Sin
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Root of Sin, best match first.
- 151 I Just Want to Be a Detective, but the System Makes Me Take the Imperial Exams 只想当神探，系统偏让我去考科举 [Crime-solving + imperial examinations + alternate setting + two male leads + wish-fulfillment] A family inheritance dispute! A child abduction case! A serial murder case! A nursery-rhyme murder case! An imperial examination fraud case! A treasure-swapping-for-a-corpse case! A murder at Qinfang Garden! The first thirty-five chapters focus on the imperial examinations, solving cases, making money, and making friends. After chapter thirty-five, the focus turns to solving cases. One case follow 619Reads8.1Score10114d adds
- 152 My Dear Detective Gu 我亲爱的顾神探 A romance wrapped in a case file, offering a fresh perspective on mystery. Who says mysteries are all about mind-bending cases? Sometimes, they need a little sweetness too. Can you imagine Su Bai, a policewoman and criminal investigator who’s tougher than most men, able to catch criminals with her bare hands, break bricks with one hand, and master every kind of grappling and martial arts, yet after falling in love, becoming so delicate around Gu Ying that she can’t even twist open a bottle cap? 75Reads7.5Score—14d adds
- 153 Silent Screams: True Records of 101 Major Cases, Season One 无声尖叫：101宗大案要案记实录（第一季） 41Reads9.0Score—14d adds
- 154 Fallen from Grace 坠落失格 Psychological suspense | High-IQ battle of wits | The boundary between reality and illusion collapses | Criminal profiling “My name is Chi Xiaochuan. I’m 26 years old, a hyperthymesia patient, and a full-time writer. Years from now, when I write this book, I’ll still remember that rainy night ten years ago. When the creator becomes the one to solve the puzzle, will the words on the page bring salvation, or lead to an even deeper trap? I’m not a profiler. I’m just someone who writes stories. I do 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 155 The Death Code on the Shipping Label 快递单上的死亡密码 A shipping label from three years ago is the key piece of evidence in Su Ming’s murder. Following the invisible writing on it, Lin Ye investigates and gets caught up in a deadly struggle between the “Black Fox” and the “Protection Umbrella Alliance.” 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 156 The Wall Is Four and a Half Meters High 高墙四米半 The author is a grassroots police officer who drew on personal experience to write this story. Using a detention center as its starting point and major cases once reported by CCTV as its basis, the novel recreates the reality of life inside a detention center and the process of investigating cases. Its greatest strength is its authenticity: this is a realistic novel that reads more like literary reportage. 137Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 157 Detective Chinatown: An Eight-Year-Old Sleuth? The Criminals Are Freaking Out! 唐探：八岁神探？犯罪分子都疯辣 [Transmigration + Power Fantasy + Two Male Leads + Comedy + The Only Detective Chinatown Fanfic] Xu Heng transmigrates into the world of Detective Chinatown, becoming an eight-year-old boy and gaining the Detective System. But what leaves Xu Heng speechless is this: He has only one year left to live, right after transmigrating. He can survive only by solving cases like crazy. And so, an eight-year-old boy sets out on the path to becoming a detective. Xu Heng never expected to encounter a superna 446Reads8.1Score10214d adds
- 158 The Dark River's Book of Crimes 暗河罪书 I write with care, creating stories readers feel were worth their time and cases they can talk about. Some characters and events in this novel are based on real cases, blending reality with fiction. Not AI-generated + no goody-two-shoes heroines + mind-blowing twists + explosive plot + every facet of life People can look up and see the Milky Way billions of light-years away, yet look down and fail to see the underground rivers just a few hundred meters beneath their feet. In those dark, turbulen 1.3kReads8.2Score21414d adds
- 159 The Two Heroes of the Jing Dynasty Crack a Strange Case 景朝双杰破奇案 (Two male leads + mystery-solving + transmigration + suspense) When a modern young man transmigrates to ancient times, a journey of solving mysteries begins, filled with political schemes, twisted human nature, and betrayal. As the two work alongside a prince to crack one case after another, they face challenge after challenge and uncover shocking truths. In this world of shifting intrigues, can they uphold justice and find a place to call their own? 102Reads6.3Score10514d adds
- 160 The Sin Factory 饲罪工厂 A fairy-tale murder case rocks Ning City! A golden ribbon is wound around the victim’s neck, a blood-painted copy of The Emperor’s New Clothes rests on their knees, and the ink on a card marked with a strange symbol is still wet. The killer is caught at the scene, yet vehemently denies any connection to the crime scene, which looks like something out of a dark fairy-tale book! As Detective Du Ran leads his team in a deep investigation, every clue sends a chill down their spines: a red-clad chi 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 161 Murder Case: The Mystery of Death 凶案：死亡之谜 [A brilliant detective captain VS a host of highly intelligent murderers] When I thought this was an ordinary murder case, I discovered that the killer had led me astray. When I thought I had arrested the killer, I discovered he was nothing more than a scapegoat. When I thought I was close to the truth, I discovered the killer had committed suicide. When I thought the case had been hastily wrapped up, I discovered that the real killer was actually... 21Reads—Score—14d adds
- 162 The Price Tag 标价 She was locked up for 406 days. After escaping, she helped the police take down the entire scam compound. Forty-nine people were arrested, and the evidence formed a complete chain. Everyone said it was over. She thought so too. Until the day before the case files were archived, when she happened to glance at an attachment to an interrogation transcript. Her name was on it, but not under “victim.” It was listed under “item number.” Above that was another line: Source of information: provided inte 21Reads—Score—14d adds
- 163 Daybreak [Crime Investigation] 破晓【刑侦】 (Crime investigation + suspense + happy ending + daily updates) Lin Yuanzhi, a newly hired criminal psychology consultant, joins the Criminal Investigation Division of the Quyang City Public Security Bureau. Wu Zhen, Liu Chuanxing, and the others face an astonishing number of trafficking cases, a serial killer known as the “Perfume Killer,” and an art exhibition called “Chasing the Wind,” along with one bizarre case after another. Working side by side, the division solves each case, arrests the 487Reads8.1Score10014d adds
- 164 Ashes: Classified Files 灰烬之绝密档案 (Crime + investigations + criminal investigation + romance) From the deadly flight attendant and the demon on a rainy night to the dead man's delivery, the shadow in the dark, split personality, a sisters' tragic bond, and hatred that came too late... There are no drawn-out romances, only killers you would never guess, lives steeped in tragedy, and characters who leave you sighing. Every story grips you, every plot point gives you food for thought, drawing you into the scene until you can't help 123Reads—Score—14d adds
- 165 Dear Detective (Two-Book Set) 亲爱的推理家(全二册) Dear Detective (Book One): Shen Xisheng, 19, a prodigy detective with perfect looks, perfect observational skills, and perfect deductive ability. Yin Chenxia, 29, a popular novelist with off-the-charts homebody tendencies, off-the-charts aloofness, and detective skills... that are unfathomable. Shen Xisheng has been a devoted superfan of his older half-brother Yin Chenxia since childhood. Hoping to get his brother’s attention, Shen became a fairly well-known detective while attending high school 45Reads9.4Score—14d adds
- 166 Political Achievements: From Rookie Cop to Regional Governor 政绩：从小警察到封疆大吏 Lu Aimin was reborn in the year 2000. After offending the department head, he was assigned to the Forest Police Brigade in Nant'an County. Then his girlfriend dumped him. Just when things couldn't get worse, he activated the Super Police System and began climbing step by step, from a low-ranking cop to a powerful regional official. 21Reads9.1Score—14d adds
- 167 Fresh Out of the Police Academy, I Solve Cases Like Crazy from the Start 警校刚毕业，实习开局疯狂破案 [No female lead + System + crime-solving] Song Ming transmigrates to a parallel version of China. After the college entrance exam, he binds himself to a Crime Value System and resolutely applies to China's top police academy as the provincial top scorer. After graduating, he is assigned as an intern to the criminal investigation squad in Shaonan City. Starting with an ordinary missing-person case, he goes on to solve the beef noodle case, the human-skin secret identity case, the Silent Lamb case —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 168 The Man in the Case 装在套子里的人 [Horror + Supernatural + Mystery + Adventure + Wild Imagination + Crime-Solving + Yin-Yang and Feng Shui] By a twist of fate, the criminal investigation squad led by Li Wei is paired with their archenemy Ouyang to solve cases. After a series of shocking major crimes, their terrifying ordeals turn the two former enemies into partners who would risk their lives for each other. Just when everyone thinks it is finally over, an even greater nightmare is only beginning... [The Hanger Murders] [A Ghost 1.6kReads8.4Score26114d adds
- 169 Fireflies Illuminate the Hidden Crickets 浮萤照潜蛩 (Early on) Mystery and crime novelist (later) criminal investigation consultant: Shen Xuexian vs. criminal investigation captain: Wan Ming A popular idol dies mysteriously on a film set, and the scene is exactly as described in the script. Shen Xuexian, a mystery novelist, is taken in for questioning by the police at her new book signing. She never imagined that selling the rights to her novel would land her in a police station. Getting caught up in a murder on a film set and taken in to assist 399Reads8.7Score10314d adds
- 170 The Bottomless Cave of West Mountain 西山无底洞 A county Party secretary beloved by the people mysteriously disappears, and a trail of suspicious clues sets off a series of thrilling, convoluted events. With its broad scope and diverse cast, this novel portrays vivid scenes from society and lifelike characters. 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 171 My Brother Returns, and His First Case Shocks the Entire Bureau 弟弟归来，第一次破案震惊全局 [Dual male leads + suspense + deduction + heartwarming + mind-bending + everyday life (slow-paced)] On his way home one night, Lu Tianxing, captain of the municipal criminal investigation squad, finds a young man outside: Lu Tianchen. After learning the basics about Lu Tianchen, Lu Tianxing’s understanding of the world falters for a moment. Is it a time-space mix-up, or something else? He can’t figure it out. The only thing they have in common is that they both belong to “Huaxia”! Even stranger 69Reads—Score—14d adds
- 172 The Deadly Rabbit Man 致命兔人 Cheerful psychologist vs. stern criminal investigation captain A chilling nursery rhyme about a rabbit sparks a series of murders spanning ten years. A rabbit-like figure appears at every crime scene. Ten years ago, seven high school students went on a trip together. Six were killed. Ten years later, the rabbit-like figure appears again beside Su Fei, the sole survivor. If the rabbit-masked killer hadn’t returned, psychologist Su Fei would never have suspected that the stoic police officer Luo M 557Reads8.7Score10014d adds
- 173 Who Is the Killer? 谁是凶手 The truth behind a series of murders in Baichuan City has been buried for sixteen years, and the killer is still at large. Sixteen years later, the murders begin again. Three people connected to the cold case join forces to uncover the truth, each concealing secrets of their own, as they wait for the truth to come to light... 430Reads9.2Score10014d adds
- 174 I Just Transmigrated and Solved a Major Case. That's Totally Reasonable, Right? 刚穿越，就破了大案，很合理吧 414Reads8.4Score10014d adds
- 175 Beauty Brings the Culprits to Justice 美人除凶 [Elements: Historical mystery + case-of-the-week stories + two equally formidable leads + poison and Gu] [Heroine: Highly skilled in martial arts, observant, and always on target when she hunts down a culprit~] [Hero: Noble by birth and favored by the emperor. Any woman who approaches him gets slapped flying~] [Cases: A man skinned and castrated + the Marquis’s daughter celebrates her birthday on the day she is doomed to die + two deaths at the palace’s Mid-Autumn banquet + Zhilan returns from t 406Reads8.6Score—14d adds
- 176 Criminal Investigation Unit Six 刑侦六组 The Sixth Criminal Investigation Unit. Cases are presented in separate installments, usually one case per chapter, though a few span three chapters. Jiang Yang leads the team in solving cases and unraveling mysteries, searching for the truth and showing you the unfathomable secrets of the human heart!!! 2.9kReads7.0Score20314d adds
- 177 I Finished Telling My Wife the Story, and She Called the Police 我给妻子讲完故事，她报警了 After I finished telling my wife a story, she called the police. 128Reads—Score—14d adds
- 178 The Ghost Hand Murders: Selected Detective Stories of Sun Liaohong 鬼手谜案：孙了红侦探小说精选集 “He climbed out of his grave and strangled the enemy who had framed him with his bare hands!” Sun Liaohong was a bestselling detective novelist during the Republican era. He entered the literary scene in the 1920s and reached the height of his career in the late 1940s. His “The Strange Cases of the Gentleman Thief Lu Ping” series became one of China's best-known detective series, as celebrated as Cheng Xiaoqing's “The Huo Sang Cases.” This collection brings together several of his classic detect 7Reads8.5Score—14d adds
- 179 Forty-Eight Thousand Years Old 四万八千岁 (Mystery + adventure + ensemble cast) (Urban riddles, ancient Shu ciphers, three bound together, talent as a curse) In the ancient city of the wilderness of Shu, a divine stone fell from the sky, unleashing an ancestral curse that would span generations. In the modern city of Haiyao, eye doctor Pei Zhouyong and Qin Zong, matriarch of the Qin family, have their lives entangled with a divine relic because of their Zan clan bloodline. A headless corpse brings them together with Ren Zili, a blind 30Reads7.9Score—14d adds
- 180 Mystery Hunter of the Haunted City 诡城谜探 In the Republican era, Bai Jiayue graduates from university and arrives in the turbulent city of Haicheng to stay with her older brother. But on a dark street, a strange man follows her. Shen Huai is the newly appointed chief inspector at the police station, young, promising, and skilled in combat. He never imagined the first time he’d be disarmed and forced to surrender would be at the hands of a refined, soft-spoken young woman. Girls vanish one after another, a goddess shines with light, and 2kReads8.8Score30614d adds
- 181 A Double Murder in an Aristocratic Estate 高门私宅双杀命案 This is a true tragedy that took place in Cixi County, Zhejiang Province, during the Jiaqing era of the Qing dynasty. After a heavy rain, a father and son who had gone up the mountain to gather herbs discovered a woman's body on the hillside behind the Chen residence. The victim was identified as Chen A Mao, the eldest daughter of the Chen family. Chen Yongjin, head of the Chen family, claimed that his granddaughter A Mao had been having an affair with their servant Gao Hongtong, and that in a —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 182 Crime Investigation 罪案调查 Investigate a series of unusual cases, bring the criminals to justice, and ensure they receive the full punishment of the law. Let everyone believe that justice always prevails, that every criminal will be severely punished and none can escape. The people's police will see that victims get justice. The Lotus Town murder, the 312 serial killings, the locked-room murder, the kidnapping, the murder-by-proxy case, and others were solved one after another thanks to Zhang Wende and his teammates. 3.5kReads8.8Score22714d adds
- 183 I Can Dream of Crime Scenes 我能梦到凶案现场 Coming next: My Home Is the Scene of the First Murder, now updating~~~ I hope you’ll show it lots of support~~~ Thank you, thank you, thank you [Alternate setting + Fictional + Episodic stories + Everyday life + Clean romance + Two female leads (not a GL romance) + Each has her own love story + Heartwarming + Healing + A touch of an ensemble cast] Cheng Qingyan has a secret she can’t tell anyone. After turning twenty, she begins having bizarre dreams. Every scene in her dreams is the place 880Reads7.3Score10514d adds
- 184 End of Ten Days: Mom’s Little Lifesaver 十日终焉：妈妈的小救星 The Terminally Ill: Mom's Little Savior 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 185 Testimony of Memory 记忆证言 Memory Testimony follows Lin Shouxi, a medium who can read the “marks of death” left on personal effects and use them to solve cold cases. Together with Su Rui, a brilliant scientist, and Chen Tao, a hacker, he forms a special team and infiltrates the black market in memories to take on the multinational organization known as the Archive, which seeks to collect and sell human memories. Each case is a forgotten life, and every time he touches a memory, his own begins to fade. When the truth behin 4Reads—Score214d adds
- 186 The Six-Fingered Forensic Doctor 六指法医 Heaven’s justice shines bright; the wronged shall be cleared of their names. Lin Ran, heir to a family of coroners and a top student at a forensic medicine college. Guided by his family’s eight-character ancestral motto and armed with a remarkable ability, Lin Ran joins the police force to clear the names of countless dead. Along the way, he embarks on one terrifying investigation after another. “The dead can’t speak, but their bodies can tell me who the killer is!” The world has lost a doctor, 3.3kReads8.4Score36714d adds
- 187 Quick Transmigration: The Laid-Back Girl's Case Files 快穿，咸鱼少女断案记 Su Niaoniao’s greatest wish in life: eat for free, do nothing, and lie flat until old age. Who could have guessed that she’d open her eyes and find herself transmigrated to a strange world, where murders always seemed to happen right in front of her? Other people transmigrate to become wealthy heiresses or imperial favorites. She gets dragged into crime scenes every day. No golden finger, no System. She solves cases with nothing but her lazy instincts and twisted logic. Murderer: “My plan was fl 22Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 188 Murder Without Guilt 无罪谋杀 The most horrifying murders, the most unfathomable truths!! Cannibal banquets, the silenced woman, the frozen lover, the Nanda murderer turning himself in, sacrificial paintings made of human skin, ghostly figures in mirrors... You could never understand, by ordinary reasoning, the true motives hidden behind these terrifying and bizarre murder cases. Let a psychiatrist skilled in hypnosis guide you, from a unique perspective, into the minds of these terrible criminals and uncover the chilling tr 446Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 189 Newtown Homicide 新城追凶 In a lively new coastal city, all kinds of bizarre crimes occur amid seemingly ordinary lives. The officers of the Special Investigations Unit rely on their solid professional skills and their determination to solve every major case, sifting through clues until they identify the real culprit. Adapted from a popular, large-scale crime investigation radio drama of the same name, this novel features gripping plots and vivid prose, offering readers an immersive experience that makes them feel as if 497Reads7.7Score11014d adds
- 190 Special Investigation Unit: Strange Cases, No Ghosts 特侦组：异案不诡 [Urban Legends + Hard-Core Criminal Investigation] Two nine-year-old students are found dead in a desolate mountain range, with not a drop of blood left in their bodies. A witness claims to have seen a vampire with their own eyes... A speeding car repeatedly runs down the children of wealthy families, yet the driver's seat is empty. The door opens by itself, revealing nothing but a rag doll sitting inside... At midnight, a beautiful woman appears in the river. Two night swimmers have their heart 4.2kReads—Score48414d adds
- 191 Deputy Police Chief from the Start 开局派出所副所长 Period setting + criminal investigation + suspense + one heroine + weak golden finger + deduction 1958, the capital. Yue Pengju, transferred from the Public Security Army, is appointed deputy director of the Taotiao Hutong Police Station. A body dumped in the hutong tears open the calm facade, revealing hidden undercurrents. Following the clues deeper, they uncover the enemy agents' presence. The seemingly peaceful capital has long been hiding deadly dangers. Enemy agents are hunting those invol 7.2kReads7.2Score47014d adds
- 192 The Otaku's Revenge 宅男的复仇 Duan Yu of Kun City was an ordinary homebody whose life revolved around electronic devices, video games, and endless web browsing. But his happy life changed abruptly when his older sister died in an accident on his eighteenth birthday... The once happy family of four was suddenly reduced to just him. How did his sister die? Enraged, the homebody Duan Yu resolved to make himself stronger and became a formidable avenger... Meanwhile, master detective Xu Changsheng arrived in Kun City. As he inves 5.7kReads8.8Score52914d adds
- 193 Marks of Guilt 罪痕 Is there always evil behind every crime? Real cases reveal the truth about human nature. [Crime Investigation] [Not a Web Novel] [Not a Wish-Fulfillment Story] Strange and major cases, from human flesh takeout and a cat corpse found in a belly to a body hanging in Xian Lake, are uncovered one by one across the country. 2kReads8.7Score22314d adds
- 194 Wildfire on the Prairie: The Badass Policewoman Takes the City by Storm 烬火燎原警花她飒爆全城 Yu Jin, a tough-as-nails policewoman parachuted in from the provincial department, storms into Bincheng and shatters the taboo surrounding a five-year-old cold case. In a rain-lashed night that tears the city apart, she holds a gun to the head of business tycoon Xi Jincheng, then bends a steel crash barrier with one swing of her baton. Her words ring through the city: If I can’t solve the Maple Leaf serial murder case in three days, I’ll take off my uniform right here! And if I do solve it, I’ll 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 195 Murdering Officials 谋杀官员 The Murder of Officials Quartet: Book One: The Deduction of the Prince of Logic Book Two: The Chemical Queen’s Comeback Book Three: The Physics Teacher’s Space-Time Ploy Book Four: The Hand Acting on God’s Behalf 75Reads9.4Score—14d adds
- 196 Bloody Secret 血色秘密 I was accused by one of my students' mothers. She claimed I had caused her child's death and demanded a million yuan in compensation. But she didn't know that I was a psychological counselor. I knew everything about her and her child. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 197 Captain Shen's Madness Turns a Crime Thriller into a Sweet Romance 沈队靠疯，把刑侦文硬掰成甜宠文 [Mystery + deduction + sweet romance] [Seven-year age gap + government-employed boyfriend + ruthless pursuit] [Reader advisory: This is a fictional setting, very fictional] Mad-dog, nurturing mom-type police captain x gentle, S-obsessed fairy-like policewoman Eight years ago, Yan Wan's father was murdered by the person he had helped through legal aid. Of the family of four, only Yan Wan survived. Eight years later, Shen Hong finds Yan Wan and uses her father's death to threaten her into using he 2.1kReads9.1Score31714d adds
- 198 Zero Point Detective Agency 冰点侦探事务所 [Standalone Cases + Republican-Era Crime Investigation + Crime + Hard-Boiled Deduction + Stunning Twists] One head, two heads, three... Look at those heads, swaying precariously in the depths of a cold well, their dark blue hair spreading out. Deep in the memory, crimson blood blooms like flowers. ...There’s a famous detective agency in Shanghai. They say its owner is a young lady, yet everyone insists on calling her Second Young Master! There’s no case in this city she can’t solve! Six people h 474Reads—Score10314d adds
- 199 The Crab Coroner 螃蟹仵作 [Modern professional elite & proud, scheming constable] [Classic mystery format & twist after twist & transmigration and transformation & top-notch investigations & two strong, complementary leads & so thrilling it’ll make your head spin] After solving a paranormal case on Mianbi Island and losing her job, rookie doctor Wang Xiaoxia resolutely sets off for home. Forced to enter a mysterious ancestral tomb, she unexpectedly gains a miserable cheat ability imbued with mysterious power, and begins 17Reads—Score—14d adds
- 200 Tracking Down the Mystery 迷案追凶 There are two kinds of things in the world: those you can see and those you can’t. What you can see is human nature. What you can’t see is what lies in people’s hearts. Behind every seemingly absurd story are faces twisted by ugliness. My name is Qin Mu. I’m a criminal police officer with seven years on the job. Three years ago, I helped the local police crack a smuggling case involving an international crime syndicate. My partner, Ayun, fell victim to a Nanyang curse technique and then mysterio 504Reads7.7Score10114d adds
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