Novels like Shadows All Around
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Shadows All Around, best match first.
- 51 Justice Never Dies 正义不朽 Criminal Investigation Captain Shen Jingnian vs Judge Nan Xia Qiu [Complete] As long as you keep committing crimes, one day I'll arrest you! We fight for the people, for justice... “I catch the criminals, you uphold justice!” Side by side! Set in a fictional world, with original elements and a side romance. I'd like to revise this, but I really don't know how to write a blurb! 79Reads—Score—14d adds
- 52 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
- 53 The Forgotten Petal 被遗忘的花瓣 Article 16 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China [Force Majeure and Accidental Events]: If an act causes harmful consequences in objective terms, but they are not the result of intent or negligence and instead arise from an unavoidable or unforeseeable cause, it is not a crime. Qing Li fell asleep with her head resting on the bright red cover of a copy of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China. The cover was still as eye-catching as ever, though the pages had yellowed 135Reads8.5Score—14d adds
- 54 The Mysterious Pry Marks 神秘的撬痕 31Reads—Score—14d adds
- 55 Just Straight-Up Deduction? That's My Specialty! 单纯推理是吧？这个我擅长啊！ [A Conan-style episodic story. No romance or ambiguous relationships, grounded, no invincibility, no System, no brainless plot, with deduction and crime-solving] “Like Detective Conan? Then don’t miss this book!” There’s no such thing as a perfect crime. And if there is, then I must have committed it. While pursuing one of the world’s greatest criminal masterminds, Xian Yifan, hailed as the youngest great detective in history, died alongside his quarry. After accidentally transmigrating, he 185Reads6.4Score—14d adds
- 56 He Is the Killer 他是凶手 He was an outstanding police officer. How did he become a murderer? Was he framed, or does he have a split personality? If he is the culprit, why did he become an undercover agent? When someone has nowhere left to turn, will they break their oath? When someone is trapped in a dead end, how can they redeem themselves? The cruelty of the truth often exceeds all imagination. No one can escape the fate Heaven has dealt them. 12.1kReads9.0Score1k14d adds
- 57 The Sleeping Volcano 沉睡的火山 On the eve of his company's stock market debut, Wu Liang, chairman of the Wuwei Group in Jinhai City, is murdered in his own bedroom. The killer cruelly saws off Wu Liang's feet... Xu Changsheng, captain of the criminal investigation team at the Municipal Public Security Bureau, leads a team of capable officers in an investigation that continues day and night. The killer's methods are exceptionally clever. Xu Changsheng and his team spend a great deal of time investigating and piecing together t 493Reads—Score10014d adds
- 58 Su Xiaochun 苏晓春 Starting at the end of the story, we’ll work backward, step by step, along the path the heroine once walked. There is no male lead in this story. No romance. Mystery, crime, investigations, deduction. 34Reads—Score—14d adds
- 59 Mysterious Case Files: The Strange Mark 破案迷踪之诡异的印记 The restaurant’s delicious “ostrich meat,” a husband drowned in the bathroom, half a charred foot in a trash can, a woman hanged in a roast duck oven, a dead woman giving birth, raising little ghosts, “human centipedes,” burying people alive as construction sacrifices, and a cat abuser. The methods of murder are endlessly varied: killing by chance, hypnosis, drugs, dismemberment, murder, suicide, crimes of passion, and revenge killings. The victims bear eerie markings. Little fingers go missing. 576Reads7.5Score—14d adds
- 60 Wind in the Dead of Night: Suspects Know They’re in for Trouble When They Meet Me 暗夜有风：嫌疑人遇到我自认倒霉 The world has both light and darkness, and the line between good and evil can be crossed in an instant. What is the line you won't cross? Where does the abyss begin? And who is the prey? Let rookie cop Chu Feng tell you the truth... 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 61 Returning Home at Night to Ning 夜归宁 Ever since the first victim appeared in Changyuan Town, many people had already been caught in a trap. As the number of victims kept growing, the task force officers grew increasingly convinced that the killer was right beside them. Yet every time they got closer to the killer, they discovered that everything they had seen and uncovered was merely another step the culprit had planned in advance... 19Reads8.9Score—14d adds
- 62 Accomplices 同谋 Dear Task Force, I am the mastermind behind the crimes. You uphold the law, while I protect morality. This meticulous division of labor has made our cooperation on this case go very smoothly, and I would be delighted to discuss things with you in greater depth. I’ve already sent the details of the next case to your phones. I look forward to us making progress together. P.S. Dear Captain Xia, I’m Jiang Cheng. I’m waiting for you at the crime scene. Dare to come? 530Reads8.9Score10914d adds
- 63 The Criminal Psychologist 罪案心理师 Genius profiler vs. tough homicide squad captain A hand inside a wall, a charred corpse in a cave, human limb fragments in a pigsty... Antisocial personalities... High-IQ crimes... Serial murders... Homicide squad captain Song Qingshan and genius profiler Chu Yanran take you to crime scenes, where they peel back layer after layer of mystery, explore the darkness of human nature, and catch the real culprits! Suspense + deduction + bizarre and unsolved cases + high-IQ crimes + serial murders + psy 3.7kReads6.9Score36014d adds
- 64 Once the Dark Moonlight 曾经黑月光 A serial murder case spanning several provinces brings He Zhiqiu, now a PhD in criminal psychology, face to face again with Qi Yu, a former university classmate and current police squad leader. He Zhiqiu says, “Long time no see,” while Qi Yu turns and walks away without a trace of expression. An excited friend asks, “You two seem to have a history. Could you be the white moonlight of Qi Yu, the shining star of the police force?” He Zhiqiu exhales a puff of smoke, thinks for a moment, then repli 354Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 65 Ning City Detectives 宁城刑警 (No System, no transmigration, no wish fulfillment) A modern-day Sherlock Holmes story about an elite team of detectives solving one bizarre case after another in the bustling city of Ningcheng. From busting drug rings in bars to uncovering international telecom scams, from locked-room murders to financial fraud, they face ruthless criminals and criminal masterminds. One mystery leads to another, and every scheme hides a deeper plot, as truth and human nature intertwine. A tightly paced, brain-t 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 66 Reconstructing the Crime Scene: I Can See the Erased Traces 重构现场：我能看见被擦掉的痕迹 [Criminal investigations + trace evidence deduction + cold case pursuit + episodic cases + master-apprentice legacy] Seven years after leaving frontline work, trace examiner Lu Chuan is called back to the scene by a suspicious case on a rainy night. Everyone thinks it is just an ordinary accident. But Lu Chuan crouches down, takes one look at the gray marks on the soles of the shoes, and realizes something is wrong. The trail of mud on the ground is broken, the scuff marks by the window are 115Reads—Score—14d adds
- 67 Pursuing the Killer in a Mystery Case 谜案追凶 (Detective with multiple personalities + criminal psychology and deduction + bizarre supernatural abilities + high-IQ criminal organization + graphic content + suspense and horror + not for the faint of heart + an exposé of human nature + sound values + dark themes) Are people born good? No! People are born evil. For the sake of profit, innocent people become wronged souls. Because of mockery, countless beautiful young blossoms wither in an instant. Because of jealousy, warm and happy families f 210Reads—Score—14d adds
- 68 The Psychiatric Hospital Murder: A High-IQ Crime Detective 精神病院谋杀案高智商犯罪侦探 The murder of Li Zhiming, director of a psychiatric hospital, unexpectedly unravels a child abduction case from 32 years ago. New and old cases intertwine, mysteries pile up, and a web of clues connects everything. Human nature and animal instinct collide as detectives take on what appears to be a perfect crime. Who will outsmart whom? A mind-bending tale of a high-IQ criminal with mental illness! 12Reads—Score—14d adds
- 69 Crossing the Line 越线 On her first day in the major crimes unit, Chen Miao got into a fight with the captain, Shen Chan. The captain seems to have it in for Chen Miao and gives her a hard time at every turn. "New girl, get me some tea." "New girl, sweep the floor." "New girl, tidy up the office." Chen Miao silently puts up with it and does everything she's told. So she swaps the water in the tea for bitter juice and brings it to someone; carefully sweeps the floor, then dumps all the rubbish she collected under Shen 486Reads8.1Score10314d adds
- 70 The Clash of Black and White 黑与白的冲击 Jiang He, a criminal investigation squad captain, has solved all kinds of major cases in his ten years on the force, maintaining a perfect record. Then one day, a body appears: it belongs to someone who died twelve years ago. The strange clues lead to a mysterious organization, behind which lies a shocking conspiracy. Just how many people are involved? 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 71 The Sealed Evidence 尘封之证 Every silent corpse is a life story violently brought to a close. We are the only ones who can read it. Forensic examiner Chen Mo and detective Lin Tao are partners with very different temperaments but perfect rapport. Day after day, they move between crime scenes and the autopsy table, searching for forgotten truths among cold physical evidence and inscrutable human hearts. The cases they face lie buried beneath layers of time and the fog of human nature. From the city’s poorest neighborhood 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 72 The Evidence Puzzle 罪证拼图 On the boundary between crime and justice, evidence is the only light. Chen Yuan, captain of the city’s criminal investigation squad, has spent ten years failing to solve his younger sister’s disappearance. The case has become an unhealed scar in both his career and his life. When an unidentified woman’s body disturbs the quiet of the city moat, a mysterious snowflake tattoo and a bloodstained old cotton shoe draw him and his teammates into a vast criminal network spanning schools, mining distri —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 73 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
- 74 The Truth Buried by Time 被岁月掩埋的真相 The Truth Buried by Time 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 75 Killer Profile: Detective Captain, Don't Fall for Me 致命侧写：刑侦队长别心动 Hardcore criminal investigation techniques + in-depth criminal profiling Standalone cases + two equally formidable leads testing each other + undercurrents of affection There is no such thing as an unsolved case in the dictionary of Lin Zheng, captain of Yun Gang City’s criminal investigation unit, until he encounters a ritualistic serial killer. When the orchestra’s first-chair violinist is arranged like a musical rest, all the strings snapped; when a gallery owner’s corpse is found kneeling be 66Reads—Score—14d adds
- 76 I Was Supposed to Be Reborn, But Is This a Mission Anyone Can Accept? 说好的重生，这任务是人能接的？ (No System, not invincible, no mindless power fantasy. Read with caution if that bothers you.) I died for no apparent reason, only to discover I still had a chance to be reborn. When I embarked on a series of challenges, hoping to make my way back by overcoming them one by one, I realized this path was doomed to fail. I have no interest in becoming a lofty god. All I want is to return to the world I came from… 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 77 The Shen Family Daughter Clause 沈氏女儿条款 In the depths of winter by the sea, due diligence tears open a breach in the Shen Group. An intern named Li Li joins the risk-control team, but her goal has nothing to do with her resume: she wants to find her adoptive father, Li Shouyi, who has been missing for three years. All she has is an iron box, a string of numbers, a key, and an old index deliberately "sealed away." The deeper she digs, the more she realizes she hasn't stumbled upon a family matter, but an old ledger written into proced 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 78 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
- 79 Reading Bones to Solve Cases 鉴骨断案 No golden finger, no System, no romance. A traditional criminal investigation novel, focused entirely on solving cases. He examines bones to solve crimes, uncovering long-buried truths from scattered fragments. Those broken, scattered bones tell tales of life’s joys and sorrows. 593Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 80 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
- 81 Solving Cases Is My Specialty 破案，我很有技巧的 [Criminal investigation and deduction + ensemble cast + twists + murder-mystery games become reality + high-IQ battles of wits + the hero is a bit of a background character] Also known as: “I’ve watched 1,000 episodes of Conan, so solving cases should be a piece of cake” Lu Zhaoyao, a seasoned murder-mystery game player, joins the city’s criminal investigation squad after graduating. After five years of working hard to maintain her ice-cold beauty image, she finally becomes deputy captain of Cri 27Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 82 Revenge Rises Again 复仇卷土重来 [Plot-driven + no System + brain-teasing + suspense + two equally formidable leads + immersive atmosphere + ruthless and decisive] Lawyer Caitlin discovers that she has become a pawn in someone else’s game and is now being hunted. Thinking that all she needs to do to escape is uncover the truth, she soon realizes she has stepped into an even deeper trap. A sharp blade points at her throat: Who are you? Who am I? And who is he? Just when she thinks true love has finally arrived, everything begins 1Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 83 The Forensic Pathologist's Return 法医归途 (Mostly adapted from real cases. Each case stands alone. No dragging things out, no formulaic plots, no System, no mindless characters, and not a power fantasy. Readers who may be bothered by this, please proceed with caution.) My name is Tang Bei, and I’m a forensic pathologist. Every case is etched in my memory. The Dissolved Body in the Unfinished Building... The Poisoning for Revenge... The Murderous Love Affair and Dismemberment... I don’t know how much longer these stories will continue. B 1.5kReads—Score16814d adds
- 84 I’m Watching You 我在看着你 A skull that saw daylight again after two years, unceasing roars in an abandoned warehouse, a madwoman at a nursing home in the foothills, a doomsday hell with a returning avenger... One bizarre case after another unfolds. Ji Nian, a justice-minded detective, and Du Ruo, a cold and distant forensic examiner, are both drawn into the mystery. Can they get out safely? Half of Du Ruo’s face was hidden in the dim light, but her eyes were unusually bright. As she gazed at the flames in the distance, J 6Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 85 Nightwalker 夜行者 [Sweet and Adorable Yet Highly Skilled Fighter Ruan Chuxia VS Aloof Older Brother Leng Bing] [Cases First, Romance Second, A Powerful Team with Flawless Coordination!] When working cases, they are a perfectly synchronized pair: one excels at criminal investigations, while the other is an expert in autopsies and the art of divination. A case involving a corpse hidden in a scarecrow exposes the ugliness of human nature and the bond between people and animals. The Sister Drum case is one of torment 132Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 86 Real Life: A Middle Schooler's Journey as a Writer 真实人生：一个初中生的写作路 A real life, a painful past: I grew up poor and frail, plagued by illness. At fifteen, I dropped out of school and began pursuing my literary dream at home. After having my work rejected time and again, I finally saw my first-ever piece published. It also became the last thing I ever published in print. Then I turned to the internet and began my journey as a web novelist. 25Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 87 The Eleventh Suspect 第11名嫌疑人 [Two Male Leads]+ [Plot Twists]+ [High-IQ Crime]+ [Vengeance for a Murdered Wife]+ [Second Male Lead Is a Lovesick Puppy] Mystery, crime-solving, deduction! Set against the backdrop of the “221” case, the protagonist uses his unique powers of logical deduction to face one difficult case after another alongside his team. With smoothly unfolding plots and tightly coordinated roles within the team, they trace and investigate ruthless criminals across a variety of murder cases! Featuring dozens of s 140Reads—Score—14d adds
- 88 Eyes of the Deep Abyss 1: Evil Like a Hook 凝渊之眸1：恶如钩 I'm a special-case criminal investigator. I'm also the most ordinary one among thousands upon thousands of criminal investigators. This is a collection of criminal cases, and a record of memories. In this novel, you'll find me, my mentor, and my best friends. Like me, they are all unique, yet utterly ordinary. We once blazed with ambition and confidence. We once pieced together clues and chased criminals through the fog. We also knew sorrow and hesitation. My mentor once told me: We walk the lin 589Reads9.3Score10014d adds
- 89 A Heart Stirs in the Moonlight 趁月色心动 [Detective Captain VS Surgeon, crime-solving + sweet romance, reunion after a long separation, rekindled love] [Xu Wanning's Version] When Xu Wanning sees Chen Zheng again, ten years have passed. He is a detective captain, while she is a murder suspect. “I didn't kill her. She framed me by taking her own life.” “What terrible thing did you do to make someone frame you by killing herself?” She returns to the country to uncover the truth about a fire from ten years ago, but one suspicious clue aft 3kReads8.8Score37514d adds
- 90 The Silent Edge 无声的锋刃 Once the “brain” of the strongest special operations unit, he retired in bitter disappointment after a mission involving a high-level power struggle ended in failure. He became an ordinary police bomb-disposal expert in a major city. He thought he had left the storm behind, but it returned with even greater fury: undercurrents stirred in the city as international spies, financial predators, new forms of crime, and the shadows of his past converged. Forced to take up his “weapons” again, he now f 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 91 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
- 92 Apprentice Detective 见习神探 On his third day on the police force, Bai Ziluo faced the biggest challenge of his life: getting the former captain back on the job! Cases that seemed unrelated were linked by a mysterious cross, leading to a murder that had vanished from the record nineteen years ago. Follow a rookie intern as he becomes a star detective’s sidekick and searches for the truth, watching an aspiring detective grow step by step. Bai Ziluo: “Aspiring detective? No, I was born to be one.” Xiao Su: “Hmm?” Bai Ziluo: “ 84Reads9.2Score—14d adds
- 93 The Corpse Whisperer: I Can See the Answers in Death 尸语者：我能看见死亡答案 [System] [Forensics] [Mystery] After thirty-six hours on duty, intern forensic doctor Lu Ming unexpectedly awakens an astonishing ability: he can see the true cause of death floating above every corpse. Drowned? No, strangled to death. Sudden cardiac arrest? No, poisoned with an organophosphate. Suicide by falling? No, pushed from the twenty-third floor. Everyone says he’s an inexperienced rookie, but his eyes never lie. When the truth is buried by those in power, killers walk freely in the sunl 6.2kReads8.0Score71614d adds
- 94 The Golden Branch Casebook 金枝洗冤录 [One-on-one romance + sweet affection + two strong leads + solving cases + both leads’ first relationship] Ten cases, each one gripping! The main romance is all sweet, no angst! Eight years ago, the beloved Princess Changle, Chu Qianyue, nearly died in the great fire at the late empress’s palace. She was saved at the last moment by a handsome young man... Eight years later, everyone says the fire was an accident, but she refuses to believe it! While investigating the late empress’s death, Chu Qi 18Reads—Score—14d adds
- 95 The Sin City Case Files 罪城迷案录 In gloomy Liuzhou, a sharp-witted “detective” joins forces with a stubborn, diligent doctor. Together, they unravel the clues and solve baffling cases shrouded in mystery. Their pursuit of the truth is like a dance on the edge of an abyss, each step bringing them closer to the dark force lurking in the shadows, a force feared by all. As sparks from their investigations ignite the darkness buried deep within, a storm between good and evil, powerful enough to shake the city's foundations, is alrea 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 96 The Bad Kids: Bloodshed in Northern Myanmar 边水往事：血色缅北 Here, they traffic drugs, murder people, trade in organs, commit fraud… They stop at nothing. I went from an eagerly anticipated honeymoon to falling into the hands of a criminal syndicate in northern Myanmar, and began a perilous struggle to survive. In the syndicate, I started out as a “piglet” and carefully worked my way up until I became the boss’s second-in-command. Facing this vast criminal organization, I had to struggle not only on the edge between morality and survival, but also with a —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 97 His Black-Gold Empire 他的黑金帝国 On the blood, tears, and lives of countless ordinary people, he swiftly built his own empire of wealth. His insane, colossal profits became a nightmare for 390,000 people. Behind the lavish mansions and luxury cars lay the financial ruin of thousands upon thousands of people. The gleam of 304 jin of gold cannot conceal the victims' final accusations, made with their lives. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 98 Blood Night 血夜 Night of Blood —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 99 One Gunshot, and My Eight-Year Flight Began 一声枪响，我开始了八年逃亡 Bang! A deafening gunshot shattered the peaceful night sky over Zhuzhou. Lin Zeyu gripped the gun, still smoking in his hand. He knew that from this moment on, his life had plunged once more into a dark abyss. And it had all begun with a choice that seemed ordinary, yet was steeped in tragedy. 19Reads—Score—14d adds
- 100 Death of the Other Woman: 27 Stabs That Drove Her to the Brink 第三者之死：被逼至绝路的27刀 Beside the supermarket shelves in the early hours, a bloodied fruit knife clattered to the floor. When He Wenling plunged the knife into her husband’s mistress, the security camera caught her twisted smile. This housewife, whom the neighbors had mocked for being “too useless to keep a man,” had finally torn the smug, pretty face of Li Xiaoyun apart with her own hands. No one understood why, a year after her divorce, she had suddenly murdered her ex-husband’s new lover. Until the police opened he 1Reads—Score—14d adds
