Novels like The Roots of Crime: Thirteen Bizarre Cases
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Roots of Crime: Thirteen Bizarre Cases, best match first.
- 1 Murder in the Dark 暗夜谜案 A father paralyzed from the waist down receives a ransom call from a kidnapper. In the video, his daughter is bound and crying, “Dad, save me!” Having already lost his wife in a car accident, the father transfers three million yuan to the specified account without hesitation, just as the kidnapper demands. But three days after he pays the ransom, his daughter still hasn’t come home. In desperation, he has no choice but to call the police. The police discover that the supposed kidnapping involves 153Reads8.5Score—Shelves
- 2 At the Crime Scene, This Beautiful Girl Can See Ghosts 凶案现场，我这个美少女能看见鬼 Shen Yaoyao is a socially anxious college student who, by a twist of fate, ends up at the city’s most mysterious “Special Investigations Bureau.” The bureau is packed with top talents from every field: a cold-blooded team leader known as a god of death, a top-tier star of the hacking world, and a forensic pathologist who can read lies like a human lie detector. Nobody has any faith in the soft-spoken Shen Yaoyao, until… Murder victim in the dismemberment case: Officer, the killer is my ex-boyfri 3.1kReads6.6Score526Shelves
- 3 Dayfire: Volume One, First Eclipse 昼火：卷一《初亏》 As an external consultant for the criminal investigation unit, Jian Yue has spent her life burdened by too many secrets. A murder case dredges up memories she would rather leave buried. Jian Yue sticks to her belief that the death, officially ruled an accident, was actually a premeditated murder. The suspect is the victim’s fiancée, superstar Leng Weilan. But because of Jian Yue’s personal history with Leng Weilan, Jian Yue is temporarily removed from the investigation team. To her surprise, Len 13Reads9.3Score—Shelves
- 4 The Code Is My Heartbeat 暗号即心跳 Captain Yan, your partner has quite the background, doesn’t she? Xiao Lingxi was ostracized as soon as she joined the criminal investigation unit. A pretty girl with an idol’s face, serving as deputy head of Major Crimes Unit One? What a joke. Yan Jinze looked down on this parachuted hire who’d gotten in through connections. To her face, he treated her like a mascot; behind her back, he complained to his superiors and demanded that she be transferred. But she silenced them all with her actions. 597Reads6.2Score—Shelves
- 5 Heart’s Sentence: The Bend 心罚：弯道 My name is Rong Jinning. I'm a psychological counselor and a criminal psychology expert. These are two different branches of psychology. Everyone says I'm a genius, and my older sister especially loved praising me. But before I could finish my studies, she died young, and... her body was never even found intact! I swore I would find the murderer! My name is Chao Jiang. I'm a police officer. I've solved over a hundred major cases, but that dismemberment case remains a thorn in my heart, hard to p 3.9kReads8.2Score582Shelves
- 6 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—Shelves
- 7 This Detective Is a Force to Be Reckoned With: Taking on Thugs and Cracking Bizarre Cases 这个刑警有点猛，硬刚凶徒破奇案 Buried alive from the start! Qin Mo: You think I don't have a temper? As someone who transmigrated, my mind is filled with the knowledge and wisdom of my past life. That's what gives me the confidence to cut through every obstacle. System: Host, you're underestimating yourself! Congratulations, you have obtained the skills: World-Shaking Tyrant's Body, Supernatural Sense of Smell, Precise Marksmanship, All-Around Combat, Eyes-Closed Street Racing… Qin Mo: Holy crap, is it this intense r 81Reads—Score—Shelves
- 8 The Deadly Pursuit 生死追缉 One is the head of a criminal investigation squad, the other a renowned attorney, and the two are bitter enemies. Yet fate seems to have brought them together: a series of tangled murder cases binds their lives to one another. In this world, you must never judge whether someone is good or bad based on appearances alone. 815Reads8.6Score108Shelves
- 9 Hello, Sunday! 你好呀，礼拜天！ This is a story about fate and human nature. Li Yang and the others accidentally create a “game.” Li Yang and other key figures are able to use it to transmigrate, discover fate, fight against fate, accept fate, and become part of it. Details bring about change; change comes at a cost; the cost leads to awakening; and awakening gives rise to new details. This is a logic-driven story with multiple parallel worlds. The numbered chapter titles refer to the contents of the game created by Li Yang an 2Reads8.2Score—Shelves
- 10 Perfume Atelier No. 7 七号调香馆 Legend has it that there is a perfumery in this world that makes a living selling fragrances to help people weave their dreams. Nan Zhu, the owner of the shop, is investigated by criminal police captain Yan Yi after becoming entangled in a bizarre string of murders. A novel that keeps offering clues, a mysterious and unknown force, and grudges dating back a thousand years are all brought to light through a series of strange cases... Open the perfumery’s case files, and among the contracts of eve 75Reads8.1Score—Shelves
- 11 A Collection of Mystery and Horror Stories from Hancheng 寒城悬疑恐怖故事集 [Mystery + Criminal Investigation + Dark + Horror + Human Nature + Crime] Not long after joining the criminal investigation team as a trainee officer, Fan Xing gets involved in the investigation of a fall-from-a-building case in Hancheng. The female victim had clearly been tortured before her death. Fan Xing also finds a silver pendant in her mouth: it's the very coming-of-age gift his father meant to give him before disappearing ten years ago. As Fan Xing and the others delve deeper into the ca 24Reads—Score—Shelves
- 12 Captain Lu, Wait for Me in the Sunshine 陆队长，请在阳光下等我 All-around, swoon-worthy captain of criminal investigations vs. sweet and sharp, highly intelligent policewoman Two years ago, she was murdered in a long-planned attack, a knife through her throat. For two years, her soul stayed by his side, watching him grieve and cry, helpless to do anything. Now she has returned, reborn in another body. Smiling, she reaches out to him. “Hello, Captain Lu!” The two join forces to solve cases and hunt down criminals. As they gradually crack a string of old and 17Reads8.0Score—Shelves
- 13 The Unspoken Words: Personality Manipulation 弦外音之人格操纵 [An early work; the writing is still rough!] [Read the blurb first. Only follow the story if you can accept this setup!] [Some plot points involve personal fictional additions. Please don't compare them with reality!] [If you're okay with this kind of plot, follow along with the story.] [One more time: The male lead has an ex. The heroine is caught between two men and feels conflicted. Only read on if you're okay with that. No further explanations.] "Outgoing, uninhibited criminal investigation 106Reads8.4Score—Shelves
- 14 Criminal Investigation Files: The Zero-Degree Pursuit 刑侦档案：零度追凶 [Crime investigation + standalone cases + fast-paced + a cinematic viewing experience + no romance + ingenious, groundbreaking tricks + high-tech crime + grounded in reality and social commentary + human nature analysis] The Zero Special Investigations Unit takes on only the strangest, most impossible cases, the ones that push the limits of what people believe possible. Team leader Gu Yan is a crime-solving machine, ruled by logic but clueless about human feelings. Shen Wei, an expert in crimina 118Reads—Score—Shelves
- 15 Major Crimes Detective: From Trainee Officer to Crime-Solving Genius 重案刑警：从见习警员到破案神探 My new work is here! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support gives me the motivation to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 208Reads6.8Score100Shelves
- 16 A Case of Love 芳心案许 Beautiful and brilliant Captain Ye spends every day either solving cases or catching criminals. Lately, though, her life has been a little disrupted: two doctors have started pursuing her at the same time. A swoon-worthy surgeon versus her top forensic pathologist partner: which one will win Captain Ye's heart? 220Reads8.7Score105Shelves
- 17 Cold Case Reopened: I Pursue the Killer After My Son Goes Missing 悬案重启：儿子失踪后我拼命追凶 Six years ago, Lin Yan, an adorable six-year-old boy, mysteriously vanished overnight. His mother, Li Muzi, went gray with worry in a single night. Everyone urged her to let go, have another child, and start over. Later, she quit her job as a full-time homemaker, got divorced, studied for the police academy entrance exam, and joined the city bureau after graduating. Could she finally solve this case, which she had painstakingly pursued, buried in the files, and forgotten by everyone for six year 9Reads—Score—Shelves
- 18 Forensic Pathologist's Rule: Spoil My Husband Tonight, No Overtime 法医守则：今晚宠夫不加班 After someone catches the cool, aloof forensic doctor Shi Xia breaking up with her partner, she realizes that a certain oversized puppy seems to have latched onto her... 309Reads7.8Score—Shelves
- 19 Hunting Killers Under the Starry Night [Crime Investigation] 星夜追凶【刑侦】 [Genius police captain Jiang Tian] VS [Scheming forensic pathologist Jian Yanci] Female lead’s perspective · Episodic cases · Two strong leads · Both devoted to each other · Happy ending · Fast-paced · Great team dynamic · Deduction · Crime solving · Crackdowns on organized crime · A powerful partnership [The story is entirely fictional and set in an imaginary world. All characters, positions, and events are original creations made to serve the plot. Please do not compare them with reality.] 1kReads—Score136Shelves
- 20 My Husband Cheated, So I Personally Turned Him In to the Police 老公出轨，我亲手把他送进警局 In the middle of the night, I got a call from the city public security bureau. They said my husband had been arrested for soliciting a prostitute and told me to come bail him out. I hurriedly denied knowing him and said they had the wrong number. How ridiculous. I was the one who put him away. Why would I go bail him out? My husband cheated, and my mother-in-law treated me like a doormat. Since I’ve already sent one of them inside, I might as well send the other one too. —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 21 I Woke Up After Being Knocked Unconscious and Became a Murder Suspect 被打晕醒来后，我成了杀人凶手 Yang Meng is a wildly popular outdoor paranormal exploration blogger, and my boss. The two of us went to the famous haunted “check-in spot” of Fengmen Village to shoot a video. There were four of us in all. Once we arrived, someone suddenly knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, I was covered in blood, and Yang Meng was already dead. The bloodstained knife was mine, and all the evidence pointed to me. But I know the killer is one of the other two who are still alive. He is still watching me lik —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 22 My Daughter Was Kidnapped, and the Kidnapper Turned Out to Be My Husband 女儿被绑架，绑匪竟是我老公 My daughter had just turned one hundred days old when she was kidnapped. I paid the ransom, bankrupting myself in the process. Then the kidnappers killed her anyway. I was devastated. But then I suddenly realized my husband was deeply involved in the kidnapping. —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 23 Pathological Growth: A Life Destroyed by My Family of Origin 病态生长：被原生家庭毁掉的一生 [Dysfunctional Family Background + Women's Growth + Causes of Crime + Family's Influence] Just how deep, far-reaching, and devastating can the effects of a person's family background be? Some people spend their whole lives healing from childhood. Others lose themselves for life in its shadows. A woman born of love and destroyed by hate, trapped in a twisted relationship that went from dependence to ruin, ended everything with 32 knife blows: her love, her hatred, and a life trampled underfoot. T —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 24 Murderous Testimony 证言杀机 When I was seventeen, driven by jealousy, I reported someone to the police for stealing. But I never imagined that years later, he would nearly destroy my happiness… —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 25 During Renovations on My New Home, We Found Thirty Million Hidden in the Walls! 新房装修，墙体里竟藏着三千万！ I returned to my hometown and bought the house next door. But during renovations, I found thirty million yuan in cash hidden inside the wall! 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 26 Consumed by Love, He Became an Executioner 为情沉沦，他终成刽子手 Who was really in the wrong? A mother and son were brutally murdered. She was a married woman of irresistible charm. He was a hardworking, diligent carpentry contractor. On a quiet night, he climbed into her home and slit the throats of the woman and her son as they slept. —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 27 He Killed His Wife, Then Took His Own Life 杀死妻子后，他自杀了 His wife was dead. He had killed her with his own hands. He held her as her body grew cold, weeping uncontrollably. The moment the police rushed upstairs, he plunged a knife into his own abdomen… —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 28 The Court Summons Was the Best Gift I Ever Received: A Betrayed Housewife's Complete Account of Taking Down Her Scumbag Husband 法院的传票是我最好的礼物：被出轨主妇手撕渣男全记录 After three years of marriage, I thought I’d married for love. I never expected I’d actually married into a carefully orchestrated scam. My husband, Zhou Ming, not only cheated on me, but also worked with his mistress to transfer our assets and leave me with nothing. And the most ridiculous part? The court ruled against me in the first trial! The reason was that I couldn’t provide concrete evidence that Zhou Ming had cheated or transferred our assets. What a joke. In this day and age, are honest —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 29 My Late Husband's Secret 亡夫的秘密 I tried one of those viral TikTok tests and texted my husband: “Let’s get a divorce!” He replied instantly: “Fine. You can have the house, I’ll take the money.” My mind went completely blank! Was the marriage I’d always been so proud of really that fragile? I never expected a joke to reveal what he truly thought. Not long after we divorced, I unexpectedly received a massive inheritance. Just as I was convinced Ji Siming had already died, I received a text from an unknown number: “Wife, don’t tru —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 30 The Body Double's Deadly Game: An Amnesiac Wife's Revenge 替身杀局：失忆妻子的复仇 On our wedding night, my wife accidentally discovered my secret. She walked up to me holding that yellowed diary. “Chen Sheng! What’s this? Why is it in the safe?” After learning how important the diary was, she kept pestering me to tell her where it came from. Maybe I made it sound too real, because when I finished, she trembled all over and bolted out of the house like a madwoman. The next day, the police arrested me. But no one knew that I still had a get-out-of-jail-free card. —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 31 No Escape from the End of Sin 2 罪终难逃2 Cheng Yi, the male lead of this novel, is twenty-six years old and heads Criminal Investigation Team A in the Major Crimes Unit of the U City Police Department. Most of the time, he looks half-asleep and utterly listless. You’d never take him for a police officer just by looking at him. But whenever a case comes up, he becomes a completely different person. He investigates with utmost care and rigor, his mind racing even faster than a computer’s CPU fan. He’s handsome and charming, too, but what 24Reads—Score—Shelves
- 32 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 3kReads8.8Score375Shelves
- 33 My Dad Demanded Three Million from Me, Claiming I Was a Murderer 我爸勒索我三百万，说我是杀人凶手 My dad suddenly came to me demanding three million yuan. If I didn’t pay, he’d expose me as a murderer. How could he possibly know the truth about what happened back then? Someone must be behind this. So I took him to an abandoned villa in the suburbs. Let’s put an end to those two murders tonight. —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 34 My Girlfriend Can Read Minds 我的女友会读心术 Sharp-tongued, ruthless detective VS gentle, understated beauty A love story between two evenly matched people. [Sweet romance, equal parts relationship and plot] [Rivals-to-lovers couple] After an accident, Yu Youyi gained the ability to hear other people's thoughts. By chance, Yu Youyi helped the police team crack a difficult case. It was said to be the fastest case the team had ever solved, taking just one night. As it happened, Jiang Yizhou, the director of the Public Security Bureau, was Y 4.6kReads8.8Score715Shelves
- 35 Lone Cop 孤警 He is meticulous when solving cases, but has terribly poor social skills in everyday life. He was once called a “pervert” for following a single woman. A procedural crime series in which every protagonist and supporting character is intelligent and capable. The pacing is brisk, with roughly one case every ten chapters. The twists are unexpected, and behind each case are the joys and sorrows of human life and the darkness of human nature. The male lead was born with a disability. He became a poli 795Reads8.4Score102Shelves
- 36 The Truth Behind the Perjury 伪证下的真相 I’m a doctor at a clinic. One day, a patient vanished mysteriously after leaving. Two months later, the body turned up in the countryside. Then the police showed up at my door, investigating the patient’s death. The security footage had conveniently been damaged, and the medication records altered. The police kept pressing me with questions, and my younger brother could barely hide his suspicions. But I’d already prepared the perfect story. 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 37 I Can See Criminal Suspects 我能看到犯罪嫌疑人 Zhang Chi, an outstanding detective in 2025, is reborn in 2000, just as he graduates from the police academy. He had expected to join the city bureau’s criminal investigation team, but instead he was assigned to a suburban police station. After activating the System, he rises from disappointment and uses the System and his knowledge of the future to become a legendary detective! 593Reads6.8Score101Shelves
- 38 Twin Cities Detective: The Genius Inspector Steals the Show 双城推理：天才探长飒爆了 [Alternate modern setting] A cool, mature female detective and her puppyish young male partner: sweet and spicy, solving cases while falling in love Detective Tang's conviction is that she will find the person who killed her mother. Detective Du's dream is to become as capable as Sister Tang. As time goes by, amid dangerous cases, the two gradually come to share a goal: solve crimes, and find time for romance too. “Cuckoo, Cuckoo, report in! Get to the crime scene immediately!” Detective Tang ca 27Reads8.9Score—Shelves
- 39 The Capital's Number One Lady Detective 京城第一女神探 [Historical mystery + bickering couple + made for each other] [Adorably ravenous female sleuth vs cool, unruly crown prince] Shen Rubai was born into one of the four great families of the capital. Her specialties are solving cases and eating. One day, she suddenly learns she is to be given in marriage to the crown prince and is horrified. By a twist of fate, she runs into him, then pits her wits against him in the hope that he will call off the engagement of his own accord. Before the engagement 1.6kReads9.2Score144Shelves
- 40 When the Mountains and Seas Call Us Home [Crime Investigation] 山海归期【刑侦】 Don’t leave malicious negative reviews. If it’s not for you, don’t read. [No mindless plot + No padding + Romance] A fresh-faced newcomer joins the major crimes unit of the Linjiang Public Security Bureau. Shen Changfeng vows he’ll never let her go on field duty. “The major crimes unit doesn’t need women.” He even files requests every few days to have her transferred to the publicity department. He has no idea that later he’ll cling to her like a bandage, begging her to marry him. He thinks h 332Reads8.4Score—Shelves
- 41 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—Shelves
- 42 The Perfect Murder Plan 完美犯罪计划 My older brother died in an accident. While sorting through his belongings, I discovered it hadn’t been an accident at all. He had been murdered by his business partner. So I devised the perfect murder plan. The only catch was that I wouldn’t be the one to carry it out. The killer who murdered my brother would. 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 43 The Metaphysics Master Solves Mysteries 玄学大佬之侦破迷案 [Metaphysics Expert × Poker-Faced Detective] Li Mu is a metaphysics expert who has just entered the human world. During her very first livestream fortune-telling session, she stumbles upon a murder case. Chen Jingci is in charge of the investigation, and the gears of fate begin to turn. From then on, the two team up to solve cases. [Some content is based on real cases] “Dismembered remains at the dump,” “human-meat sausages,” “a barbecue stand in the wilderness,” “a girl in the cellar,” “nursery 204Reads7.1Score—Shelves
- 44 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: “ 98Reads9.5Score—Shelves
- 45 This Captain's Kind of a Flirt 这个队长有点撩 This is the story of a sweet, slightly clueless rookie detective, a little white rabbit who gets swept into the arms of a cunning, dark-hearted captain, a big gray wolf. It is also a story about an ongoing search for the truth behind an incident from twenty years ago. The first time he saw her was at the police academy graduation ceremony. As the outstanding student representative, she went up to give a speech. Her lovely, delicate appearance and clear eyes made him question the graduation ranki 161Reads6.7Score—Shelves
- 46 Peering at the Light in the Dark [Crime Investigation] 暗里窥光[刑侦] A brilliant, big-picture-thinking male lead × an all-around female lead with off-the-charts combat skills Cool and aloof on the outside, jealous to the core underneath × a sweet-looking girl on the outside, an older-sister type underneath Qi Sheng, captain of the Special Case Investigation Team, is renowned for his arrogance and coldness. The team he leads has an exceptionally high case clearance rate, ranking among the very best in the entire criminal police force. Qi Sheng hates nepotism, yet 1.4kReads8.7Score217Shelves
- 47 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—Shelves
- 48 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—Shelves
- 49 Blood Night 血夜 Night of Blood —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 50 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—Shelves
![Hunting Killers Under the Starry Night [Crime Investigation]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/p2o04d291fe25cec59c7c5be766b3a9f0dd~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
![When the Mountains and Seas Call Us Home [Crime Investigation]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/p2o1e1e4252d2b3a39a3f84f9cd22661a6d~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
![Peering at the Light in the Dark [Crime Investigation]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/966a34d20c930c81d9fd08836edc13f6~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
