Novels like Tracing the Crimes of the Past Decade
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Tracing the Crimes of the Past Decade, best match first.
- 1 The Haunted House of Seven Days 七日诡宅 [No clichés, no invincible hero, no brainless plot, no feel-good wish fulfillment. Enter at your own risk.] ☜ In the village of the living, where miasma hangs thick in the air, every raindrop reeks of blood. Returning to his hometown on a stormy night, Lin Huaisheng never imagines that the name on the final page of the ancestral register will be written in the blood of his own kin! Seven Days to Die On the seventh night, lanterns hunt souls and flay the living. Before dawn, shadows multiply in —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 Reborn as a Young Wife: A Village Official in the 1980s 重生小媳妇，我在八零年代当村官 [No clichés, no invincibility, no System, no wish fulfillment. If that bothers you, read at your own risk]☜ Lin Xiao, a college student about to graduate, accidentally falls from a building and transmigrates into the body of a newlywed in Peach Blossom Village. She had planned to keep a low profile, raise dogs, and farm, but her modern way of thinking catches the village chief's attention. Between the trouble caused by her awful sisters-in-law and her bond with a mysterious puppy, she is dragged —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 The Down-and-Out Heiress Clings to the Upright Official 落魄千金抱紧清官大腿 [Bound together before falling in love + Love grows over time + Facing hardship together + Historical romance] She was once the cherished jewel of the Minister's household. In a single night, her family is arrested and she becomes a prisoner. On the brink of death during exile, she unexpectedly awakens a mysterious ancient mirror, granting her a glimpse into the workings of cause and effect behind “loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and righteousness.” The spirit of the mirror tells her that ther —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Criminal Investigation Tales: My Years as a Forensic Pathologist 刑侦异闻录：我当法医这些年 Three years ago, I joined the Major Crimes Unit as a trainee forensic pathologist. I never imagined that the very first case I worked on would leave me helpless and terrified. Every clue seemed to point toward hidden supernatural forces! “The Headless Woman in Red,” “The Death Trap,” “Human-Flesh Buns,” “The Route 303 Bus Case”… Behind countless major cases lie truths no one knows, secrets that have never been made public, terrifying enough to leave you breathless! 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 Cultivating Immortality Is No Match for Battling Weirdos 修仙不如斗奇葩 After transmigrating into the world of immortal cultivation, Lu Mingzhao wants only to stay alive and quietly pursue longevity. Unfortunately, everyone in his sect is a “drama queen”: his senior brother writes a blood letter for love, his second senior sister chases someone down with a blade over a romantic debt, his third martial uncle and the Demon Venerable accuse each other of being hopeless romantics, and his sect leader master elopes in the middle of the night, leaving a mess behind... Fac —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 I’m a Yin-Yang Master at a Psychiatric Hospital 我在精神病院当阴阳先生 [Modern Urban + Cthulhu-Style Psychiatric Hospital] When Chen Sanmu was carried into Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital by paramedics, clutching his family's ancient book, Records of the Strange from the Yellow Springs, he swore he'd show those white-coated doctors what it meant that "at the end of science lies the occult." In the intensive care ward, he mixed sedatives with black dog blood to draw talismans, used the electroshock machine as a ritual implement to command the Five Thunders, and turned —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 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
- 8 Transmigrating to the Qin Dynasty: Little Mystery Cases 穿越秦朝小探案 A bizarre murder in the ancestral hall sends Li Chengye, a suspect in the case, transmigrating to the Qin Dynasty. But the bizarre murders in the Qin Dynasty turn out to be exactly like the murders in his modern-day village. What on earth is going on? Li Chengye is terrified!!! 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 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
- 10 Forensic Case Files 法医档案 A strange file born from a series of murders… Behind each bizarre case lies a secret no one dares to speak of. As a forensic expert, Yan Lingyun believes only that “justice lies in the hearts of the people.” With a flash of her scalpel, she makes her mark in the world of forensic medicine, cutting open the secrets hidden beneath the bodies… 81Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 What Happened That Night 那一个晚上的事 A former couple reunites ten years after they separated. That day, the man's wife has gone back to her hometown, and the woman's husband is away on a business trip in Beijing. The man takes the woman home, but just as the bedroom light goes out, her husband knocks on the door... The next day, the woman's husband is stabbed to death with the fruit knife he brought himself. The man turns himself in, but the woman claims she killed her husband. Xu Changsheng, a young criminal investigator, joins th 268Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 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
- 13 The Taxidermist 标本师 A woman's skinned corpse was discovered on the roof of an office building, her body wrapped in layers of plastic wrap. The police suspected that the victim had conspired with her killer to take her own life. Meanwhile, fingerprints found on a hand at the crime scene revealed that each of its five fingers belonged to a different person. All five were involved in last year's murder case. Wang Chi, who solved that case, was transferred out of the police force after being suspected of having mental 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 The Boat That Ferries the Dead 渡亡之舟 Dense fog seals off the sea, and a battered wooden ship drifts aimlessly. When Ya Heng wakes on the icy deck, he knows he has become a “Ferryman of the Dead.” The first stop is called Happiness Town. Welcome to Happiness Town, where the villagers always wear blissful smiles, as if they have no idea what sorrow is. When Butcher Hu sheds his human skin, when broken bones float up in Chef Zheng’s wine jar, when the “fourteen years” curse from the comic comes true... Only then does Ya Heng understa 1Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 15 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
- 16 My Wife, Who Loves Night Jogging 爱上夜跑的妻子 The Wife Who Fell in Love with Night Running —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 Black Smoke 黑烟 Standalone Cases + Criminal Investigation + Crime-Solving A girl with all four limbs severed Bones smashed to pieces A puzzle that can never be completed A butcher's blade hidden behind a legend A bizarre art gallery A haunted school The good and evil in human nature, right and wrong, and all the gray areas in between What brings me into the light, and what will make us fall into the abyss? 170Reads—Score10114d adds
- 18 The Sister Growing on the Back of My Head 长在我后脑勺上的姐姐 The Sister Growing on the Back of My Head 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 Criminal Investigation Unit 刑侦调查组 [Criminal investigation + case-solving + suspense + romance] A discarded corpse found in the mountains outside Xingzhou shattered the peace and presented the Xingzhou Public Security Bureau with a daunting challenge. The body raised countless questions. Was it murder or an accident? Was this the beginning of some terrible event, or was it already nearing its end? No one had the answers. They only knew that the truth was far from simple. The team immediately launched an intensive investigation. 278Reads—Score10314d adds
- 20 The White Elephant Princess Visits Her Online Love Visa-Free, and Brother Long Has the World in Tears 白象公主免签奔现，龙哥卷哭全球 [Comedy + Wild Imagination + Urban] When Eloise, the princess of Baixiang Nation, heads to the Peninsula for a trip, she takes advantage of Longxia's visa-free policy to visit Yao Keqing, an online friend living there. She never expects that this seemingly ordinary transnational meetup will become the fuse that blows open the mysterious facade of Longxia! ✓ A clash of expectations: Eloise arrives convinced that “Longxia is backward,” only to have her eyelashes practically blown off by the light 13Reads—Score214d adds
- 21 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
- 22 Murder by WeChat 微信杀机 At midnight, the death knell rings, and Gu Fei jolts awake from a dream. Every evil deed is shrouded in that veil of mist. Behind an ordinary WeChat message lie countless deadly traps. Is it a demon’s hatred, or an angel’s gift? Zhou Ran is just an ordinary novelist, but murder happens all around him. When he realizes who the real killer is, he chooses to risk his own life to protect them. Can the perfect murder plot, devised to protect someone, be exposed? Who could make another person willingl 36Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 23 Death Notice 死亡讯息 I'm a forensic examiner, the person who has the most contact with the dead after they die. They leave me messages, yearning for justice and fairness. Many criminals are psychologically twisted. They cruelly murder their victims and may even abuse their corpses. Their strange actions are hard to understand, yet they truly happen. If there is no light in this world, and darkness is filled with sin, then I will hold fast to the light within me. 4.1kReads—Score—14d adds
- 24 The Archives Unit 档案组 [Horror + Mystery + Deduction] (This story is entirely fictional.) In the world we live in, countless mysterious corners often lie hidden beneath the surface calm. Events that cannot be easily explained by common sense are like phantoms in the fog, drawing people in to seek the truth behind them. And this book, The Archives, will take you on a journey of exploration into a world filled with mystery and wonder. Liu Yumin was originally just an unassuming employee in the police station’s records 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 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
- 26 Strange Cases of the Tang Dynasty 唐朝诡案 Set during the Tang Dynasty, this novel tells the thrilling, legendary tale of Li Chang’an, a man of humble origins who becomes a county magistrate through a stroke of fate. From then on, he uses the wit of an ordinary man to crack extraordinary cases and outsmart corrupt officials at every level. 35Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 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
- 28 The Diary That Doesn’t Exist 不存在的日记 The plot moves slowly. No romance, and no brainless characters. If that bothers you, please move on. Wang Nan is a police officer. A single emergency call unexpectedly draws him into a complicated murder case. The crime is closely connected to a case from twelve years ago, making the whole affair even more baffling. As the investigation deepens, a diary is discovered, and its secrets and the truth gradually come to light. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 The Silent Truth: The Language of Corpses 沉默的真相：尸语 On a stormy night, a woman in white lay curled up at the bottom of an elevator shaft in an unfinished building. There were no fatal injuries on her body, but strange honeycomb-shaped bruises marked her ankles. The faintest curve lingered at the corner of her mouth, as if she were waiting for someone, waiting for an answer. An unjust case buried for twenty-eight years. Three recent deaths. A “ghost” hiding inside the forensic center. As Long Yusheng edges closer to the truth, a threatening call c 129Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 After Dissecting a Corpse, I Began to Mutate 解剖尸体后，我开始异变 Urban supernatural powers + unusual professions + horror and thrills + eerie mysteries When Lin Shen followed procedure and opened the corpse’s chest cavity, he found that the dead man’s liver was beating rhythmically. A viscous fluid dotted with transparent granules seeped from its surface. Under the microscope, those granules turned out to be tiny embryos curled into shape, some even opening their eyes to stare back at him. At the same time, his bionic right-hand prosthesis shuddered violently —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 A Collection of Supernatural Horror Short Stories 超级恐怖短篇小说合集 An ordinary office worker in the city buys an antique wooden comb on a whim, unaware that he has become entangled in a terrifying curse spanning a century. A new work, with one self-contained story per chapter. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Mermaid 人鱼 Mermaid 74Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 Wrong Body: A Deadly Game of Two Faces 错躯：双面死局 [Mystery + mind-bending + body swap] It seemed like an ordinary kidnapping spree, but it dragged him into an endless abyss... When he woke up, police detective Chen Yuan had switched bodies, and with none other than the kidnapper he was hunting... —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 34 Detective Di Renjie: The Gilded Riddle of the Half-Torn Scroll 狄仁杰探案·半页残卷金漆谜 Detective Di Renjie: The Mystery of the Half-Page Fragment in Gold Lacquer 2Reads—Score114d adds
- 35 The Female Forensic Pathologist: The Perfect Partner 女法医：最佳搭档 A major case from years ago remains unsolved, and it was practically the perfect crime. Chen Shuang and Jiang Wang make an outstanding crime-solving team, though they are also a pair of bickering rivals. Their first meeting gets off to a hilariously awkward start. Jiang Wang: “No wonder there are so many unsolved cases when you forensic doctors can't even figure out minor ones.” Chen Shuang: “Captain Li, what did you say? Who's Jiang Wang? I don't see anyone.” Jiang Wang: “...” Later, the two wo 24Reads—Score—14d adds
- 36 Love and Sin 情与罪 This book tells the story of a crime born from love. To make her his, the culprit kills everyone close to her, leaving no survivors. His methods are ingenious, and every move is meticulously planned. 48Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 37 Shh, Don’t Speak 嘘，别说话 The wedding venue turns into a crime scene. He’s dead! Did she kill him? Yun Shen is a renowned mystery novelist, and the murder at this wedding is exactly like the plot of one of her novels. More murders follow, each one matching a murder in one of her books. It’s as if she’s fallen under a curse. It seems there’s always a pair of eyes watching her from somewhere nearby... 139Reads5.5Score—14d adds
- 38 The Devil Is Right Beside You 恶魔就在身边 Shen Huan has an unusual ability: if he talks to a soul and asks it to visit him in a dream, he is guaranteed to dream of it that night. A string of murders has shocked Jiangcheng. The killer is brutal, and the crimes follow no discernible pattern. In this race against time to catch the culprit, can Shen Huan uncover the shocking secrets behind each case before he loses himself? 15Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 Sweet Romance in the Countryside: The Marquis's Heir and His Country Girl 农门甜宠：侯府世子的小农妃 [Ancient-Era Farming + Building a Fortune + Food + Sweet Romance + Mystery + Deduction] Ning Haoya transmigrates to an ancient village. Her father cherishes her and her younger brother is devoted to her. Though they have barely enough to live on, they are happy together. But a natural disaster shatters their hopes overnight. To give her family a better life and get away from her awful relatives, Ning Haoya works tirelessly, keeping her head down and giving it her all. At last, she carves out a p 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 Case Files Group 3 档案组3 [Horror + mystery + deduction] (This story is entirely fictional.) With Wen Licheng joining the archives team, they face a series of unprecedented challenges. A bizarre string of murders shatters the peace of Xueyang City. The victims come from all walks of life, yet their deaths share an eerily similar pattern. Liu Yumin leads the members of the archives team as they swiftly throw themselves into the investigation. Archives Team 3 takes you into a world of mystery, danger, and warmth. Follow 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 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
- 42 I Just Confessed, and the Real Killer Turned Themself In 我刚认罪，真凶却投案自首了 I’d Just Confessed When the Real Killer Turned Himself In —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 A Con Artist? I'm the Grandmaster of Con Artists 骗子？我才是骗子祖师爷 Qin Xiao was one of the leaders of a scam ring. After learning that his girlfriend was pregnant, he decided to quit for good, only for his sworn brother to cruelly murder her. After his death, Qin Xiao’s soul transmigrates into another person’s body, setting him on a path of revenge... —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 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
- 45 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
- 46 A Mountain of Sin: My Memoir 罪恶滔天：我的备忘录 (Written entirely by hand, not AI, and adapted from real events.) If you can't sleep, why not read a short story based on a real case? I pushed open the bedroom in our newlywed home, expecting to hear my wife laughing as she played with our month-old son. But the laughter never came. Instead... instead... No romance, no idiot characters, and no female lead. Solving the case is the whole point. The book is divided into sections. The first volume is told in first person, while the second is simila 19Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 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
- 48 A Record of Burying Winter Flowers 寒花葬志 The workplace survival rules of rookie detective Cheng Jinzhan: Let the cases solve themselves, but never skip overtime. Keep your instant noodles hidden, and make sure to talk back to the captain! He thought being a cop would mean thrilling, 007-style criminal pursuits. Instead, he spends his days helping grannies find their cats, sobering up drunks, and getting scammed by suspects pretending to be victims. Then he meets... A devastatingly sexy gay heartthrob, a flirtatious captain who solves 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 Tales of Strange Corpses 诡尸怪谈 Do you know where the bodies used for dissection in medical schools come from? Strange things keep happening at medical schools, and people die for no apparent reason. Before long, rumors give rise to all kinds of taboos. Out of ignorance, my roommates died one after another. And I’m the only one who knows what lies at the root of it all... 163Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 Crime Investigation Records 罪案调查录 A gorgeous woman dies in her car, and a gifted doctor flees in fear of prosecution. Reborn out of love, then ruined by love, what story lies behind the tragedy? A diligent student rises from poverty and meets a beautiful wife in a foreign land. But sometimes, what seems like love is nothing more than a villain’s deadly scheme. A deranged man murders his mother and violates her corpse. What dark secrets lie behind his twisted sexuality? One gripping tale after another, one heartbreaking murder af 1Reads8.9Score—14d adds
