Novels like Rookie Detective Squad: From the Start, Cracking 30 Bizarre Cases
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Rookie Detective Squad: From the Start, Cracking 30 Bizarre Cases, best match first.
- 1 Love Against Three Lifetimes: The Third Prince Slays His Beloved 情逆三世之三公斩红颜 Yao Yifeng and Shen Lixue fell deeply in love at school, but rumors and misunderstandings tore them apart. She died by suicide, consumed by resentment; he threw himself from a building to follow her. Neither expected death to cast them into three lifetimes of reincarnation, bound by the cruelest fate imaginable. Their souls transmigrated through three lifetimes. In each, he became a renowned official and reunited with her, who bore the same name and face. Filled with guilt, he struggled to make 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 Ashen Panic 烬慌 As my father lay dying, he pressed a bloodstained chip into my hand. Six months later, the person I loved became a vegetable while protecting me. On his cold personal server, I found the only folder named after me. Inside were records of his awkward affection and a final message: “Xinxin, keep moving forward. Don’t look back.” I thought I would spend the rest of my life caught between revenge and protecting what I loved, until the “Observers,” beings from a higher civilization, arrived and col 16Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 I Use a Coin to Rule the World 我用一枚硬币玩转规则世界 [Rules-based horror + not a power fantasy + no System + no national survival game + no livestreaming + no tired tropes + horror + deduction and puzzle-solving + suspense + fictional setting + requires some brainpower] (A fairly unusual first-person narrative, but easy to read and more immersive.) The university I’d eagerly looked forward to turned out to be a bizarre academy. It was full of all kinds of strange rules: Dormitory rules, campus rules, competition and event rules, mission rules… You 7.5kReads8.8Score55314d adds
- 4 Detective Di Renjie: The Magistrate of Pengze County 神探狄仁杰之彭泽县令 In the first year of Changshou, Di Renjie is framed by treacherous schemers and demoted to the remote wilderness of Pengze, where he stumbles upon a city full of bizarre cases! A derelict rouge house, abandoned for ten years; a locked-room murder on a rainy night; three ruffians found dead inside, their lips curled in smiles, with no trace of how they died. The county authorities rule it a ghostly vengeance, and panic grips the people. Summoned to solve the case in a time of crisis, Di Gong sets 103Reads—Score714d adds
- 5 The Bureau's Twin Years: A Record of Strange Herb Mysteries in the Martial World 局编双年:奇草谜案江湖录 (Not a power fantasy + no System + plot-driven + crime-solving and deduction + mind-bending twists) (The author spent a full year crafting all the murder cases. They’re sure to be gripping and mind-bending, so enjoy!) One year ago, on a dark night, I was a lowly cleaner working in the City Lord’s Hall when I was dragged into a murder targeting the three great families. Everyone said I was the killer! One year later, by day, I’d turned my fortunes around and become deputy director of the Security 16Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Top-Secret Criminal Case Files 绝密刑事档案 Uncover major criminal cases in China, explore the truth behind them, and reveal the dark side of human nature. This series investigates and analyzes shocking major criminal cases from China in recent years. On a street on a rainy night, a taxi driver kills four people in a row, then sexually abuses and dismembers the bodies, taking photos as keepsakes! A newlywed couple vanishes overnight. What cruel crimes took place during those eight hours of impenetrable darkness? Hong'an, December 26: Eigh 4.8kReads9.5Score37614d adds
- 7 Fragrant Dust on Purple Paths 紫陌香尘 Drawing on more than a decade of experience as a police officer and my broader understanding of society, I wrote this original social realist mystery novel. This is not a wish-fulfillment story. It spans 20 years from beginning to end, with dozens of clues and echoes woven throughout. I hope to share it with readers who are patient and enjoy thinking things through. There are two cases, but what truth will you see in them? The Fragrance of Purple Dust is divided into four volumes, each named wit 20Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 Rule Horror: I Write the Rules 规则怪谈:我来书写规则 [Doomsday Arrives + Livestream + National Fate + Supernatural Rules + Parallel World] The supernatural descended upon Blue Star, and rules became humanity’s final point of contention with the unspeakable. The unspeakable would randomly select “chosen ones” from every country and send them into a supernatural world. If they successfully solved its mystery, that round’s haunting would disappear from their country. If they failed the challenge within the allotted time, the haunting would descend up 1.4kReads8.9Score15014d adds
- 9 One Slip After a Thousand Careful Thoughts 千虑一失 [Criminal Investigation] [Mystery and Deduction] [No Supernatural Elements] A man commits a brazen crime in front of the police and jumps into a river during the manhunt, but the body they find in the water is not the culprit’s. Afterward, new victims appear one after another in an apartment elevator, at a hospital, and outside the Public Security Bureau, setting off a kidnapping crisis as well. Four people die in a single day. Is this a deliberate provocation, or is something else at play? Face 60Reads8.6Score—14d adds
- 10 Crime Scene: A Homicide Captain’s Casebook 犯罪现场:刑警队长的死亡手札 Tension! Suspense! Thrills! Disappearances! Kidnappings! Murders! A sealed room used to kill, cursed villagers, a sinister mirror... Who is the real culprit lurking in the darkness? 731Reads9.1Score5314d adds
- 11 A Crime Reporter’s Notes: The Ledger of Life and Death in Real Cases 刑侦记者手记:真实罪案的生死簿 Where there are people, there's not only the “jianghu,” but also life and death. How long life lasts, we cannot know. But death comes at its own pace for everyone. One case after another unfolds, and killers spring up like bamboo shoots, piercing the calm surface of the world. As layer upon layer of real evidence is stripped away, their ugly faces are exposed. What happened to the missing young couple during their final eight hours? A pair of lecherous eyes follows a young woman's skirt, trailin 455Reads9.1Score—14d adds
- 12 Deadly Scorpion 1: A Male Criminal's Case Files 致命毒蝎1:男子犯罪档案 3.7kReads9.3Score40114d adds
- 13 The Great Coroner: Xilai, Another One’s Dead 大仵作:喜来,又死一个 She was a posthumous child pulled from a pile of corpses. She spent her days among the dead, playing with skulls and amusing herself by catching maggots. To uncover the truth behind her adoptive father's death, she even took it upon herself to dissect a corpse. Others mocked her as a freak and kept their distance, but the ruthless commander of the realm's forces doted on her beyond measure. Dismemberment and cremation, for love or for money. In this bizarre world, joy comes from seeing clearly f 5.6kReads8.9Score84214d adds
- 14 The Evil Tale (Complete) 恶谭(全文) [Suspense + criminal investigation + deduction + episodic cases + the depths of human nature + no romance + crime-solving focus] “When a person’s heart is filled with darkness, evil takes root there. The guilty are not the criminals, but those who create the darkness.” A distress call received in the early hours comes from a dead person’s phone number. A murder in a village is reported in the news, with the Wolf God suspected of being responsible! Men in Liangcheng are repeatedly found to have b 1.4kReads8.8Score19714d adds
- 15 The Female Detective of the Great Song Dynasty 大宋女刑司 [High IQ + mystery-solving + suspense] She transmigrates straight into a murder scene. Framed for the crime and squeezed dry by her gambling-addict parents, she disguises herself as a man to escape trouble, only to be exposed without mercy by a general. Watch as this lowly servant latches on to the general, examines corpses, and deduces the truth behind each case. She punishes princes above and corrupt officials below, all with a loyal friend by her side. From hunting killers in Jiangnan to trek 6.9kReads9.2Score78514d adds
- 16 Officer, Stop Guessing. I’m Really Innocent 警官别猜了,我真是无辜的啊 [Don’t read this. Check out the new book with the same title instead.] Everyone thought the young heiress of the Si family was a timid pushover, known in their circle for liking nothing but corpses and barely speaking. But no one expected that after disappearing and returning, the once timid, soft-spoken girl would change her name, become decisive and ruthless, and join the criminal investigation squad. When faced with a case, she calmly analyzes the situation and offers to act as bait to help t 29Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 Livestreaming Fortune-Telling: All My Top Supporters Are in Jail 直播测字:我的榜一全在局子里 A ghost-seeing girl and a genius young detective make the perfect supernatural duo! Jiang Chen: Can you check whether there are any nasty things around us? Su Su: Do you think I'm a ghost-hunting police dog or something?! Ghost: You're the nasty thing! Your whole family is nasty! The supernatural duo always cracks the case! 18kReads9.1Score2.5k14d adds
- 18 Evil Bones 4: Partners in Crime and Love 恶骨4:罪爱同谋 [Mind-Bending Mystery + Case-of-the-Week Stories + Crime + Criminal Investigation + Stunning Twists + Fighting Side by Side] A shadowy hand controls a deadly game. Out on the sea, a white suitcase drifts slowly across the water. When it's opened, it reveals the bloated, headless corpse of a woman! Is the butterfly tattoo on the body a clue to the victim's identity, or a warning from the killer? A blood-soaked coffin appears on a stormy night, its oozing blood horrifying against the darkness! The 1.2kReads9.3Score49414d adds
- 19 Flowers at the Bottom of the Valley 谷底的花 [Slice-of-life mystery + deduction + crime solving + case-of-the-week + serious drama] Main characters: Lu Jun (forensic pathology intern) vs. Chen Zhou (criminal investigation team captain) Six years ago, a family upheaval completely changed Lu Jun's personality, and his family sent him abroad. Six years later, Lu Jun returned to China and voluntarily joined Chen Zhou's workplace. The two are twelve years apart in age. Their relationship shifted from close friends to an awkward “uncle and nephe 1.2kReads—Score13414d adds
- 20 Dawn of Murder 1: Undercurrent 破晓杀机1:暗潮 [Criminal Investigation and Deduction + Criminal Psychology + Stunning Twists + Horror + Wild Imagination] On the square of the Police University, a horrifying corpse lies curled inside a shattered sculpture, its face contorted as if frozen in a silent scream. Even more unsettling, a note found in the victim's stomach eerily foretells the crime scene. Chen Ye has only just become a police officer when he is handed such a difficult case, and this is only the beginning. A string of deaths shatters 761Reads8.9Score13114d adds
- 21 A World Out of Balance 人间失衡 [Mind-bending suspense + short stories + no overarching plot + crime + criminal investigation + shocking twists + stories of ordinary people] The deepest wounds are often inflicted by those closest to us. A bloody case at an old family home, shrouded in mystery. Who is the real killer? After her father dies of illness, her sister-in-law sells her to northern Myanmar! The body of a baby girl is found in the woods. A kidnapping case turns into a murder investigation. Who would target an innocent i 224Reads8.3Score—14d adds
- 22 Forgive the Moon 赦免月亮 [Classic Whodunit + Case-of-the-Week + Locked-Room Murders + Multiple Twists + Power Couple + Mutual Pining] To get revenge, Du Qingci kills two people, but runs into her old classmate Chu Dongping and has no choice but to become his partner. Together, they solve five cases in seven days. As they grow closer, their feelings heat up, and the killing intent draws nearer. Du Qingci: “Why does he keep looking at me? Did he spot my weakness? Is he going to silence me?” Chu Dongping: “Why does she kee 486Reads8.2Score10814d adds
- 23 Evil Bones 2: The Ashen Mystery 恶骨2:灰烬谜踪 [Criminal Investigation + Criminal Psychology + Hard-Core Deduction + Genius Detective + Serial Murders + Fighting Side by Side + Ensemble Cast] The dead can speak, and clues never lie! Thirty years ago, a shooting sent shockwaves through the entire town. A man and a woman died on the spot, while the killer remained at large. Years later, another case brought the true culprit behind the cold case to light! At the same time, a young girl vanished under mysterious circumstances, and every suspect 3.2kReads9.3Score77414d adds
- 24 Unbelievable! From the Start, I Was at a Crime Scene 离谱!开局就是案发现场 [The rating has just been posted; it will rise later] When Xia Zhu woke up, she had become the prime suspect in a dismemberment case, and the victim's head was in her refrigerator. She was the unluckiest person alive! While others panicked and rushed to prove their innocence, she stayed at the crime scene to examine the details. Drawing on her forensic expertise, she pieced together the clues, investigated the inconsistencies, cleared her name, and helped the police identify the real culprit. Sh 6.7kReads6.9Score80614d adds
- 25 Zero-Degree Showdown: Operation Blue Arrow 零度交锋:蓝捷行动 [Mystery and Suspense] [Espionage] [Crime Investigation] [Modern Urban] [Genius] [Strong Female Lead] [National Security] Twenty-three years ago, a separation tore the lives of twin sisters apart. The younger sister was trained by an overseas spy organization to become an elite agent. Sent back to China, she is ordered to assassinate her own sister, take her place, infiltrate Lanjie Communications, and steal the core secret, “Lanjie 9.” Caught between her mission and her organization's orders on 11.9kReads9.1Score1.4k14d adds
- 26 Rule-Based Horror? I Choose to Rebel 规则怪谈?我选择叛逆 [A short drama adaptation of the same name is now available. You can watch it on the platform. Thank you for your support.] [Subverting expectations + no heroine + hilarious + sly schemer + rebellious + eerie + national fate] Rule-based horror descends upon Earth. The uncanny invades reality. Those chosen are sent into horror worlds, where they represent their respective nations and face the horrors within. Su Xiao is chosen by the horror world and entrusted with the task of representing the Dra 50.1kReads9.6Score6.3k14d adds
- 27 Strange Tales Livestream! 怪谈直播间! Welcome to the Rules of the Strange. This is a battle of blood and fire, a test of wit and courage. The power of words cannot be resisted, and the eerie rules must not be broken. In a seemingly hopeless situation, find the one correct answer, break free of your constraints, and search for a way to survive. 173.8kReads9.7Score17.6k14d adds
- 28 EN After a Thousand Simulations, I Have a Speedrun Strategy for Escape Games 模拟一千次,我有逃生游戏速通法 [Print edition on sale February 21 at 7 p.m. Please show it lots of support!] [Infinite-flow + fast-paced + funny + invincible protagonist + no female lead + no angst for the protagonist] [Across the four streets, east, south, west, and north, ask around and find out who’s the boss] [Don’t compare yourself to others. Just look at you: who do you think you are?] The White Tower descends, and the entire world enters death-instance mode. Zheng Xun, bound to an infinite simulation System and forced 214.3kReads9.6Score36k14d adds


























