Novels like An Invitation
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as An Invitation, best match first.
- 151 The City at Night Is Dark 城市的夜，很黑 When the setting sun bathes a city in light, night is on its way. Faced with the darkness of the city, are you ready to confront your fears? This is a test of human nature and the mind, and many people gradually cross the line. Yet some cling to the last glimmer of light in darkness so deep they cannot see their own hands. Some lights are extinguished by the slightest impurity, while others can burn away the darkness in people’s hearts. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 152 Sins at Midnight 午夜十二点罪孽 [Based on real cases, episodic stories, forensic science, no romance] Based on real cases, this is a suspenseful mystery told in episodic stories. Liu Xing, a newly graduated police detective, interns with the major crimes unit in Lingyun City. Alongside his mentor, a forensic examiner, and other colleagues, he solves a series of bizarre murders. Using forensic analysis, DNA technology, and professional investigative techniques, he pursues the killer through bloody crime scenes and the tangled d 919Reads—Score10014d adds
- 153 Neon Tokyo: The Faceless Man 霓虹东京：无脸男 A dead man’s body is discovered in an apartment in Tokyo. What makes the scene horrifying is that the skin has been expertly cut from his face. Yet on the low table beside him sits his black wallet. The identification inside, along with confirmation from the apartment’s landlord, establishes his identity as Zhang Benyazhi, a Japanese national and employee of a multinational company. If his identity is clear, why did the killer murder him? Meanwhile, Zhang Zicheng, a Chinese woman who worked at t 84Reads—Score—14d adds
- 154 Crows Descend on Sin City 鸦落罪城 (Mystery and deduction + criminal investigation + anti-drug operations + anti-corruption + mind-bending crimes) In Yacheng, Nanhuai Province, in the 1990s, a sensational case shocked the nation: the 712 serial murders. The case reached far and wide. The suspect brutally murdered a family of three, but the Qingsha Syndicate behind the killer controlled Yacheng's police, procuratorate, and courts, keeping justice out of reach. To solve the case, Zhou Zhen of the Nanhuai Provincial Police Departmen 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 155 The Twin Stars Investigate: Pursuit in the Dark 双星探案：暗夜追凶 Twin-Star Case Files: Chasing Killers in the Dark | Solve cases with brains, stay alive with clay pot stew and candy! Gu Chen: sharp instincts, plagued by stomach problems, king of the crime scene. Shen Yi: meticulous logic, prone to low blood sugar, expert in psychological profiling. Both 29, an A-team duo with off-the-charts chemistry! They handle every kind of trouble in Binhai City (meaning criminals). The cases are mind-bending, thrilling, and guaranteed to send your adrenaline soaring! (Ca 67Reads—Score—14d adds
- 156 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 157Reads—Score—14d adds
- 157 Chen Zhu at Daybreak 陈竹破晓 A perfect locked-room mystery on a magic-show stage, the remains of an innocent infant in an abandoned brick kiln, a revenge curse from a wedding-dress doll, a string of murders at a resort, a death notice on a takeout box, a sacrificial mystery at a Taoist temple, a bloody livestream… With murders occurring one after another in Nancheng, Lu Xun and Su Wanqing join forces to unravel one mystery after another. They seek the truth amid the depths of human nature and the schemes of criminals, using 17Reads—Score—14d adds
- 158 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
- 159 Judging Bloodlines in the Name of Justice 以正义之名审判血脉 Mystery and crime + dark urban drama + My Father Is the Mastermind A prosecutor is forced to call a criminal his father, but vows to bury his family with his own hands! An ordinary fishing boat murder draws Lin Feng, the youngest prosecutor in Binhai City, into an unfathomable darkness. The clues on the victim point to the Zhao Group, a black-money empire that controls the entire city, and bring to light the unsolved mystery of his father's bizarre death ten years ago. As Lin Feng investigates, 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 160 Undercover Detective on the Killer’s Trail 暗探追凶 (No System, pure deduction, no female lead, somewhat graphic, mind-bending twists and turns) The darkest corners of human nature harbor the most unspeakable evil in the world. Serial dismemberments, near-perfect high-IQ crimes, and a depraved pervert addicted to mutilating corpses. One bizarre murder after another leads to a fated nemesis... A deeply cunning psychiatrist and an upright, principled police captain join forces to uncover the thought-provoking truth behind these bizarre and baffling 747Reads8.2Score12414d adds
- 161 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
- 162 Funeral Affairs Master: I Can Solve Cases Too 白事先生：我也会破案 My childhood friend got caught soliciting sex. There’s no problem with me bailing him out, right? But what’s the deal with making a funeral director like me the head of a special investigation team? All I want is to focus on making money, but the appearance of a confession letter completely changed my life, and nearly got me killed (Chapter 164). For personal and professional reasons alike, Chou Wan, I’m going to catch you... This is a traditional detective novel, not a power fantasy. The pacing 36Reads—Score—14d adds
- 163 Salvation in the Torrential Rain 暴雨救赎 [No System, no golden finger, no romance, mystery + deduction + main plot + standalone cases] Some people receive WeChat messages from their future selves. Some act in a feel-good web short drama and end up dead at the scene. Some think they can sit back and watch the drama unfold after mouthing off online, unaware that someone is watching them from the shadows... In this world, there are always people who use terrifying methods beyond ordinary understanding to murder their fellow human beings. 113Reads—Score—14d adds
- 164 Mystery in a Small Town 小城谜案 A death case brings to light the past of educated youths sent to the countryside many years ago, a mystery surrounding someone’s identity, and an unsolved headless case... Piece by piece, the truth emerges. Facing pressure from powerful business magnates, Zhou Zhimo presses on and uncovers the truth... 5Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 165 A Chain of Mysteries 谜案连环 [Crime investigation and deduction + no female lead + episodic stories + light romance] In a corner stands an exquisite, beautiful ice sculpture, but it is made of a corpse. An anime character who seems to have stepped out of another dimension, yet has no breath left. And a blonde beauty asleep on a bench who just won't wake up... What connection do they share? Why did the killer do this? What secrets lie behind it all? The clues they uncover all seem to point to the unsolved case from seven yea 1.3kReads—Score10214d adds
- 166 It Wasn’t Him 不是他 Choices: we face many of them over the course of our lives. Have you made the right one every time? Will the road ahead be smooth, or will it lead to ruin? In the storm, some are soaked to the skin, some emerge unscathed, and others lose everything in the whirlpool of the raging current! When the person you trust most, even the person you idolize, is exposed as someone entirely different, what will you choose? Perhaps holding fast to a corner of purity within your heart is what you strive for al 259Reads7.4Score—14d adds
- 167 Sunken Jade 沉钰 [Two Male Leads + Crime Investigation + Younger Male Lead] Cool, elite team captain Fang Yu X sharp-tongued puppy-like intern Qin Chen A carefully planned explosion, a conspiracy pursued for years, a chess game controlled by another. What will it take to make it through to dawn? 67Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 168 You Were Supposed to Catch Pickpockets, So Why Did You Catch a Wanted Criminal? 让你去反扒，你顺手抓个通缉犯？ [System] [Power Fantasy] [One Female Lead] [Mystery] After drinking too much, Zhang Chen accidentally transmigrated to a parallel world several years in the past. By chance, he became an auxiliary police officer in Dong City. He also awakened the Famous Police System, and from that day on, Dong City gained a legendary figure. On his first day on the job, the anti-pickpocketing squad took him along on an operation, and he accidentally caught a wanted criminal. The officers who heard the news were 96Reads6.0Score—14d adds
- 169 The Perjurer 伪证者 Jiang Fanyu never imagined that the junior high school classmate he had once been closest to would one day become a trial he could never overcome. A phone call asking for help stirs the long-buried feelings of their youth, bringing them briefly back to life. Before his good deed can be settled, a cold threat wraps around him like a poisonous vine, dragging him step by step into a dark whirlpool. To eliminate the danger to his son, Jiang Nan schemes and calculates every angle. In the end, however 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 170 The Law of Disorder 无序之法 Forensic pathologist Lu Guangnian can see a dead person’s final memories by touching their body. But in a case involving a fatal fall from a great height, he sees a police officer with a silhouette identical to his own in the victim’s last moments. As he searches for the real culprit, he is forced into a dangerous maze where he must prove his own innocence. Each time he touches a corpse, he risks being drawn deeper into a mystery surrounding his identity and the dark workings of the system. Whic —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 171 The Wolf Captain’s Perfect Partner: The Rabbit Forensic Doctor Reports for Duty 最佳搭档狼队长的兔法医前来报道 “Make it through dawn, and a new hope will come.” Yan Mo is a steely, decisive criminal investigation team captain and the rebellious shareholder of his family business. He has no desire to inherit the family fortune and only wants to uphold justice. Skilled at handling all kinds of interpersonal relationships, he is a model captain. Zhou Sizhen is a genius forensic doctor. Combining the ancient art of the coroner with modern autopsy techniques, there is no body he cannot examine. One tears thr 199Reads—Score10214d adds
- 172 An Unexpected Surprise from My Best Bro 好兄弟给我的意外之喜. A Pleasant Surprise from My Good Buddy. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 173 Crossing Over: Sin 渡·罪 Crossing Sin 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 174 Dragon Nation: The Buried Truth 龙国：被埋藏的真相 [Mystery + deduction + mind-bending + fictional + one heroine + no System + no transmigration] Amid the neon lights and shadows of Longguo’s Magic City stands an unremarkable detective agency. Its owner, Wu Feng, is only twenty-three, yet he has already become an “urban legend” feared throughout eastern China. He wears his signature black long gown and a dark fedora. His eyes are as sharp as a scalpel, able to cut through the most convincing lies and disguises. With five times the learning abili —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 175 The Cruel Words of the World 世俗恶语 [Mystery | Truly Mentally Ill | Criminal Investigation | Madman’s Philosophy | Chinese and International Mysteries | Human Nature | Society | Intrigue] “A mental patient? Helping with an investigation? What kind of nonsense is this? Do you think this is a novel?!” Was the truth we saw carefully staged? “From beginning to end, you saw only the parts of the cases I wanted you to see.” Why did two twelve-year-old girls kill ten people in three days? “My hands have never been stained with blood, hav 12Reads—Score—14d adds
- 176 Forbidden Forensic Files: The Poisoned Corpse in the Theater 法医禁忌档案：剧院毒尸 Forensic Files of Forbidden Cases: Poisoned Corpse at the Theater —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 177 Crime Scenes: The Cases That Shook the Nation 罪案现场，那些轰动全国的大案 This book is adapted from several real, high-profile criminal cases that once made headlines across the country. Baffling murders, shocking robberies, investigations into cold cases, manhunts spanning multiple provinces... Every case once stunned the nation; every crime concealed a truth unknown to the public. Told from a documentary perspective, this book reconstructs the crime scenes, investigative details, criminals' minds, and the full process of bringing them to justice. These stories are 77.6kReads8.8Score5.3k14d adds
- 178 Seven Departures 七出 In the 21st century, someone is committing a series of crimes using ancient forms of punishment. This forces two rival senior fellow disciples to join forces, solve the case, and pursue a highly intelligent suspect. But they don't expect this to open a mysterious door… 116Reads—Score—14d adds
- 179 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
- 180 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
- 181 Blood Night 血夜 Night of Blood —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 182 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
- 183 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
- 184 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
- 185 Xu Changsheng Investigates V: The Ancient City's Mystery 许长生探案V：古城谜案 No System, no romance, pure deduction and case-solving, with standalone case arcs. The fifth book in the Xu Changsheng Investigation Series. Moving from the coastal city of Jinhai to an ancient city in the northwest, police captain Xu Changsheng solves one bizarre murder case after another. Some are baffling crimes that use ingenious physical tricks to kill or create alibis; others are cold cases entangled with new ones, revealing the ugliness of human nature. Under Xu Changsheng's meticulous re 21.9kReads8.8Score1.5k14d adds
- 186 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 20Reads—Score—14d adds
- 187 The Ten Commandments: A Criminal Investigation Archive 十戒：刑侦档案 [Two Male Leads + Mystery and Deduction + Case-of-the-Week + Strong Teamwork + Rivals + Healing] Country T is a place full of exotic charm. Jiang Qingye had been roaming the world with his “master” since he was nine, and by the age of twenty, he had become a famous local detective. To crack cases and uncover the truth, he put himself in the middle of the action. He never expected he had been caught up in the case all along. The top cop at the Criminal Investigation Bureau vs. the star detecti 69Reads—Score—14d adds
- 188 I’m Trapped in an Endless Case File 我陷入了无限案卷 A cool-headed genius detective heroine × a street thug hero with a sharp instinct Chen Meng has solved countless cases. After every case is closed, she returns to “reality”: familiar streets, ordinary dates, and people who are alive. Then she discovers that none of it is reality. It’s the beginning of the next case file. The cases never end, because she has never truly left. 17Reads—Score—14d adds
- 189 The Dead Speak: Cases from Harbor City 尸语追凶：港城谜案录 In a prosperous harbor city where neon lights blot out the sky, crime never sleeps in the shadows. A red-clad corpse found floating in Victoria Harbour shocks the entire city and sets off a string of murders. It also forces three people who can barely stand one another to form an unlikely crime-solving trio. He is Lu Chen, a senior inspector in the Major Crimes Unit: domineering and hot-tempered, he trusts experience and speed. Beneath his machismo, he is protective and soft-hearted, but he can 407Reads—Score11114d adds
- 190 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
- 191 Bloodlust and Wildflowers 血欲狂花 Interviews are a hurdle every student faces when entering the working world. The protagonist, Nie Xiaoyu, is an interview candidate too, but not an ordinary one: she is an interview judge. Whenever she encounters people who use interviews to line their own pockets and bully young women, she steps in to mete out justice and punish them. She even deals with those so heinous they have taken lives. Is she really an interview judge, or an evil woman who has committed countless crimes? 602Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 192 Criminal Investigation Squad Two: There Are No Cold Cases 刑侦二队：悬案，那是不存在的 By a twist of fate, Lin Wenyu joined the Criminal Investigation Team of the Jiaping City Public Security Bureau. Five years later, through her own efforts, she founded Criminal Investigation Team Two. With the bureau chief’s help, she recruited four key members to the team. They also had the support of a forensic scientist friend. From then on, there was no case Criminal Investigation Team Two couldn’t solve. Later, the reputation of team leader Lin Wenyu, the four core members, and their forens 477Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 193 Daisies and a Scalpel 小雏菊与手术刀 Late autumn: why did the conjoined twins suffocate inside the wall? A snowy night: who took the lives of the elderly couple who fell from a building together? On New Year's Eve, as lights glow in homes across the city and families gather, someone lies on the freezing street, their body growing cold... This winter, Hunjiang seems colder than ever. As investigative reporter Fang Jin looks into these cases in pursuit of the truth for the public, she stumbles upon a mysterious organization operating 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 194 Strange Tales from the Folk 民间吊诡故事 [An ensemble cast] [Multiple protagonists and storylines] [A wild imagination] [Mystery] [Conspiracies] [Open schemes] [Political machinations] Pangu split the earth with his axe. Fuxi and Nuwa established marriage customs. Chiyou and the Yellow Emperor fought for the throne of the gods, only for the battle to end in defeat at Mount Buzhou. After a century of war between gods and demons, the Yellow Emperor abdicated, taking the blame. Humanity gained gods, then lost them, and so a new tale of cr 20Reads—Score—14d adds
- 195 The Embroidered Guards' Case Files (Complete in Five Volumes) 锦衣拍案（全五册） Set against the real history of the early Ming dynasty, this legendary mystery series inserts the fictional character Hua Gang, a brilliant investigator in the Imperial Guards, into the past. With an authentic historical backdrop and vivid depictions of local customs, it aims to transport readers to the vibrant yet perilous early years of the Great Ming. The Case Files of the Imperial Guards series consists of five books, in chronological order: The Ghost Postmaster, Farewell, My Concubine, The 1.7kReads9.2Score16914d adds
- 196 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
- 197 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
- 198 Chasing Killers in the Dead of Night 暗夜追凶 “Does perfect crime really exist?” Bai Qi nodded confidently. “Of course!” “Then how come I've never heard of it?” Bai Qi gave a disdainful smile. “If you'd heard of it... would it still be a perfect crime?” 2.7kReads8.7Score31714d adds
- 199 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
- 200 The Narcissus Killing Game 水仙杀局 [Crime investigation + mind-bending schemes + undercover intrigue + corporate conspiracies] Word that the Water Nymph had appeared on Tongji Lake spread across Caiyun City overnight. Some said they saw a white-robed fairy dancing across the waves. Others claimed a god had descended to punish the wicked. Han Hu, chief of the East District Public Security Bureau, had vanished. His deputy chiefs fell silent as one, and police stations were buried under a mountain of reports, yet no one dared invest 75Reads8.6Score714d adds
