6 Books to Read Next if You Loved Where the Crawdads Sing

Delia Owens’ debut novel Where the Crawdads Sing zoomed up the bestseller list and continues to attract readers, thanks in large part to word of mouth, becoming a selection for Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon’s book club, and now, a movie adaptation. The novel tells the story of Kya Clark, who grows up almost completely on her own in the coastal wetlands of North Carolina in the 1950s and 60s after her family abandons her. Kya, known to townsfolk as “The Marsh Girl,” spends her days collecting and cataloging the wildlife of her surroundings, until she becomes the suspect of a murder investigation. The novel, with its poignant theme of loneliness, is at once contemplative and suspenseful as Owens sets the developments in the murder case against the story of Kya’s desolate upbringing. If you loved this novel, what should you read next? Here are six suggestions. 

All the ingredients for a classic thriller: a matriarch, a prodigal son, a defunct M. Musgrove & Family Detective Agency just waiting for its next case. And, of course, with a title such as this, the other Savannah, the quintessential Southern town that is a character all of its own. We’re in good hands with George Dawes Green. If you want to lean into another story with a deep South setting as well as a propulsive detective story, then this is a great choice for you! 

Perfect for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing, Kristin Hannah’s stunningly beautiful and heart-wrenching dustbowl drama traces the conflicts and challenges faced by Elsa and her family, who journey west in search of a better life. Elsa’s critical choices shape the lives of the people around her for generations to come. 

Death, love and murder — no one can escape the first, hopefully everyone experiences the second and the third befalls no one. Matt Goldman’s Carolina Moonset circles all three in this traditional mystery that follows the path of a gun found, lost and then found again. From family and memory loss to the memories of lost days, this trade paper original covers so much ground in under 300 pages. This is the perfect option for anyone looking to lean deeply into the murder/thriller aspect of Where the Crawdads Sing! 

It’s been two years since William Kent Krueger’s last novel, This Tender Land. And it’s been three years since his last Cork O’Connor series title, Desolation Mountain. Lightning Strike combines the brilliance of the Cork O’Connor protagonist along with nostalgia and the delicate nature of history, family and “home” from 2019’s This Tender Land. Which is to say, this prequel to the Cork O’Connor story is a perfect storm of Krueger’s writing — intriguing, heartfelt and empathetic. We always feel good about life after reading a William Kent Krueger novel. 

Full of scandal and with a similar background/isolation component that made us fall in love with Where the Crawdads Sing, this is the perfect next book to pick up. It’s based on a real-life adoption scandal and will have you on the edge of your seat page after page! With a plotline based both in the past and present, Before We Were Yours is a riveting story of family secrets, scandal, and siblings. 

While this one is a memoir, it is perfect for anyone who wants to delve deep into stories of a difficult childhood like Where the Crawdads Sing features. A story of resilience and redemption, this book delves into a peculiar family full of loyalty and siblings who take care of each other in the face of parents who don’t. This book has also been made into a movie, so if you’re looking for a story to read before you watch, this is a good one to add to your TBR.