What books are similar to The Name of the Game Was Murder?

The 10 closest matches to The Name of the Game Was Murder by Joan Lowery Nixon on ReadingList include The Stalker, Tarot Says Beware, Spirit Seeker, Dead Man in Indian Creek, and Terror at the Zoo. Each is scored on shared themes (authors, detective and mystery stories, and murder), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like The Name of the Game Was Murder reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–8), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.

How does ReadingList choose similar books?

Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Books like The Name of the Game Was Murder

If you liked The Name of the Game Was Murder, read The Stalker, Tarot Says Beware, or Spirit Seeker — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes, shared award lists, and reading level.

Closest match: The Stalker by Joan Lowery Nixon — shares detective and mystery stories and murder

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Looking for books like The Name of the Game Was Murder by Joan Lowery Nixon (Mystery · grades 3–8)? It’s most often read for its themes of authors, detective and mystery stories, and murder. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 3–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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The Stalkergrades 6–8: Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of detective and mystery stories, murder, and mystery and detective stories, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
Tarot Says Bewaregrades 3–8: Shares themes of detective and mystery stories, murder, and mystery and detective stories, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
Spirit Seekergrades 6–8: Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of detective and mystery stories and mystery and detective stories, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
Dead Man in Indian Creekgrades 4–6: Shares themes of detective and mystery stories and mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (4–6). Amazon → books like this →
Terror at the Zoogrades 3–6: Shares themes of detective and mystery stories and mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–6). Amazon → books like this →
Down the Rabbit Holegrades 2–8: Shares themes of detective and mystery stories and murder, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (2–8). Amazon → books like this →
Closed for the Seasongrades 3–8: Shares themes of murder and mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–8). Amazon → books like this →
Twisted Summergrades 6–8: Shares themes of murder and mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
Framed!grades 3–8: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →
Skeleton Creekgrades 3–8: Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Nevada Young Readers' Award list, and same genre (Mystery). Amazon → books like this →

Books like The Name of the Game Was Murder for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

Scared Stiff by Willo Davis Roberts · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (3–6).
Ghosts Don't Get Goose Bumps by Elvira Woodruff · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Mystery).
Bigfoot by Hal George Evarts · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of detective and mystery stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of murder, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (4–6).
Alvin's Swap Shop by Clifford B. Hicks · grades 4–6 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, same genre (Mystery), and overlapping grades (4–6).

Books like The Name of the Game Was Murder for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

The Dark and Deadly Pool by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–8 — Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of detective and mystery stories and mystery and detective stories, and same genre (Mystery).
The Other Side of Dark by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–8 — Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of detective and mystery stories and mystery and detective stories, and same genre (Mystery).
A Deadly Game of Magic by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–8 — Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of murder and mystery and detective stories, and overlapping grades (6–8).
The Haunting by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–9 — Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of mystery and detective stories, and same genre (Mystery).
Whispers from the Dead by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–9 — Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of mystery and detective stories, and same genre (Mystery).

Books like The Name of the Game Was Murder for high school & teens (grades 9–12)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 9–12— same scoring, different audience.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of murder and mystery and detective stories, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Mystery).
The Haunting by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–9 — Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of mystery and detective stories, and same genre (Mystery).
The Man in the Woods by Rosemary Wells · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of detective and mystery stories and mystery and detective stories and same genre (Mystery).
Whispers from the Dead by Joan Lowery Nixon · grades 6–9 — Is by Joan Lowery Nixon, the same author, shares themes of mystery and detective stories, and same genre (Mystery).
Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson · grades 9–12 — Shares themes of mystery and detective stories, both on the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award list, and same genre (Mystery).

Common questions

What books are similar to The Name of the Game Was Murder?: The 10 closest matches to The Name of the Game Was Murder by Joan Lowery Nixon on ReadingList include The Stalker, Tarot Says Beware, Spirit Seeker, Dead Man in Indian Creek, and Terror at the Zoo. Each is scored on shared themes (authors, detective and mystery stories, and murder), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 3–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like The Name of the Game Was Murder reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 3–8), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
How does ReadingList choose similar books?: Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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