Monday, August 10, 2026

Six humorous mystery novels

Gloria Chao is a USA Today bestselling author and a screenwriter. Her novels include The Mortal Enemy Murder Club, The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club, Ex Marks the Spot, When You Wish Upon a Lantern, Rent a Boyfriend, Our Wayward Fate, and American Panda. She graduated from MIT and became a dentist before realizing she’d rather spend her days in fictional characters’ heads instead of real people’s mouths. When she’s not writing, you can find her on the curling ice, where she and her husband are world-ranked in mixed doubles.

[The Page 69 Test: American Panda; The Page 69 Test: When You Wish Upon a Lantern]

At CrimeReads Chao tagged six "humorous mysteries that I have loved, ranging from laugh-out-loud funny to more subtle humor." One title on the list:
Emma Mills, Rachel West and the Fallen Starlet

When Rachel’s celebrity friend Molly is found dead, she’s the only one who knows she didn’t die of an overdose like everyone claims, and she’s going to have to prove it. This book was filled with humor and banter, all while feeling like you’re living inside a magazine getting the celebrity gossip first. You’ll be sucked into this fun ride immediately and kept guessing until the end!
Read about the other mysteries on Chao's list at CrimeReads.

--Marshal Zeringue