Secret societies are some of the most exciting unknowns of literature — and real life! With mysterious motives, cloaked figures, and undeniable power, these hidden organizations captivate readers again and again. If you’re looking for a specific type of mystery to grace the pages of your next read, this list has the perfect secret society-themed book for you!
Trigger Warning: Some of the books in this list contain serious topics like murder, the Holocaust, and PTSD. Please read all trigger/content warnings before purchasing.
The 39 Clues Series, Created by Rick Riordan
Tweens Amy and Dan Cahill have been stuck living with their sour great aunt since their parents died in a horrible house fire many years ago. Their only solace is their weekend visits to their grandmother, Grace’s, mansion. When Grace passes away, the solemn pair go to her will-reading and are presented with a choice: one million dollars or a clue that could lead to unimaginable power. Apparently, the Cahills are a formidable family divided into four secret factions that have been controlling the machinations of society for hundreds of years. Created by Rick Riordan, with multiple authors contributing to the story, The 39 Clues series follows the young Cahill siblings as they drag their punk rock au pair on an international scavenger hunt that promises danger and unexpected reveals around every corner.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
The witches of Britain live under a strict code: keep their presence secret and hide their magic powers. As an orphan, Mika Moon is familiar with isolation, yet she does bend the rules slightly by posting videos of herself “pretending” to be a witch. No harm, no foul, right? That is, until her videos catch the attention of someone who sees through her facade, and suddenly, Mika is invited to Nowhere House, a remote place with three young witches who desperately need magical guidance. When Mika arrives at her new home, she is quickly surrounded by more interesting characters than she’s ever known, including the dashing if irritable librarian, Jamie. But when an unexpected danger threatens to destroy her new happiness, Mika will have to prove that she’s brave enough to protect the found family she never knew she needed.
The Alex Stern Series by Leigh Bardugo
Ninth House, the first book in the Alex Stern series, follows Galaxy “Alex” Stern, a freshman at Yale who struggles to fit in with the rest of the student crowd. In fact, on paper, she really shouldn’t be at Yale at all. Back in Los Angeles, her rocky early life caused her to drop out of school and end up with a string of shifty, drug-dealing boyfriends. When Alex wakes up in a hospital bed as the sole survivor of a grisly multiple homicide, a mysterious party offers her the opportunity to leave the horrors of LA behind and attend an East Coast Ivy League institution. But no offer comes without strings, and once Alex lands in New Haven, she is expected to spy on the shady secret societies of the university, whose occult practices have turned darker and more disturbing than anyone could have imagined.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
At the start of 1946, author Juliet Ashton hopes to leave the dark devastation of the London Blitz in her past and follow her promising writing career into the future — all she needs is the perfect subject. Then one day, Juliet receives a letter from a man on the remote isle of Guernsey, who, by chance, found her name scrawled inside a book by the essayist Charles Lamb. As the two begin a friendly correspondence, Juliet learns of the remarkable Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a subversive book club that started by happenstance when the occupying Germans demanded a reason behind their broken curfew. Enchanted by the group’s story, Juliet sets sail for Guernsey, but neither she nor her kind-hearted pen pal expects how transformative this visit will be.
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
When she was 14, Frankie Landau-Banks was simply a geeky boarding school girl who happily kept her head down in debate club. But by the time she blew the candles out on her 16th birthday, Frankie was a completely different creature… and possibly a criminal mastermind, at that. This begs the question: How did one girl go from the bottom of the social ladder to a terrifying (and gorgeous) force to be reckoned with? The answer lies in her 15th year of life, the year that the boys started taking notice of Frankie and she landed her first boyfriend, a wordy wiz named Matthew. Frankie’s newfound confidence at 15 means she isn’t satisfied with taking a backseat to life, so when Matthew excludes her from his all-male secret society, she vows to take revenge with a slew of deliciously gratifying pranks.
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
The Great Recession affected countless workers across the United States, with one of them, unfortunately, being Clay Jannon. Once a web designer, Clay now finds himself working as a clerk at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. After spending a few days behind the counter, Clay’s analytical mind notices that Mr. Penumbra’s store seems to be suspiciously low on patrons. That is, apart from the mysterious few who don’t buy books but instead “check out” massive, obscure tomes shelved in random areas. Fascinated, Clay recruits his friends to help him carefully analyze the behavior of these “customers,” but when they confront Mr. Penumbra himself with their findings, they discover that the secrets of the bookstore are far greater than they ever imagined.
The Atlas Trilogy by Olivie Blake
The Atlas Six, the first book in The Atlas Trilogy, introduces readers to the powerful Alexandrian Society. Every ten years, this illustrious secret society grants six gifted magicians the chance to earn a place in their circle. This coveted prize promises the winner a life of formidable prestige, but the journey to get there will make friends out of foes and enemies out of allies. And there’s no guarantee that every candidate will survive the year ahead…
All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth
When the now 17-year-old Charlie Fairchild was just a young girl, her mother, Grace, went missing from the family’s lake house, never to be seen again. Ever since that dark day, Charlie has been haunted by the mystery surrounding her mother’s disappearance. Attempting to escape this tragic memory, Charlie instead invests herself in the social life offered at her distinguished school, Knollwood. Soon, Charlie catches the attention of the A’s, a secret society known for tormenting students and faculty alike. In order to join the A’s, Charlie must play The Game, a twisted scavenger hunt that will threaten her friendships, her academics, and the past she’s tried so desperately to hide from.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
When Vermont grad student Zachary stumbles upon a mysterious book at his university library, he’s shocked to discover that between the fantastical tales is a noticeably different sort of story… his own. Obsessed with uncovering the truth behind this bizarre book, Zachary follows a series of clues first to a masquerade party in New York, then to a secret club, and finally into an ancient library beneath Earth itself. This is a place free from the restraints of time, full of lovers, pirates, grand ships, devoted guardians, and those bent on destroying it. With his new friends, Mirabel and Dorian, around him, Zachary explores this fantastical world, learning more about himself along the way.
The Invisible Library Series by Genevieve Cogman
The first book in The Invisible Library series places readers in the shoes of Irene, a spy employed by the Library, an organization devoted to collecting and preserving fiction across the multiverse. Irene’s most recent assignment sends her and her assistant, Kai, to an alternate London, where the dangerous book they are searching for has already been stolen. Forced to work against the many secret societies in this supernaturally twisted London, Irene must find the book before it falls into the wrong hands. The only problem? Kai has some explosive secrets of his own…
With a mix of fantasy, thriller, and YA fiction alike, these secret society books are bound to bring a special kind of excitement to your bookshelf. All that’s left to do is create a secret society of your own! And as The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society has taught us, a book club isn’t a bad way to start.
For more books with a secrecy angle, check out our article on Dark Academia Mysteries here.
Check out our Team Recommendations bookshelf on Bookshop for our favorite reads of every genre.
