Top 19 Books About Secret Societies Updated 04 /2024

In this story, there are bookish cults, dangerous clubs and crews of thrown away people. They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes in these seven gripping stories of murder and freedom. When we think about what it would be like to get an invitation to a party or find a community that isn't like anything we've ever imagined, we all want to be there. Invite yourself to join in on the secrets hidden in these pages.

Angels & Demons

by Dan Brown

In ANGELS & DEMONS, Dan Brown's crime-solving professor Robert Langdon went to the Vatican. Before that, he went to the Vatican in THE DA VINCI CODE. In this page-turner, an ancient secret society has stolen powerful antimatter and used it to make an apocalyptic time bomb that could end the Vatican's existence. When Langdon wants to stop the destruction, he teams up with an Italian scientist to figure out the clues that might be able to stop the explosion before it's too late.

The Parting Glass

by Gina Marie Guadagnino

In THE PARTING GLASS, two women try to be true to themselves in a world that was very different from today's New York City. As a maid for the rich socialite Charlotte, Mary is always on time and does what she's told to do. They drink with dangerous members of a secret society at night. Charlotte has an affair with the stable boy, who is Mary's brother. Lush and edgy, this debut novel will be a hit with fans of Sarah Waters's historical fiction.

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter

by Theodora Goss

Is it scary when the monsters from classic fantasy and science fiction meet their creators for the first time? It's called THE STRANGE CASE OF THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER. Mary Jekyll is on a mission to find her father's partner, the famous killer Edward Hyde. Mary soon finds out that her father, Hyde, and a lot of other people were members of a terrifying secret society. It's up to them to stop the madness.

School for Psychics

by K.C. Archer

School for Psychics is the first book in K.C. Archer's new series about a school for psychics and the people who try to get them to do what they want to them. Teddy is a strong-willed young woman who can read people like a pro. Soon, she'll be going to a secret, cutthroat school that trains people who are good enough to work in the top jobs in the U.S. government. That's true, but Teddy has to figure out who's a friend and a foe before she can be used against herself.

Ninth House

by Leigh Bardugo

NINTH HOUSE is a fantasy version of Leigh Bardugo's time at Yale University. It tells the story of Alex Stern, the only survivor of a multiple murder. While recovering in the hospital, Alex is offered a full scholarship to Yale University by a mysterious donor. The donor only asks that Alex keep an eye on Yale's aristocratic secret societies while she is there. That's not going to be easy for Alex. She soon finds out that the activities of these groups are darker and more dangerous than she thought.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

by Robin Sloan

When Clay Jannon, a web-design expert living in San Francisco, loses his job because of the recession, he has to work in a bookshop. Robin Sloan's book, which won an award, is about him and his friends. But things aren't always what they seem at this small store. No one ever buys a book because suspicious customers "check out" weird volumes. After Clay starts looking for answers, he finds a bookish cult that is beyond his wildest dreams. People who read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore get a heart-pounding, witty love letter to books with an old-fashioned sense of humor.

The Seven Dials Mystery

by Agatha Christie

On the surface, THE SEVEN DIALS MYSTERY doesn't seem to be anything more than a prank that went wrong. It was written by the queen of mystery, Agatha Christie. People at a party decide to play a joke on Gerry Wade, who is known for sleeping for long periods of time. They set eight alarms, all set to go off at the same time. But when one of the alarms doesn't go off, their prank can be very dangerous. This book features characters from Christie's other books. It gives a look at the complicated web of Christie's own work.

The Maidens

By Alex Michaelides

Cambridge University has a secret society that is at the heart of Alex Michaelides' new thriller, The Silent Patient. The author is the best-selling author of The Silent Patient. A group of female students called The Maidens are very popular with students all over the university. Not everyone loves it. When a member of The Maidens is killed, Mariana Andros, a Cambridge alum, thinks that Fosca is behind it. She wants to bring him down.

Foucault’s Pendulum

By Umberto Eco

Umberto Eco's 1989 book, "Casaubon," tells the story of an academic named Casaubon who works with two editors in Milan to make up a false occult history that links the Knights Templar to mystical events from all over the world. But when real groups of occultists believe the trio's hoax to be true, they're willing to kill to get its secrets.

The Secret History

By Donna Tartt

Donna Tartt, a Pulitzer Prize winner, wrote one of the best books about secret societies with her book, The Secret Circle. The story is about a group of weird students at Hampden College in Vermont who, with the help of a charming Classics professor, learn how to live outside the lines. When Richard Papen, a new student, joins the group of misfits, he soon finds out about the dark side of the group.

The Rook

By Daniel O'Malley

Daniel O'Malley puts a new twist on the secret society book in this fun and exciting espionage thriller. When Myfanwy Thomas wakes up in a London park, she can't remember how she even got there. There are dead bodies all around her. Myfanwy is only given a set of strange instructions. Soon, she learns that she is a high-level secret agent called a "Rook," who is supposed to protect the world from supernatural threats. As if that wasn't bad enough, a mole has broken into the operation and wants to kill Myfanwy.

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