[Everyone likes a good detective novel. My granddaughter, Silverbabe Cassie, is interested in becoming a private eye, so I prepared this reading list for her. SB SM]
Death on the Nile is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 1 November 1937 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence and the US edition at $2.00. Wikipedia
Rebecca is a 1938 Gothic novel by the English author Daphne du Maurier. The novel depicts an unnamed young woman who impetuously marries a wealthy widower, before discovering that both he and his household are haunted by the memory of his late first wife, the title character. Wikipedia
A Study in Scarlet is an 1887 detective novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become the most famous detective duo in English literature. Wikipedia
The Maltese Falcon is a 1930 detective novel by American writer Dashiell Hammett, originally serialized in the magazine Black Mask beginning with the September 1929 issue. Wikipedia
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (1939)
Private investigator Philip Marlowe is trying to find out who’s blackmailing a wealthy young woman. He enters into a dangerous investigation filled with kidnapping, seduction, murder, and more.
The Big Sleep is a deeply atmospheric crime novel, and the characters are complex, even the ones who fall into well-worn tropes.
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (1980)
The year is 1327. The place is a Northern Italian abbey full of Benedictine monks.
Something strange is afoot in this abbey. Seven monks die in bizarre ways, and Friar William of Baskerville must figure out who has killed them, using his wry wit and sharp intellect.
This historical mystery, translated from Italian to English by William Weaver, is one of the best-selling mystery books ever published.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (2005)
The Swedish crime novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, translated into English in 2008, is now an international bestseller.
Crusading journalist Mikael Blomkvist and punk hacker Lisbeth Salander team up to solve a strange mystery. Their investigation uncovers a web of corruption and injustice.
The novel is a ferocious revenge story, a gripping mystery, and one of the most popular crime books published in recent years.
It’s the first book in Larsson’s “Millennium” trilogy, all of which were published after the author’s death.
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (1988)
Clarice Starling, a young FBI agent, is trying to track down a serial killer named Buffalo Bill.
She visits a mental institution to ask a cannibalistic serial killer, Hannibal Lecter, to help her understand the psychology of the crime.
As Starling continues her investigation, the mystery grows stranger and more gruesome.
The Silence of the Lambs is well-known for its popular film adaptation, which won five Academy Awards.
It’s the second book in the Hannibal Lecter series, which began with Red Dragon in 1981, but you can fully experience this story without reading Red Dragon first.
Still Life by Louise Penny (2015)
It’s Thanksgiving weekend in the quiet Canadian town Three Pines, and someone has discovered a dead woman in the woods.
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec arrives on the scene to figure out why anyone would commit murder in this peaceful town.
Still Life is a classic cozy mystery that covers themes related to family, integrity, and home. It’s the first entry in the Chief Inspector Gamache series, which consists of 20 books.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (2012)
Nick and Amy Dunne appear to be a happily married couple—until Amy disappears.
The police immediately suspect Nick, especially after they discover Amy’s diary, which paints a more troubled picture of their marriage. But all is not as it seems as Nick quickly realizes how little he knows about his wife.
Gone Girl is a stunning standalone novel with an unreliable narrator and an exciting series of plot twists.
A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton (1982)
Kinsey Millhone, a private detective in Santa Teresa, is paid a visit by Nikki Fife who just got out of jail for killing her husband.
Fife claims she didn’t commit the crime and asks Millhone to find the true murderer and get justice for her husband.
Millhone follows the clues to Las Vegas and finds herself unraveling a dark web of secrets.
A Is for Alibi is the first book in Sue Grafton’s “Alphabet” series, which includes 25 books, from A to Y.
One by One by Ruth Ware (2020)
A corporate staff retreat takes place at a beautiful mountain chalet. When they get snowed in, the eight coworkers figure they’re in for a few days of skiing and hot chocolate.
But then they start to die. Each of them must decide whom they can trust.
Ruth Ware is a masterful writer, and this detective story has a beautiful setting and a fantastic twist.
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (2003)
The Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane is located on a remote island.
When a female patient at the hospital goes missing, US Marshal Edward “Teddy” Daniels gets summoned to the island to find out where she’s gone.
As Daniels spends more time at Ashecliffe Hospital, he starts to find strange clues that make him question what’s real.
Dennis Lehane crafts an eerie, haunting read that merges Gothic horror with pulp fiction. Shutter Island was adapted into a critically acclaimed film of the same name starring Leonardo DiCaprio in 2010.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (2003)
Someone has stuck a pitchfork in the neighborhood dog. Christopher John Francis Boone, a fifteen-year-old boy with Asperger’s Syndrome, stumbles onto the crime scene and resolves to figure out who would do such a horrible thing.
Not every murder mystery has to be dark, and this one is a great example of a heartwarming read. This story is charming, captivating, and touching, with themes related to family and friendship.
A wonderful post, Stephen. I’ve read every one of these books, and man, you nailed the list! Nicely done!
Excellent. There’re two that I’ve missed, but I’ll catch up.