I must confess that I am a mystery book "snob". Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, Dashiell Hammett, Arthur Conan Doyle, etc. are my go to authors when I want to read a baffling whodunnit. It's not that I am unwilling to try new books, but many current mystery authors don't measure up to the grand masters of murder. Too often you can figure out the culprit before you are midway through the book. Also, a number of modern mysteries rely on gratuitous sex and/or violent (to the point of being grotesque) butchery to keep readers involved. Classic mysteries just seem to be more eloquent and intriguing. Please understand that I am not trying to bash anyone's favorite author. I just tend to be a traditionalist when it comes to reading murder mysteries.
For those of you who share my affinity for murder and mayhem here is a list of what I consider to be the most puzzling and plot twisting mysteries. These books are certain to have you scratching your head until the detective unravels the clues and delivers the "big reveal".
1. Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allen Poe
This short story is prerequisite reading for any mystery aficionado. Why? Because, before Poe wrote Murders in the Rue Morgue there was no such thing as a detective mystery. Let alone a locked room mystery.Poe begins the story with a discussion of the analytical mind and how deduction can be used to solve a crime. An unnamed narrator than relates how his friend and roommate, used his brilliant mind to solve a double murder that had previously baffled the police.
Hmmm. Seems to bare an uncanny resemblance to another illustrious detective whose sidekick/roommate records his astonishing triumphs of detection. For the record, Murders in the Rue Morgue was published in 1841 and the first Sherlock Holmes stories did not appear till 1890.
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
Even though Doyle was obviously inspired by Poe and The Murders in the Rue Morgue, all of the Sherlock Holmes stories are masterly written and fantastic fun to read. The Hound of the Baskervilles with it's gloomy setting, family curse, and a giant, murderous ghost hound is my personal favorite.
I love all of Doyle's mysteries and it is truly amazing how "Sherlock Holmes" has inspired and influenced so many books, television shows, and movies.
They do not really follow original stories by Doyle, but the films starring Robert Downey Jr. as the title character are incredibly entertaining.
Of course, I am also a massive fan of the 21st century incarnation of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson played by Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. If you have not seen the BBC show Sherlock we have all three seasons at the library so check them out TODAY!
3. Murder on the Orient Express by the Grand Madame of murder Agatha Christie
If you enjoy reading mysteries you absolutely must read ALL of Agatha Christie's books. No other author, alive or deceased, has crafted a whodunnit as well as her. I could have listed any of her books on this list and, honestly, they are all worthy of being included. I chose Murder on the Orient Express for this list because I have read it more than a dozen times and I still enjoy it even though I know how it ends.
A wealthy and irascible gentlemen is murdered on a train. Which of the other passengers committed the crime? Unfortunately for the murderer, the train is trapped in the snow and Hercule Poirot (Christie's most famous detective) is on the train and puts his "tiny grey cells" to work in unmasking him or her.
A snow bound train, a dead body, a dozen or more suspects, and a genius detective to solve the riddle. What could be better? I promise that you will never see the ending coming.
4. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
5. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
The book takes place at a hospital for the criminally insane located on a small, remote island (Honestly, what could be a more macabre and ominous setting?). U.S. Marshall, Teddy Daniels, and his partner, Chuck Aule, go to the island to investigate the disappearance of a patient. Trapped at the hospital during a hurricane the two become separated and Teddy finds himself trapped in a tangled web of deceit, murder, illegal experiments, and vengeance. I don't want to give you a more detailed description of the plot of Shutter Island. This book is such a gripping spine-chiller that you just need to experience it for yourself.
Most "Greatest Mystery Books" lists would probably place The Maltese Falcon above The Thin Man. Even though I love Sam Spade, Nick and Nora Charles are Hammett's best characters.
I know that I have mentioned in a previous post my love for both the book and film versions of The Thin Man. You do not very often have a married couple in a book that are funny, intelligent, and still very much in love without a lot of sap and sex. The Thin Man was Hammett's last published novel. However, he did work on the screenplays for After the Thin Man and Another Thin Man which were the film sequels to The Thin Man movie that starred the incomparable William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora.
5. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
See, I do read books that have been published this century. Of course, Shutter Island is a classic noir mystery set in the 1950s but, hey, it was still published in 2003. I read this book after I read Lehane's Mystic River (which is also a spectacular mystery) and I loved it even though the ending made me ball like a baby.
The book takes place at a hospital for the criminally insane located on a small, remote island (Honestly, what could be a more macabre and ominous setting?). U.S. Marshall, Teddy Daniels, and his partner, Chuck Aule, go to the island to investigate the disappearance of a patient. Trapped at the hospital during a hurricane the two become separated and Teddy finds himself trapped in a tangled web of deceit, murder, illegal experiments, and vengeance. I don't want to give you a more detailed description of the plot of Shutter Island. This book is such a gripping spine-chiller that you just need to experience it for yourself.
As a general rule I avoid watching films adaptations of books that I like. So, I have not seen the movie Shutter Island starring Leonardo Dicaprio. (I understand that I am incredibly weird.) I have heard from more than a few people that saw the movie (and did not read the book) that they didn't understand it. The book is also a bit enigmatic, but that is part of what makes it such a white-knuckle, page-turner!
6. The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout
This is actually the second of the Nero Wolfe mysteries, but it was the first one that I ever read. Nero Wolfe is an acerbic, orchid growing genius who rarely leaves his luxurious home. In order to solve mysteries Wolfe relies on his intrepid assistant, Archie Goodwin, to do the leg work and report back with information and clues. All of the Nero Wolfe books are narrated by Archie who gives a sarcastic and hilarious viewpoint. Archie is especially entertaining when he is pointing out all of the idiosyncrasies of his eccentric employer.
In The League of Frightened Men two former school friends die under mysterious circumstances. The victims and several other schoolmates were involved in a prank gone awry that severely injured a fellow student. Now the group of friends believe that their injured classmate is out for vengeance and appeal to Wolfe for protection. Who is real culprit and will Wolfe be able to solve the mystery before a third "frightened man" is murdered?
Nero Wolfe is a quirky and entertaining contemporary of Sherlock Holmes and Archie Goodwin as the narrator and sidekick has far more personality than John Watson (at least the literary version of Watson). I know that they are old, but the Nero Wolfe mysteries by Rex Stout are clever and fun to read. If you want to learn more about Rex Stout's portly, obsessive-compulsive detective there is actually an official Nero Wolfe Society called the Wolfe Pack that has lots of information and intriguing trivia.
7. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
You cannot have a "Greatest Mystery Books" list without including Philip Marlowe, the archetype for the hard-boiled Private Eye. The Big Sleep is the first book that features Philip Marlowe and Chandler actually wrote it by combining two or more short stories that were previously published in pulp magazines. Because of this there are some unanswered questions in the end, but that in no way detracts from the overall story or the enjoyment of reading it. No one can handle murder, blackmail, theft etc.all while zinging witty one liners. For example:
General Sternwood: How do you like your brandy, sir?
Philip Marlowe: In a glass.
Ok, I am going to totally contradict myself now and tell you to watch the The Big Sleep starring Humphrey Bogart. Bogart plays the part of Marlowe so perfectly it is like he walked right out of the pages. Also, it is just a fact that it is UN-American to not watch every Humphrey Bogart movie.
There are so many other mystery books and authors that I want to include in this post, but I am afraid that it would end up taking an hour to scroll through. Next I hope to post on some of my favorite mysteries for kids.
6. The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout
This is actually the second of the Nero Wolfe mysteries, but it was the first one that I ever read. Nero Wolfe is an acerbic, orchid growing genius who rarely leaves his luxurious home. In order to solve mysteries Wolfe relies on his intrepid assistant, Archie Goodwin, to do the leg work and report back with information and clues. All of the Nero Wolfe books are narrated by Archie who gives a sarcastic and hilarious viewpoint. Archie is especially entertaining when he is pointing out all of the idiosyncrasies of his eccentric employer.
In The League of Frightened Men two former school friends die under mysterious circumstances. The victims and several other schoolmates were involved in a prank gone awry that severely injured a fellow student. Now the group of friends believe that their injured classmate is out for vengeance and appeal to Wolfe for protection. Who is real culprit and will Wolfe be able to solve the mystery before a third "frightened man" is murdered?
7. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
You cannot have a "Greatest Mystery Books" list without including Philip Marlowe, the archetype for the hard-boiled Private Eye. The Big Sleep is the first book that features Philip Marlowe and Chandler actually wrote it by combining two or more short stories that were previously published in pulp magazines. Because of this there are some unanswered questions in the end, but that in no way detracts from the overall story or the enjoyment of reading it. No one can handle murder, blackmail, theft etc.all while zinging witty one liners. For example:
General Sternwood: How do you like your brandy, sir?
Philip Marlowe: In a glass.
There are so many other mystery books and authors that I want to include in this post, but I am afraid that it would end up taking an hour to scroll through. Next I hope to post on some of my favorite mysteries for kids.
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