Reading crime novels is a great way to lose yourself in a book. But not all crime novels are equal. Some of them are so good that you can’t stop talking about them to anyone who will listen. That is why we decided to list the five best crime books of all time. Keep reading to find out which five we chose.
By choosing only five books, we have made this a difficult job. There are a lot of amazing crime novels and many of them will be left out. This is just what we think and other lists will differ. There is no one right answer and because people have different tastes, no one list will satisfy everyone. You can see out five picks below.
The Five Best Crime Books of All Time
- The Godfather by Mario Puzo
- Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
- The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Five Amazing Books
These are five amazing reads and while I know that many people have their own preferences, this list is still pretty good. All of these books are exceptional and have aged well. All of them have been adapted into a movie and are popular works. That alone should justify their selections.
The Godfather is often regarded as the greatest movie of all time. The novel is just as good and worth a read if you have only watched the movie. And who can forget about the queen of mystery? Agatha Christie is a phenomenal writer and nobody knows where her novels will take you. If you want a crime mystery to solve, look no further.
Conclusion
That is all for our five best crime books of all-time list. What books would you include in your top five list? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading!
Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” belongs on the “Five Best” list. I’d remove ” The Silence of the Lambs” to make room for it.
Dostoevsky’s The Brothers karamazov above Tolstoys. Herman Melvilles Moby dick. Prousts Remembrance of things Past. James Joyce….all. the focus should always be on universal values and not subject to transcendental sociological or psychological values in any particular culture when putting forth the 5 best books. And finally Marquez s….100 years of solitude. And all by Albert camus.
In Cold Blood. Hard to leave it off the list
Anthony Berkeley’s The Poisoned Chocolates Case
Carter Dickson’s The Judas Window
Ellery Queen’s The Greek Coffin Mystery
S.S. van Dine’s The Green Murder Case
John Dickson Carr’s The Burning Court
Raymond Chandler The Big Sleep
Dashiell Hammett The Glass Key
Francis Iles Malice Aforethought
Patricia Highsmith The Talented Mr.Ripley
Joel Townsley Rogers The Red Right Hand
Wilkie Collins The Moonstone
Erle Stanley Gardner The Case of the Terrified Tipist
Margaret Millar The Iron Gates
Agatha Christie The ABC Murders
John Dickson Carr The Arabian Nights Murder
Ellery Queen Calamity Town
Elizabeth George A Traitor to Memory
Barbara Vine A Fatal Inversion
James Crumley The Last Good Kiss
Charles Willeford Miami Blues
Walter Mosley Devil in a Blue Dress
Harry Kemelman Friday the Rabbi Slept Late
James Ellroy L.A. Confidential
Wilkie Collins The Woman in White
Dashiell Hammett The Maltese Falcon
Raymond Chandler The Lady in the Lake
Francis Iles Before the Fact
Agatha Christie Three Act Tragedy
John Dickson Carr The Emperror’s Snuffbox
Patricia Cornwell Post Mortem
Ross Macdonald The Moving Target
Charlotte Link At the End of Silence
Ruth Rendell A Judgement in Stone
Winston Graham Marnie
C.S. Forrester Payment Deferred
Anthony Berkeley Trial and Error
Robert Bloch Psycho
Helen Eustis The Horizontal Man
Gaston Leroux The Yellow Room Mystery
John Dickson Carr The Hollow Man
Margaret Millar Beast in View
Patrick Quentin The Man with Two Wifes
Cornell Woolrich The Bride Wore Black
Jim Thompson Pop. 1280
Chester Himes For Love of Imabelle
Horace McCoy No Pockets in a Shroud
James M. Cain The Postman Always Rings Twice
Dorothy B. Hughes In a Lonely Place
William Faulkner Intruder in the Dust
Graham Greene The Third Man
Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird
Theodore Dreiser An American Tragedy
Robert Traver Anatomy of a Murder
S.S. van Dine The Bishop Murder Case
John Bingham Five Roundabouts to Heaven
John Dickson Carr He Who Whispers
Anthony Boucher The Case of the Seven of Calvary
Manuel Vazquez Montalban Los Mares del Sur
Alfred Bester The Demolished Man
Patricia Highsmith Strangers on a Train
Paula Hawkins Girl on the Train
Hans Helmut Kirst The Night of the Generals
David Goodis Shoot the Piano Player
Well, this is my definitive TOP 5 (in no particular order) :
Patricia Highsmith The Talented Mr. Ripley
Anthony Berkeley The Poisoned Chocolates Case
Francis Iles Malice Aforethought
Carter Dickson The Judas Window
and Dashiell Hammett The Glass Key.