Mystery novels are one of the few novels that make you feel a part of the story. Many authors sprinkle enough clues for the reader to figure out who the killer is. That is why we decided to list the ten must read mystery books of all time!
This is one of my favorite genres and what got me into reading as a kid. A lot of classics fall under this genre and that has led to some novels that everyone should read. Sherlock Holmes is just one of the many amazing detectives that came out of this genre.
And it isn’t always a character with a good heart that is remembered the most. Many villains have outshined the novels that they were in such as Hannibal Lector. Great writing can make a mystery novel memorable. You can see the full list below!
The 10 Must Read Mystery Books
- The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
- Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosely
- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
- The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
- The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
- Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
- The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Memorable Mystery Novels
Two of the books that made the list were written by the queen of mystery, Agatha Christie. She shaped the genre and has inspired hundreds of authors and thousands of books. And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express are two of her best novels but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check out her other books.
he list also includes two hardboiled fiction novels. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett and The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler are two amazingly well-written novels that capture what we love about detective novels. These books are much more violent and bloody and not for the faint of heart.
Conclusion
That concludes our list of the ten must read mystery books of all time. How many of these books have you read? What mystery books should we include in our next list? Let us know in the comments below!
You left out Ross Macdonald, the author of some of the most famous and intelligent mystery books ever written. Read The Chill for starters and look up his bio, as well as The Name is Archer, the group on Facebook dedicated to Macdonald with over 700 members.
The Poet by Michael Connelly is a great read.