If you love mystery novels as much as me, then you know how amazing the books are. When written by a talented author, the book will have you in a trance. That is why we went ahead and made a list of the 20 must read mystery books of all time. Keep reading to see which books made our list!
With so many amazing mystery books, choosing only 20 means that many great books didn’t make the list. Hopefully, these books keep you interested and make you discover new mystery books to read. These are some of the best works of fiction that will make you forget about everything else. You can see the full list below!
The 20 Must Read Mystery Books of All Time
- Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
- The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
- The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
- The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
- Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
- Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
- The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
- The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
- In the Woods by Tana French
- The Alienist by Caleb Carr
- Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
- Killing Floor by Lee Child
- The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
- The Name of The Rose by Umberto Eco
Mystery Books to Read
No mystery list is complete without Agatha Christie. She has helped push the genre forward and you can see her influence on many modern novels. Another author that deserves a spot on this list is Arthur Conan Doyle. Just like Christie, his impact is still being felt over a century later.
If you like a good mystery, then The Big Sleep is worth checking out. It contains a lot more violence than your typical mystery novel but the writing is impeccable. Another mystery novel that is a page turner is Death at La Fenice.
A novel that might surprise a few people on the list is The Secret History. If you haven’t read it, then you will be confused but if you have, then you will understand. It is a mystery novel that is well written and will stay with you for years. It is no wonder that this novel spurned a new subgenre.
If you want a novel that messes with your mind, then Shutter Island is for you. It seems like a typical mystery until you realize that everything is not as it seems. The movie is also great and a must watch after you read the novel.
Conclusion
That ends this list of the 20 must read mystery books of all time. What other novels should we have included on the list? Let us know in the comments below!
I saw the movie for Murder on The Orient Express, and it was one of my favorite mystery films.
Maybe I’ll give the book a read sometime soon, hopefully it is just as good if not better!
Solid list of recommendations filled with classic and current greats!
I’ve watched a couple of them as movie remakes and they were good esp killing floor, the remake was not a movie though and I can’t wait for season 2 to come out