The 20 Best Mystery Books of All Time 

Nothing beats reading a great mystery novel. But finding one is not that easy. That is why we decided to make a list of the 20 best mystery books of all time. Keep reading to see which books made our list! 

The 20 Best Mystery Books of All Time 
The 20 Best Mystery Books of All Time 

It is always difficult to choose a limited amount and that was also true for this list. Mystery novels are hard to judge because the genre is vast and has a bunch of subgenres. Depending on what you like, your list will look a lot different from another person who is also a big mystery fan. You can see the full list below! 

The 20 Best Mystery Books of All Time 

Classics and More 

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. 

Some of the less obvious picks on this list include The Big Sleep, Death at La Venice, and The Talented Mr. Ripley. While these novels won’t be on everyone’s list, they are still a great list. Most of the time, it comes down to too many books going unread because there are just too many good books out there! 

Conclusion 

That is all for our list of the 20 best mystery books of all time. What books should we have included on the list? Let us know in the comments below! 

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12 thoughts on “The 20 Best Mystery Books of All Time 

  1. Amy says:

    That’s a fantastic list! I’ve read most of them, all very much worth the read!

    Reply
  2. Cesar E. Diaz says:

    I would add a third Agatha Christie novel : “And then there were none”(=”Ten little indians”) and delete the Thomas Harris novel (the film was much better).

    Reply
  3. Tom McCann says:

    I’ve read all but one of these. I would add:
    Find a Victim by Ross MacDonald
    The Doorbell Rang by Rex Stout
    Pale Gray for Guilt by John D MacDonald
    The Sign of Four by A. Conan Doyle
    Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
    Lord Peter by Dorothy L. Sayers

    Reply
  4. Laura Trommer says:

    You cannot have a complete list of the greatest mysteries of all time and have nothing from PD James and Elizabeth George.PERIOD

    Reply
  5. Salma says:

    Must add primal fear and the genius “show of evil”

    Reply
  6. Martin Svensson says:

    The Father Brown Omnibus by G. K. Chesterton. These shirt stories are clever and presented in a unique style.

    Reply
  7. Kilian Metcalf says:

    You left out The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers.

    Reply
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