Mystery Books

  1. Past Reason Hated
  2. Never Say Die
  3. Fear of the Dark
  4. The Players And The Game
  5. Drop Shot
  6. Dune to Death
  7. Tender Trap
  8. Death Angel
  9. More...

Mystery Movies

  1. Lost
  2. Arlington Road
  3. Prometheus
  4. 12 Monkeys
  5. Fight Club
  6. More...

Mystery Authors

  1. Maurice Leblanc
  2. E. C. Bentley
  3. Jeffrey Archer
  4. Isaac Asimov
  5. Walter Mosley
  6. P. D. James
  7. Ken Follett
  8. More...

The Best Mystery Books - Top 100

Lehman's Recommended Detective Novels and Stories


In his book, The Perfect Murder: A study in Detection (1989), David Lehman provides a list of recommended titles. They "were chosen for their importance in the evolution of the mystery genre or simply for the pleasure they reliably give; in many cases, both reasons apply."

cover Title Author Detective Genre Year
1 Bitter Medicine Sara Paretsky Warshawski novel 1987
2 A Fatal Inversion Barbara Vine 1987
3 A Taste for Death Faber and Faber P. D. James novel 1986
4 The Singing Detective Dennis Potter 1986
5 Kiss Me Once Thomas Maxwell 1986
6 C Is for Corpse Sue Grafton Kinsey Millhone novels 1986
7 Glitz Elmore Leonard 1985
8 The New York Trilogy Paul Auster 1985
9 Dancing Bear James Crumley 1985
10 Strike Three Youre Dead Richard Rosen 1984
11 The Killing Doll Ruth Rendell novels 1984
12 Ice Ed McBain 1983
13 The Name Of The Rose Umberto Eco 1983
14 Hard Trade Arthur Lyons 1981
15 The Big Clock, Harcourt Kenneth Fearing novel 1980
16 Means of Evil Ruth Rendell short stories 1979
17 Falling Angel William Hjortsberg 1977
18 Death of an Expert Witness Faber and Faber P. D. James novel 1977
19 Long Time No See Ed McBain 1977
20 Curtain: Poirot's Last Case Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot Novel 1975
21 The Big Fix Roger Simon 1974
22 The Big Kissoff Of 1944 Andrew Bergman 1974
23 The Death Of The Detective Mark Smith 1974
24 The Underground Man Ross Macdonald Lew Archer novels 1971
25 Words For Murder Perhaps Edward Candy 1971
26 The Goodbye Look Ross Macdonald Lew Archer novels 1969
27 Friday The Rabbi Slept Late Harry Kemelman 1964
28 The Chill Ross Macdonald Lew Archer novels 1964
29 Ten Plus One Ed McBain 1963
30 Death Over Deep Water Simon Nash 1963
31 THE GETAWAY Jim Thompson novel 1959
32 The Widows Cruise Nicholas Blake 1959
33 The Eighth Circle Stanley Ellin 1958
34 Mystery Stories Stanley Ellin 1956
35 The Long Goodbye Raymond Chandler Philip Marlowe novel 1954
36 A Kiss Before Dying Ira Levin 1953
37 THE KILLER INSIDE ME Jim Thompson novel 1952
38 The 31st Of February Julian Symons 1951
39 The Daughter Of Time Josephine Tey novels 1951
40 Strangers On A Train Patricia Highsmith 1949
41 The Second Confession Rex Stout Nero Wolfe novel 1949
42 And Be a Villain Rex Stout Nero Wolfe novel 1948
43 Too Many Women Rex Stout Nero Wolfe novel 1947
44 Minute For Murder Nicholas Blake 1947
45 The Moving Toyshop Edmund Crispin novel 1946
46 The High Window Raymond Chandler Philip Marlowe novel 1942)
47 The Corpse In The Snowman Nicholas Blake 1941
48 And Then There Were None Agatha Christie 1940
49 Farewell, My Lovely Raymond Chandler Philip Marlowe novel 1940
50 Verdict Of Twelve Raymond Postgate 1940
51 The Big Sleep Raymond Chandler Philip Marlowe novel 1939
52 The Reader is Warned John Dickson Carr Sir Henry Merrivale novel as carter dickson 1939
53 The Crooked Hinge John Dickson Carr Dr. Gideon Fell' novel 1938
54 The Judas Window (Also published as: The Crossbow Murder) John Dickson Carr Sir Henry Merrivale novel as carter dickson 1938
55 The Beast Must Die Nicholas Blake 1938
56 The Fashion in Shrouds Margery Allingham novels 1938
57 The Burning Court John Dickson Carr novel 1937
58 HAMLET REVENGE! Michael Innes novel 1937
59 Overture To Death Ngaio Marsh 1936
60 Double Indemnity James M. Cain 1936
61 Thou Shell Of Death Nicholas Blake 1936
62 The Abc Murders Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot Novel 1935
63 The Three Coffins (UK Title: The Hollow Man) John Dickson Carr Dr. Gideon Fell' novel 1935
64 Murder On The Orient Express Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot Novel 1934
65 The Chinese Orange Mystery Ellery Queen Ellery Queen novel 1934
66 Murder Must Advertise Dorothy Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey novel 1933
67 The Glass Key Dashiell Hammett novel 1931
68 Strong Poison Dorothy Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey novel 1930
69 The Maltese Falcon Dashiell Hammett novel 1930
70 The Poisoned Chocolates Case Anthony Berkeley Roger Sheringham novels 1929
71 Red Harvest Dashiell Hammett novel 1929
72 The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot Novel 1926
73 The Wisdom Of Father Brown G. K. Chesterton collections 1914
74 Trent's Last Case E. C. Bentley novel 1913
75 The Innocence Of Father Brown G. K. Chesterton collections 1911
76 The Red Thumb Mark R. Austin Freeman novels 1907
77 The Man Who Was Thursday G. K. Chesterton novels 1907
78 The Club of Queer Trades G. K. Chesterton collections 1905
79 The Hound of the Baskervilles Arthur Conan Doyle novels 1902
80 The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes Arthur Conan Doyle collections 1893
81 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Arthur Conan Doyle collections 1892
82 A Study in Scarlet Arthur Conan Doyle novels 1887
83 THE MOONSTONE Wilkie Collins novels 1868
84 Tales Edgar Allan Poe 1845
85 The Talented Mr Patricia Highsmith 0