10 of the Best Mystery Books

The Sherlock Holmes books by Arthur Conan Doyle are the most recognizable murder mystery books in existence. Without them, this genre would be much less popular. Sherlock Holmes is a detective whose incredible deductive powers are used to figure out the cases that most have given up on.

Another classic, Murder On The Orient Express follows private detective Hercule Poirot who boards a train unknowingly with the victims and murderer themselves. This is one of the great reads, which can be made even more atmospheric if on a long train journey whilst you’re doing so.

A very Swedish murder mystery, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is about Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist who has recently lost a libel case to a billionaire, who must find out the fate of Henrik Vagner’s grandniece. When Mikael completes this task Henrik will give him crucial evidence to correct his lost case.

Gone Girl is a mystery about Nick and Amy, husband and wife. These two greatly troubled characters will deceive all and the reader about what they have done and why. A well-composed mystery, Gone Girl is sure to entertain you.

Red Dragon follows retired FBI profiler Will Graham who must use the expertise of Hannibal Lecter, a notorious serial killer he himself arrested, in order to capture “The Tooth Fairy” who will continue murdering random families if he fails.

A most unusual setting for a murder mystery, The Name of The Rose is about the sudden “suicides” of various monks attending a dispute of religious origin. William and Adso must uncover the mysteries of the monastery in order to solve the various secrets within.

Narrated by John Moore, a crime reporter in New York, the story attempts to uncover the unusual deaths of various children who have been mutilated akin to the handiwork of Jack The Ripper. The Alienist is a much darker novel, featuring gruesome content that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Another classic from Agatha Christie tells of 8 unrelated characters who are invited to an island off the coast of Devon being offered employment or a free holiday. The characters must figure out the riddle of the owner before they are all gradually killed one by one.

One of the oldest mystery novels, hailing from 1859, this novel follows the young art teacher called Walter Hartwright who is in love with a woman with various identities and past troubles. He must uncover these problems and solve them before nefarious agitators begin and finish their dark plan.

Angels and Demons follows Robert Langdon, a renowned scientist who must uncover the origin of a mysterious symbol imprinted on the chest of another dead scientist. The source of the symbol goes much deeper than anyone would expect and brings out much more than just a group of murderers.