Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is a "genre freebie", with the instructions to pick a genre and build some sort of a list around it. Mysteries are pretty much my favorite books to read, a fondness that started in early preteen years with Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden, and has never taken a back seat to any other genre. I have a preference for British crime novels over those taking place in the U.S., but there are still some American authors I enjoy. Here's a list, in no particular order, of some favorites.
- Arthur Conan Doyle: The Holmes stories can be brilliant and thrilling, and Holmes himself is such an appealing character. He was (and remains) my first literary crush, and these tales were the first grown-up mysteries I ever read, as a young preteen. The first collection, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, contains my favorite stories, "A Scandal in Bohemia, "The Man with the Twisted Lip" and, "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle".
- Agatha Christie: She's popular for a reason! Her plots and twists can be amazing, though some of the later books suffer, to my mind, by trying to fit in with modern times. Hers were the second "adult" mysteries I read as a preteen and I've stayed faithful to her ever since. She wrote some of my absolute favorites, including Murder on the Orient Express (1934), And Then There Were None (1939), Crooked House (1949), and A Pocketful of Rye (1953).
- Dorothy L. Sayers: Sayers produced intelligent, twisty, and entertaining mysteries, with The Nine Tailors (1934) being among my favorite mysteries of all time. That said, I have a strong dislike for Wimsey's love interest, Harriet Vane, and can't fully recommend those that feature her. (For my discussion on Harriet, read this post.)
- Margery Allingham: Oh how I love Albert Campion! He's second only to Holmes as a literary crush. Allingham's books are often more adventure than mystery, but they are generally extremely fun and often memorable. While favorites include The Fashion in Shrouds (1938), Traitor's Purse (1941), and The Tiger in the Smoke (1952), I recommend the series (read in order) wholeheartedly -- with the exception of The Crime at Black Dudley. Campion plays only a bit part in that one, and it will really only be of interest to the true Campion fan.
- Ngaio Marsh: Marsh's early books are good, some of them fantastic. However, I find that from Spinsters in Jeopardy (1953) until the end of her career, the quality decreases and she fails at modernizing them. I certainly recommend the early ones, though; Surfeit of Lampreys (1941) and Colour Scheme (1943) are particularly memorable.
- Mary Roberts Rinehart: This American author is responsible for many fun works of general fiction (When a Man Marries, 1909, springs to mind), but her mystery/suspense novels are even better. Her first published book, The Circular Staircase (1908), for example is a fully entertaining five star read. She was the originator of the "had I but known" plot, and woven into her witty prose and delightfully convoluted plots, it's an art.
- Anna Katharine Green: Justly popular during her lifetime (1846-1935), Green is one of my favorite American authors. She was among the first authors of the modern "detective story", wrote legally accurate fiction, and is often credited with creating the first "girl detective". For those today that can appreciate novels with the particular mores of her time period, Green's mysteries are well-worth reading. Some of my favorites are the three featuring Miss Amelia Butterworth: That Affair Next Door (1897), Lost Man's Lane (1898), and The Circular Study (1900).
- P. D. James: Her intelligent, engrossing mysteries are generally as memorable as they are excellent. Cover Her Face (1962) and Original Sin (1994) are favorites, but I do not recommend her psychological thriller Innocent Blood (1980) due to a really icky bit at the end.
- Ann Cleeves: I only discovered Cleeves and her Vera Stanhope series in 2020, but she became an instant favorite. Vera is totally believable, the plots are intricate and engrossing, and the writing is both intelligent and smooth. Harbour Street (2014) is probably my favorite, but I recommend the entire series (read in order).
- Tana French: I didn't find French until 2019, but it was insta-love. Her debut novel (Into the Woods, 2007) blew me away, and most of her other books have created similar reactions. French excels at creating an uneasy atmosphere, drawing the reader deeply into the story, and writing endings that haunt. Broken Harbour (2012) was another stunning one, though I recommend all of the Dublin Murder Squad series (read in order).
And one more. . .
Laurie R. King: While the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes started off reading like fan-fiction, I was still hooked from book one because of Russell's personality and the closeness of King's Holmes to canon. Her writing and plots continually improved until she has become a firm favorite. I recommend the series -- it must be read in order -- and found Justice Hall (2002), The Murder of Mary Russell (2016) and the latest, Castle Shade (2021), to be five star reads.
Laurie R. King: While the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes started off reading like fan-fiction, I was still hooked from book one because of Russell's personality and the closeness of King's Holmes to canon. Her writing and plots continually improved until she has become a firm favorite. I recommend the series -- it must be read in order -- and found Justice Hall (2002), The Murder of Mary Russell (2016) and the latest, Castle Shade (2021), to be five star reads.
