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.
I'm reading my third Agatha Christie novel right now. I have a lot to catch up on.
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You've got a lot of great entertainment awaiting you!
DeleteCrime fiction is my favorite genre too! Everything by Agatha Christie is a must-read for me. I've read only one from Sayers, but intended to read more; also from Marsh. I love the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes; have read probably the first 5 or 6 of the series. Would love to catch on the rest!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT is also about crime fiction writers, here'smy list
For me, the Russell/Homes series improves with every book!
DeleteStatus is one of my faves also!! Nice list!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit!
DeleteI've not read any of these, I do have the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes stories to read but it's a bit of a behemoth and has been in storage since I bought it! One day I will actually get around to sitting down and cracking open those stories. I really would like to read Agatha Christie too because my two uni friends both really love her stuff!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/02/28/top-ten-tuesday-409/
When you try the Holmes canon, start with the short stories, especially the Adventures of. The novels aren't nearly as good, to my mind, as the early stories.
DeleteI'll have to check out King! I didn't realize someone was playing around with Sherlock.. I'd encountered an odd series that mixed Sherlock and P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves & Wooster series....with a dash of steampunk.
ReplyDeleteIf you do try them, be aware that the first two are pretty much fan-fiction but that they get much better. I love Wodehouse and steampunk, so that sounds like a combo I need to check out!
DeleteI adore Agatha Christie! While I've only made a small dent in her catalog, it's easy to see why she's the best selling author of all time. And you can see the influence she's had over the genre.
ReplyDeletePam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/favorite-historical-fiction-the-1920s-1930s/
She had such a talent for twisting a plot around! (Thanks for the visit!)
DeleteYou have some big names who write excellent books on your list.
ReplyDeleteDoyle - I read most of his Sherlock Holmes stories and I enjoyed them.
ReplyDeleteI've started to enjoy Agatha Christie's books and I like them so far.
I have yet to read a Dorothy Sayer book but I might some day.
I really like the Vera series but I'm sure about the books.
I'm not a fan of Laurie King's Mary Russell books - I read one book and half and found them dull.
Have a lovely day.
I can certainly see how you would not be impressed with the first two books of the Mary Russell series. Those two read like fan-fiction, and it was only my passion for Holmes that kept me going to see how King would work the relationship. After the first two, her writing improved and the books got quite good.
DeleteI've watched all the Vera series as well as read all the books and can say that the books are far superior in depth.
I have read a few Agatha Christie books but I don't read many mystery or crime stories. I have come upon the name Ngaio Marsh a few times lately, maybe I should have a look ...
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my TTT this week.
Thanks for the visit!
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