Search this blog
Share This Article 
Get Updates by Email 
Tell a friend
"Pardon me, but are you dead?" 10 best classic kitsch murder mysteries
- Murder On The Orient Express By Agatha Christie
(mystery and thrillers)
"If you've never read this book but have seen the movie you are missing out on what is possibly the best murder mystery ever. Yes, yes, I know you'll already know the end, but believe me, the book is still worth it.
To those of you who don't know the ending and haven't seen the movie (all 3 of you), do not pass go, do not collect $100, go straight to your bookstore/library, get this book, lock the door, draw the blinds, unplug the phone, muzzle the dog, and read it as soon as possible. This quintessential story of violent death on a snow-marooned train car doesn't just perfectly highlight Christie's brainchild detective Hercule Poirot, it's a suspenseful and well-written tome as well." - The Murders In The Rue Morgue By Edgar Allen Poe
(literature and fiction)
"Poe is generally considered to be the granddaddy of the suspense/thriller/mystery genre. This longish short story is considered to be the beginning of the English fascination with detectives and violent death. Although it was originally published in 1841, it still manages to frighten modern readers." - The Moonstone By Wilkie Collins
(literature and fiction, classics, mystery and thrillers)
"Widely considered to be the first complete mystery novel in the English language, The Moonstone is a rollicking good read. In fact, it was the first book that I stayed up all night in order to finish (second, third, and fourth place in that list go to--what else?--three of the Harry Potter books)." - And Then There Were None By Agatha Christie
(mystery and thrillers)
"Agatha Christie isn't known as the Grand Dame of Mystery for nothing: her incredibly creative, sophisticated, and firmly British upper middle class mystery novels are unparalleled even now. And Then There Were None is considered to be one of her very best.
10 people--all morally guilty of murder--are lured to an isolated island and murdered one by one. The combined force of why the individual people ended up there, who is doing the killing, and the psychology of the survivors as their comrades disappear one by one make this mystery one of the most memorable you will ever read." - Whose Body? By Dorothy L. Sayers
(mystery and thrillers)
"Lord Peter Wimsey is handsome, foppish, and a bit of a clown; he's also highly cunning, extremely intelligent, and makes a hobby of capturing criminals. Whose Body? is the first of the witty and intellectual Lord Peter mysteries. Incidentally, Sayers created her highborn detective books as a way of demonstrating how genre literature could elevate itself into quality writing; Sayers' characters quote classic works, poetry, make a wide variety of intelligent puns, and are generally all around smart and sassy people who I love on the written page but would probably enviously despise if I actually knew." - The Complete Sherlock Holmes By Arthur Conan Doyle
(classics, literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)
"I admit, I cheated a bit on this one by selecting a collection of stories but, really, how can any self-respecting mystery aficionado be expected to choose only one of Conan Doyle's excellent tomes featuring the violin playing, cocaine and morphine-addicted, analytical, anti-social, devoted friend of Dr. Watson that is Sherlock Holmes? This book contains every Holmes tale in chronological order, including the novel, The Hound of the Baskervilles." - The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd By Agatha Christie
(mystery and thrillers)
"The denouement of this novel was so stunning to 1940s readers that it caused quite a bit of furor in the press after its release. Several British newspapers denounced the book saying that Christie cheated her readers and pulled a fast one at the end.
What was so controversial? Read it yourself and find out! This is one of my absolute favorite Poirot novels. " - Behold, Heres Poison By Georgette Heyer
(mystery and thrillers)
"Georgette Heyer is mainly known for the impressive number of romantic historical novels she wrote (all bearing names like The Lady in Waiting's Choice or The Devilish Gentleman). Few of her romance fans are aware that Heyer also wrote a handful of highly witty and sophisticated murder mysteries that manage to be wildly entertaining while conforming to all of the genre requirements of the cozy British country house mystery.
Behold, Here's Poison is overflowing with distant butlers, contested wills, hidden identities, foolish kitchen maids, sarcastic and good-looking rich men, and one of the crankiest Detective Inspectors ever, Inspector Hannasyde. If you like Agatha Christie, you would be well rewarded by a search for a Georgette Heyer mystery. Just be sure you get one of the mysteries and not one of the cheeky romances" - The Daughter Of Time By Josephine Tey
(literature and fiction, mystery and thrillers)
"The Daughter of Time is the quintessential historical/classic mystery. While Inspector Alan Grant is convalescing from a broken leg, he becomes interested in the history of Britain's notorious Richard III who was commonly believed to have murdered his brother's children in order to assure the throne of England for himself. If you like a decent amount of blood and twists and turns in your mysteries, you'd probably be better off giving this book a pass; however, if you love historical documentaries and the excitement of unearthing unknown facts from the past, The Daughter of Time might just be the best thing you've ever read. Derek Jacobi reads an audio version of this book that is spectacular." - Murder At The Vicarage By Agatha Christie
(mystery and thrillers)
"Yes, I know that four out of ten of these classic mystery books were written by Ms. Christie. That is not an indication that I am lazy or unimaginative (there are plenty of other indicators of that, believe me); rather, it just shows how incredible Ms. Christie's instincts were."
Source:
http://www.examiner.com
.
Posts
