Even if you love reading mysteries, it sometimes takes a while to figure out what exactly it is you’re looking for. At one end are mysteries that are light on violence and often humorous in approach. These look back to what is sometimes called the ‘golden age’ of mystery writing between the world wars, when reading mysteries was a form of escapism, rather than a confrontation with the horrors of crime. At the other end, are gritty, violent books where the gory details can be hard to read. One easy way to find books you like is by identifying an author and reading lots of books by them. At Five Books, we also keep a running list of the best mysteries of the year. Some of the authors we like that have been recommended on Five Books include:
Current favourites
Books by Jane Harper
Books by Ruth Ware
Books by Tana French
Books by Abir Mukherjee
Books by Robert Galbraith
Books by Richard Osman
Books by SA Crosby
1950s and 1960s
Books by Patricia Highsmith
Books by Ira Levin
'Golden Age' of mysteries
Best Agatha Christie Books (according to her grandson, Mathew Prichard)
Books by Josephine Tey
19th-century
Books by Wilkie Collins
Sherlock Holmes books by Arthur Conan Doyle
Five Mysteries Set in Russia, recommended by Boris Akunin
The golden age of mystery largely passed Russia by, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t some great crime novels produced over the last 150 years. Bestselling crime novelist Boris Akunin, who was born Grigory Chkhartishvili in Soviet Georgia and now lives in exile in London, recommends five Russian mysteries—great works of literature that happen to also have a crime at their heart. If you’d like to see Boris/Grigory in person, he’s speaking at the Oxford Literary Festival on 18 March, 2024 at 6pm.
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1
Birnam Wood: A Novel
by Eleanor Catton & Saskia Maarleveld (narrator) -
2
All the Sinners Bleed
by S.A. Cosby -
3
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
by Jesse Q. Sutanto and narrated by Eunice Wong -
4
The Secret Hours
by Mick Herron -
5
I Have Some Questions for You
by Rebecca Makkai and narrated by Julia Whelan and JD Jackson
The Best Mystery & Suspense Audiobooks of 2023, recommended by AudioFile Editors
The Best Mystery & Suspense Audiobooks of 2023, recommended by AudioFile Editors
It’s a lot of fun listening to mystery books or crime novels as audiobooks, with good narrators adding suspense and enjoyment to the reading experience. Editors at AudioFile magazine, who specialize in reviewing audiobooks, pick out the best ones of 2023, good books made even better by being read aloud by a skilled narrator.
The Best Locked-Room or Puzzle Mysteries, recommended by Tom Mead
In the Golden Age of mystery between the two World Wars, writers loved to devise fiendish plots where seemingly impossible crimes were committed. Tom Mead, author of two ‘locked-room’ mysteries set in the 1930s, introduces us to some of his favourite books in the genre, from the Golden Age itself to books written in more recent decades that pay tribute to its traditions.
Best Mysteries of 2023 (so far), recommended by Sophie Roell
Throughout the year, as new books are published and the shortlists for prizes are announced, we keep an eye on the mysteries we think might be gripping or fun to read. Here’s our list of the best mysteries of 2023 (so far), put together by Five Books editor, Sophie Roell.
The Best Classic Crime, recommended by Stig Abell
The crime book genre is massive and caters to all sorts of tastes, but once you find a detective or main character you love, there are few pleasures greater than reading the entire series. British journalist Stig Abell, author of Death Under a Little Sky, picks some of the best classic crime, books he’s read over and over again.
The Best Contemporary Mystery Books, recommended by Mark Edwards
Crime writers are often mild-mannered individuals who have learned to delve into the deepest, darkest recesses of their imagination to create their books, says the bestselling author Mark Edwards. Here, he recommends five of the best contemporary mysteries that will keep you guessing right to the final page.
The Best Detective Fiction, recommended by Jeffrey Archer
With so many works of detective fiction coming out each year, which books stand the test of time? Here, bestselling British author Jeffrey Archer talks us through some of his favourites, the books he found completely unputdownable and made him want to read everything the author had written.
The Best Whodunnits, recommended by Simon Brett
When it comes to whodunnits, the latest ones aren’t always the best. Veteran crime writer Simon Brett talks us through some of his all-time favourites, of which the most recent was published nearly four decades ago.
The Best Murder Mystery Books, recommended by Stuart Turton
The best murder mysteries set up their stories like a game between the reader and the writer, says Stuart Turton, bestselling author and lifelong mystery fan. Here he highlights five of his favourites, in which detectives make miraculous deductions, or doggedly chase clues until they meet with satisfying solutions.
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1
The Detective Stories of Edgar Allan Poe: Three Tales Featuring C. Auguste Dupin
by Edgar Allan Poe -
2
The Mystery of the Yellow Room
by Gaston Leroux -
3
The Third Bullet and Other Stories
by John Dickson Carr -
4
Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1938)
by Agatha Christie -
5
The Tokyo Zodiac Murders
by Ross and Shika Mackenzie (translators) & Soji Shimada
The Best Golden Age Mysteries, recommended by Martin Edwards
The Best Golden Age Mysteries, recommended by Martin Edwards
Partly as a response to the horrors of World War I, the 1920s and 30s saw a surge in the writing of whodunnits, a period often referred to as the ‘golden age’ of mystery writing. Here, Martin Edwards, one of the leading experts on the genre, picks out some key works, with a special focus on ‘locked room’ mysteries.