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Mystery fiction authors have a long and storied history, dating back to the ancient Greeks. Over the years, the genre has evolved and changed, but its core elements remain the same: a crime, a detective, and a puzzle to be solved.
Apr 1, 2024 · From classic whodunits to spine-chilling psychological thrillers, these authors have elevated the craft by pushing its limits and defying expectations. Among the revered names in mystery literature are Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Edgar Allan Poe.
- Robert Galbraith
- Dashiell Hammett
- Steig Larsson
- Mark Haddon
- Patricia Highsmith
- Gillian Flynn
- John LeCarré
- P.D. James
- James M. Cain
- Raymond Chandler
Bestselling author J.K. Rowling writes her now famous Cormoran Strike mystery novels under this pen name. Must-read title: The Silkworm This second book in the Cormoran Strikeseries follows detective Cormoran Strike as he tries to find out what happened to novelist Owen Quine, who has gone missing. As he investigates, he unearths a manuscript that ...
The New York Times dubbed Dashiell Hammettand screenwriter as a leader in the “hard-boiled school” of mystery novels. Must-read title: The Maltese Falcon This story follows Sam Spade, who works for Miss Wonderley on an assignment to find her sister, who has run away to elope. Instead, he finds himself on a search for the gem-laden Maltese Falcon, a...
Swedish journalist Steig Larsson is the author of The Millennium Trilogy, a crime novel series published after his sudden death, beginning in 2005. Must-read title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo This bestseller combines elements of murder, love, financial problems, and family ties, with disgraced journalist Mikael Blomvist and tattooed hacker Lis...
English novelist and illustrator Mark Haddonwrites novels, poetry, radio drama, screenplays, and children’s literature. He has also won several awards, including the Whitbread Award, Guardian Prize, a Commonwealth Writers Prize, and the Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award. Must-read title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Haddon...
A writer known for psychological thrillers, Patricia Highsmith’s first novel, Strangers on a Train, was also made into a film adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock. Many other thrillers that Highsmith wrote also followed that path and became popular films. Must-read title: The Talented Mr. Ripley This psychological thriller follows Tom Ripley, who has tro...
All of American writer Gillian Flynn’s three published novels have been adapted for television or film, with Flynn herself writing the adaptations for Sharp Objects, made into an HBO limited series, and the 2014 film for Gone Girl. Must-read title: Gone Girl Nick and Amy seem to have everything together, but on their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy ...
British espionage novelist David John Moore Cornwell, who used to work for the Secret Intelligence Service and the Security Service, goes by the pen name John LeCarré. Must-read title: The Spy Who Came in From the Cold This story follows Alec Leamas, who intends to end his career in British intelligence, but gets swept back in when his master sends...
Phyllis Dorothy James, who was also a Baroness, is a well-known writer of crime and police mysteries starring the fictional Adam Dalgliesh. Must-read title: The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories Two of the stories in this book feature Adam Dalgliesh, whose godfather asks him to relook into a notorious murder to ease his mind about an inheritance. ...
Despite his dislike of labels, James M. Cainwas always closely associated with the hardboiled detective genre. He wrote several crime novels that were adapted into successful films. Must-read title:The Postman Always Rings Twice This psychological thriller comes with a healthy dose of violence and sexuality, which led to it being banned in Boston a...
Having made his debut in the pulp magazine Black Mask, Raymond Chandler moved on to write more mystery novels, as well as film adaptations. Must-read title: The Big Sleep Set in Los Angeles, this crime novel has spawned two film adaptations. The book introduces us to detective Philip Marlowe, hired by General Sternwood to deal with his blackmailer,...
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- Robert B. Parker. I especially like his Spenser for Hire series, although the Sunny Randall and Jesse Stone books are enjoyable as well. What draws me back again and again to Spenser are the interesting plots, witty dialogue, humor and the wonderfully drawn characters of Hawk, Susan, Spenser himself, and even Pearl the Wonder Dog.
- Raymond Chandler. Chandler’s detective, Philip Marlowe, is one of literature’s iconic hard-boiled protagonists. This wise-cracking, PI, who can drink with the best of them, but also wax philosophical & poetic, has a moral compass that always seems to keep him on the right side of things.
- Dashiell Hammett. Hammett wrote about two of my favorite sleuths, Sam Spade and Nick & Nora Charles, and while Spade is very different from the Charles, the books they are in are total classics.
- Dame Agatha Christie. The grand dame – the best-selling novelist of all time. If the only things that have outsold you are Shakespeare and the Bible, you must be pretty good.
- Agatha Christie. The first person on our list of famous mystery writers is Agatha Christie. Born in 1890, Christie began writing as a young woman and published over 80 novels, plays, and short story collections throughout her illustrious career.
- Stephen King. Also, one of the most famous mystery authors is Stephen King. Born in Portland, Maine, in 1947, King began writing at a young age and published his first novel, “Carrie,” in 1974.
- Truman Capote. Capote’s unique writing style combined fiction and nonfiction elements and set him apart as a true master of his craft. However, his famous work, “In Cold Blood,” cemented his reputation.
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Synonymous with the character Sherlock Holmes, Doyle is one of the world’s most famous mystery authors. His first novel, “A Study in Scarlet,” introduced readers to detective Sherlock Holmes and his trusted sidekick Dr. Watson.
In 1995 the Mystery Writers of America published a book called "The Crown Crime Companion: The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time". This is a list of those books, ranked in order by the number of votes they received from the MWA.
Oct 4, 2023 · What books do mystery writers turn to when they are looking for a great story? Whether it is a classic crime procedural or a futuristic thriller, mysteries are a perennially popular genre for all sorts of readers, who often devour series or their author’s entire backlist with voracious speed.
