The Best 100 Mysteries of All Time–The List!
THE BEST 100 MYSTERY BOOKS OF ALL TIME–THE LIST!!
Each chosen book will have it’s own page and as each title is added, the list here will grow. Check back often to find which book is in what slot and make your own opinions known–but sweetly, please!
No. 79 Stone Quarry S. J. Rozan 1999-St. Martin’s Press-in print
To read a synopsis go here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/11/05/no-79-stone-quarry-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 80 Pictures of Perfection Reginald Hill, 1994–Delacorte Press– in print
To read a synopsis and review go here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/10/29/no-80-pictures-of-perfection-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 81–The Black Paw–Constance and Gwenyth Little–1941–Doubleday Crime Club–in print
To read a synopsis go here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/10/23/no-81-the-black-paw-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 82–Last Seen Wearing–Hillary Waugh–1950–Doubleday Crime Club–used
To read a synopsis go here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/10/08/no-82-last-seen-wearing-best-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 83–The Almost Moon–Alice Sebold–2007–Little Brown–in print
To read a synopsis go here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/10/01/no-83-the-almost-moon-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 84 –Mr. Smith’s Hat--Helen Reilly-1940–Doubleday Crime Club–used paperback or hardcover reprint–available
To read a synopsis go here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/09/25/no-84-mr-smiths-hat-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 85–Haunt of the Nightingale–John R. Riggs–1988–Dembner Books–Used
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/09/19/no-84-haunt-of-the-nightingale-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 86 –The January Corpse–Neil Albert-1991–Walker Publishing–used paperbacks
For a synopsis click here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/09/10/no-87-the-january-corpse-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time
No. 87–The Last Will and Testament of Constance Cobble–Stanton Forbes–1980–Doubleday Crime Club–OOP
For a Synopsis click here:
No. 88–Meet The Tiger Leslie Charteris–1928-Ward Lock–used
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/08/27/no-88-meet-the-tiger-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 89–Big Trouble–Dave Barry–1999–Putnam–in print
To read a synopis of the book go here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/08/20/no-89-big-trouble-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 90–Billy Dead–Lisa Reardon–Viking Publishers-1998–in print
To read a synopsis of the book go here: http://bookshopblog.com/2011/08/12/no-90-billy-dead-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 91–Murder Between the Covers–Elaine Viets–2003–Signet–Original paperback–in print
To read a synopsis of this book go here: http://bookshopblog.com/2011/08/05/no-91-murder-between-the-covers-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 92 –Hide in the Dark–Frances Noyes Hart–1929–Doubleday Doran--OOP–but inexpensive copies are abundantly available
To read a synopsis of this book, go here: http://bookshopblog.com/2011/07/29/no-92-hide-in-the-dark-an-all-hallows-eve-mystery-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 93–Liars and Tyrants and People Who Turn Blue—Barbara Paul–1980-Doubleday-00p
To read a synopsis of this book, go here: http://bookshopblog.com/2011/07/22/no-93-liars-and-tyrants-and-people-who-turn-blue-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 94 –Roll Over and Play Dead–Joan Hess–1991–St. Martin’s Press-available
To read a synopsis and general information about this title go here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/07/12/no-94-roll-over-and-play-dead-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 95–Serial Killer Days–David Prill-1996—St. Martin’s Press–available
To read a synopsis and general information about this title go here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/07/07/no-95-serial-killer-days-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 96– Murder a la Richelieu–Anita Blackmon–1937–Doubleday Crime Club–
OP
To read the synopsis and general info about this title go here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/06/30/no-96-murder-a-la-richelieu-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 97 –Panama–Eric Zency–1995–Farrar, Straus and Giroux–In print
To read the synopsis and general info about this title go here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/06/23/no-97-panama-eric-zenecy-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 98–The Desert Moon Mystery Kay Cleaver Stahan–1928–Doubleday Crime Club–(pictured–dust jacket from Grosset and Dunlap reprint)–Used
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/06/15/no-98-the-desert-moon-mystery-kay-cleaver-strahan/
No. 99–The Secret Beyond the Door-(original title: Museum Piece No.13)–Rufus King–1946
Doubleday Crime Club–OOP–(pictured is reprint with movie characters on cover.)–Used
To read the synopsis and general info about this title go here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/06/10/number-99-the-secret-beyond-the-door-rufus-king-best-100-mysteries-of-all-time/
No. 100 The Innocent Mrs. Duff –Elizabeth Sanxay Holding–1946
Invincible Press (Australia)–used (the book I read is pictured here is a Dell Map Back Paperback and not a first edition)–Used
To read the synopsis and general info about this title go here:
http://bookshopblog.com/2011/06/08/100-best-mysteries-of-all-time-uh-one-by-one/
The criteria for selection:
I must have read all 100. Funny as that sounds, there are many who will vote for something they have been told is the ‘best’, without having read said book. I’ve read a great many crime novels in my life, some people read less, some more.
I choose to ignore the obvious suspects, or some, at least. No Agatha Christie, no Dorothy L. Sayers, no Sherlock Holmes. Reason? I don’t like Christie, so have read very little; I’ve read all of Sayers and though enjoyed them, nothing stood out for *me*. Sherlock? He bores me. OK, Sherlockians, don’t have a cow. I’m not denying the importance of these three writers within the literary world, nor that they are considered the best of the best. I researched, dated, determined print status, and found images for this list, therefore it bears my choices, and as appalling it may be to some to leave out the royalty of soft boiled, it makes sense to me.
The most important criteria for this list:
The selection must be one or a combination of the following–unusual, intriguing, thought provoking, fascinating, extraordinary, puzzling, charming, gritty, humorous, astonishing, perplexing, surprising, rich characterizations, creepy, frightening, and/or gobsmacking!
And no, not all crime fiction have the above. Few come close. That’s why the list. There are 40 living writers within the inventory. The titles stretch from the 20s to last year. It took me over a week to dredge my brain for those titles that affected me more than others. I added, deleted, remembered some after I’d numbered. I switched their ratings over and over–in short, I took this very seriously. Many will be givens. Many will be familiar. Some will be recognized but not familiar. Some may never been heard of. And a few are totally obscure.
Mystery is a broad term including all the sub-genres of crime fiction, not just puzzles or private eyes.
I’ve included the date first published, the best to my ability. I may be off a year at worst.
I’ve also added a guide as to how easy or difficult it is to locate any particular title.
IP–in print
available–recently out of print but new copies still available
used–plenty of paperbacks available although the titles have been out of print
OOP–out of print–these are the toughest to find–yet there are copies out there, perhaps not as cheap or a plentiful as others.
In my insanity, I decided a short explanation for each choice was called for.
So, there you have it, my well reasoned, intellectually sound list of 100 mysteries that fooled the heck out of me!!
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