Scholars usually believe The Moonstone to be the first detective novel written in English. It's an epistolary work, which means it's written in the form of letters, which was a popular writing technique in mid-nineteenth-century literature. The novel was first serialized in Charles Dickens' All The Year Round magazine. The genre was dubbed "a sensation novel" at the time the book was released. These works are now known as mystery or suspense novels.

The moonstone in the novel is a big diamond, and the plot revolves around a woman who inherits the diamond, only to have it taken from her. As a result, the mystery revolves around who took the gem and why. Before The Moonstone, Wilkie Collins wrote a few works, including The Woman in White, another early effort at a "sensation" novel. The Moonstone is a great place to start if you want to read the finest mysteries from the beginning of time. If you like The Moonstone, you should also read The Woman in White.

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It's hard to discuss mystery books without mentioning the great Agatha Christie. Among her writings, none has a tale as well-crafted as And Then There Were None, which explains why it is the best-selling mystery novel of all time.

The plot revolves around 10 people who are drawn together for various reasons to an empty estate on an island. The mystery hosts of this bizarre party are not there, but they have left orders for two of the 10 to take care of the home as housekeepers and cook. As the days pass in line with the words of a nursery rhyme, each invitee is forced to face the music (literally) and endure the repercussions of their troubled pasts, as death comes one by one.

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Raymond Chandler's concept of mystery deviates from traditions; for him, the atmosphere and people are more important than the complicated narrative. As a result, The Big Sleep is not your typical story: private investigator Philip Marlowe is recruited to investigate the blackmailing of Carmen Sternwood, the second daughter of a rich general. The farther he delves into this tangled web, the more intricate the narrative becomes, as Carmen is blackmailed by others in a web of surprising relationships between the individuals.

Chandler's work is complex: his characters are multifaceted, and his language is dense with foreshadowing of the disaster that is going to befall this family. While the signals he drops aren't precisely designed to assist you to figure out "who done it," they do create a sense of foreboding that makes it difficult to put the book down.

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Gone Girl is the ultimate mystery conundrum for the current media era, perhaps best recognized for its huge movie film adaptation. Amy's abrupt disappearance sends Nick Dunne into a frenzy of suspicion - from her parents to his neighbors to the detectives, everyone believes he is somehow to blame. When stories about her surface from acquaintances he's never heard of, Nick becomes aware of how his wife perceived him, as well as how little he knows about her.

Even if you haven't been able to avoid the media hype around the film adaptation, the sensation of reading the brains of these untrustworthy narrators is certainly worth picking up this one.

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The Postman Always Rings Twice is often regarded as the greatest significant crime novel of the twentieth century, and it's easy to understand why. It's short, racy, and full of shocks, and you won't have time to catch your breath. In fact, Cain's language was so blatantly explicit that the book was briefly prohibited in Boston.

The plot revolves around Frank Chambers and his chance meeting with restaurant owner Cora Papadakis on the side of the road. Despite her marriage, Frank ends up working for Cora and her husband and falling in love with her. When Frank and Cora decide to sinisterly plot the dissolution of her marriage, Frank's spontaneity gets the best of him. They believe that if the plan works, they will be able to live happily ever after in one other's arms... or so they believe.

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You could assume that because it is based on a real-life case that has already been solved, it lacks the mystery of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. Fortunately, that couldn't be further from the truth, since this nonfiction novel is one of the best-selling crime novels of all time.

Capote had been following the investigation of a triple murder in Kansas and had done some interviewing himself before the perpetrators were apprehended. As a result, his tale is full of unexpected twists and turns - surely such heinous behavior must be fiction?

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This late Victorian tale by Wilkie Collins is one of the first psychological thrillers ever published. It begins with what appears to be a straightforward narrative of two star-crossed lovers — Walter Hartright and Laura Fairlie — who were never meant to be together. Laura was engaged to Sir Percival Glyde, but she was inexplicably advised not to proceed with the marriage. Meanwhile, the city has been enthralled by the news of a mysterious woman dressed in white who is wandering its midnight streets.

As the title implies, this final figure holds the key to unlocking the mystery that will envelop these people. The Woman in White, set in poorly lit streets, is as much Gothic horror as it is mystery fiction, which is why the clarity you receive when the puzzle is answered is so tremendously rewarding.

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is about an ex-spy, George Smiley (codename Beggarman), who is dragged out of retirement, much to his relief, to weed out a Soviet mole in the British Intelligence Service. You've probably never seen the adage "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer" put to better use than here, as Smiley tries to identify the double agent among former partners. There are other ingenious hints and facts about these cryptically named personalities that you may pick up on, allowing you to join Smiley in his quest to protect his nation.

From deception to sophisticated trickery, le Carré's espionage masterwork will not only keep you on the edge of your seat due to the persistent suspicion, but it will also provide some insight into the immense societal tension that prevailed in the 1970s at the height of the Cold War.

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Dan Brown understands how to write a puzzle – simply read The Da Vinci Code to see for yourself. In this chapter, Professor Robert Langdon has whisked away to Paris on a whirlwind mission to shed light on a mysterious murder at the Louvre. As he and his sidekick cryptologist Neveu try to decipher the creative riddles left at the scene, many of which are connected to Leonardo da Vinci's works, Dan Brown sends readers racing around the City of Love, speechless (due to the clever puzzles, not the beauty of Paris, of course).

Dan Brown may have spent hours strolling between paintings and monuments in Paris before devising this intricate journey that Langdon goes on. The resulting tale is really pleasant to read, and it will undoubtedly make you want to fly to France's capital only to retrace Langdon's steps.

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It appears that being converted into a film is a sign of an excellent mystery novel. The story of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is no exception. Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy begins with the introduction of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and freelance hacker Lisbeth Salander. Following a series of circumstances, the players finally find themselves seeking to discover the person who allegedly murdered Harriet Vanger, the niece of one of Sweden's richest men, forty years ago. Blomkvist is asked to spend the night on the affluent family's island, where he meets other family members who were there at the incident years before and wonders if any of them were involved.

Blomkvist gradually fills in the missing parts of this dysfunctional family's jigsaw as he decodes the vast number of decades-old notes and newspaper clippings. Larsson's novel combines old mystery motifs — family feuds, blackmailing scenes — with new developments in the characters' inner lives.

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In The Daughter of Time, it returns to the past to investigate the story of King Richard III. Scotland Yard Inspector Alan Grant takes a break from modern-day investigations to recover from an injury, but he still looks for riddles to keep himself entertained. As a result, he comes into the enigma of King Richard III, a king accused of murder but whom Grant only sees as fair and smart. Grant rummages through historical archives to solve a complicated case that occurred decades ago, guided by his unique physiognomic intuition.

In this work, Josephine Tey brings to life the complexities of the past and how history is interpreted to reopen a case that was once closed. The political intrigue and strange records combine to create a fantastic dramatic plot that is immensely instructive and engaging, earning The Daughter of Time a lot of affection from readers and a lot of acclaim from critics.

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In the Woods transports readers to Ireland's wooded fringes, where a 12-year-old girl is discovered dead. The investigation is assigned to two detectives, Rob and Cassie, and the former is reminded of the mystery that tormented him as a boy – a mystery that occurred in these same woods. As they investigate the crime scene and question, dysfunctional parents and friends, Rob's history continue coming back to him, raising the issue of whether it is connected to this tragic occurrence.

In the Woods is more than just a mystery novel. It is both eerie and intriguing. It's also a touching story about family relationships and childhood trauma, a reminder of how important it is to grow up in a secure and loving home.

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Ken Follett's critical success is set during the pivotal period of World War II when D-Day planning was being carried out. The German spy Henry Faber, codenamed "The Needle," has set up shop in London and is relaying intelligence back to Berlin. When it comes to this profession, he's the cream of the crop: only he and a few other German agents are still at loose in Britain. Faber quickly realizes that the British are about to embark on a critical operation that, if successful, will turn the tables on Germany. The trouble is that the British are getting closer and closer to catching him...

If you've read any of Ken Follett's works, you'll know he has a gift for vividly resurrecting the past in his writing. Eye of the Needle is no exception; the tension and secrecy that characterized this turbulent period are expertly represented in this volume.

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Dashiell Hammett is widely regarded as the creator of the hard-boiled detective genre. A no-nonsense, tough-guy investigator solves crimes and/or puzzles in this genre of mystery. And, in general, these works rely more on conversation and less on everything else, such as long-winded descriptions, to propel the story forward. Sam Spade initially debuted in Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, which was serialized in 1930 and then in a few short pieces.

The Maltese Falcon is essentially about a valuable stolen falcon statue, and the issue is who took it, why and if Spade can return it for his client. It's surprising that Dashiell Hammett was able to write, let alone publish, anything so wonderful. For most of his life, he battled disease, alcoholism, and writer's block. He also had a wife and children, several mistresses, and a 30-year on-again, off-again connection with the well-known playwright Lillian Hellman (Watch on the Rhine).

The Maltese Falcon has been adapted into four films (so far), the greatest of which being the 1941 version starring Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre and directed by John Huston (his first film). It's a fantastic film, and you should attempt to watch it once you've finished the book.

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Rebecca is a fantastic novel, a classic in every sense of the word. It's a novel that might just as easily be placed on a list of excellent works from the twentieth century, English literature, or gothic literature. That being said, it's also a mystery. It's one of the very first mysteries in which a spooky and unpleasant atmosphere, rather than mostly conversation, plays a significant part. The story revolves around a young woman who marries a much older man and follows him back to his manor, Manderley. What is going on at that insane home, and what is going on with the elder man's first wife, Rebecca?

Du Maurier published a few works, one of which, Jamaica Inn, is frequently assigned reading in junior high or high school. Rebecca has been adapted for cinema multiple times, and Netflix is now working on a new version, but the best-known film version is the 1940 version directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Another Hitchcock film, The Birds, was based on another du Maurier story.

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You may have never heard of this book before. Roderick Thorp may have written a dozen novels. He wasn't a genius, a professor, or a prolific author who wrote a book every week. The Detective was adapted into a film starring Frank Sinatra that went well at the box office, but the narrative slipped into obscurity–except for Thorp's sequel to The Detective, Nothing Lasts Forever, which was adapted into the film Die Hard. And perhaps you've heard of it. The Detective is about a New York City detective named Joe Leland who is assigned to investigate a man's death and determine who killed him and why.

Given that it was written in 1966, the book covers some of today's societal challenges and prejudices. It's a large thick book, and while it's probably no longer in print, you can still get a copy of it and read it.

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Tony Hillerman grew raised in Oklahoma, served in WWII, returned to Oklahoma to finish university, and then began a career in media. He worked his way up through the journalistic ranks before becoming the Bureau Chief for United Press International in New Mexico. He came to appreciate the location and the culture as he continued to live and work in New Mexico. Then he began writing books. The Blessing Way was Tony Hillerman's first of 18 books in the Detective Joe Leaphorn series. Detective Jim Chee is introduced later in the series.

The rest of the series, including The Blessing Way, would be classified as police procedurals. The difference between these stories is that the police procedural takes place in the wide American Southwest—specifically, on the Navajo reservation—rather than in an urban environment. Hillerman's writings are significant because he was the one who introduced the stories and culture of the indigenous peoples of the American Southwest to mainstream fiction at a period when it was not widely accepted. Although all of the novels are about the Navajo in some form, Hillerman also discusses the Zuni, Hopi, and Pueblo people (also referred to as Anasazi, which is no longer politically correct).

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John Gregory Dunne, on the other hand, was never a household name. He was a well-known author, literary critic, and screenwriter. He was also married to Joan Didion, who always seemed to be more well-known than he was, despite the fact that they collaborated on several works. So, throughout the course of his career, he created a good body of work before collapsing at the dinner table one night in 2003. Joan created a hugely successful prize-winning book on her grief over his death.

True Confessions was released in 1977, in the midst of his career. In the early 1980s, it was adapted into a very fine film starring Robert De Niro and Robert Duvall. In addition, few individuals have heard of the film. The plot revolves around two brothers, a priest and a detective, as well as some murder and mayhem. Search for topics such as right and wrong, hypocrisy, bravery, corruption, graft, and redemption. Slowly read it.

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In 1983, the novel was translated from Italian to English. Umberto Eco, who died in 2016, was a scholar with a long publication career. His major field of expertise was semiotics, or the study of symbols, but he was also an expert on history and languages (he spoke many), thus he authored academic works for universities, fiction novels, and even children's books throughout his career. He wasn't a snoozer.

His debut novel was The Name of the Rose. It's classified as a historical mystery, but it's also classified as a post-modern mystery. The book has sold over 50 million copies, has been translated into multiple languages, and has won numerous awards.

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