The Best Detective Fiction - Five Books Expert Recommendations

Top 10 golden age detective novels | Crime fiction | The Guardian

50 Best Detective Books of All Time - The Bibliofile

Eight disparate individuals receive invitations to make their way to a secluded island off the English coast. Among them are Vera Claythorne, a previous governess who believes she's been employed as a secretary, along with Philip Lombard, an explorer, and William Blore, a former detective, both of whom assume they've been recruited to provide security. Dr. Armstrong anticipates catering to the health needs of the island owner’s wife. The remaining invitees, Emily Brent, General Macarthur, Tony Marston, and Judge Wargrave are under the impression that they are set to reconnect with old acquaintances. 

Upon their arrival, the guests are met by the Rogers, a butler and housekeeper duo, who share that the host, an individual known only as Mr. Owen, won't be present until the following day. A dinner is held, after which a recorded voice accuses each guest of a specific past murder that was never solved. The guests quickly realize that they have all been assembled as part of an odd scheme. The plot thickens as Tony Marston dies due to poisoned whiskey, which bears resemblance to a verse from a nursery rhyme "Ten Little Indians," that is found in every bedroom. As the days pass, more guests die mysteriously. 

The plot reaches its climax as the remaining guests, Vera, Lombard, and Blore, decide to stay outdoors to avoid the unknown killer. Blore is killed by a falling statue, and they find Armstrong's body washed ashore. Vera, believing Lombard to be the murderer, shoots him and proceeds to hang herself in her room. The perplexing mystery is finally solved when a message in a bottle reveals that the late Judge Wargrave was the orchestrator of this macabre sequence of events, in an attempt to punish those guilty of past crimes. With a terminal illness looming, Wargrave chose to go out with a bang and met his end through a self-inflicted gunshot wound, leaving the island strewn with ten lifeless bodies.

And Then There Were None

Diez negritos

10 of the Best Classic Detective Novels Everyone Should Read – Interesting Literature

Philip Marlowe, Book 1

Philip Marlowe, Libro 1

On a gloomy mid-October morning, Philip Marlowe, a hardened yet honorable private detective, is enlisted by an elderly, frail General Sternwood. His mission is to handle Arthur Gwynn Geiger, a likely bisexual man involved in pornography who is blackmailing the General with compromising photos of his daughter, Carmen Sternwood. Concurrently, Marlowe becomes embroiled in the mystery of the General's missing son-in-law, Rusty Regan, who was married to Vivian, Sternwood's elder daughter.

Marlowe's investigation leads him to Geiger's storefront, a porn ring masquerading as an antiquarian bookstore. As he stakes out the establishment, he follows Geiger to his residence where Carmen also arrives. Events take a drastic turn when photos are taken of Carmen, causing her to scream. Three gunshots are heard from inside Geiger's house, and Marlowe discovers Geiger dead with Carmen, drugged and undressed, nearby. The murder of Geiger sets off a chain reaction resulting in the deaths of Owen Taylor, the Sternwoods' chauffeur who was infatuated with Carmen, and Joe Brody, who had plans of usurping Geiger's shady business.

Marlowe later uncovers that the string of murders are interconnected, with Joe Brody being murdered by Carol Lundgren who was Geiger's lover, as he believed Brody had killed Geiger. As the case unravels, Marlowe also discovers that Rusty Regan was not involved in the blackmailing scheme as suspected, but was actually killed by Carmen. Despite the public exposure of the blackmail plot, Marlowe continues to dig deeper, leading him to Harry Jones, a man with crucial information about Mona Grant, another key player in this convoluted scenario. With Mona's help, Marlowe manages to escape the clutches of Eddie Mars's henchman, Lash Canino, and eventually uncovers the truth about Regan's demise. In the aftermath of the events, Marlowe pledges to keep the details of Regan's murder hidden from the General to protect him, and the narrative closes with Marlowe contemplating the concept of death.

The Big Sleep

El Gran Sueño

8 of the Most Magnetic Detectives in Crime Fiction | Novel Suspects

Hercule Poirot, Book 11

Hercules Poirot, Libro 11

The renowned retired detective, Hercule Poirot, embarks on a train journey to Istanbul, sharing his ride with Mary Debenham and Colonel Arbuthnot, who seem intimately acquainted despite pretending to be strangers. Upon reaching Istanbul, Poirot is summoned back to London, and while waiting for his return journey, he encounters his old acquaintance, M. Bouc, who arranges for his accommodation on the Orient Express. In the interim, Poirot crosses paths with Ratchett and Hector McQueen, who arouse his suspicion, particularly Ratchett, who approaches him for protection against death threats, but is rebuffed by Poirot. Despite the train being unusually crowded, Poirot manages to secure a first-class cabin where he experiences a series of peculiar incidents, including a cry from Ratchett's compartment indicating possible danger.

The following morning, Poirot is informed by M. Bouc that Ratchett has been brutally murdered, prompting Poirot to launch an investigation. A detailed examination of Ratchett's compartment reveals multiple clues such as twelve stab wounds on Ratchett's body, an open window, and a handful of miscellaneous items that include a handkerchief with an initial "H", a peculiar match, and a burnt piece of paper with the name "Armstrong" on it. This leads to Poirot deducing that Ratchett was actually Cassetti, the infamous kidnapper and murderer of the toddler, Daisy Armstrong, whose crime had shocked the nation. 

Poirot proceeds with interviewing the passengers, starting with Hector McQueen, who was startled that Poirot had discovered the Armstrong note, believed to have been destroyed. Several interviews subsequently provide Poirot with potential alibis, but also raise doubts about the identity of an unseen woman in a red kimono and the presence of an unfamiliar man in a Wagon Lit uniform. A thorough examination of the passengers' belongings brings forth more suspicious findings, leading Poirot to unveil the true identities of several passengers who were closely connected with the Armstrong case. Finally, Poirot presents two possible explanations for the murder and reveals the collective guilt of twelve passengers, all of whom were connected to Daisy Armstrong. To protect the involved parties, Poirot proposes that the authorities be informed of the less plausible theory, which is ultimately agreed upon by M. Bouc and Dr. Constantine.

Murder on the Orient Express

Asesinato en el Orient Express

A Novel

Una Novela

Magpie Murders

Los Asesinatos de la Urraca

Hercule Poirot, Book 4

Hercule Poirot, Libro 4

Dr. James Sheppard, a country doctor residing with his spinster sibling Caroline in a quaint village outside of London, finds himself entangled in a web of enigma, suicide, and murder over the span of nine days. His medical practice leads him to the home of his deceased patient, Mrs. Ferrars, a prosperous widow who had lost her husband a year prior to alcoholism. Dr. Sheppard had overseen Mr. Ferrars's demise as well, determining the cause to be severe gastritis due to excessive drinking. Now, he is charged with identifying Mrs. Ferrars's cause of death. Caroline, a woman of insatiable curiosity and a fertile imagination, speculates that Mrs. Ferrars's demise was not accidental, but a suicide born out of remorse for poisoning her husband.

At the time of her demise, Mrs. Ferrars was courting Roger Ackroyd, a fellow patient of Dr. Sheppard and a wealthy widower whom the town expected her to wed. Ackroyd had lost his wife to alcoholism two decades prior and had since adopted her son from a previous marriage, Ralph Paton. The affluent Ackroyd household includes his late brother's widow and her daughter, along with a staff comprising a secretary, housekeeper, butler, parlormaid, and housemaid. Ackroyd, troubled by an issue, invites Dr. Sheppard to his home for a private discussion. He discloses to the doctor that he had been engaged to Mrs. Ferrars for three months and the day before her death, she confessed to having poisoned her husband and being blackmailed. She intended to disclose the blackmailer’s identity within a day. A letter in Mrs. Ferrars's handwriting arrives, but Ackroyd discontinues reading it aloud before the blackmailer's identity is revealed. Dr. Sheppard leaves, only to rush back later that night upon receiving a call informing him of Ackroyd's murder.

Upon arrival, however, Parker, the butler, denies making the call and knows nothing of a murder. They break down the study door, where Ackroyd is found dead, with a dagger lodged in his throat and Mrs. Ferrars's letter missing. The police discover footprints leading into and out of the room through an open window. All residents of the house are interrogated, but no one saw anything suspicious. Ralph, last seen at a local inn, is nowhere to be found, and a pair of his muddy boots matching the footprints is discovered. The following day, Flora, the daughter of Ackroyd's late brother's widow, requests Dr. Sheppard to solicit their famous detective neighbor's assistance in clearing Ralph's name, to whom she is engaged. The detective agrees and identifies crucial aspects of the crime scene. As he assembles the puzzle and uncovers truths, the killer's identity is revealed to be none other than Dr. Sheppard, who is also the blackmailer. With no way out, Dr. Sheppard concludes his manuscript with a confession and ends his life in the same way as Mrs. Ferrars.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

El asesinato de Roger Ackroyd

Beginning in 1799, the narrative opens with a tale of a sacred yellow diamond, known as the Moonstone, and its theft by a British soldier, John Herncastle, during the colonial period in India. The diamond is said to be the centerpiece of an idol of the Moon god and is guarded by three Brahmin priests. Herncastle, after killing the Brahmins, takes the diamond to England.

Fast forward to the mid-19th century, the plot unfolds around the mysterious disappearance of the Moonstone from the house of Lady Verinder, the niece of Herncastle. Lady Verinder's nephew, Franklin Blake, is assigned to bring the diamond to Rachel Verinder, Lady Verinder's daughter, for her eighteenth birthday. The diamond, a legacy from Herncastle, is suspected to have been given out of spite for Lady Verinder. Following Franklin is a group of Indians, rousing his suspicions about the diamond's curse. However, the diamond goes missing the morning after Rachel's birthday. Lady Verinder's housemaid, Rosanna Spearman, a reformed thief, and Rachel are suspected of having a hand in the disappearance by the renowned investigator, Sergeant Cuff. This leads to the suicide of Rosanna, who had hidden a mysterious package and left a letter, leaving the household in chaos and Rachel in distress.

Rachel, under the stress of her mother's death, agrees to marry philanthropist Godfrey Ablewhite, only to break off the engagement after learning of his ulterior motive of marrying for money. Meanwhile, Franklin learns from Rosanna's letter that he was the thief of the diamond, a fact confirmed by Rachel, who witnessed him taking it. In the quest to clear his name, Franklin learns from Ezra Jennings, assistant to Lady Verinder's doctor, that he was under the influence of opium given by the doctor on the night of the theft. A reenactment of the theft under the influence of the drug vindicates Franklin. Back in London, the diamond is traced to Godfrey, who was leading a double life and was killed by the Indians, who returned the diamond to their idol in India.

The Moonstone

La Piedra Lunar

6 Best Detective Books of All Time

And Then There Were None

The Big Sleep

Philip Marlowe, Book 1

Murder on the Orient Express

Hercule Poirot, Book 11

Magpie Murders

A Novel

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Hercule Poirot, Book 4

The Moonstone

Sources

What To Read Next

6 Best Detective Books of All Time

And Then There Were None

The Big Sleep

Philip Marlowe, Book 1

Murder on the Orient Express

Hercule Poirot, Book 11

Magpie Murders

A Novel

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Hercule Poirot, Book 4

The Moonstone

Sources

What To Read Next

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