Best Mystery Novels Of The 20th Century

Here’s a list of best mystery novels of the 20^th century. They include detective fiction, crime fiction, classics and espionage novels.

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

This book introduces Raymond’s iconic detective Philip Marlowe in a gripping mystery about a gay pornographer who is trying to blackmail a General with his daughter’s pictures.

Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

Doyle’s finest Sherlock Holmes novel follows his journey to the moors, in order to help a family apparently cursed with the hounds. Setting and characterization make this a masterpiece.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

This famous Hercule Poirot novel takes place aboard a train, wherein one passenger is found dead with twelve wounds on his body. It falls upon the Belgian detective to solve the murder mystery.

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

In this mystery, a Miss Wonderley calls upon our detective Sam Spade to help her find her eloped sister. But she might just be the hunter than the prey, and Spade is in danger.

A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George

Scotland Yard detective Thomas Lynley, here, attempts to decipher a murder mystery set in a haunted place, wherein the daughter admits to murdering her father.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

This true crime doubles up as a mystery as Capote deconstructs and rebuilds the events of the gruesome murder of the Clutter family, and its aftermath.

The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers

In this book, the rector of a parish town invites the lead detective Lord Peter to investigate a murder involving a dismembered corpse.

Digital Fortress by Dan Brown

At the centre of this thriller mystery is the cryptographer Susan Fletcher and her efforts to rescue the NSA from an ingenious code that traps it.

Thief in the Night by William Sears

This is a mythological mystery that centres around the return of Christ, which was expected to happen around the 1840s.

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

This sci fi mystery unfolds in a world where biophysicists warn the world that spaceship sterilization techniques are unsafe. However, people ignore it, with dire consequences.

Along Came a Spider by James Patterson

Alex Cross, the detective, attempts to track a serial killer with victims such as a family, a missing girl, a school teacher and more.

The Club of Queer Trades by G K Chesterton

This is a collection of classic short stories by Chesterton, in which every protagonist has an offbeat career, often related to crime.

The Simple Art of Murder by Raymond Chandler

This anthology consists of Chandler’s essay on writing crime and detective fiction and eight of his short story masterpieces.

Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie

This is a collection of short stories, wherein a wealthy spinster dies, and the blame falls on her hastily made heir. Though innocent, everyone frames him, and a mystery unfolds.

Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett

This follows a man called Continental Op, who wants to bring justice to the city of Poisonville, at any cost.

The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers

This is a masterpiece of espionage literature, wherein two sailors realize Germany’s ploy to invade England.

Ashenden by W Somerset Maugham

This is a collection of short stories, which brings to light Maugham’s past as a government spy as he delves into themes of espionage.

Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles

The setting: a tennis party at the Bickleighs. The plot: murderous thoughts the host has about his wife.

Death of a Ghost by Margery Allingham

This book involves an Edwardian period painter, his ruthless ambition and several murders that take place at his unveiling event.