Best Murder Mystery Books

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

by Agatha Christie

Belgian Inspector Hercule Poirot has retired to the countryside in the small English village of King's Abbot. Dr. Sheppard, observing his new neighbor, is sure that he must be a former hairdresser. But the brutal murder...

The Cuckoo's Calling

by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowlings)

Cat of Many Tails

by Ellery Queen

The famous sleuth comes out of retirement to help his father hunt down a New York City serial killer: "Marvelous . . . one of his best" ( Classic Mysteries). In the dog days of August, it is no surprise to see New Yorker...

The Corpse Steps Out

by Craig Rice

The Doorbell Rang

by Rex Stout

The Ambush of My Name

by Jeffrey Marks

A Puzzle for Fools

by Patrick Quentin

Postmortem

by Patricia Cornwell

A killer is stalking the streets of Richmond, Virginia. When the bodies begin to mount, Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta is pulled into a chilling investigation that blends high-stakes forensics with psychological wa...

The Big Sleep

by Raymond Chandler

Philip Marlowe, a private eye who operates in Los Angeles's seamy underside during the 1930s, takes on his first case, which involves a paralyzed California millionaire, two psychotic daughters, blackmail, and murder

The Maltese Falcon

by Dashiell Hammett

Classic noir. Private detective Sam Spade is hired to search for a valuable, gem-encrusted antique in the shape of a falcon. Sam Spade is hired by the fragrant Miss Wonderley to track down her sister, who has eloped with...