Mystery Books

Mystery Movies

Mystery Authors

The Best Mystery Books - Top 100

OLEKSIW'S 100 CLASSIC BRITISH MYSTERY NOVELS


In A Readers Guide to the Classic British Mystery (1988), Susan Oleksiw listed “one hundred novels that are outstanding for various reasons: some are historically important as well as being well written; some are fascinating stories; and others are ingenious tales that capture and hold the reader until the surprise ending.” In her book each title is discussed.

1 Dead Letter Douglas Clark 1984
2 Deadheads Reginald Hill Andy Dalziel and Peter Pascoe novel 1983
3 The Man With a Load of Mischief Martha Grimes Richard Jury novels 1981
4 The Murder Of The Maharajah H.R.F. Keating 1980
5 Assault And Matrimony James Anderson 1980
6 The Lake of Darkness Ruth Rendell novels 1980
7 So Soon Done For Marian Babson 1979
8 A Sprig Of Sea Lavender J.R.L. Anderson 1978
9 The Blackheath Poisonings Julian Symons 1978
10 Treasure Up In Smoke David Williams 1978
11 A Judgment In Stone Ruth Rendell 1977
12 The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn Colin Dexter novel 1977
13 Death Cap June Thomson 1977
14 Death of an Expert Witness Faber and Faber P. D. James novel 1977
15 The Gimmel Flask Douglas Clark 1977
16 Step In The Dark Elizabeth Lemarchand 1976
17 Never Pick Up Hitch Hikers Ellis Peters 1976
18 Over The Sea To Death Gwen Moffat 1976
19 Swing Swing Together Peter Lovesey Sergeant Cribb 1976
20 Harriet Farewell Margaret Erskine 1975
21 The Affair Of The Bloodstained Egg Cosy James Anderson 1975
22 The Black Tower P.D. James 1975
23 A Pigeon Among The Cats Josephine Bell 1974
24 Death of an Old Goat Robert Barnard novel 1974
25 Cyanide With Compliments Elizabeth Lemarchand 1972
26 Death To The Landlords Ellis Peters 1972
27 The Man Who Lost His Wife Julian Symons 1970
28 Inspector Ghote Breaks An Egg H.R.F. Keating 1970
29 The Complete Steel Catharine Aird 1969
30 The Hidden Wrath Stella Phillips 1968
31 Murder Fantastical Patricia Moyes 1967
32 Lonelyheart 4122 Colin Watson 1967
33 A Caribbean Mystery Agatha Christie Miss Marple Novel 1965
34 The End Of Solomon Grundy Julian Symons 1964
35 Death And The Joyful Woman Ellis Peters 1963
36 Dead Cert Dick Francis 1962
37 The Sunken Sailor Or Down Among The Dead Men Patricia Moyes 1961
38 THE NEW SONIA WAYWARD Michael Innes novel 1960
39 This Wont Hurt You Nigel Fitzgerald 1959
40 Death In The Quadrangle Ellis Dillon 1956
41 Landscape With Dead Dons Robert Robinson 1956
42 Bones Of Contention Edward Candy 1954
43 Midsummer Malice Nigel Fitzgerald 1953
44 The Singing Sands Josephine Tey novels 1953
45 AN ENGLISH MURDER (The Christmas murder) Cyril Hare novel 1951
46 The Sole Survivor Roy Vickers 1951
47 Opening Night Ngaio Marsh 1951
48 Corpse Diplomatique Delano Ames 1950
49 Smallbone Deceased Michael Gilbert novels 1950
50 WHEN THE WIND BLOWS (The wind blows death) Cyril Hare Francis Pettigrew novel 1949
51 Buried for Pleasure Edmund Crispin novel 1949
52 The Moving Toyshop Edmund Crispin novel 1946
53 Death In Harley Street John Rhode 1946
54 Death of a Train Freeman Wills Crofts novel 1946
55 Fire In The Thatch E.C.R. Lorac 1946
56 Died In The Wool Ngaio Marsh 1945
57 Death At The Medical Board Josephine Bell 1944
58 The Case Of The Abominable Snowman Nicholas Blake 1941
59 The Bishop's Crime H. C. Bailey Reggie Fortune shorts 1940
60 Surfeit Of Lampreys Or Death Of A Peer Ngaio Marsh 1940
61 Black Plumes Margery Allingham novels 1940
62 The Beast Must Die Nicholas Blake 1938
63 The Nursemaid Who Disappeared Philip MacDonald 1938
64 Death On The Nile Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot Novel 1938
65 LAMENT FOR A MAKER Michael Innes novel 1938
66 LAMENT FOR A MAKER Michael Innes novel 1938
67 A Blunt Instrument Georgette Heyer 1938
68 DEATH AT THE PRESIDENT'S LODGING / SEVEN SUSPECTS Michael Innes novel 1936
69 Heir Presumptive Henry Wade 1935
70 The Nine Tailors Dorothy Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey novel 1934
71 Murder On The Orient Express Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot Novel 1934
72 An Oxford Tragedy J.C. Masterman 1933
73 Murder Must Advertise Dorothy Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey novel 1933
74 The Saltmarsh Murders Gladys Mitchell 1932
75 Death Walks in Eastrepps Francis Beeding novel 1931
76 Murder At School Gwen Trevor 1931
77 Malice Aforethought: The Story of a Commonplace Crime Anthony Berkeley written as Frances Iles novels 1931
78 The Documents in the Case Dorothy Sayers shorts 1930
79 The Murder At The Vickerage Agatha Christie 1930
80 The Maltese Falcon Dashiell Hammett novel 1930
81 Death Of My Aunt C. H. B. Kitchin 1929
82 The Poisoned Chocolates Case Anthony Berkeley Roger Sheringham novels 1929
83 The Mysterious Partner A. Fielding 1929
84 The Duke Of Yorks Steps Henry Wade 1929
85 The Inpleasantness At The Bellona Club Dorothy Sayers 1928
86 The Six Proud Walkers Francis Beeding novel 1928
87 The Footsteps at the Lock Ronald Knox novel 1928
88 The Bellamy Trial Frances Noyes Hart 1927
89 The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot Novel 1926
90 The Benson Murder Case S. S. Van Dine Philo Vance novel 1926
91 The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot Novel 1926
92 The Viaduct Murder Ronald Knox novel 1925
93 The Rasp Philip MacDonald 1924
94 The Pit-Prop Syndicate Freeman Wills Crofts novel 1922
95 The Red House Mystery A.A. Milne 1922
96 Call Mr. Fortune H. C. Bailey Reggie Fortune shorts 1920
97 The Cask Freeman Wills Crofts novel 1920
98 The Cask Freeman Wills Crofts novel 1920
99 The Middle Temple Murder JS Fletcher 1918
100 Trent's Last Case E. C. Bentley novel 1913
101 The Innocence Of Father Brown G. K. Chesterton collections 1911
102 The Man Who Was Thursday G. K. Chesterton novels 1907
103 The Red Thumb Mark R. Austin Freeman novels 1907
104 The Mystery Of A Hansom Cab Fergus Hume 1886
105 THE MOONSTONE Wilkie Collins novels 1868
106 Green For Danger Christianna Brand 0
107 The List Of Adrian Messenger Philip MacDonald 0
108 A Pinch Of Snuff Michael Underwood 0