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LEHMAN'S RECOMMENDED DETECTIVE NOVELS AND STORIES
In his book, The Perfect Murder: A study in Detection (1989), David Lehman provides a list of recommended titles. They "were chosen for their importance in the evolution of the mystery genre or simply for the pleasure they reliably give; in many cases, both reasons apply."
| Allingham, Margery | The Fashion in Shrouds. 1938 |
| Auster, Paul | The New York Trilogy. 1985-86 |
| Bentley, E.C. | Trent's Last Case. 1912 |
| Bergman, Andrew | The Big Kiss-Off of 1944. 1974 |
| Berkeley, Anthony | The Poisoned Chocolates Case. 1929 |
| Blake, Nicholas | Thou Shell of Death. 1936 |
| Blake, Nicholas | The Beast Must Die. 1938 |
| Blake, Nicholas | The Corpse in the Snowman. 1941 |
| Blake, Nicholas | Minute for Murder. 1947 |
| Blake, Nicholas | The Widow's Cruise. 1959 |
| Cain, James M. | Double Indemnity. 1936 |
| Candy, Edward | Words for Murder Perhaps. 1971 |
| Carr, John Dickson | The Three Coffins. 1935 |
| Carr, John Dickson | The Burning Court. 1937 |
| Carr, John Dickson | The Crooked Hinge. 1938 |
| Chandler, Raymond | The Big Sleep. 1939 |
| Chandler, Raymond | Farewell, My Lovely. 1940 |
| Chandler, Raymond | The High Window. 1942 |
| Chandler, Raymond | The Long Good-bye. 1954 |
| Chesterton, Gilbert Keith | The Club of Queer Trades. 1935 |
| Chesterton, Gilbert Keith | The Man Who Was Thursday. 1908 |
| Chesterton, Gilbert Keith | The Innocence of Father Brown. 1911 |
| Chesterton, Gilbert Keith | The Wisdom of Father Brown. 1914 |
| Christie, Agatha | The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. 1926 |
| Christie, Agatha | Murder in the Orient Express. 1934 |
| Christie, Agatha | The ABC Murders. 1936 |
| Christie, Agatha | And Then There Were None. 1940 |
| Christie, Agatha | Curtain. 1975 |
| Collins, Wilkie | The Moonstone. 1868 |
| Crispin, Edmund | The Moving Toyshop. 1946 |
| Crumley, James | Dancing Bear. 1985 |
| Dickson, Carter | The Judas Window. 1938 |
| Dickson, Carter | The Reader Is Warned. 1939 |
| Doyle, Arthur Conan | A Study in Scarlet. 1887 |
| Doyle, Arthur Conan | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. 1892 |
| Doyle, Arthur Conan | The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. 1894 |
| Doyle, Arthur Conan | The Hound of the Baskervilles. 1902 |
| Eco, Umberto | The Name of the Rose. 1983 |
| Ellin, Stanley | Mystery Stories. 1956 |
| Ellin, Stanley | The Eighth Circle. 1958 |
| Fearing, Kenneth | The Big Clock. 1946 |
| Freeman, R. Austin | The Red Thumb Mark. 1907 |
| Grafton, Sue | "C" is for Corpse |
| Hammett, Dashiell | Red Harvest. 1929 |
| Hammett, Dashiell | The Maltese Falcon. 1930 |
| Hammett, Dashiell | The Glass Key. 1931 |
| Highsmith, Patricia | Strangers on a Train. 1949 |
| Highsmith, Patricia | The Talented Mr. Ripley. 1957 |
| Hjortsberg, William | Falling Angel. 1977 |
| Innes, Michael | Hamlet, Revenge! |
| James, P. D. | Death of an Expert Witness. 1977 |
| James, P. D. | A Taste for Death. 1986 |
| Kemelman, Harry | Friday the Rabbi Slept Late. 1964 |
| Leonard, Elmore | Glitz. 1985 |
| Levin, Ira | A Kiss Before Dying. 1953 |
| Lyons, Arthur | Hard Trade. 1981 |
| McBain, Ed | Ten Plus One. 1963 |
| McBain, Ed | Long Time No See. 1977 |
| McBain, Ed | Ice. 1983 |
| MacDonald, Ross | The Chill. 1964 |
| MacDonald, Ross | The Good-bye Look. 1969 |
| MacDonald, Ross | The Underground Man. 1971 |
| Marsh, Ngaio | Overture to Death. 1936 |
| Maxwell, Thomas | Kiss Me Once. 1986 |
| Nash, Simon | Death Over Deep Water. 1963 |
| Paretsky, Sara | Bitter Medicine. 1987 |
| Poe, Edgar Allan | Tales. 1845 |
| Postgate, Raymond | Verdict of Twelve. 1940 |
| Potter, Dennis | The Singing Detective. 1986 |
| Queen, Ellery | The Chinese Orange Mystery. 1934 |
| Rendell, Ruth | Means of Evil. 1977 |
| Rendell, Ruth | The Killing Doll. 1985 |
| Rosen, Richard | Strike Three, You're Dead. 1984 |
| Sayers, Dorothy | Strong Poison. 1930 |
| Sayers, Dorothy | Murder Must Advertise. 1933 |
| Simon, Roger | The Big Fix. 1974 |
| Smith, Mark | The Death of the Detective. 1974 |
| Stout, Rex | Too Many Women. 1947 |
| Stout, Rex | And Be a Villain. 1948 |
| Stout, Rex | The Second Confession. 1949 |
| Symons, Julian | The 31st of February. 1951 |
| Tey, Josephine | The Daughter of Time. 1951 |
| Thompson, Jim | The Killer Inside Me. 1952 |
| Thompson, Jim | The Getaway. 1959 |
| Vine, Barbara | A Fatal Inversion. 1987 |
| Wade, Henry | Heir Presumptive |
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