BEST MYSTERY BOOKS OF ALL TIME WHOA! WHAT’S THAT YOU HEAR? IS IT A GUNSHOT OR A CAR BACKFIRE? IN ANY CASE, WE MUST FIND OUT!!!!
Let’s be honest here, all of us have a natural inclination towards ‘whodunnits’. Be it a broken glass in the office break room or suicide of a celebrity, all of us put on our detective hats and start making deductions as soon as we come across it. Blame it on the natural curiosity of the human spirit or the sheer enjoyment brought by the chaos in our lives, all of us have dreamt of being the center of our personal mystery saga. A perfect story where we rise to the occasion and save the day with our cunning detective skills. And we have no doubt that most of us have been caught reading too much into mundane situations and embarrassed ourselves.
Mystery is our perfect escape from the boring, mundane reality we are forced to become a part of. It offers us an adventurous escape from our everyday lives where we get to play killers, detectives, and police all in one. Simply described, the mystery genre is a genre of fiction that follows a crime (like a murder, suicide or disappearance) from the moment it is committed to the moment it is solved. Mystery novels are often called “whodunnits” because they turn the reader into a detective trying to figure out the who, what, when, and how of a particular crime. In the following list, you will find the most thrilling and adventurous mystery books of all times. We hope that these reads bring you all the goosebumps you need to get through the day of boredom and mundane reality.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
It would not be wrong to call Agatha Christie the queen of mystery genre. Her books are full of mystery, romance and thrilling adventures. Agatha Christie described And Then There Were None as one of her most difficult books to write.
The book is set in a small isolated island near the Devon coast. The novel starts off when eight people arrive on a small, isolated island off the Devon coast, each having received an unexpected personal invitation.
They are met by the butler and cook-housekeeper, Thomas and Ethel Rogers, who explain that their hosts, Ulick Norman Owen and Una Nancy Owen, have not yet arrived, though they have left instructions. Without spoiling the plot, let’s just say that the hosts never arrive and the guests are served with something very cold and no we are not talking about dinner.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
“Read a good book before Hollywood ruins it” is as the saying goes and we agree. If you are not living under a rock up till now, you must have heard of the major motion picture Gone Girl. Well, yes, we thoroughly enjoyed the movie but it would be safe to say that the novel is 100% times better than the movie itself.
Inspired by true events, Gone Girl is a crime thriller novel by Gillian Flynn. Right after its release, the novel went widely popular and was very well received by the true crime junkies. It even made the New York Times bestseller list. In terms of the plot of the novel, the narrative alternates between the point of view of Nick and Amy Dunne.
Nick’s narration begins shortly after arriving home on his fifth wedding anniversary to find Amy is missing; there are signs of a struggle. Amy’s narration comes in the form of her diaries and follows the earlier stages of their relationship. After a series of pretty thrilling events, the novel moves towards a peaceful resolve. We definitely recommend this to our mystery junkies.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
I am sure all of us have thought out our escape plans while crossing an abandoned subway station. Train stations are often the perfect setting of a true crime thriller or a mystery epic. The Girl on the Train is yet another modern day psychological thriller which had us on the edge of our reading chair for several hours.
This mystery thriller is the debut novel of renowned journalist Paula Hawkins. The book was very well received by the readers. It even charted at the top of New York Times bestseller list. Seeing its growing popularity, The Girl on the Train has been made into not one but two major motion pictures. In terms of the plot, the story is a first-person narrative told from the point of view of three women: Rachel Watson, Anna Boyd, and Megan Hipwell.
The protagonist Rachel Watson is a 33-year-old alcoholic, reeling from the end of her marriage to Tom, who left her for another woman. Rachel’s drinking has caused her to lose her job; she frequently binges and has blackouts. The disappearance of her neighbour Megan Hipwell drives most of the plot. The conflict gets built up throughout the novel and ends in a chaotic resolve. The book excellently incorporates psychological tropes and motifs while carefully touching the sensitive topics of alcoholism and abuse.
All The Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
Evident by the title, All the Devils Are Here is a true crime thriller by Louise Penny. Well, there is no doubt about the credibility of this police thriller as it is penned down by none other than Louise Penny.
Louise Penny is the author of the number 1 New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling series of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. She has won numerous awards, including a CWA Dagger and the Agatha Award (seven times). All the Devils Are Here is the 16th book in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series.
The plot of this book follows the protagonist Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec in his investigation of a sinister murder in the City of Lights Paris. Followed by the main conflicting incident, Ganache’s whole family is caught up in a web of lies and deceit. In order to find the truth, Ganache has to decide whether he can trust his friends, his colleagues, his instincts, his own past and most of all, his own family.
The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
We all love the books which reek of suspense and horror in their titles. Same is the case with James M. Cain’s marvel The Postman Always Rings Twice. You can sense the urgency and danger of the novel by merely taking a glance at the title of the novel.
In terms of the plot, the story is brought to you by Frank Chambers, who is narrating the story from death row, summing up all the incidents of the novel. Narrated in the first person by Frank Chambers, a young drifter who stops at a rural California diner for a meal and ends up working there.
The diner is operated by a beautiful young woman, Cora, and her much older husband, Nick Papadakis, sometimes called “the Greek”. The story follows these characters in their romance engulfed by the mystery and ends on a tragic note. But, afterall what is mystery without a little tragedy?
