The 222 Greatest Works of Crime and Mystery
The most popular genre of writing today goes under several names, including crime, detective fiction, mystery and whodunits. It overlaps every other publishing category, including mainstream literary works, thrillers, espionage, horror, romance and speculative fiction. You could argue that all literature belongs to this genre. Doesn't every piece of creative writing involve violation of some written or unwritten moral code, or an attempt to detect and solve certain mysteries of life?
For this list, however, we are considering the works that a consensus of readers and critics place in this genre, as well as writing that was seminal in originating the genre. For convenience, we call this grouping "Crime and Mystery".
The works on this list have been selected through the same extensive research and surveys, carried out over two decades, that spawned all our lists.
The Greatest Crime and Mystery list focuses on major works—mainly novels, novellas and collections—as we have recently split off a separate list for the greatest short stories in the field.
Popular as it is, this genre developing quickly. This "greatest" list is always undergoing updates and revisions as new works are discovered and appreciation of old works evolves.
Latest update: February 9, 2024
1829
The Rector of Veilbye
by Steen Steensen Blicher, Denmark
Novella
1842
The Jews' Beech Tree
by Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, Germany
Novella
1863
Les Habits Noirs
by Paul Féval, France
Novel
1866
Crime and Punishment
by Fyodor Dostoevski, Russia
Novel
Monsieur Lecoq
by Émile Gaboriau, France
Novel
The Leavenworth Case
by Anna Katherine Green, United States
Novel
1892
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
by Arthur Conan Doyle, England
Story collection includes A Scandal in Bohemia, The Red-Headed League, The Adventure of the Speckled Band, and others
Pudd'nhead Wilson
by Mark Twain, United States
Novel
1899
The Amateur Cracksman
by E.W. Hornung, England
Story collection
1903
The Riddle of the Sands
by Erskine Childers, England
Novel
1905
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
by Arthur Conan Doyle, England
Story collection includes "The Empty House", "The Norwood Builder", "The Dancing Men", "Charles Augustus Milverton", and others
Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Thief
by Maurice Leblanc, France
Novel
The Thinking Machine
by Jacques Futrelle, United States
Story collection
The Circular Staircase
by Mary Roberts Rinehart, United States
Novel
1911
The Innocence of Father Brown
by G.K. Chesterton, England
Story collection includes "The Blue Cross", "The Invisible Man", "The Hammer of God", and others
1913
Trent's Last Case
by E.C. Bentley, England
Novel
1918
Uncle Abner: Master of Mysteries
by Melville Davisson Post, United States
Story collection includes The Doomdorf Mystery, The Wrong Hand, The House of the Dead Man, and others
The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder
by Edgar Wallace, England
Story collection
1927
The Bellamy Trial
by Frances Noyes Haart, United States
Novel
1928
Ashenden, or the British Agent
by W. Somerset Maugham, England
Story collection
1929
The Poisoned Chocolates Case
by Anthony Berkeley, England
Novel
Death of My Aunt
by C.H.B. Kitchin, England
Story collection
Little Caesar
by W.R. Burnett, United States
Novel
1930
Strong Poison
by Dorothy L. Sayers, England
Novel
The Documents in the Case
by Dorothy Sayers, Robert Eustace, England
Novel
1931
The Sands of Windee
by Arthur Upfield, Australia
Novel
Malice Aforethought
by Francis Iles, England
Novel
Guys and Dolls
by Damon Runyon, United States
Story collection
1932
Before the Fact
by Francis Iles, England
Novel
The Madman of Bergerac
by Georges Simenon, Belgium
Novel
1933
Murder Must Advertise
by Dorothy L. Sayers, England
Novel
The Case of the Sulky Girl
by Erle Stanley Gardner, United States
Novel
The Case of the Velvet Claws
by Erle Stanley Gardner, United States
Novel
1934
Death of a Ghost
by Margery Allingham, England
Novel
The Nine Tailors
by Dorothy L. Sayers, England
Novel
The Three Coffins
by John Dickson Carr, United States
Novel
The League of the Frightened Men
by Rex Stout, United States
Novel
1936
The Wheel Spins
by Ethel Lina White, England
Novel
1938
Rebecca
by Daphne du Maurier, England
Novel
Brighton Rock
by Graham Greene, England
Novel
The Beast Must Die
by Nicholas Blake, Ireland
Novel
Death from a Top Hat
by Clayton Lawson, United States
Novel
1939
The Mask of Dimitrios
by Eric Ambler, England
Novel
Rogue Male
by Geoffrey Household, England
Novel
The Bride Wore Black
by Cornell Woolrich, United States
Novel
1941
The Case of the Abominable Snowman
by Nicholas Blake, Ireland
Novel
Surfeit of Lampreys
by Ngaio Marsh, New Zealand
Novel
1942
Tragedy at Law
by Cyril Hare, England
Novel
Calamity Town
by Ellery Queen, United States
Novel
Laura
by Vera Caspary, United States
Novel
A Kiss Before Dying
by Ira Levin, United States
Novel
1944
Green for Danger
by Christianna Brand, England
Novel
Home Sweet Homicide
by Craig Rice, United States
Novel
1945
Appleby's End
by Michael Innes, Scotland
Novel
The Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Luiz Zafón, Spain
Novel
1946
The Moving Toyshop
by Edmund Crispin, England
Novel
The Honshin Murders
by Seisha Yokomizo, Japan
Novel
Murder Among Friends
by Elizabeth Ferrars, United States
Novel
Horizontal Man
by Helen Eustis, United States
Novel
1947
A Case to Answer
by Edgar Lustgarten, England
Novel
The Fabulous Clipjoint
by Fredric Brown, United States
Novel
I, the Jury
by Mickey Spillane, United States
Novel
1948
More Work for the Undertaker
by Margery Allingham, England
Novella
The Franchise Affair
by Josephine Tey, Scotland
Novella
Devil Take the Blue-Tale Fly
by John Franklin Bardin, United States
Novel
1949
The Third Man
by Graham Greene, England
Novella
The Journeying Boy
by Michael Innes, Scotland
Novel
The Asphalt Jungle
by W.R. Burnett, United States
Novel
1950
Smallbone Deceased
by Michael Gilbert, England
Novel
Strangers on a Train
by Patricia Highsmith, United States
Novel
1951
The Daughter of Time
by Josephine Tey, Scotland
Novel
The Devil in Velvet
by John Dickson Carr, United States
Novel
1952
Beat Not the Bones
by Charlotte Jay, Australia
Novel
The Tiger in the Smoke
by Margery Allingham, England
Novel
Killer Inside Me
by Jim Thompson, United States
Novel
Last Seen Wearing…
by Hilary Waugh, United States
Novel
1953
Five Roundabouts to Heaven
by John Bingham, England
Novel
Post Mortem
by Guy Cullingford, England
Novel
Twelve Angry Men
by Reginald Rose, United States
Play
1955
The Talented Mr. Ripley
by Patricia Highsmith, United States
Novel
Beast in View
by Margaret Millar, United States
Novel
1956
Gideon's Week
by J.J. Marric (John Creasey), England
Novel
A Dram of Poison
by Charlotte Armstrong, United States
Novel
Mystery Stories
by Stanley Ellin, United States
Story collection
Cop Hater
by Ed McBain, United States
Novel
1957
From Russia With Love
by Ian Fleming, England
Novel
1958
Nine Coaches Waiting
by Mary Stewart, England
Novel
Anatomy of a Murder
by Robert Traver, United States
Novel
1959
My Brother Michael
by Mary Stewart, England
Novel
Plot It Yourself
by Rex Stout, United States
Novel
1960
Maigret in Court
by Georges Simenon, Belgium
Novel
The New Sonia Wayward
by Michael Innes, Scotland
Novel
1962
The Rose of Tibet
by Lionel Davidson, England
Novel
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
by Shirley Jackson, United States
Novel
1963
Gun Before Butter
by Nicolas Freeling, England
Novel
The Expendable Man
by Dorothy B. Hughes, United States
Novel
1964
The Cellar at No. 5
by Shelley Smith, England
Novel
Pop. 1280
by Jim Thompson, United States
Novel
1965
The Berlin Memorandum
by Brian Hall, England
Novel
Roseanna
by Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö, Sweden
Novel
RSVP Murder
by Mignon G. Eberhart, United States
Novel
The Doorbell Rang
by Rex Stout, United States
Novel
1966
In Cold Blood
by Truman Capote, United States, Non-fiction novel
1967
The Man Who Killed Himself
by Julian Symons, England
Novel
Murder Against the Grain
by Emma Lathen, United States
Novel
God Save the Mark
by Donal E. Westlake, United States
Novel
1968
To Each His Own
by Leonardo Sciascia, Sweden
Novel
The Laughing Policeman
by Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö, Sweden
Novel
1969
Blind Man with a Pistol
by Chester Himes, United States
Novel
The Godfather
by Mario Puzo, United States
Novel
1970
Wobble to Death
by Peter Lovesey, England
Novel
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
by George V. Higgins, United States
Novel
The Hot Rock
by Donald E. Westlake, United States
Novel
1971
The Day of the Jackal
by Frederick Forsyth, England
Novel
Shroud for a Nightingale
by P.D. James, England
Novel
1972
Mirror Mirror on the Wall
by Stanley Ellin, United States
Novel
Sadie When She Died
by Ed McBain, United States
Novel
1973
Dance Hall of the Dead
by Tony Hillerman, United States
Novel
1974
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
by John Le Carré, England
Novel
A Running Duck
by Paula Gosling, United States
Novel
Fletch
by Gregory Mcdonald, United States
Novel
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
by Nicholas Meyer, United States
Novel
1975
The Eagle Has Landed
by Jack Higgins, England
Novel
Where Are the Children?
by Mary Higgins Clark, United States
Novel
1976
A Demon in My View
by Ruth Rendell, England
Novel
The Blue Hammer
by Ros Macdonald, United States
Novel
1977
A Morbid Taste for Bones
by Ellis Peters, England
Novel
A Judgement in Stone
by Ruth Rendell, England
Novel
1978
Eye of the Needle
by Ken Follett, England
Novel
Rumpole of the Bailey
by John Mortimer, England
Story collection
1979
The Southern Seas
by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, Spain
Novel
1980
The Murder of the Maharajah
by H.R.F. Keating, England
Novel
The Name of the Rose
by Umberto Eco, Italy
Novel
1981
The Dead of Jericho
by Colin Dexter, England
Novel
Leper of Saint Giles
by Ellis Peters, England
Novel
The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard
by Anatole France, France
Novel
Red Dragon
by Thomas Harris, United States
Novel
The First Deadly Sin
by Lawrence Sanders, United States
Novel
1982
The False Inspector Dew
by Peter Lovesey, England
Novel
A Is for Alibi
by Sue Grafton, United States
Novel
Bank Shot
by Donald E. Westlake, United States
Novel
1983
The Danger
by Dick Francis, England
Novel
The Little Drummer Girl
by John le Carré, England
Novel
LaBrava
by Elmore Leonard, United States
Novel
1984
Penny Black
by Susan Moody, England
Novel
1985
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
by Patricvk Suskind, Germany
Novel
1985–1986
The New York Trilogy
by Paul Auster, United States
Novel series
1986
A Taste for Death
by P.D. James, England
Novel
A Dark-Adapted Eye
by Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell), England
Novel
Who Killed Palomiono Molero?
by Mario Vargas Llosa, Peru
Novel
1987
The Killings at Badger's Drift
by Caroline Graham, England
Novel
Bertie and the Tin Man
by Peter Lovesey, England
Novel
A Fatal Inversion
by Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell), England
Novel
The Deacon House Murders
by Yukito Ayatsuji, Japan
Novel
The Black Dahlia
by James Ellroy, United States
Novel
Misery
by Stephen King, United States
Novel
Presumed Innocent
by Scott Turow, United States
Novel
1988
Under World
by Reginald Hill, England
Novel
Black Cherry Blues
by James Lee Burke, United States
Novel
The Silence of the Lambs
by Thomas Harris, United States
Novel
A Thief of Time
by Tony Hillerman, United States
Novel
1989
Devices and Desires
by P.D. James, England
Novel
1990
L.A. Confidential
by James Ellroy, United States
Novel
Get Shorty
by Elmore Leonard, United States
Novel
Devil in a Blue Dress
by Walter Mosley, United States
Novel
1991
Faceless Killers
by Henning Mankell, Sweden
Novel
The Firm
by John Grisham, United States
Novel
1992
Smilla's Sense of Snow
by Peter Hoeg, Denmark
Novel
Fatherland
by Robert Harris, England
Novel
The Secret History
by Donna Tartt, United States
Novel
1994
The Shape of Water
by Andrea Camilleri, Italy
Novel
1998
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
by Alexander McCall Smith, Scotland
Novel
My Name Is Red
by Orhan Pamuk, Turkey
Novel
2001
True History of the Kelly Gang
by Peter Carey, Australia
Novel
2002
Fingersmith
by Sarah Waters, Wales
Novel
2003
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon, England
Novel
The Ice Princess
by Camilla Läckberg, Sweden
Novel
2005
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson, Sweden
Novel
2006
The Thirteenth Tale
by Diane Setterfield, England
Novel
2007
In the Woods
by Tana French, Ireland
Novel
The Yiddish Policemen's Union
by Michael Chabon, United States
Novel
2008
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher
by Kate Summerscale, England
Nonfiction novel
2009
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
by Olga Tokarczuk, Poland
Novel
2012
Gone Girl
by Gillian Flynn, United States
Novel
2014
Mr. Mercedes
by Stephen King, United States
Novel
2015
The Girl on the Train
by Paula Hawkins, England
Novel
2017
Bluebird, Bluebird
by Attica Locke, United States
Novel
2020
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line
by Deepa Anaparra, India
Novel
