The 25 Must Read Mystery Books of All Time (2024)

FAQs

What is the greatest literary mystery of all time? ›

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Synonymous with the character Sherlock Holmes, Doyle is one of the world's most famous mystery authors.

All The Devils Are Here by Louise Penny

The dignified, cerebral Gamache is a detective for the ages, a good man in an often-impossible job whose greatest skill may be his insight into the human heart. If you haven't read Penny before, then start with Still Life (St. Martin's Paperbacks, 2015), the first in the series.

With over 5 billion copies sold and distributed, the Bible takes the top spot as the most read and widely distributed book in the world. It is considered the holy scripture of Christianity and is also revered by Judaism.

Many call the fifteenth-century codex, commonly known as the “Voynich Manuscript,” the world's most mysterious book. Written in an unknown script by an unknown author, the manuscript has no clearer purpose now than when it was rediscovered in 1912 by rare books dealer Wilfrid Voynich.

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

And Then There Were None is the best-selling crime novel of all time, and made Agatha Christie the best-selling novelist, according to the Agatha Christie Estate.

Dubbed the “Queen of Mystery,” Agatha Christie was an author and playwright known for books such as Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, as well as characters like Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple.

What are the three famous mysteries? ›

This volume includes Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of the Four, Guy de Maupassant's The Flayed Hand, and Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Classics Illustrated tells this wonderful tale in colorful comic strip form, offering an excellent introduction for younger readers.

Having sold more than 600 million copies worldwide, Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling is the best-selling book series in history.

Amelia Earhart, a pioneer of aviation, disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 while trying to fly around the world. Despite multiple searches, no trace of her or her plane has ever been discovered.