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Best mystery novels of all time
The ten best mystery novels of all time, from Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes to Gone Girl, with the detective, setting and style of each book.
Bitezine Editorial TeamRankings, reviews & guides 9 min read
AI generatedThe best mystery novels of all time play fair with the reader, hide the answer in plain sight and still manage to surprise on the last pages. The ten books below range from the golden-age whodunit to hard-boiled noir and the modern psychological thriller, and each one is a landmark of its style.
We compared best mystery books lists from critics, crime writers' associations and reader polls, and weighed each book's influence on the genre, on film and on television. We favoured books still widely in print and enjoyable today, and aimed for a mix of classic mystery books, best detective novels and more recent best crime novels.
At a glance
#1 · Best for Mystery beginners
And Then There Were None
The ultimate locked-room thriller
Ten strangers are lured to an island off the Devon coast, accused of past crimes and killed one by one. With no detective and nobody able to leave, the tension builds to one of the most famous solutions in crime fiction. It is widely reported to be the best-selling mystery novel ever.
- Standalone, no series detective
- Isolated island setting
- Famous final reveal
- Short, fast read
- Author
- Agatha Christie
- First published
- 1939
- Length
- Short (about 270 pages)
#2 · Best for Fans of clever twists
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Christie's most daring twist
Hercule Poirot, retired to an English village, investigates the death of a wealthy local man. The solution caused controversy on publication and is still discussed as one of the boldest twists in the genre. Members of the Crime Writers' Association voted it the best crime novel ever in a 2013 poll.
- Hercule Poirot mystery
- Classic village setting
- Genre-changing twist
- Golden-age whodunit
- Author
- Agatha Christie
- First published
- 1926
- Length
- Medium (about 300 pages)
#3 · Best for Classic detective fans
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Sherlock Holmes at his best
A family curse and a spectral hound haunt the Baskerville estate on Dartmoor, and Holmes and Watson are called in to protect the heir. The foggy moorland atmosphere mixes gothic horror with sharp deduction. It is the most popular of the four Holmes novels.
- Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson
- Atmospheric Dartmoor setting
- Gothic touches
- Works as a standalone
- Author
- Arthur Conan Doyle
- First published
- 1902
- Length
- Short (about 250 pages)
#4 · Best for Noir and style lovers
The Big Sleep
The noir detective novel that set the tone
Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a wealthy general to deal with a blackmailer and is drawn into a web of crime in Los Angeles. Chandler's vivid similes and moody city scenes defined hard-boiled fiction. The 1946 film with Humphrey Bogart is a classic in its own right.
- Philip Marlowe's first novel
- Hard-boiled Los Angeles noir
- Famously sharp prose
- Classic 1946 film version
- Author
- Raymond Chandler
- First published
- 1939
- Length
- Short (about 230 pages)
#5 · Best for Readers who like it tough
The Maltese Falcon
Hard-boiled crime in its purest form
San Francisco private eye Sam Spade gets caught up in a hunt for a priceless statuette after his partner is killed. Hammett writes in a lean, objective style that shows what characters do rather than what they think. The 1941 film with Humphrey Bogart made Spade an icon.
- Sam Spade detective novel
- Lean, cinematic style
- Twisty treasure hunt
- 1941 film adaptation
- Author
- Dashiell Hammett
- First published
- 1930
- Length
- Short (about 220 pages)
#6 · Best for Readers of Victorian fiction
The Moonstone
A founding detective novel
A sacred Indian diamond disappears from an English country house, and the story is told by a series of witnesses. Sergeant Cuff, the investigating officer, became a model for later fictional detectives. It is long by modern standards but lively and often funny.
- Multiple narrators
- Early detective figure
- Victorian country-house setting
- Humour alongside suspense
- Author
- Wilkie Collins
- First published
- 1868
- Length
- Long (about 500 pages)
#7 · Best for Intellectual readers
The Name of the Rose
A medieval murder mystery with big ideas
In 1327, the Franciscan friar William of Baskerville investigates a series of deaths at an Italian abbey with a vast, secret library. Eco blends detective fiction with history, theology and philosophy. It sold millions of copies and was filmed with Sean Connery.
- Set in a medieval abbey
- Detective with a Holmes nod
- Rich historical detail
- Translated from Italian
- Author
- Umberto Eco
- First published
- 1980 (English 1983)
- Length
- Long (about 550 pages)
#8 · Best for Fans of dark thrillers
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Scandinavian noir phenomenon
Journalist Mikael Blomkvist and hacker Lisbeth Salander investigate a woman who vanished from a wealthy Swedish family decades earlier. The book combines a cold-case mystery with financial crime and a sharp critique of violence against women. It contains graphic scenes, so it is not for every reader.
- First of the Millennium series
- Memorable Lisbeth Salander
- Cold-case investigation
- Adapted into Swedish and US films
- Author
- Stieg Larsson
- First published
- 2005 (English 2008)
- Length
- Long (about 550 pages)
#9 · Best for Psychological thriller fans
Gone Girl
The defining modern psychological thriller
On their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy Dunne disappears, and suspicion quickly falls on her husband Nick. Told in alternating voices, the novel keeps shifting who you trust. It became a huge bestseller and was adapted into a 2014 film directed by David Fincher.
- Alternating unreliable narrators
- Marriage under the microscope
- Mid-book turn
- 2014 David Fincher film
- Author
- Gillian Flynn
- First published
- 2012
- Length
- Long (about 420 pages)
#10 · Best for Cosy mystery lovers
The Thursday Murder Club
The best modern cosy mystery
Four residents of a retirement village in Kent meet weekly to study cold cases, until a real murder happens on their doorstep. Osman balances gentle humour with a well-built puzzle and a surprising amount of heart. It launched a bestselling series and was adapted into a 2025 film.
- Cosy, humorous tone
- Amateur sleuths in their seventies
- First of a bestselling series
- 2025 film adaptation
- Author
- Richard Osman
- First published
- 2020
- Length
- Medium (about 380 pages)
How to choose
Think about the style you enjoy. If you want a classic whodunit with clues and a final reveal, start with Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes. For noir detective novels with sharp dialogue and city streets, go for Chandler and Hammett. If you prefer cosy mystery books with humour and a gentle pace, The Thursday Murder Club is a modern favourite.
Consider darkness and length too. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl include violent and disturbing content, so they suit readers who like psychological thrillers. The Name of the Rose is long and full of history and philosophy. For mystery books for beginners, And Then There Were None and The Hound of the Baskervilles are short and hard to put down.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best mystery novel of all time?
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And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is often named, and it is widely reported to be the best-selling mystery novel ever. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and The Hound of the Baskervilles are also frequent picks.
What is the best Agatha Christie book to start with?
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And Then There Were None is a standalone thriller with no series detective, so it is easy to pick up. If you want Hercule Poirot, start with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd or Murder on the Orient Express.
What was the first detective novel?
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Edgar Allan Poe's short story The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) is usually credited as the first modern detective story. Among full-length novels, Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone (1868) is often called one of the first and most influential English detective novels.
What is a cosy mystery?
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A cosy mystery is a gentle crime story, usually set in a small community, with little on-page violence and an amateur sleuth. Agatha Christie's Miss Marple books and Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club are well-known examples.
What books are like Gone Girl?
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Readers who enjoy Gone Girl often like other psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators, such as The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. Gillian Flynn's earlier novels, Sharp Objects and Dark Places, are also popular.
Do I need to read the Sherlock Holmes stories in order?
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No. Most Sherlock Holmes stories stand alone. The Hound of the Baskervilles is a good first book, though A Study in Scarlet introduces Holmes and Watson.
What is the difference between a mystery and a thriller?
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A mystery centres on solving a crime that has already happened, and the reader follows the clues. A thriller focuses on suspense and danger as events unfold. Many modern books, such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, mix both.
And Then There Were None is the best single starting point for most readers, but the list covers every major style of mystery, from Victorian sensation novels to modern twists. Pick one classic and one contemporary title, and you will see how the best mystery books have kept readers guessing for more than 150 years.
How we research: We compare each product on the same criteria, using makers’ documentation, independent reviews and owner feedback, and re-check the list when products change.
Written by
Bitezine Editorial Team
Rankings, reviews & guides
Our editors research every piece from makers’ documentation, independent tests and owner reports, and update it when products change.
