The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The world's foremost practitioner of deductive reasoning is just as celebrated today as he was in Victorian England, with good reason; the tales are engaging, intriguing, and just plain fun to read. If you've already read the classic stories and are longing for more, contemporary writers have been following Doyle's lead. Caleb Carr has penned The Italian Secretary, a tale of Holmes, his brother Mycroft, and Dr. Watson aiding Queen Victoria at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. Michael Chabon's The Final Solution depicts the detective as an aging beekeeper who befriends a mute, nine-year old with an African gray parrot. The boy has escaped from Nazi Germany and may have an international secret. Better yet, try Arthur & George by Julian Barnes, based on Doyle's actual intervention in a miscarriage of British justice; this historical fiction reveals the forces of prejudice, spiritualism, and the corrupt legal system that troubled English society at the turn of the 20th century.
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
This book created the rough-around-the-edges detective who solved the crime and made the ladies swoon. Detective Philip Marlowe tries to solve a case involving an old
millionaire and his wild, secretive daughters.
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
What is particularly gripping about this book is that the events are true. It is the story of four innocent people who were murdered "in cold blood" and the two men who were tried and sentenced for the murders. Capote interviewed all of the townspeople and perched himself each night at a desk in a rented motel room to write this harrowing and unforgettable book.
Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers
In a women's college at Oxford, mystery writer Harriet Vane sets out to discover the identity of an anonymous poison pen whose efforts to tarnish the college's reputation could lead to murder. Detective Lord Peter Wimsey contributes love interest and considerable wit.
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco*
Seven deaths in a 14th century Franciscan abbey challenge the mental capacity of one Brother who turns detective. With logic and ancient wisdom as his only tools, he must find the answer before it is too late for another Brother.
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
An amazingly creative mystery story told from different characters' points of view.
