Detectives are one of the most popular book (and not only) genres. Some readers unfairly consider detective works to be “easy” reading, suitable only to pass the time. But lovers of this genre know that detective stories are not only fascinating readings, but also an opportunity to put their logical and deductive abilities into practice.
There is nothing more exciting than trying to uncover the main intrigue of a detective novel and guess the name of the criminal. We bring to your attention the best detective books of all time - a ranking of the top 10 most fascinating works of the detective genre, compiled from reviews by readers of large Internet resources.
10. Old people do not belong here | Cormac McCarthy
Opens our novel list Cormac McCarthy "Old Men Have No Place". The book is written in the genre of brutal bloody parable. Vietnam War veteran Lewellin Moss, while hunting for antelopes in the mountains of West Texas, is at the scene of the dismantling of bandits. He finds corpses and a suitcase with a huge sum - two million dollars. Yielding to temptation, he takes the money. The hunt begins for Moss - Mexican bandits and the brutal hired killer Anton Chigur follow in his wake.
Based on the novel, the Coen brothers filmed the eponymous thriller, which received 4 Oscars.
9. Girl with the dragon tattoo | Stig Larson
Stig Larson - A Swedish writer and journalist who has written in his life only three novels, which are very popular. He died of a heart attack at 50, never seeing the release of his first book.
IN "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" The journalist Michael Blomqvist, who has fallen into disgrace, makes an advantageous offer to the industrial tycoon - to reveal the secret of the disappearance of his grand-niece. She disappeared 40 years ago, and the industrialist is sure that the girl was killed by someone from the family. A journalist does not get down to business because of money, but to distract from problems. Soon he realizes that the young Harriet’s disappearance was connected with the murders of women that occurred at different times in Sweden.
It is interesting: the detective novel "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" Stephen King included in the list of his 10 favorite books.
8. The one that did not | Boileau - Narsezhak
This is the story of a husband who, under the influence of his mistress, kills his wife, but soon begins to experience the torment of conscience.
"The One That Has Not Been" - A psychological foreign novel with an unpredictable denouement, the tension in which increases with each page read. The authors of this classic detective story managed to create the illusion of a complete immersion of the reader in the events developing in the book.
7. Kissing the girls | James patterson
Patterson’s books have repeatedly become bestsellers of all time, and he is one of the best-selling writers in the world. Alex Cross, the protagonist of a whole series of Patterson's books, enjoys the special love of readers.
In the detective thriller "Kissing the girls" a forensic psychologist is following the trail of a serial killer, nicknamed Casanova, who kidnapped and killed several young women. Kross has his own important reason to find a maniac - in the hands of Casanova is his niece.
6. Jackal Day | Frederick Forsyth
6th place is a novel Frederick Forsyth Jackal Day. The first book of the writer made him famous - a political detective about the attempted murder of Charles de Gaulle instantly became a bestseller. According to the plot of the novel, an extremist organization hires a killer to destroy the President of France under the pseudonym "Jackal". The French authorities receive information that a professional was involved in the assassination, about whom nothing is known except his pseudonym. The operation begins to search for the Jackal.
Interesting fact: Foresight for 20 years was an agent of MI-6 (British intelligence service). His manuscripts were read in MI-6, so that the writer would not inadvertently give out non-public information.
5. The Maltese Falcon | Deshil Hammett
Novel Deshil Hammett The Maltese Falcon, one of the classics of world literature, takes 5th line of our rating.
Private detective Sam Spade takes up the investigation at the request of a certain Miss Wonderley. She asks to find her sister, who escaped from home with her lover. Spade's partner, who accompanied the client to a meeting with his sister, is found murdered, and Sam is suspected of committing a crime. It soon turns out that a figurine of the Maltese falcon is involved in the case, which many hunt for.
4. Study in crimson tones | Arthur Conan Doyle
All of Sherlock Holmes’s investigative novels are read in the same breath and it’s hard to name the best of them. "A study in Scarlet" - The first book dedicated to the great British master of the deductive method.
Victorian England. Due to financial constraints, retired military doctor John Watson shares an apartment in London with another gentleman, Sherlock Holmes. The latter is full of mysteries, and his activities, as well as strange visitors, make Watson think that his apartment mate is a criminal. It will soon be revealed that Holmes is a detective who often consults with the police.
3. Azazel | Boris Akunin
Third place is occupied by the first novel from the cycle of works about Erast Fandorin Azazel by Boris Akunin. Twenty-year-old Erast Fandorin serves in the police as a simple clerk, but dreams of a detective career. The strange suicide of a student witnessed by the main character gives him a chance to show his abilities in the investigation of this complicated case.
2. The silence of the lambs | Thomas harris
Novel The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris brought the writer great popularity. This is the second book about Hannibal Lecter, an excellent forensic psychiatrist and cannibal.
Claris Starling, an FBI cadet, receives a task from his superiors - to bring Hannibal Lecter, a dangerous criminal and an excellent forensic psychologist, to cooperation.
The novel was filmed in 1991 and received 5 Oscars in the most prestigious nominations.
1. Ten Little Indians | Agatha Christie
Each of the novels of the English writer is masterpiece, but "Ten Little Indians" They have a particularly gloomy atmosphere. A small island, ten guests invited by the mysterious owner of the mansion and the murder, exactly the same as the children's room, which acquires an increasingly ominous meaning with each new victim.
The novel was repeatedly filmed.