Listmania!
Mostly murder mysteries
The Nine Tailors: A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries)The Nine Tailors: A Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery (Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries) by Dorothy L Sayers
Buy new: £5.95 / Used from: £0.01
My favourite Dorothy L. Sayers. Classic book with a very unexpected murderer.
Sleeping Murder: (Miss Marple)Sleeping Murder: (Miss Marple) by Agatha Christie
Buy new: £4.36 / Used from: £2.02
Old sins cast long shadows in this the last Miss Marple novel. Actually written many years earlier, but published posthumously, I think it's one of Agatha Christie's best.
Death at La FeniceDeath at La Fenice by Donna Leon
Buy used from: £0.01
The first of Donna Leon's Brunetti books. Stylish evocation of Venice, great mystery stories, and as the series progresses nice characterisation of Brunetti and his family.
Death and RestorationDeath and Restoration by Iain Pears
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £2.28
Lightweight crime novel with a comic edge. The Jonathan Argyll series make great light weight reading. Clever mysteries with nifty detection and a bit of art history thrown in.
One Virgin Too Many: A Falco NovelOne Virgin Too Many: A Falco Novel by Lindsey Davis
Buy used from: £0.01
If you haven't met Marcus Didius Falco yet you're missing a treat. Falco is the Sam Spade of Ancient Rome. Hilarious but also great mysteries.
My Brother Michael (Coronet Books)My Brother Michael (Coronet Books) by Lady Mary Stewart
Buy new: £5.59 / Used from: £0.01
"Woman in danger" type mystery. Lovely evocation of Greece, and well-written sinister atmosphere. "Touch not the cat" also by Mary Stewart is good too.
Death in KashmirDeath in Kashmir by M. M. Kaye
Buy used from: £1.23
Fans of Mary Stewart are sure to like M.M. Kaye. This is just one of a series of "Death in..." books. All very similar stylistically, clever plotting and good use of atmosphere.
Want to Play?Want to Play? by P. J. Tracy
Buy new: £5.98 / Used from: £0.01
This is the first of P.J. Tracy's books I've read, and will definitely be reading more in the future. Chillingly written.
The TutorThe Tutor by Peter Abrahams
Buy used from: £0.01
I'm surprised that this has had generally low reviews on Amazon ratings. Again it's a new read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The children are well drawn, especially the young heroine.
Cover Her FaceCover Her Face by P.D. James
Buy new: £4.16 / Used from: £0.01
I love classic crime fiction, and this is very much in the Sayers/Christie mould, but with P.D. James's own stamp on it.
Brat FarrarBrat Farrar by Josephine Tey
Buy used from: £3.93
It's getting harder to find Josephine Tey's mysteries, but she was a great writer. This is a classic imposter novel, if you can get hold of it read "The Franchise Affair" too.
Death at the Dolphin (The Alleyn Mysteries)Death at the Dolphin (The Alleyn Mysteries) by Ngaio Marsh
Buy used from: £0.01
Another novelist who's becoming harder to find is Ngaio Marsh. She was one of the great ladies of detective fiction, and Inspector Alleyn her great creation.
The Case of the Late PigThe Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham
Buy new: £6.29 / Used from: £0.01
Allingham was one of the 3 great female writers of the golden age of detective fiction, some Campion mysteries are serious, others have more of a comic edge. Enjoy..
The Art of MurderThe Art of Murder by Jose Carlos Somoza
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £0.01
Very unusual murder mystery, beautifully written - you'll never look at art in quite the same way again.
Maigret and the Ghost (Penguin Modern Classics)Maigret and the Ghost (Penguin Modern Classics) by Georges Simenon
Buy new: £5.48 / Used from: £1.98
I love Maigret - the setting and the character description are so important in Simenon's work. Wonderfully atmospheric mysteries.
Footsteps in the DarkFootsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £1.11
Surprisingly for someone who is best known for light-hearted Regency romances, Georgette Heyer was an excellent thriller writer.
Murder on the Iditarod Trail: An Alaska Mystery (Alaska Mysteries)Murder on the Iditarod Trail: An Alaska Mystery (Alaska Mysteries) by Sue Henry
Buy new: £4.77 / Used from: £0.01
Not the greatest mystery ever - the villain's pretty easy to spot, but the background to the crime is well written, and the race portrayed incredibly well.
The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare (Jim Qwilleran Feline Whodunnit)The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare (Jim Qwilleran Feline Whodunnit) by Lilian Jackson Braun
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £0.23
Not the highest level of detection, but great fun. A book to take to the beach, or keep close by you if you're ill in bed!
The Woman in White (Penguin Popular Classics)The Woman in White (Penguin Popular Classics) by Wilkie Collins
Buy new: £2.00 / Used from: £0.01
This is a smashing mystery story. Wilkie Collins is a great writer, wonderful creepy atmosphere.
Miss Smilla's Feeling for SnowMiss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg
Buy new: £6.66 / Used from: £0.01
Well thought out mystery with unusual settings. It makes me feel cold just thinking of it!