I’m finally half way through the reviews of each mystery on my Best 100 Mysteries of All Time list! I’ve become less worried about the worthiness of each title after talking with an expert book collector and reader. Each individual’s taste is so different, that no matter what titles I include, someone will believe I’ve left off the best ones, and others will think my list is the crappiest of all time, lol. So, there you go. I am still going to play with the titles on the list, if I find some thing I’ve read is stunningly great and better than another title on the list. But even though a title may fall off, it remains up here, as a runner up.

PAST thoughts:

I don’t think I’ve worried and thought about and scrutinized any decisions, the way I have this never ending list! LOL. I’m almost thinking it a mistake to re-read those I can’t precisely put my finger on why they were so great. Because practically none of them measure up to the initial wow factor I remember them having when first read. So, because of this and the agonies I am suffering in dread of making the wrong choices, this list will be a living one–meaning–if I re-read something, and don’t think it’s as fabtastic as originally thought, I will relegate it as a RUNNER UP. Below the official list. And in the missing slot will be a title I read and had forgotten how splendiferous it was, or a brand new unbelievably good book, etc etc–you get the picture. This way, I won’t feel I made myself the scorn of the crime fiction community for choosing a title that’s downright bad.

I’ll still only have them in alphabetical order until completely filled in, then I will number them.

Older explanation:

I can’t seem to pin the best down–honestly. Each time I write up a new book, I find I’ve left something out, or shouldn’t have put a book in a particular slot, or rethink–No. 100 should be in a better position than last, or number whatever should be next to last–y0u see my dilemma? I should have begun with the entire 100 out in the open–but I was trying for sustained interest–which clearly didn’t happen, I couldn’t keep my own interest going, so why would someone else’s be engaged? And partially the problem was I’d read so many of the titles eons ago–and although KNOW they were fantastic, can’t remember why. At first, I was just going to list, give a teeny synopsis, at best, and call it a day. I started delving into each title deeper and deeper, and was finding in order to do each book justice, I’d need to dig up every single one.

Well, I’m OK with that–but I decided I’m going to put up the 100 titles, now–not in order. I’ll list them alphabetically.

I hope this works better for readers, and for me.

So. Eek. Here are 100 mysteries that are the very very best, according to me in alphabetical order.

**–Denotes a synopsis of the title is already up on this site.

Tied The Beast Must Die–Nicholas Blake-1938-used-

Here is the list of RUNNER UPS –some will have dropped down from the above list, some will have recently been added/

Before The Fact—Francis Iles-(Anthony Berkeley)-1931-used

The Spider Orchid–Celia Fremlin-1977-used**Review here



The criteria for selection:

I must have read all 100. Funny as that sounds, there are many who will vote for something they have been told is the ‘best’, without having read said book. I’ve read a great many crime novels in my life, some people read less, some more.

I choose to ignore the obvious suspects, or some, at least. No Agatha Christie, no Dorothy L. Sayers, no Sherlock Holmes. Reason? I don’t like Christie, so have read very little; I’ve read all of Sayers and though enjoyed them, nothing stood out for *me*. Sherlock? He bores me. OK, Sherlockians, don’t have a cow. I’m not denying the importance of these three writers within the literary world, nor that they are considered the best of the best. I researched, dated, determined print status, and found images for this list, therefore it bears my choices, and as appalling it may be to some to leave out the royalty of soft boiled, it makes sense to me.

The most important criteria for this list:

The selection must be one or a combination of the following–unusual, intriguing, thought provoking, fascinating, extraordinary, puzzling, charming, gritty, humorous, astonishing, perplexing, surprising, rich characterizations, creepy, frightening, and/or gobsmacking!

And no, not all crime fiction have the above. Few come close. That’s why the list. The titles stretch from the 20s to last year. I added, deleted, remembered some after I’d numbered. I switched their ratings over and over–in short, I took this very seriously. Many will be givens. Many will be familiar. Some will be recognized but not familiar. Some may never been heard of. And a few are totally obscure.

Mystery is a broad term including all the sub-genres of crime fiction, not just puzzles or private eyes.

I’ve included the date first published, the best to my ability. I may be off a year at worst. I’ve also added a guide as to how easy it is to locate any particular title.

IP–in print

available–recently out of print but new copies still available

used–plenty of paperbacks available although the titles have been out of print

OOP–out of print–these are the toughest to find–yet there are copies out there, perhaps not as cheap or a plentiful as others.