Do you love a mystery? Do you kill for a “whodunit?” The mystery genre has many great authors.
Here are seven of the best mystery authors whose works continue to captivate readers:
Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie is a British author widely regarded as the “Queen of Crime,” Christie wrote 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections featuring iconic characters such as Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.
Some of Christie’s most famous works include Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle was a Scottish writer and physician best known for his creation of the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes, one of the most famous characters in detective fiction.
Doyle wrote many short stories about Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson. He wrote one book about Holmes and Watson, The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler was an American author, who is credited with creating the “hard-boiled” detective genre. Chandler created the detective Phillip Marlowe. He wrote about tough, cynical, and often violent protagonists.
His works included The Big Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely.
Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett was an American author, who is credited with helping to establish the detective novel as a serious literary form. His showed gritty and realistic portrayal of detective work.
He created the detective Sam Spade. His novels include The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man.
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, and literary critic who is credited with inventing the modern detective story.
His book The Murders in the Rue Morgue featured the detective Auguste Dupin. It is widely thought to be the first detective story.
James M. Cain
James M. Cain was an American author whose work explores themes of crime, violence, and the dark side of human nature.
His novels include The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity.
Georges Simenon
Georges Simenon was a Belgian writer who created the French detective Jules Maigret, a thoughtful and patient detective who solves cases with his intuition and experience. His novels include The Yellow Dog and Maigret and the Ghost.
These seven authors have all made significant contributions to the mystery genre, and their works continue to entertain and inspire readers around the world.
