For a book to be called a classic, it needs to withstand the test of time. It has to be so compelling, unique, and interesting enough that people are still talking about it and recommending it to others after many years. Generally, books must have been published 50 years ago (or more) to be considered classics.
With that in mind, we can begin to narrow down what classic mystery stories have passed the test. Luckily, many mystery stories have stood this test of time and have made it onto endless TBR lists and bookshelves.
The following classic mystery stories have great writing, captivating stories, and plots that completely immerse you in their worlds. From cozy summer mystery reads to the dark and twisted alleys of Edgar Allen Poe, there is a wide range for you to pick up!
6. Nancy Drew: The Double Jinx Mystery by Carolyn Keene
The Nancy Drew series is beloved by many. The whole series was an intro into mystery and solving crime for future armchair sleuths. As a bonus, the series shone a spotlight on the idea of a young female detective. The Double Jinx Mystery follows Nancy as she attempts to solve a mystery left right at her front door – or rather, on her lawn.
When a bird symbolizing a bad omen is left on the front lawn of her home, Nancy will stop at nothing to track down the perpetrator. Who is leaving jinxes and what does it have to do with a bird sanctuary that is being rezoned?
A wholesome mystery that focuses on the whodunnit and solving the crime!
5. The Cat Who Series: The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun
Once a true crime journalist, Jim Qwilleran is out to get his life back on the right track. Taking up a new job that is not as glamorous as the one he had previously, he’s begun writing the art column. Trying to settle into his new life, he takes a room from the newspapers’ reclusive art critic.
There he meets the resident cat, Koko. The best part about meeting Koko is Jim starts to notice that the cat can read, but only backward.
Just as Jim begins to get the hang of things, there’s a murder at the art gallery, and a $150,000 painting goes missing. Enemies and friendships are thrown into the spotlight, and the intrepid Koko begins to lead Jim to crucial pieces of evidence. What is happening here, and how is the newspaper’s art critic involved with it? Or is he involved at all?
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4. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
In the world of classic mystery books, this one needs no introduction. The luxurious Orient Express chugs along its route, grappling with snowy conditions. When snow covers the tracks and the train has to stop, the death of an infamous American tycoon is discovered.
Stabbed in his compartment, the door locked from the inside, the culprit needs to be found before the train arrives at its destination.
The chances of them striking again are always on everyone’s mind as famed detective Hercule Poirot works diligently to solve the case before the murderer can escape – or worse, kill again.
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3. Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout
Nero Wolfe is someone who likes to sit in his armchair and solve puzzles from the comfort of his apartment. His sidekick Archie on the other hand is more than willing to drag Nero into all sorts of chaos.
Nero has maintained his lavish lifestyle with his book smarts and complex mystery-solving skills. So when someone comes to him with a case of two murders that are not related to one another at all, it’s a puzzle he is ready to pick apart.
Taking place post-prohibition, Fer-de-Lance is a novel that brilliantly showcases the hidden worlds throughout the metropolis of New York City. Alcohol has only recently been legalized again, and everyone who profited during the prohibition has suddenly lost cash flow. How do the murder of a main in Park Avenue and the murder of a college professor relate to each other? And does it have anything to do with a new era in The Big Apple?
2. The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe
If classic mystery stories are traced back to their roots, there’s sure to be a mention of Edgar Allan Poe’s early detective tale. Paris is shocked by the improbable murders of a lady and her daughter at their home. When the police end up arresting an innocent man, our unnamed narrator and his friend Dupin set off to analyze the case and track down the person truly responsible.
In true Poe fashion, the story maintains a level of macabre that will haunt you at the end of this sordid tale. Sit back and enjoy the tale that would go on to inspire a generation of detective fiction.
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1. The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux
This is one of the first locked-room mystery books out there! A list of classic mystery stories would be incomplete without one. In a straightforward (if slightly outdated) concept, a criminal disappears from a locked room and no one has any clue how or where they went.
Mathilde Stangerson was found brutally beaten in a locked room. Barely surviving the attack, she cannot recall details of the incident or her attacker. Not only this, but the attempts on her life continue.
The person behind the attacks has an uncanny ability to vanish into thin air. When the second attempt at her life goes wrong and the gamekeeper is killed instead, detectives scramble to find the perpetrator before they achieve their ultimate goal, and Mathilde’s life is cut short.
