The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie

The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe Series Book 1) by Raymond Chandler

Set in 1930s Los Angeles, then a sleepy town controlled by the mob as much as the police, The Big Sleep is a non stop action thriller. Chandler’s first book is a classic and would help redefine and reinvent the mystery genre.
Chandler wrote this back in 1939 and it reads like an American classic detective novel should! The dialogues are just perfect!
 

Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie

 

I thought Agatha Christie had been clever with this story as the mystery that begins with court proceedings, as the accused suspect is being tried for the murder of an innocent, lovely girl!

The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories by P. D. James

Crimson Snow: Winter Mysteries by Martin Edwards

Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie

Crooked House by Agatha Christie

This book contains no Miss Marple or Poirot. But I really enjoyed this story as it has interesting characterization and well-crafted plot. Infact this was one of Christie's own favourites! It is a dark story! 

His Bloody Project: Documents relating to the case of Roderick Macrae by Graeme Macrae Burnet

 
I really enjoyed this gripping account of notorious Victorian murders pieced together by the accused's descendant.
It had very strong characters, a great narrative, plus an intriguing why-done-it - which still having finished it makes me think! 
I liked how each section of the novel is presented as a nonfictional document (i.e., memoir, testimony, a report on trial proceedings, etc.) - this makes it seem
convincing. The place it is set in is definitely real. James Bruce Thomson, one of the characters, is real. The writing is convincingly real. I'm pretty sure it is a fabrication, but the writing is good enough to leave a lingering doubt!
I enjoyed the element of unreliability that the reader must always bear in mind while developing his or her ideas and conclusions about the narrative and the characters.

The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot Series Book 2) by Agatha Christie

A delightful period mystery. Lots of red herrings. All the clues right there before the reader. Twists and double-twists and even, can it be, a third twist right at the end.
However, I didn't enjoy it as much as others I read by her - but this is only the third book she wrote so she may have still be finding her style! 

The Third Man and The Fallen Idol by Graham Greene

 

This book contains 2 stories: The first is about a Brit who is invited to post-war Vienna by a friend, only to discover that said friend is dead and may have been involved in a rather nasty racket. The Third Man is unlike other Greene books. As Greene himself points out in the preface, 'it was never written to be read but only to be seen', meaning that while it's not exactly a film script, The Third Man was written to be turned into one, and it shows - the story is light on characterisation and heavy on descriptions of actions and situations.

The second, much shorter story in the book, 'The Fallen Idol', this is a tragedy about an innocent child who gets caught up in the nasty games adults play and ends up accidentally handing his best friend over to the police. It has great characters, some menace, several 'Oh, no!' moments and an abrupt but effective ending.

Both stories are beautifully written with not a word wasted, and both are very bleak in different ways

Different Class by Joanne Harris

This is a a crime novel that is refreshingly original. I didn't get the who-did-it right!

It is set in an old private boys school, St Oswald's in North Yorkshire, and written from the two main characters perspectives, from around 1981 to 2005, the strangely odd but kind Latin Master and a disturbed 14 year old boy writing in his diary to his invisible friend, Mousey. There is also a collection of intriguing characters.

The story is told by Roy and another narrator and seamlessly switches between the present and the past.

Joanne Harris had written another novel set at St Oswalds - Gentlemen and Player, so I have added that to my wishlist.

The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie

This has been recently dramatised on the BEEB - I didn't really enjoy the TV adaptation, I much preferred the book (although it is not my favourite Christie!)


IT is not a usual Christie mystery, more a John Buchan style ripping yarn with light-weight espionage and a heavy emphasis on adventure. I suppose a grown up famous 5.

There are many twists and turns. The start is a bit slow but I did enjoy the end!

Raven Black (Shetland Book 1 by Ann Cleeves

Ann Cleeves’ Shetland series has been turned into a major TV series of BBC One network called Shetland which I watched and loved. It turns out the adaption was faithful to the book!

Cleeves writing is extraordinarily exquisite and articulate. 

 
Cleeves has a natural ability to describe the places in her books and the reader can imagine the locations clearly, it almost feels like you are transported the Shetland island.

Raven Black has not many twists or turns and it is even easy to predict the killer’s true identity.

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

This was one of the best Agatha Christie books I have yet read. Nine people at a bridge game, one murdered, four suspects and four above suspicion who investigate.

Murder for Christmas (Vintage Murder Mystery) by Francis Duncan

 

I really rather enjoyed this Christie-esque mystery with its oddball cast of characters, and a rather intriguing amateur detective, Mordecai Tremaine

 

The detective is appealing in a slightly eccentric Poirot way.

 

This Christmas themed crime novel from the late 40s is well-plotted, atmospheric and entertaining - just the kind of cosy crime novel you might want to read at Christmas in fact (as I did!)

Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike Book 3) by Robert Galbraith

The story starts with Robin Ellacott  receiving a package containing a woman's severed leg.  This alarms 
Cormoran Strike, who can think of four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible.

I enjoyed reading about Robin and Strike's personal lives.
The killer came across as  creepy, realistic, sadistic.


I didn't like the chapters written from the point of the view of the killer which didn't happen in earlier books

The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker, Sam Taylor

This book was a who-done-it, providing red herrings, changing accounts from many different people, a poignant friendship and an illicit love. 

I liked the passages about writers , writing and publishing.
I liked the portrayal of the feel of small town in New England, its people and the fierceness of protecting their own. 
I am not sure I would class it as a thriller - as at now point was a in anyway mildly scared!
It was long book and in parts felt slow.

The Betrayal of Trust: Simon Serrailler Book 6 by Susan Hill

So far I think this is the weakest book I have read of the Simon Serrallier series.   It is much ploddier than the others and more predicable.  In places I found it confusing and the characters felt less likable.  

Murder on the Orient Express (Poirot) (Hercule Poirot Series Book 10) by Agatha Christie

    

An Agatha Christie - what is not to love!

The Shadows in the Street: Simon Serrailler Book 5 by Susan Hill

This is an absorbing mystery with many layers to the plot but there the victim who is recovering from an attack conveniently remaining unable to speak until the plot has almost run its course is a bit far-fetched