In the October 23, 2023 issue of TIME Magazine, from pages 67 through 73, this issue presents “The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time” in chronological order (you can check out the actual article here). For convenience, I typed up the list. If you want to check out the book covers, go to the Time web site. How many of these books have you read? Any favorites?
THE 100 BEST MYSTERY & THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME
- 1. 1860: THE WOMAN IN WHITE By Wilkie Collins
- 2. 1867: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT By Fyodor Dostoevsky
- 3. 1878: THE LEAVENWORTH CASE By Anna Katharine Green
- 4. 1898: THE TURN OF THE SCREW By Henry James
- 5. 1902: THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES By Arthur Conan Doyle
- 6. 1926: THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD By Agatha Christie
- 7. 1929: THE CRIME AT BLACK DUDLEY By Margery Allingham
- 8. 1929: THE PATIENT IN ROOM 18 By Mignon G. Eberhart
- 9. 1930: THE MALTESE FALCON By Dashiell Hammett
- 10. 1932: THE CONJURE-MAN DIES By Rudolph Fisher
- 11. 1934: A MAN LAY DEAD By Ngaio Marsh
- 12. 1935: GAUDY NIGHT By Dorothy L. Sayers
- 13. 1935: THE THREE COFFINS By John Dickson Carr
- 14. 1938: REBECCA By Daphne Du Maurier
- 15. 1939: A COFFIN FOR DIMITRIOS By Eric Ambler
- 16. 1943: DOUBLE INDEMNITY By James M. Cain
- 17. 1945: IF HE HOLLERS LET HIM GO By Chester Himes
- 18. 1947: IN A LONELY PLACE By Dorothy B. Hughes
- 19. 1951: THE DAUGHTER OF TIME By Josephine Tey
- 20. 1952: BEAT NOT THE BONES By Charlotte Jay
- 21. 1953: CASINO ROYALE By Ian Fleming
- 22. 1953: A KISS BEFORE DYING By Ira Levin
- 23. 1953: THE LONG GOODBYE By Raymond Chandler
- 24. 1955: BEAST IN VIEW By Margaret Millar
- 25. 1955: THE QUIET AMERICAN By Graham Greene
- 26. 1955: THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY By Patrica Highsmith
- 27. 1962: WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE By Shirley Jackson
- 28. 1963: THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD By John Le Carre
- 29. 1973: THE HONJIN MURDERS By Seishi Yokomizo
- 30. 1975: WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN? By Mary Higgins Clark
- 31. 1977: THE SHINING By Stephen King
- 32. 1979: THE LAST GOOD KISS By James Crumley
- 33. 1980: THE NAME OF THE ROSE By Umberto Eco
- 34. 1984: THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER By Tom Clancy
- 35: 1986: A DARK-ADAPTED EYE By Barbara Vine
- 36. 1987: THE DECAGON HOUSE MURDERS By Yukito Avatsuji
- 37. 1988: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS By Thomas Harris
- 38. 1990: DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS By Walter Mosley
- 39. 1990: MEAN SPIRIT By Linda Hogan
- 40. 1990: POSTMORTEM By Patrica Cronwell
- 41. 1991: FACELESS KILLERS By Henning Mankell
- 42. 1992: DEAD TIME By Eleanor Taylor Bland
- 43. 1992: THE SECRET HISTORY By Donna Tartt
- 44. 1992: SMILLA’S SENSE OF SNOW By Peter Hoeg
- 45. 1994: WHEN DEATH COMES STEALING By Valerie Wilson Wesley
- 46. 1996: FADE AWAY By Harlan Coben
- 47. 1997: KILLING FLOOR By Lee Child
- 48. 1997: LADY JOKER By Kaoru Takamura
- 49. 1997: MORITURI By Yasmina Khadra
- 50. 1997: OUT By Natsuo Kirino
- 51. 1999: INNER CITY BLUES By Paula L. Woods
- 52. 1999: A PLACE OF EXECUTION By Val McDermid
- 53. 1999: THOSE BONES ARE NOT MY CHILD By Toni Cade Bambara
- 54. 2000: BLANCHE PASSES GO By Barbara Neely
- 55. 2000: DEATH OF A RED HEROINE By Qui Xiaolong
- 56. 2000: THE REDBREAST By Jo Nesbo
- 57. 2001: MYSTIC RIVER By Dennis Lehane
- 58. 2001: THE SHADOW OF THE WIND By Carlos Ruiz Zafon
- 59. 2001: THE SURGEON By Tess Gerritsen
- 60. 2002: THE EMPEROR OF OCEAN PARK By Stephen L. Carter
- 61. 2002: FINGERSMITH By Sarah Waters
- 62. 2003: THE ICE PRINCESS By Camilla Lackberg
- 63. 2004: 2666 By Roberto Bolano
- 64. 2004: CASE HISTORIES By Kate Atkinson
- 65. 2005: THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X By Keigo Higashing
- 66. 2005: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO By Stieg Larsson
- 67. 2005: THE LINCOLN LAWYER By Michael Connelly
- 68. 2006: SNAKESKIN SHAMISEN By Naomi Hirahara
- 69. 2007: QUEENPIN By Megan Abbott
- 70. 2007: WHAT THE DEAD KNOW By Laura Lippman
- 71. 2007: THE YIDDISH POLICEMAN’S UNION by Michael Chabon
- 72. 2009: DRIVE YOUR PLOW OVER THE BONES OF THE DEAD By Olga Tokarczuk
- 73. 2009: WIFE OF THE GODS By Kwei Quartey
- 74. 2010: BURY YOUR DEAD By Louise Penny
- 75. 2010: FAITHFUL PLACE By Tana French
- 76. 2010: THE PLOTTERS By Un-Su Kim
- 77. 2011: THE SOUND OF THINGS FALLING By Juan Gabriel Vasquez
- 78. 2012: GONE GIRL By Gillian Flynn
- 79. 2012: THE ROUND HOUSE By Louise Erdrich
- 80. 2013: SIX FOUR By Video Yokoyama
- 81. 2013: ORDINARY GRACE BY William Kent Krueger
- 82. 2014: BIG LITTLE LIES By Liane Moriarty
- 83. 2014: EVERYTHING I NEVER TOLD YOU By Celeste Ng
- 84. 2014: LAND OF SHADOWS By Rachel Howzell Hall
- 85. 2015: THE SYMPATHIZER By Viet Thanh Nguyen
- 86. 2017: BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD By Attica Locke
- 87. 2017: HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE By Kellye Garrett
- 88. 2018: MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER By Oyinkan Braithwaitej
- 89. 2018: THE WIDOWS OF MALABAR HILL By Sujata Massey
- 90. 2019: MIRACLE CREEK By Angie Kim
- 91. 2019: THE NEED By Helen Phillips
- 92. 2019: THE OTHER AMERICANS By Laila Lalami
- 93. 2019: THE TURN OF THE KEY By Ruth Ware
- 94. 2019: YOUR HOUSE WILL PAY By Steph Cha
- 95. 2020: BLACKTOP WASTELAND By S. A. Cosby
- 96. 2020: DJINN PATROL ON THE PURPLE LINE By Deepa Anappara
- 97. 2020: MEXICAN GOTHIC By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- 98. 2020: WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING By Alyssa Cole
- 99. 2020: WINTER COUNTS By David Heska Wanbli Weiden
- 100. 2022: SURVIVOR’S GUILT By Robyn Gigl
I’ve read quite a few of these—about half, mostly from the earlier years—but I think the list reads like a committee looking into the best-known, as opposed to the best, books by each selected author. I’m glad Megan Abbott got a shout-out, but where’s BURY ME DEEP? And Liane Moriarty’s THE HUSBAND’S SECRET is far better (imho) than BIG LITTLE LIES. Not to mention the umpteenth inclusion of GONE GIRL, which I have dubbed “a mystery-thriller for people who haven’t read too many of them.” My guess is this list will work for readers who are fairly new to mysteries and want a primer on which books to try. Those of us with decades of mystery reading behind us may find the list less enthralling.
Deb, the list of THE 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME was selected by “The Panelists”: Megan Abbott, Harland Coben, S. A. Cosby, Rachel Howell Hall, Gillian Flynn, Tana French, and Sujata Massey.
And magazine employees, as well.
THE CRIME AT BLACK DUDLEY By Margery Allingham
THE PATIENT IN ROOM 18 By Mignon G. Eberhart
A MAN LAY DEAD By Ngaio Marsh
You CANNOT be serious!
Neeru, and no Ellery Queen, Rex Stout, or John D. MacDonald!
I think they were trying to pick novels reflective of the age they were written in or a ground breaker in some way. For instance, I think they chose QUEENPIN rather than DARE ME OR BURY ME DEEP because it turned the traditional older man showing the younger man the ropes on its ear by making them women. The ones I have read-(maybe 65 percent) are all good to great novels. I thought a lot about why Elmore Leonard wasn’t on here. I guess because no one book of his stands out. Same for Ross Macdonald. The selection panel did not consult with each other at all so no one knew what had been selected by the others. Only the TIME people put it all together.
If they were choosing writers rather than individual books I think the list would be very different. This is just my opinion though.
Patti, you make a lot of sense. But, this list is going to cause some controversy!
Not the best. but still a lot of books that range from fairly interesting to great. I (to my discredit, perhaps) have not read m any of the recent titles and (also to my discredit) have not read many of the translated authors. I’m glad the list started with THE WOMAN IN WHITE, much superior novel than THE MOONSTONE. Of the “real” classics, the most important one that I have never read (again, to my discredit) is REBECCA. It may be my personal quirks, but in addition to Stout, Leonard. Ross (and John D.) MacDonald, Ellery Queen, and Mickey Spillane’s ONE LONELY NIGHT, I would have found room for Ed Gorman, Bill Crider, Joe Lansdale, Bill Pronzini, Ed McBain, Max Allan Collins, Ken Bruen, and others.
Jerry, I agree with all the writers on your list! Maybe TIME should have opted for THE BEST 150 MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME!
Jerry, I agree too!
But anyway I only read thrillers in the 50s while in school and 60s as a student – then I concentrated on SF, enough stuff to read.
And dropped the likes of GONE GIRL, SMILLA, and several others…
Frankly, to me this is a terrible list, WAY too weighted towards the recent. I’ve read 40 of the 100. Some excellent choices there, don’t get me wrong. These would have made my list:
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
ROGER ACKROYD
THE MALTESE FALCON
THE THREE COFFINS
A COFFIN FOR DIMITRIOS
DOUBLE INDEMNITY
THE DAUGHTER OF TIME
A KISS BEFORE DYING
THE LAS GOOD KISS
A PLACE OF EXECUTION (someone has good taste)
THE YIDDISH POLICEMAN’S UNION
ORDINARY GRACE
BLACKTOP WASTELAND
But GONE GIRL? No. THE SHINING is a horror novel, not a mystery. POSTMORTEM? Really? I disliked SMILLA’S SENSE OF SNOW a lot. MY SISTER THE SERIAL KILLER was OK, but hardly a top 100 book, as were several others – Eleanor Taylor Bland, etc.
Jeff, the waters got muddied by the inclusion of “Thrillers.” I suppose THE SHINING could be classified as a thriller. Cap’n Bob really hated SIMILLA’S SENSE OF SNOW as I recall.
Jeff and Robert are correct in that. Doubt it’s the translator’s fault but Maybe.
Ross Macdonald really should be on here, if only with THE GALTON CASE, the watershed between Archer’s pulpier early cases and the family-skeletons theme of the later ones.
Fred, I’m with you on THE GALTON CASE. Iconic!
It would be hard to come up with things off the top of my head that should be included, but given what we have, there are certaisnly some that stand out as possibles for me:
Christianna Brand, Green for Danger
Ross Macdonald, The Chill or The Galton Case
John D. MacDonald, The End of the Night
Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake), Butcher’s Moon
Fredric Brown, Night of the Jabberwock
Joe Gores, Hammett
Michael Gilbert, Games Without Rules (ss)
Donald Hamilton, Death of a CItizen
Dan J. Marlowe, The Name of the Game is Death
Donald Westlake, Dancing Aztecs
Ross Thomas, The Fools in Town Are on Our Side
Jeff, I agree with all of your choices. Perhaps the TIME list needs an addendum!
The last half of the list is terra incognita to me, but in the first half there are as many arguably serious omissions as obvious choices. One genre notably slighted, no police procedurals — no Last Seen Wearing, or a McBain, or Wambaugh or P.D. James or Colin Dexter. Gets a “Pfui!” from here. Though I was surprised to learn that Time magazine still exists (neatly spoofed by Stout as “Clock” (editor “Mr Tite”) in Before Midnight).
Art, the current TIME magazine is a slender and lesser shadow of the TIME magazine I grew up with. I noticed the lack of police procedurals, too. Maybe the Panelists didn’t consider them mysterious or thrilling enough!
I guess 100 is just not enough. And I think probably they were trying to have a diverse list in terms of color, ethnicity, gender, etc.
Patti, I always think lists get into trouble when they claim they’re presenting “The Best” of anything. That’s why when I post my choices for books, movies, TV shows in January each year, I label those lists MY FAVORITE MOVIES, MY FAVORITE BOOKS, etc.
What a great idea, George! In January I plan to post MY FAVORITE GEORGES. I wonder if you’ll make the cut.
Jerry, I hope I make the cut and end up on top of the heap!
By my count, only 38 or so of the 100 choices predate 1990. Yet if you ask most crime fiction cognoscenti, it’s a struggle to name post-1990 crime fiction that ranks with the best of Hammett & Chandler. So there’s a disconnect somewhere along the line.
Tony, I totally agree with you. And there are some egregious missing mystery writers: Ellery Queen, Rex Stout, Ross Macdonald, John D. MacDonald and many more.