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The Telegraph's 20 Best Crime Novels of All Time

"Crime novels and thrillers are now outselling all other fiction genres." The Telegraph's literary critics offer their pick of the 20 greatest crime novels of all time.
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from telegraph.co.uk · made by Orinoco
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1
The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler)
The Big Sleep
Raymond Chandler
2
The Daughter of Time (Josephine Tey)
The Daughter of Time
Josephine Tey
3
Fatherland (Robert Harris)
Fatherland
Robert Harris
4
Fingersmith (Sarah Waters)
Fingersmith
Sarah Waters
5
Get Shorty (Elmore Leonard)
Get Shorty
Elmore Leonard
6
In Cold Blood (Truman Capote)
In Cold Blood
Truman Capote
7
LA Confidential (James Ellroy)
LA Confidential
James Ellroy
8
The Madman of Bergerac (Georges Simenon)
The Madman of Bergerac
Georges Simenon
9
Misery (Stephen King)
Misery
Stephen King
10
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow (Peter Høeg)
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
Peter Høeg
11
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Agatha Christie)
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Agatha Christie
12
The Name of the Rose (Umberto Eco)
The Name of the Rose
Umberto Eco
13
The New York Trilogy (Paul Auster)
The New York Trilogy
Paul Auster
14
The Nine Tailors (Dorothy L. Sayers)
The Nine Tailors
Dorothy L. Sayers
15
Rebecca (Daphne Du Maurier)
Rebecca
Daphne Du Maurier
16
The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
The Complete Sherlock Holmes
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
17
Strangers on a Train (Patricia Highsmith)
Strangers on a Train
Patricia Highsmith
18
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher (Kate Summerscale)
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher
Kate Summerscale
19
True History of the Kelly Gang (Peter Carey)
True History of the Kelly Gang
Peter Carey
20
The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins)
The Woman in White
Wilkie Collins
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