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The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time - Mystery Writers of America

Published five years after the British-based Crime Writers' Association list, there are many similarities between the two but a few notable differences: 'mystery' and 'crime' have slightly different connotations, hence the inclusion of 'Dracula' for example; also it seems this list is far more influenced by the movies including many titles that are far more famous (and occasionally even more acclaimed) in film form.
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The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle)
The Complete Sherlock Holmes
1
Arthur Conan Doyle
The Maltese Falcon (Dashiell Hammett)
The Maltese Falcon
2
Dashiell Hammett
Tales of Mystery & Imagination (Edgar Allan Poe)
Tales of Mystery & Imagination
3
Edgar Allan Poe
The Daughter of Time (Josephine Tey)
The Daughter of Time
4
Josephine Tey
Presumed Innocent (Scott Turow)
Presumed Innocent
5
Scott Turow
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (John Le Carré)
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
6
John Le Carré
The Moonstone (Wilkie Collins)
The Moonstone
7
Wilkie Collins
The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler)
The Big Sleep
8
Raymond Chandler
Rebecca (Daphne Du Maurier)
Rebecca
9
Daphne Du Maurier
And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie)
And Then There Were None
10
Agatha Christie
Anatomy of a Murder
Anatomy of a Murder
11
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Agatha Christie)
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
12
Agatha Christie
The Long Goodbye (Raymond Chandler)
The Long Goodbye
13
Raymond Chandler
The Postman Always Rings Twice
The Postman Always Rings Twice
14
The Godfather (Mario Puzo)
The Godfather
15
Mario Puzo
The Silence of the Lambs (Thomas Harris)
The Silence of the Lambs
16
Thomas Harris
The Mask of Dimitrios
The Mask of Dimitrios
17
Gaudy Night (Dorothy L. Sayers)
Gaudy Night
18
Dorothy L. Sayers
Witness for the Prosecution
Witness for the Prosecution
19
The Day of the Jackal (Frederick Forsyth)
The Day of the Jackal
20
Frederick Forsyth
Farewell, My Lovely (Raymond Chandler)
Farewell, My Lovely
21
Raymond Chandler
The Thirty-Nine Steps (John Buchan)
The Thirty-Nine Steps
22
John Buchan
The Name of the Rose (Umberto Eco)
The Name of the Rose
23
Umberto Eco
Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoevsky)
Crime and Punishment
24
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Eye of the Needle (Ken Follett)
Eye of the Needle
25
Ken Follett
Rumpole of the Bailey (John Mortimer)
Rumpole of the Bailey
26
John Mortimer
Red Dragon (Thomas Harris)
Red Dragon
27
Thomas Harris
The Nine Tailors (Dorothy L. Sayers)
The Nine Tailors
28
Dorothy L. Sayers
Fletch
Fletch
29
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (John Le Carré)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
30
John Le Carré
The Thin Man (Dashiell Hammett)
The Thin Man
31
Dashiell Hammett
The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins)
The Woman in White
32
Wilkie Collins
Trent's Last Case
Trent's Last Case
33
Double Indemnity
Double Indemnity
34
Gorky Park
Gorky Park
35
Strong Poison
Strong Poison
36
Dance Hall of the Dead
Dance Hall of the Dead
37
The Hot Rock
The Hot Rock
38
Red Harvest (Dashiell Hammett)
Red Harvest
39
Dashiell Hammett
The Circular Staircase
The Circular Staircase
40
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