Welcome to Day 3 of Five Fall Favorites, hosted by Kate Willis! Today I’m sharing my Top 5 Mystery Books. For a long time in my childhood, my favorite genre was mystery. I still savor a good mystery to this day, though I don’t make a steady diet of them as I find them too stimulating (like coffee or desserts!). On this list are some of my most favorite books, however. There’s nothing like a mystery to keep you reading.
Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene
In my tweens and early teens, I adored these 56 classics, written by various authors under a pseudonym. My favorite are the revised titles from 1959 on. Nancy Drew is too good to be true, but I loved and admired her anyway. Her mystery-solving savvy combined with humility endears her to many readers. I also enjoyed her friends George and Bess and all the various locations she traveled to. Definitely books I would recommend to any tweens.
American Girl History Mysteries by various authors
My other favorite genre as a kid was historical fiction, so this combination of history and mystery was right up my alley. A series of 22 books, spanning from 1621 Jamestown to 1958 Tennessee, touching almost every era and important event in USA history … starring eleven- or twelve-year-old girls who find themselves embroiled in a wide range of mysteries. They’re as excellent as they sound.
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
As a prototype of detective fiction, this Victorian tome is a page-turner. The complex plot involves a young drawing master named Walter Hartright who meets a strange woman dressed all in white on the road one night, later learning that she has escaped from an insane asylum. This sets in motion a chain of events that threaten the girl Walter loves. There’s far too much plot to summarize, but chief among the novel’s wonders is a cast of amazing characters, especially the strong, intelligent Marian Halcombe and the charming, enigmatic Count Fosco. Oh, and the climax! Absolutely superb. Read my full review HERE.
This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
Mary Stewart brings exotic locations to life with her evocative writing and suspenseful plots. This Rough Magic is my favorite of hers that I’ve read so far. Set on the island of Corfu off the coast of Greece, the mystery kept me guessing, as well as how the heroine, Lucy, would survive. Another reason I really like this one is because of the allusions to Shakespeare’s The Tempest (Corfu is speculated to be the setting) and, most of all, because of the dolphin. Read my full review HERE.
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
I’ve enjoyed many of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, but this iconic, haunting novella-length mystery is my favorite. Fascinating, complex, and chilling, this made my pulse accelerate several times while I was reading it. Doyle’s descriptive powers are at full play, bringing the moor and the mysterious mansion to life.
Bonus: The Father Brown mysteries by G. K. Chesterton are short but back a punch! I highly recommend them.
Ah yes, Nancy Drew... I do like her, much as i like to complain about the series XD I've read one of the American Girl mysteries and definitely want to try the others. The Mary Stewart book sounds good too--and the Woman in White has been on my TBR for a while. I read Chesterton's mysteries two years ago and need to reread them... I remember liking them quite a bit. But nothing beats Sherlock ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, you so need to look into the old AG mysteries! I binged them when my library had them. Just saying, the Caroline ones are great. ;)
DeleteHaha, I know what you mean about the Nancy Drew series ... they have their issues. But overall I was blind to them as a kid. :D I want to read more Mary Stewart, and The Woman in White is definitely one I'll reread. Sherlock is so iconic!
DeleteNancy Drew was my childhood. But I adore the old American Girl Mysteries!! Felicity and Caroline mostly, but oh, that takes me back. 😂 I have heard of Wilkie Collins, and there's Sherlock again! I really must get my hands on that series...
ReplyDeleteI haven't read the Felicity and Caroline mysteries! I should try them.
DeleteYes, try Sherlock! He's the ultimate detective.
Nancy Drew has been on so many of today's lists! It's such a fun series.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is! Glad to hear that so many others have enjoyed her too. :)
DeleteThe Woman in White was so good. I will need to reread it some time. I also loved the Father Brown stories and need to give those a reread too.
ReplyDeleteBesides being good mysteries, The Woman in White and the Father Brown stories are extraordinarily well-written!
DeleteThe Woman in White has me intrigued... 👀
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend it to anyone! It doesn't feel long because it moves so quickly and is so mysterious.
DeleteI really need to read a Woman in White and Mary Stewart
ReplyDeleteI think you would enjoy trying both of them!
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