well i'll be bookmarking this thread for my own use since i too love old mysteries, and this is an excellent list ; all the ones i've read on it i love, which makes me quite eager to try the ones i've not read yet. some excellent recommendations here already. might i add Dashiell Hammett as well, if only for
The Thin Man which is near the epitome of a Golden Age detective novel, with an elegant, cocktail-drinking, wise-cracking detective, his beautiful, elegant, cocktail-drinking and wise-cracking wife, and their not-so-elegant but just as wise-cracking dog. That book was also made into a series of brilliant films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. the quality drops off near the end but the first few are gold.
also, i'm quite surprised no-one has mentioned Anna Katherine Green ! many of whose books are available here (thanks Patricia !). i've just discovered her and she's really quite good. also, Mary Roberts Rinehart (also available here i believe). i've only read one or two so far but you might enjoy her as well.
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Originally Posted by Patricia
Try The Maywrite Library: a site hosting (or linking to) free Golden Age detective novels. They are all either in the public domain or have been posted with permission.
http://home.epix.net/~maywrite/golden.htm |
thanks for this patricia !
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Originally Posted by wayrad
Edited to add: And how could I forget John Dickson Carr? Amidst the hysteria and purple prose, you'll find some of the most original and ingenious puzzles in the literature.
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definitely second JD Carr (aka Carter Dickson, by the way) !! excellent intrigues and often very very funny. Watch out for the Plague Court House (or something like that) though ; just when you least expect it, scary !
Quote:
Originally Posted by wayrad
Oh, and some more -
Michael Innes: more literary allusions than you can shake a stick at.
Edmund Crispin: classic English mysteries, ingenious plotting, eccentric characters.
Gladys Mitchell: detective is psychologist Beatrice LeStrange Bradley, early novels parody other Golden Age writers
E.C. Bentley: Trent's Last Case is a must-read and I think it's available at PG.
Ellery Queen: Early novels are reminiscent of the "Philo Vance" books, later ones less dry, although variable in style and quality.
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Trent's Last Case is excellent, i just read it recently. i'm adding all the others to my list.
tompe and harry, i agree, Ian Rankin, Colin Dexter and Elizabeth George are also quite good in the more modern vein although also (ironically) much blacker than a lot of the "golden age" stuff.