Reason: It's a fantastic mix of history and modern day (well modern-ish) detective work. Plus it illustrates that you can have an interesting and complex mystery with the detective not even leaving his bed. And really this is just one everyone should read.
2. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Reason: There are so many reasons why this one should be examined. The fact that you really can't trust anything that you are simply told. An example of how easy it is to have conflicting physical evidence. And of course, the concept of justice in the first place.
3. Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Reason: This was the book that really made Agatha famous and for good reason. There could be some really great discussions on twists and authors can effectively use clues within the book. Then there's the question - did she cheat?
Reason: While probably not technically a mystery Jackson's ability to magically infuse a book with atmosphere is definitely something that needs to be studied. And Hill House is definitely more than a little creepy though in my opinion not as terrifying as it's reputation makes it sound.
5. False Scent by Ngaio Marsh
Reason: Partly because Marsh should be represented and partly because this is the clearest example that the motive for a murder doesn't have to be big or sinister and the murderer doesn't need to obviously be a madman.
6. The Listening Eye by Patricia Wentworth
Reason: Patricia Wentworth is another author that really must be represented when talking about classic mysteries. Her Miss Silver has the art of interrogation down to an exact science and this book has a particularly interesting motive.
Reason: I need an American mystery writer in with all these Brits! Rinehart was writing in the same time period as Christie and Sayers so the comparison between the British and American mysteries would be interesting and The Circular Staircase is just a good mystery!
8. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Reason: Not only is this a fascinating look at the legal and ethic definitions of murder but it takes the classic locked room murder to whole new levels.
9. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
Reason: Lord Peter Wimsey is such an unusual character and Sayers' books are just so smart they are definitely worth studying. I love the whole disturbance of the class structure and how it bothers both the police detectives and Wimsey's peers.
10. Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey
Reason: Because a mystery doesn't always have to have a murder and be a typical whodunnit and this is one of the best examples of that.
These would be the books I would make my students read if I was teaching a class on classic mysteries. What kind of class would you teach? Have you read any of these?
Great list! I really need to read Agatha Christie's mysteries! Badly! Happy reading! :)
ReplyDeleteOh you must read Agatha's mysteries! Any of the ones I mentioned or just about any of the Miss Marple mysteries would be great to start with.
DeleteWhat a fun class this would be. Reading classic mysteries- And Then There Were none, the Express- one would certainly have a primer on classics whodunits after this class! And the discussions... :)
ReplyDeleteI know! I would love this class!
DeleteThis would be a fun class! I think One for the Money on this list, too. because it's funny.
ReplyDeleteI loved One For the Money! I giggled my way through that one!
DeleteWonderful list! I did mine on Burglary 101.
ReplyDeleteI love that topic! What fun!
DeleteI am not a huge mystery fan but I would expect James Patterson to be on this list lol but again i don't know much about mystery!! Great list nonetheless! Check out my Fantasy 101 class if you'd like :D http://bookbabble.weebly.com/blog/top-ten-tuesday6
ReplyDeletePatterson is definitely a fantastic mystery writer. I love his books!
DeleteI would so take your class. And I would get so much out of it since I'm coming in blind and a newbie to all on your syllabus. I haven't even read Agatha Christie.
ReplyDeleteHappy reading!
Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life
That would be so much fun! Then you could teach a class on YA/NA because I'm woefully behind in that genre.
DeleteI would join your class, Katherine! This would be a great class to revisit authors and also read ones I haven't read yet. I think the books would spark great discussion, too.
ReplyDeleteI think there are so many interesting discussions about these and that's just sticking with the books themselves.
DeleteFun!!! Someone left a comment on my blog today that she would love to take a History of Mystery course and a lot of these would be perfect. I've only read And Then There Were None but have a couple other on my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteThat would be me leaving the comment and I'd love to take your class Katherine. Could you teach it please? LOL
DeleteI'll start a sign up list soon :). I think this really would be a lot of fun and I think there's so much to talk about with these books.
DeleteGoodness,I've read only one of those! I need to catch up. I'm not surprised you went with classic mysteries and now I have a list for further reading. :)
ReplyDeleteI figured there would be lots of shocked people. This topic is so far out of my comfort zone!
DeleteSign me up! I love a good mystery, and it looks like you've got 10 here. :) I think I've only read the Agatha Christie's, but it's been so long I need to read those classics again.
ReplyDeletehttp://hiddenstaircase.net/2015/08/25/ttt-top-ten-books-that-would-be-on-your-syllabus-if-you-taught-time-travel-101/
I love Christie and Sayers! Those are some of my favorites of their novels too! I've heard of the Haunting of Hill House before too but I feel like it was a movie not the novel... I'll have to look into it.
ReplyDeletehttp://youmeandacupofteablog.blogspot.com/2015/08/top-ten-books-that-would-be-on-my.html
Oh this sounds like my kind of class!!! My TTT
ReplyDeleteI haven't read all of these, but I have read several of them. It made me think of a book that is part of the Annie and Max Darling series that Carolyn Hart writes. It's called A Little Class On Murder and in it, Annie is asked to teach a class at the local community college on The Three Great Ladies of Mystery - Christie, Sayers, and Rinehart. It a nice little book and I enjoyed reading about the class and the murder.
ReplyDeleteSo, Katherine, want to teach the class? LOL
I like your topic choice! The only one I've read from your list is And Then There Were None (years ago) and thought it was great...I still remember the cover with that island out in the middle of the ocean!
ReplyDeleteOoh, interesting! I need to read more Agatha Christie, but I read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd last year and it certainly was a great mystery!
ReplyDeleteI like this class!! I read a couple of Agatha Christie novels when I wa younger but haven't in a while. I should really pick some up again!! Great list!!
ReplyDeleteWell, I think I just found myself a reading list as I haven't read any of those books and I am very curious. I love mysteries. :)
ReplyDeleteLoved all of these..I reread #1 on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great list. I'd be eager to follow your syllabus!
ReplyDeleteI am only familiar with the Agatha Christie books on your list, but I think this is a great syllabus! I definitely agree that these two should be included.
ReplyDeleteI need to take this class! I haven't read a lot of mysteries, but I love Dorothy Sayers.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a fun glass to take I'd like to take part in. And Then There Were None would be perfect!
ReplyDeleteYes, I like Classic Mystery 101!
ReplyDeleteI've bookmarked the entire list! I want to read all of these except the Agatha Christie ones which I've already read and adored. I love classic mysteries so much so definitely sign me up for this class!
ReplyDeleteI would totally sign up for your class..such great books and the discussions would be fun.
ReplyDeleteI ran out of time to do this week's topic, unfortunately. I love your list though! All your choices are good ones, and span a wide range of classic mysteries.
ReplyDeleteGreat list, Katherine! There are so many classic mysteries that I've yet to read.
ReplyDeleteI've only heard of the Christie and Jackson so clearly I need to take your course!
ReplyDeleteLove all the Agatha Christie books! I need to get back to reading those.
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by Brat Farrar. This would be a fun class! Great list (:
My mother and sister are mystery reading machines, but I do not care for them. Not even JKR writing a mystery enticed me to read one. I did however read The Haunting of Hill House many many years ago and remember liking it a lot. This is a great list. I recognized every title. :)
ReplyDeleteFantastic topic, and I'm definitely in to take this class!!! #1, 2, 3, 8, and 9 - Absolutely yes. I think I might choose Tey's The Franchise Affair over Brat Farrar, but that's a personal choice. And for Ngaio Marsh, I would substitute either Killer Dolphin or better yet Light Thickens for False Scent, because I love the theater setting - or maybe either Hand in Glove or Scales of Justice, because of their exploration of social class - again, just a personal choice; False Scent is very good, too. I would add either Sayers' Gaudy Night or Murder Must Advertise to the list, the first because it's as much character study and literary fiction as mystery, and the second because of its incredibly witty and satirical look at the world of advertising. I'd throw in either A Study in Scarlet or The Hound of the Baskervilles because Sherlock Holmes is essential reading, and probably Ellis Peters' One Corpse Too Many (or possibly A Morbid Taste for Bones) as one of the best examples of historical mystery writing there is.
ReplyDeleteI wish we could co-teach this class for real - wouldn't that be fun?!