Crime and Mystery: The 100 Best Books [Paperback]

Keating (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 29, 1996

H.R.F Keating, author of The Perfect Murder and mystery reviewer for teh Times of London, offers a concise commentary on the finest mystery books ever written. From Poe's tales of mystery and imagination to P.D. James's A Taste for Death, Keating delivers a highly-readable evaluation of the 100 authors and their masterpieces. This collection is a must for all devoted mystery readers. "Something to offer almost everyone. If you are only just embarking on a life of crime fiction...a reliable guide." -The New York Times "Remarkably balanced and highly entertaining." -Library Journal "Keating, himself a mystery writer of note, has compiled a truly standout survey...This is a gold mine of lively writing, sensible insights and easy-going erudition." -The Philadelphia Inquirer "Ideal browsing fare." -Booklist

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf; 2 edition (October 29, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786703660
• ISBN-13: 978-0786703661
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,386,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Publishing & Books > Bibliographies & Indexes > Literature
  • #37 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Publishing & Books > Bibliographies & Indexes > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Crime & Mystery" is the Mystery Reader's Reference Book., June 29, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crime and Mystery: The 100 Best Books (Paperback)

"Crime & Mystery" is a must own for mystery readers. Those new to the genre will get a "leg up" to the best of the best. Long-time readers will learn of out-of-print works unavailable in traditional book stores. If you were only to read the 100 titles listed in "Crimes & Mysteries," you would have read the very best. The book is written in review style--this is not a book of short stories or excerpts. Please note: some of the titles reviewed are out-of-print. But, that's part of the mystery, isn't it...

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good resource for turning up classics, April 15, 2001

By 

Cowboy Bill "cowboybill" (Omaha, NE USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Crime and Mystery: The 100 Best Books (Paperback)

Like many, I like to read new mysteries and thrillers. They're easy to find and easy to get review info on -- especially on the Web. But what if you want to read some older but still great novels? It's a bit harder to get recommendations you can trust.

Keating -- himself a celebrated mystery writer -- puts together a list of 100 books worth checking out. As noted in other reviews here, some are out of print, but I've found many of them at the local library, at used-book stores and even here at Amazon.

If you only like to read contemporary works, this isn't the book for you. It was originally written in the '80s, I believe, so it doesn't include authors who have made the scene in the past 10 or 15 years. However, if you like to read works that are a bit off the beaten path, Keating's recommendations are a real boon. His capsule reviews read like a shot, and he does a good job of giving you the flavor of each cited novel in just a few pages. Very cool.

You'll find many of the usual suspects here -- Christie, Sayers, Queen, Chandler, Hillerman, Westlake, MacDonald, Stout, James, etc. But you'll also find some great tips on authors you probably wouldn't stumble upon unless you've read this book. I had never read any works by Nicholas Blake, Peter Lovesey, Margaret Millar, Arthur Upfield or Jacques Futrelle until buying Keating's book, and I've enjoyed reading all of these authors.

A fine book to have on hand whenever you're wondering what to read next.

(FYI: Patricia Highsmith wrote the intro only, so don't expect to get any of her recommendations here.)

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great list, but not very much help... and outdated..., January 23, 2001

By 

Erik J. Larsen (st. paul, mn) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crime and Mystery: The 100 Best Books (Paperback)

I bought this book for the same reason you are thinking about buying it. You're tired of the [stuff] that's being churned out by the major publishers and want a quick list of 'classics' that will rock your world.

That being said, if you just want the list, go to a book store, pick up this book, and memorize the list, then put it back. You're wasting your money if you think this book is going to give great insight into the mystery genre.

The best way to find new authors/books to read is to do a little research. You like mysteries, right? What would one of these detectives do to solve the problem? Read up on the authors you really admire and you'll run across numerous references to their greatest influences.

Also, I'm not a profressional critic, but some very notable mystery/crime novelist were conspicously left off the list. James Ellroy was one of the most notable. Oh well...