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Mystery Reading

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I have been thinking about mystery gaming recently. I am not usually much of a mystery reader, I loved Sherlock Holmes as a kid, but I tend towards science fiction. Obviously, as a lawyer, I have read many real life mysteries. I am not a criminal lawyer, and have no interest in practicing criminal law, but you don't get through law school without reading an awful lot of criminal cases. 

Even though I do not have an interest in criminal law, the single best piece of advice I have ever read about being a lawyer came from a criminal law story. In Helter Skelter, Vince Bugliosi stresses the importance of a lawyer doing his/her own investigations. I try to follow this advice as much as possible in my professional life, and have yet to regret it. I consider Helter Skelter to be the best book about the legal profession ever written, it is a study in the application of rational thought and elbow grease. 

As I have been thinking about a mystery game, I realized that I am not well versed in mystery fiction at all. I am not familiar with the tropes and the short-hand. In fact, I don't even know where to turn for good mystery fiction (or even true crime outside of Bugliosi). 

So here is my request kind readers. What are your favorite mystery books? I don't want books that cheat, as that would not be helpful for writing a game. All of the evidence used to solve the crime has to be available to the reader. 

Comments

  1. Anthony SimeoneSeptember 30, 2012 at 11:13 PM

    I haven't done much mystery reading, but I did read a couple of Michael Jecks novels. He has a series of historical mysteries that take place in the Middle Ages, and follow the exploits of an ex-Templar and his partner as they solve crimes. Can't really remember much about the books, but I did enjoy them.

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  2. grodogNovember 7, 2012 at 10:56 AM

    Hi Rich---

    Some of my favorites include:

    - Arturo Perez Reverte, in particular The Flanders Panel and The Club Dumas; these are historical fiction
    - Agatha Christie (many many books, but my favorites are Death on the Nile and And Then There Were None)
    - Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson (not a traditional mystery, but more of an action/adventure with a strong mystery component); this is my faovrite book by Stephenson
    - Also more in the action/mytery vein are Ian Fleming's Jame Bond spy novels: lots of mystery, but they're very-well grounded in reality and are much better than the films
    - and Sherlock Holmes (as you've already mentioned)

    Allan.

    PS: I'm going to be back in South Jersey again for the holidays, and will likely host some sort of gaming get together in Merchantville while there, if you're interested?

    ReplyDelete
  3. rmckee78November 10, 2012 at 10:14 PM

    I loved Cryptonomicon. Keep me updated on any Jersey gaming. I am living in MD now, but my parents are still in South Jersey and I am up there often.

    ReplyDelete

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