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Mystery Reading

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. 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. 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?

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  3. 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.

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