10 best modern English detective stories that you can read in one breath

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The English detective story is a special genre, and lovers of elegant, intricate stories have long been able to fully appreciate all its advantages. However, one should not think that the best works have been written and read long ago. Modern English authors present readers with meetings with smart detectives and charming criminals, forcing them to plunge into the unique atmosphere of a good old detective.

Deadly White by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling)

The series of works with the main character Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin is not for nothing that readers call a return to the good old detective. Deadly White is the fourth book in the series. It will contain everything that detectives often love so much: a fascinating plot, unrelenting intrigue and the inability to solve the riddle to the very last page.

His Bloody Project by Graeme McRae Barnett

Graham McRae Barnett's novel is the second in his bibliography, in 2016 he became the most real literary sensation. He was named the main contender for the Booker Prize, was translated into many languages and honored with several literary awards. And although "His Bloody Project" experts ask not to call it a detective in its purest form, the work is clearly worthy of attention. However, how else can you define the genre if there is a triple murder in the book, and throughout the entire novel the reader will have to understand the reasons that led to the tragic denouement?

Lady at the Country Fair by Tee Kinsey

This novel will be an invaluable gift for fans of atmospheric detective stories in the style of Agatha Christie, whose heroine is Miss Marple. In "Lady at the Country Fair" two restless young ladies, one of whom is an artist by profession and a detective by vocation, and the other is her maid, have to deal with the strange death of a farmer. He died at a nearby table in a cafe, and his death seemed too strange to the heroines.

The Shadow Behind the Back by Tana French

Edgar Allan Poe's award-winning work is a mixture of detective and psychological novel. The author does not strive for a dashingly twisted plot, but dwells in detail on the details and raises very important problems in his books. "Shadow Behind" begins with a domestic murder, but its investigation becomes too dangerous for the heroes of Antoinette Conway and Stephen Moran.

Crying by Christopher John Sansom

The sixth novel in the series of historical detectives about Matthew Shardlake tells about the investigation, which is being led by a lawyer at the request of Queen Catherine, wife of Henry VIII. "Crying" is somewhat reminiscent of the works of Dumas with a clear boundary between good and evil, but with a well-written detective line.

The Seven Deaths of Evelina Hardcastle, Stuart Turton

The author managed to combine fantasy and classic English detective stories in one piece, generously spicing them up with details of Victorian life. A mixture of genres, a fascinating plot, a non-trivial plot and a very unexpected ending make "The Seven Deaths of Evelina Hardcastle" a unique novel, one of a kind.

Little Light, Two Dogs by Keith Atkinson

The fourth book in a series about the investigations of the Cambridge private detective Jackson Brody. It will not be easy to understand the intricacies of the fate of numerous characters, but the persistent reader, who managed not to get confused in a large number of names, will receive a well-deserved reward at the very end in the form of a very unexpected denouement.

Dead Student by Angel Marsons

The eighth work of Angel Marsons about the investigations of police inspector Kim Stone, like other works of the author, is captivating from the first lines. This time, the main character will have to figure out a series of strange events taking place in one of the elite private schools.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Paula Hawkins' novel ranked # 1 on The New York Times bestseller list in 2015, which ran for 13 weeks. More than a million copies were sold in just one month. A fascinating plot, unpredictability and intrigue, which lasts until the last pages, make the work an undisputed favorite.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The book is interesting already because Uma Thurman herself took part in thinking over the plot, and Brad Pitt plans to film the novel. Istria, at first glance, seems very simple, and the plot develops very slowly. But the reader himself will not notice how carried away and will not be able to put aside the book until the very moment when the secret of the silent patient is revealed.

Detective novels are consistently popular with readers and occupy a leading position in book sales lists. Of course, this only applies to those detectives which captivate the reader with vivid characters, captivating plot and intrigue preservation until the very last page.