Mystery Books That Inspired Me to Become a Writer

by David S. Pederson
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5 books
Who doesn’t like a whodunnit? I became enthralled with murder mysteries at an early age, always trying to figure out the clues before the last chapter, sometimes successfully, but more often not. These five books are among the best, in my opinion, of mystery, intrigue, and suspense, keeping the reader guessing and second-guessing until the very end.
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Hallowe'en Party

Agatha Christie, 1994
One of her seemingly lesser-known books, Hallowe’en Party is controversial in that it deals with the murder of a child. In true Christie fashion, Poirot uses his little grey cells to solve a mysterious crime, with lots of twists and turns along the way. The movie, “Murder in Venice” was inspired by this story but is vastly different in setting, tone, and plot.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Agatha Christie, 2022
This one is classic Christie. She turned the traditional murder mystery on its head with the surprise ending that would have been nearly impossible for anyone save detective Hercule Poirot to figure out. When I first read this story many years ago, I was amazed at how simple it was and yet so complex, and it inspired me to write mysteries of my own.

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Sherlock Holmes #3
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 2021
A classic Sherlock Holmes story and a classic mystery, set on the creepy old Baskerville estate in the English moors. Murder, suspense, a spooky mansion, red herrings, and a curse all add up to a terrific story that kept me turning the pages until the very end. Doctor Watson is along for the ride, of course, and the two of them are excellent together. Cleverly written.

The Big Sleep

Raymond Chandler, 2005
The title refers to death, and there’s plenty of it in this book in the form of murder. There’s also suspense, intrigue, plot twists, and a lot of mystery, so much so that it is baffling at times. I found myself going back and re-reading several chapters, and I was still slightly confused but thoroughly entertained and enthralled. I love the 1930s and 40s, and this book captures that time period perfectly. Chandler is a noir master.

The Murders in the Rue Morgue

Edgar Allan Poe, 2024
Dorothy Sayers described this story as “almost a complete manual of detective theory and practice,” and I would have to agree. The Murders of the Rue Morgue has it all: an amateur detective, a wrongly accused man, suspense, murder, and a surprise ending, which has upset some readers because it is almost unguessable. The ending delighted me, however, in that it really was a total surprise.