The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time, by Category (from The Crown Crime Companion)

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From the back of the book: "For The Crown Crime Companion, the Mystery Writers of America have compiled a list of the best 100 mystery novels of all time, as well as a list of favorites in ten categories."

These are the top books (in descending order) from each category:
  • Classics (1-10)
  • Suspense (11-20)
  • Hardboiled/Private Eye (21-30)
  • Police Procedural (31-41 – there was a tie between #40 and #41)
  • Espionage/Thriller (42-51)
  • Criminal (52-61)
  • Cozy/Traditional (62-71)
  • Historical (72-81)
  • Humorous (82-91)
  • Legal/Courtroom (92-101)

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  1. 51.
    The Third Man
    by Graham Greene

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  2. 52.
    The Godfather
    by Mario Puzo

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  3. 53.
    The Postman Always Rings Twice (Crime Masterworks)
    by James M. Cain

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  4. 54.
    Double Indemnity
    by James M. Cain

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  5. 55.
    Little Caesar
    by W. R. Burnett

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  6. 56.
    In Cold Blood
    by Truman Capote

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  7. 57.
    The Friends of Eddie Coyle: A Novel (John MacRae Books)
    by George V. Higgins

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  8. 58.
    The Killer Inside Me
    by Jim Thompson

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  9. 59.
    Stick (Leonard, Elmore, Elmore Leonard Library.)
    by Elmore Leonard

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  10. 60.
    The Talented Mr.Ripley
    by Patricia Highsmith

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  11. 61.
    ?
    Prizzis Honor
    by Richard Condon

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  12. 62.
    And Then There Were None
    by Agatha Christie

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  13. 63.
    Murder of Roger Ackroyd: A Hercule Poirot Mystery
    by Agatha Christie

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  14. 64.
    Gaudy Night (Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery)
    by Dorothy L. Sayers

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  15. 65.
    The Nine Tailors
    by Dorothy L. Sayers

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  16. 66.
    Murder Must Advertise (Lord Peter Wimsey Mystery)
    by Dorothy L. Sayers

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  17. 67.
    Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot Mysteries)
    by Agatha Christie

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  18. 68.
    Strong Poison
    by Dorothy L. Sayers

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  19. 69.
    Clouds of Witness
    by Dorothy L. Sayers

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  20. 70.
    The Three Coffins
    by John Dickson Carr

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  21. 71.
    The Body in the Library: A Miss Marple Mystery
    by Agatha Christie

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  22. 72.
    The Daughter of Time
    by Josephine Tey

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  23. 73.
    The Name of the Rose

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  24. 75.
    Wobble to Death (A&B Crime)
    by Peter Lovesey

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  25. 76.
    A Morbid Taste for Bones (Cadfael Chronicles)
    by Ellis Peters

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  26. 77.
    Time and Again
    by Jack Finney

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  27. 78.
    Devil in a Blue Dress (Easy Rawlins Mysteries)
    by Walter Mosley

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  28. 79.
    ?
    Crocodile on the Sandbank
    by Elizabeth Peters

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  29. 80.
    The Devil in Velvet
    by John Dickson Carr

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  30. 81.
    The Chinese Nail Murders: A Judge Dee Detective Story
    by Robert Van Gulik

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  31. 82.
    Fletch
    by Gregory Mcdonald

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  32. 83.
    The Hot Rock
    by Donald E. Westlake

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  33. 84.
    Bank Shot
    by Donald E. Westlake

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  34. 85.
    God Save the Mark: A Novel of Crime and Confusion
    by Donald E. Westlake

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  35. 86.
    Skin Tight
    by Carl Hiaasen

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  36. 87.
    Rest You Merry (Peter Shandy Mysteries)
    by Charlotte MacLeod

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  37. 88.
    ?
    Dancing Aztecs
    by Donald E. Westlake

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  38. 89.
    Bimbos of the Death Sun
    by Sharyn Mccrumb

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  39. 90.
    Home Sweet Homicide (Rue Morgue Vintage Mystery)
    by Craig Rice

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  40. 91.
    The Moving Toyshop
    by Edmund Crispin

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  41. 92.
    Presumed Innocent
    by Scott Turow

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  42. 93.
    Anatomy of a Murder
    by Robert Traver

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  43. 94.
    Witness for the Prosecution
    by AGATHA CHRISTIE

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  44. 95.
    Rumpole of the Bailey
    by John Clifford Mortimer

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  45. 96.
    The Firm
    by John Grisham

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  46. 97.

  47. 98.
    A Time to Kill
    by John Grisham

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  48. 99.
    ?
    The Case of the Velvet Claws
    by Erle Stanley Gardner

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  49. 100.
    The Burden of Proof
    by Scott Turow

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Created by The Subjected Reader on Dec 08, 2006.
 

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