In 1995 the Mystery Writers of America put together a list of the best mysteries of all time. Here are some of the top finishers:
The complete Sherlock Holmes / Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Complete Sherlock Holmes comprises four novels and fifty-six short stories revolving around the world’s most popular and influential fictional detective—the eccentric, arrogant, and ingenious Sherlock Holmes.
The Maltese falcon / Dashiell Hammett
Sam Spade, a private eye with his own solitary code of ethics, stars in Hammett's cooly glittering gem of detective fiction, a novel that has haunted 2 generations of readers.
Also available in the DVD and audiobook sections.
Complete stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe / Edgar Allan Poe
A complete collection of the writings of Poe, including his mysteries, fantasies, satires, and poems
The daughter of time / Josephine Tey
A hospitalized English policeman reconstructs historical evidence concerning Richard III's role in the murder of Edward IV's two sons.
The moonstone / Wilkie Collins
When the Moonstone, a huge diamond from India, disappears, Miss Verinder believes that her lover is the thief, but others are also suspected.