Agatha Christie was labeled as the “Queen of Crime,” and rightfully so. Her mystery novels were filled with unexpected twists-and-turns, shocking reveals, and morally gray characters. Her brilliant detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple served as inspirations for book detectives everywhere. Her novels left you stunned, amazed, and wanting more.
As an homage to the Queen of Crime herself, here are five modern-day mystery novels for your enjoyment.
The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
For fans of And There Were None, this book may be for you. Much like And Then There Were None, this book centers around every guest. Everyone is there for a reason, and no one is as innocent as they seem. Labeled as a “locked-room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy,” this novel centers around Evelyn Hardcastle, a woman whose death will repeat every day until her killer is found. Each day she dies, Aiden Bishop wakes up to find himself in the body of a guest in her home, Blackheath Manor. Through his hosts, Bishop must decipher clues to find Evelyn’s killer and break the time loop.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Characterized as a cross between And There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express, The Guest List is a book where every little detail matters. Like Murder on the Orient Express, the setting is isolated with no way to contact for help. On an island off the Irish coast, guests gather to celebrate a wedding between a rising TV star and a magazine publisher. Brimming with designer fashion and lacking cell reception, it is a wedding designed to be perfect. But at the reception, bad feelings come to the surface as the bride’s dress is ruined by her bridesmaid, and someone turns up dead.
Death of an Englishman by Anna Beer
Bringing the British feel of The Mysterious Affair at Styles comes this novel set at Oxford. Literary detective Eve Brook is tasked with finishing a book by an Oxford don, David Morrow, a man who was found mysteriously murdered. Additionally, his manuscript is missing, and everyone Eve meets has secrets and a reason to want him dead. For her first case, she must track down his missing manuscript and also find his killer.
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Called a “classic whodunit worthy of Agatha Christie,” Magpie Murders is the perfect counterpart to Christie’s The ABC Murders. Like The ABC Murders, the main character must decipher a series of clues. Magpie Murders centers around Susan Ryeland, an editor for crime novelist Alan Conway. She is very familiar with his detective character, Atticus Pünd, and his classic cases in quiet English towns. His novels are an homage to Christie herself and have done very well. When Susan receives his latest manuscript, she doesn’t expect anything unusual. Yet, the more she reads about Atticus’ latest case, the more she begins to realize there may be a real story beneath the surface: a tale of a real-life murder.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
For the atmospheric setting of Death on the Nile, this book is for you. Like Death on the Nile, it is set on a luxury cruise ship where a murder takes place. It centers around Lo Blacklock, a travel writer, who gets an opportunity to spend a week on the Aurora, a luxury cruise ship. As the week progresses, things take a sinister turn when Lo witnesses a woman being thrown overboard. To make matters worse, the ship sails on as if nothing happened, but Lo can’t help but feel that something has gone terribly wrong.
We hope you enjoyed these modern “whodunits” that the Queen of Crime would be proud of. Be sure to check out the film adaptation of The Woman in Cabin 10, set to release on October 10th on Netflix. Happy reading!
For information about Christie’s inspiration, click here.
These books and more can be found on our Heart Racingly Good Thrillers and Mysteries shelf at Bookshop.
