Mystery, or mystery fiction, is a literary genre that is included in the scope of fiction in which the books and short stories that fall under this classification centers on mystery-solving. This genre is synonymous to detective fiction because both have the same objectives — which is solving a mystery or a crime, usually led by a detective. Mystery fiction is sometimes narrowed to the subcategory of detective tales wherein the element of puzzle and its solution are being focused, as an opposite to the tenacious detective novels which give emphasis on firm realism and action.
There is a handful of subcategories mystery fiction have, this includes but is not limited to amateur detective, hardboiled, true crime, legal thriller, historical mystery, caper, and comedy detective. Mystery fiction novels are typically characterized by an element of surprise, foreshadowing, jaw-dropping twist, unanticipated culprit, and deception. This genre has been an all-time favorite because of its unconventional elements. Readers of all ages have patronized mystery novels because of their unpredictable plots and characters. These mystery stories range from the classic children mystery series Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys to the adult mystery novels The Cuckoo’s Calling and In the Woods.
This type of fiction has been enjoyed by book lovers all around the globe from the 18th century until today. That said, if you are one of the bibliophiles who are into mystery and crimes stories and is currently stuck in your home due to the imposed home quarantine, we have collected six best mystery fiction novels that will help you overcome the quarantine boredom. Please do not hesitate to check out the list below!
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third crime novel written by one of the most popular mystery-detective authors, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was published in 1902 by George Newnes; however, it was primarily serialized from August of 1901 to April of 1902 in The Strand Magazine. In the Sherlock Holmes series, this book has been preceded by The Final Problem and was succeeded by The Return of Sherlock Holmes. The story focuses on the Sherlock Holmes and how he solved the death of Sir Charles Baskerville. The deceased’s friend, Mr. Mortimer, came to the detective and asked for his help. He told Holmes about the urban legend of a frightful and diabolical hound that aimed to kill every Baskerville heir. The great detective observed and studied the case. Later in the story, the mystery was solved and what they believed to be a legend turns out to be both an attempted murder and homicide.
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Murder on the Orient Express is a crime novel authored by the remarkable mystery-detective writer, Agatha Christie. This book was published on the 1st of January 1934 by Collins Crime Club. It has garnered plenty of positive reviews from Times Literary Supplement, The New York Times Book Review, The Guardian, and more. The novel centers on the murder that took place in a train called the Orient Express that was stopped due to a heavy snowfall. There were a lot of people that boarded the train and one of them is the Belgian retired police officer and private detective named Hercule Poirot. The detective took his time to put the puzzles together because all passengers that were interviewed, aside from the victim, have created solid alibis. Poirot continued his investigation and discovered that all of the passengers are connected to each other; thus, he began seeing the bigger picture and discovered that the murder was done out of vengeance.
The Numbered Cups Mystery by JB Clemmens
The Numbered Cups Mystery is the fourth book of the Lieutenant James Mysteries series authored by JB Clemmens. The first three books followed by The Numbered Cups Mystery are the Something Fishy in Manhattan, A Substitute for Murder, and Mystery at Pima Point. It was published last June 22, 2015 under CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. The story circulates upon the poisoning of the local celebrity writer named Walt Whitlock. The horrifying scene happened during a barbecue event at the Townsend house in a place called Winburg. Lieutenant James is the one assigned to the case; thus, he began investigating the scene. He discovered various cups that were numbered and the tainted bourbon. The victim’s cup has the number 5 imprinted on it. There have been suspicious people in the story, which are Lucy Trent who brought the bourbon, Oliver Townsend who argued with the victim and is his publisher, Eileen Forsyth who had her fingerprints on Walt’s cup, and John who is the victim’s college friend and who vanished after the event. James continued to investigate the case and on the process, he stumbled upon a dead woman’s will with a missing clause and a mysterious occurrence in a racetrack that helped him to point out and arrest the true suspect.
There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
There’s Someone Inside Your House is a mystery and horror novel written by the famous New York Times Bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. The book was published by Dutton Books in September 12, 2017. It is different from the bestselling young adult books, such as the Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and Isla and the Happily Ever After, written by Perkins because this is dark instead of giving the readers a heartwarming and light read. It has gotten various of good praises from MJ Frankling of Mashable, Christina Ledbetter from The Washington Times, and Booklist. The novel revolves around the story of Makani Young and the death of the students in her school. There are various questions that emerge while on the process of uncovering the murder, such as is the Makani’s past related to the crimes? Or who is the gruesome killer? The mystery, horror, and thrill that this book offer makes it a must-read!
Oliver’s Twist 