The books of the 21st century are significantly different from those that were written before. Every year the world becomes different, including people. New opportunities and new challenges appear. There is no longer such a large number of wars on our planet, but there are wars within the person himself. All this also affects art, including writers and books.
Detective stories are a favorite topic for many readers. You will never get bored with such books. There will be brave protagonists, very cunning and resourceful villains, and tangled stories that seem completely impossible to unravel. A modern detective story always combines several genres, which, intertwining with each other, create an excellent work that evokes a lot of emotions and experiences.
You can download for free and without registration the best modern detective stories from Russian, American, English and other authors on our literary portal in formats such as epub, txt, rtf, pdf, fb2. It is very convenient to read books online, saving your time.
The classic detective story has undergone changes over time, and modern writers have added their own, new, details and features. The main characters in detective stories of the 21st century are not always brave police officers or real detectives, detectives. In the books today, even housewives or ordinary people who are not associated with law enforcement agencies are taken up to investigate crimes. Such books are more familiar to modern readers, because they describe the life that we face every day. In addition, everyone can feel like a detective and may even be able to investigate some unpleasant or mysterious event in their life.
21st century detective stories are very diverse. It can be police investigations, criminal showdowns, and political intrigues. In addition, the best Russian authors, like Daria Dontsova or Alexandra Marinina, write ironic detective stories for women. There are many funny moments and curious situations in them.
Anyone who loves books in the genre of detective stories should get acquainted with contemporary writers. On our portal you can read online the best works from both domestic and foreign authors. We have ratings of books by popularity among readers.
Downloading free detectives of the 21st century is quite simple. You just need to go to the page of the work, select the appropriate format for your electronic device and press the appropriate button.
Edgar Allan Poe, who wrote a series of stories in 1840 about the amateur detective Dupin, who solved mysterious crimes using intelligence, logic and the ability to notice details. In England, the first author of detective stories was Wilkie Collins, who wrote the novel "The Woman in White" in 1860 and the famous "Moonlight" in 1868.
Passion for detective literature spawned many hobby clubs, whose members came up with and solved criminal riddles, guided by strict rules.
It is difficult to unequivocally answer the question of who is the most famous. In addition, the genre implies many options: psychological, classical, hermetic, historical, adventurous, fantastic, ironic, political, espionage, criminal. This diversity greatly complicates the search for the most famous author, because, for example, many researchers attribute the novel "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky to the genre of psychological detective stories. However, the detective has several writers who are unequivocally regarded as the best detective stories.
The best writers around the world
The heyday of the British detective story can be considered the beginning of the 20th century, when Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Gilbert Chesterton created their works. Each of these authors made a huge contribution to development, inventing such brilliant detectives as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Father Brown. It is thanks to their works that the detective genre has gained the most, such as the frequent presence of a detective's companion, attention to the psychological component of crimes, and careful development of the scheme for committing a crime. These are books you don't want to part with.
Many rules were invented that a detective novel supposedly must comply with, but only one of them is observed almost always. According to him, a detective investigating a crime cannot be a criminal.
As for other states, the most famous author of detective stories in France is rightly considered Georges Simenon, who wrote a series of novels about the detective Maigret. In the United States, one of the most popular authors was Ed McBain, describing the work of 87. The most ironic detective, Ioanna Khmelevskaya, lived in Poland, and one of the best authors of historical detective stories, Boris Akunin, is a citizen of the Russian Federation. One cannot but pay tribute to the Russian authors Daria Dontsova and Alexandra Marinina, who managed a huge number of female detectives.
Detective stories are one of the most popular (and not only) book genres. Some readers undeservedly consider detective stories "easy" reading, good only to pass the time. But fans of this genre know that detective stories are not only an exciting reading, but also an opportunity to apply their logical and deductive abilities in practice. There is nothing more exciting than trying to uncover the main intrigue of a detective novel and guess the name of the criminal. We bring to the attention of our readers the best detective books - a rating of the most fascinating works of the detective genre, compiled according to the reviews of readers of major Internet resources.
Cormac McCarthy
Opens the rating of the best books-detective novels No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy... The book is written in the genre of a cruel bloody parable. Vietnam War veteran Llewellyn Moss finds himself at the site of a bandit showdown while hunting antelope in the mountains of West Texas. He finds corpses and a suitcase with a huge amount - two million dollars. Yielding to temptation, he takes the money. The hunt begins on Moss - Mexican bandits and the brutal assassin Anton Chigur follow in his footsteps.
Based on the novel, the Coen brothers filmed a thriller of the same name, which won 4 Oscar awards.
Stig Larson
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stig Larson ranks 9th in the ranking of the best detective books.
Stig Larson is a Swedish writer and journalist who has written only three popular novels in his life. He died of a heart attack at the age of 50, never seeing the release of his first book.
In "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", journalist Mikael Blomkvist, who fell into disgrace, is made an advantageous offer by the industrial magnate - to reveal the mystery of the disappearance of his grandniece. She disappeared 40 years ago, and the industrialist is sure that the girl was killed by someone from the family. The journalist doesn’t get down to business because of money, but to distract himself from problems. He soon realizes that the disappearance of young Harrieta is connected with the murders of women that occurred at different times in Sweden.
It is interesting: detective novel "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Stephen King included in the list of his 10 favorite books.
Boileau - Narsejak
novel "The One Who Died" Boileau - Narsejak ranks 8th in the ranking of the best detective books. This is the story of a husband who, under the influence of his mistress, kills his wife, but soon begins to experience pangs of conscience.
“The One Who Has Done” is a psychological novel, the tension in which grows with each page you read. The authors of this classic detective story managed to create the illusion of complete immersion of the reader in the events developing in the book.
James Patterson
Patterson's books have repeatedly become bestsellers, and he himself is among the best-selling writers in the world. Alex Cross, the protagonist of a whole series of Patterson's books, enjoys a special love of readers. In the detective thriller Kissing the Girls, a forensic psychologist follows the trail of the serial killer Casanova, who has kidnapped and killed several young women. Cross has his own important reason to find the maniac - in the hands of Casanova is his niece.
Frederick Forsyth
The 6th place in the ranking of the best detective books is the novel Frederick Forsyth "Day of the Jackal"... The writer's first book made him famous - the political detective about the attempted assassination of Charles de Gaulle instantly became a bestseller. According to the plot of the novel, an extremist organization hires a hitman under the pseudonym "Jackal" to destroy the President of France. The French authorities receive information that a professional was involved in the assassination attempt, about whom nothing is known except his pseudonym. The operation to find the Jackal begins.
Interesting fact: Forsyth was an MI6 (British Intelligence Service) agent for 20 years. His manuscripts were read in MI6 so that the writer would not inadvertently give out undisclosed information.
Dashil Hammett
novel Dashil Hammett "The Maltese Falcon", one of the classics of world literature, is ranked 5th in the ranking of the best detective books.
Private detective Sam Spade takes on an investigation at the request of a certain Miss Wonderly. She asks to find her sister, who ran away from home with her lover. Spade's partner, who accompanied the client to a meeting with her sister, is found murdered, and Sam is suspected of committing a crime. It is soon revealed that a Maltese falcon figurine, which many are hunted for, is involved in the case.
Arthur Conan Doyle
"Study in crimson tones" by Arthur Conan Doyle- on the 4th line in the rating of the best detective books. All novels about investigations of Sherlock Holmes are read in one breath and it is difficult to name the best of them. A Study in Crimson is the first book dedicated to the great British master of the deductive method.
Victorian England. Due to his financial constraints, retired military doctor John Watson shares an apartment in London with another gentleman, Sherlock Holmes. The latter is full of mysteries, and his activities, as well as strange visitors, lead Watson to the idea that his flatmate is a criminal. It will soon emerge that Holmes is a detective who often advises the police.
Boris Akunin
The third place in the rating of the best detective books is taken by the first novel from the series of works about Erast Fandorin "Azazel" by Boris Akunin... Twenty-year-old Erast Fandorin serves as a simple clerk in the police, but dreams of becoming a detective. The bizarre student suicide witnessed by the protagonist gives him a chance to show his abilities in the investigation of this complicated case.
Thomas Harris
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris ranks second in the ranking of the best detective books. The novel brought the writer immense popularity. This is the second book about Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant forensic psychiatrist and cannibal.
Clarice Starling, an FBI cadet, receives an assignment from his superiors - to involve Hannibal Lecter, a dangerous criminal and an excellent forensic psychologist, in cooperation.
The novel was filmed in 1991 and won 5 Academy Awards in the most prestigious nominations.
Agatha Christie
Each of the novels by the English writer is a masterpiece, but Ten Little Indians has a particularly dark atmosphere. A small island, ten guests, invited by the mysterious owner of the mansion and murders, exactly the same as a child's countdown, which acquires an increasingly sinister meaning with each new victim.
The novel has been filmed several times.
Anna and Sergey Litvinov are the golden feathers of a domestic detective. That says it all. We will only add that the plot is built around the heroine already known to readers - Varvara Kononova, an employee of the secret special services, who studies everything strange and unknown (our answer to the X-Files). Together with her lover, the psychic Danilov, the beautiful girl is resting at the Black Sea resort. Everything is quiet, peaceful, the sea, the beach, churchkhela ... And suddenly the base of peaceful vacationers is storming by special forces. Then everything is as we love: the chase, intellectual duels and fist fights, and in the finale - the solution to the most burning secrets of the recent past ...
Quote from the book:
Dexterously you put them both down, - Zubtsov said calmly from the back seat. Danilov did not answer. And the retiree continued: “I'm impressed. I, of course, have met guys like you, and the best, but you are good even against their background.
What have you done ?! - Varya grabbed her head. - Why did that happen ?! - like all women, she could not help butting her lover - but in this situation, one cannot but agree, there was a reason. Alexey, gritting his teeth, was silent, only rushing at a speed of one hundred and fifty. She continued: - Get off the track. Now we are definitely on the wanted list.
I know myself, - Danilov muttered.
Bachelor Vorobyov: A beautiful fairy tale did not work
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"Ecumenical conspiracy"
Tatiana Ustinova's freshest detective begins with a trip to the planetarium. Maroussia, a twenty-four-year-old girl, a French teacher, goes out of boredom to look at the stars. In the company of a friend of Grisha. They accidentally meet with the scientist Yuri Fedorovich, who has been tracking UFOs for a long time. And it seems like a little bit "ku-ku". But he warns that soon humanity will die in a terrible catastrophe. A meteorite or worse. While the couple admires the constellations in the dark room, the scientist is killed. Who? How? Why? And what about the catastrophe - to wait or not to wait ... The investigation will be interesting, and the special, textured language of Ustinova drags on from the first page. Recommended for long flights and trips, because until you finish reading, you are unlikely to come off.
Quote from the book:
The grandfather believes that he is a member of a sect. In the sect of admirers of alien civilizations! Well, all sorts of knights of the Ninth Gate, worshipers of the god Chronos, worshipers of the Moon in the Seventh House! Grandfather says this is unforgivable obscurantism. Especially for an educated person. Yurets are educated, but rubbish.
How - rubbish?
Usually. Just a crappy guy, that's all. He brought Margoshka to the handle. I thought it only happens in Victorian novels! Well, when the villain torments the beautiful Brunhilde in order to take possession of her castle, land and the inheritance of the deceased father. And Yurets - nothing, and in our time quite coped.
Is his wife dead ?! - asked Marusya with amazement.
All this did not fit into any gate. Yuri Fedorovich Basalaev, crazy - or not crazy, who knows! - a scientist, an expert on alien civilizations, a funny man with a disheveled beard and a burning gaze, in fact an evil monster ?!
Lorak pushed Baskov into the pool at Emin's party
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"Art requires sacrifice"
There are three detectives in the book at once, and everything is about love. Stas Babitsky devoted many years to journalism, conducted his own high-profile investigations, often at the risk of his life. That is why the heroes of his works are so realistic and recognizable. Ordinary people who do terrible things. A neighbor hangs a birdhouse in the yard. Nothing suspicious. But what if he is the maniac who kills passers-by with a sniper rifle? The young actor is rehearsing the role of Othello, but is he capable of strangling a cheating wife? Read on and find out.
Quote from the book:
Will he really allow Lyudmila to marry her businessman or deputy, but it doesn't matter who ... All you have to do is come up and say: I love you! Doesn't she love? Or not? Ruslan did not know the exact answer yet, approaching the girl. She silently exhaled a thin plume of smoke. He silently held out the bouquet.
That's for me? - feigned surprise, although joy sparkled in his eyes. - Thank you.
She leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. And then, no, a second earlier, there was a strange sound. As if a string broke on that huge balalaika. Lyudmila fell, and from surprise Ruslan could not restrain her. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his limp body, breaking roses that suddenly turned red. And the blood continued to flood the dress. Ruslan waited for the next bullet to go to him. The brain even threw a spell suitable for the occasion: our Father, like you ... But he whispered something completely different:
Love you. Love you!!!
But there was still no shot.
Baranovskaya: I was kneeling in front of Andrey and roared
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Undoubtedly, there are many people in the world who do not see a more pleasant way to relax, except to plunge into the intricate course of the investigation of a complex crime committed on the pages of a high-quality detective story. But in order for the detective to be good, and the pleasure not spoiled, we decided to identify the real masters of the detective genre.
10th place: Dan Brown (b.1964)
Popular novels: The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Inferno
Popular character: Robert Langton, a brilliant scientist of world renown, in the same tweed jacket, leather loafers and a Mickey Mouse watch.
Interesting Facts: In his books, Dan misinterprets facts, which later have to be refuted in favor of the truth. So, for example, in his book, Brown claims that Raphael was first buried in Urbino, on his grave in the Pantheon it was necessary to add a tablet stating that Brown invented this and Raphael's ashes always rested in Rome.
Dan Brown doesn't have many books to his credit, but they are all successful. Of the six published works, three have been filmed (this year we are expecting the premiere of Inferno). His books are based on a detective story with elements of historical inclusions, conspiracies and mysteries. On the pages of his books, you can find Masons, Illuminati, Assassins and many others, the existence of which is not known for certain. At the same time, Dan is not always accurate in his historical facts, which leads to some curiosities with those who perceive fiction too closely, confusing it with historical literature. Although, after reading some books it may well seem that there is a worldwide conspiracy around you ...
9th place: Ramond Chandler (1884 - 1959)
Popular novels:"Deep Sleep", "Goodbye Darling"
Popular character: Philip Marlowe, a private detective from Los Angeles, a battered cynic, with pessimism watches the moral decay of American society and the corruption reigning in it.
Interesting Facts: Along with D. Hammett and D. M. Kane, he became the founder of the "cool detective" genre, which later became known in the film industry as noir.
Chandler has only eight detective novels on his account, but they are all very worthy. The protagonist of the novels, Philip Marlowe, combines honesty and cynicism. Despite the harshness and regular use of bourbon, Philip is a deeply positive character, who puts duty above everything, even the charm of the fatal seductresses of the noir world. For the first time, Philip appeared on the pages of Chandler's works in 1934, in a short story, where he acts alongside other similar characters, and over time will become the main hero of the author's works.
While working on the script for the film "Double Insurance" Raymond Chandler accidentally got into the frame. This is the only film where Chandler, albeit by accident, is filmed in a film.
8th place: John Grisham (born 1955)
Popular novels: Time to Kill, The Firm, The Pelican Case
Interesting Facts: Grisham began his career as a writer after hearing the heartbreaking testimony of a twelve-year-old girl who was a victim of rape. John was so impressed by this trial that he soon wrote his first work based on this story - "Time to Kill", which reflected his thoughts about what would happen if the father of the raped girl killed the attackers.
As a child, Grisham dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player. But his fate did not develop according to a sports scheme. During his studies, Grisham worked part-time in a nursery, watering bushes for a dollar an hour, at the age of 16 he got a job as a plumber, later he managed to work as an asphalt paver and seller of men's underwear (which he considered extremely humiliating for himself). As a result, having received a law degree, he became a legal attorney, protected the law for more than ten years, specializing in defense in criminal cases and litigation about harm to health. Grisham refused to practice law with the release of his second book, which brought him popularity.
7th place: Ian Fleming (1906 - 1964)
Popular novels:"Casino Royale", "From Russia with Love"
Popular character: James Bond, Commander of the British Navy, known as "Agent 007", is an adventurous, determined, passionate lover of women, gambling and alcohol.
Interesting Facts: In his youth, Fleming decided to become a diplomat. He successfully failed the examination at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And it would not be so surprising if it were not for the fact: the exam for which the future bestselling author received an “Failure” was ... literature.
In 1939, before the outbreak of World War II, Fleming worked for British intelligence. The service helped him in writing Bond novels, because being, according to his contemporaries, an observant person, he brought many details of the service into his books. In 1933, while in Moscow, Fleming wanted to interview Joseph Stalin and was very surprised by the fact that he received a refusal in a nominal form with the personal signature of the Supreme Leader of the USSR. In total, Ian wrote 12 Bond novels, as well as 2 collections of stories dedicated to this hero. Nevertheless, twice as many films have been filmed based on these books - to date, already 25.
6th place: Earl Stanley Gardner (1889 - 1970)
Popular novels:"The Case of the Gloomy Girl", "The Case of Velvet Claws"
Popular character: Perry Mason, a practicing Los Angeles lawyer who, in addition to representing in court, personally conducts a private investigation, in parallel with the police, personally investigates crime scenes, circumstances of the crime, physical evidence and other information that can help to exonerate his clients and expose criminals.
Interesting Facts: The prototype of the secretary of the lawyer Perry Mason was the author's chosen one - secretary Agnes Bethel.
82 novels were written about the inquisitive lawyer Perry Mason, which brought the author worldwide fame. Before writing the novels, the author himself worked as a lawyer for about twenty years, therefore in his novels there is exemplary knowledge of police and judicial procedures, aspects of forensic examination and many other subtleties of advocacy. But Perry Mason is not the only brainchild of Gardner, under the pseudonym A.A. Fair Gardner wrote a good series of novels about private detective Donald Lam and his boss Bertha Cool, which are partly a parody of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin.
5th place: Boris Akunin (b. 1956)
Popular novels:"Azazel", "Turkish Gambit"
Popular character: Erast Petrovich Fandorin, the ideal of an aristocrat of the nineteenth century, noble, educated, loyal, incorruptible, good-looking, popular with ladies, lucky in gambling.
Interesting Facts: In most of the books from the series "The Adventures of Erast Fandorin" by the publishing house "Zakharov", the portrait of Boris Akunin is present on the first pages. He is portrayed as minor characters in the novels.
Before starting his writing career, Akunin worked as a translator and literary critic. He lived in Japan for several years. The writer's first wife was Japanese.
The incredible success of the first novels about Fandorin, including among readers who do not recognize detective stories, is explained not only by the skillful stylization and skillful mixing of many literary and historical sources, but also by the fact that in the novels, in addition to the detective riddle, the answer was sought: is it possible to remain flawless human, serving in faulty structures?
4th place: James Headley Chase (1906 - 1985)
Popular novels:"No Orchids for Miss Blandish", "The Dead Don't Bite", "Bad News from the Doll"
Popular character: Vic Malloy, private detective who owns a one-stop-shop agency
Interesting Facts: on the territory of the USSR, Chase became famous partly by accident. During perestroika, the Iron Curtain began to fall and a stream of foreign literature rushed to the USSR. At the time of getting on the shelves of Chase, he had no one to compete with, because his detective stories were gaining popularity faster than the ideas of socialism in Cuba.
Chase begins his literary career with a series of humorous stories. In 1938, he made the first attempts to write an action movie in the spirit of "the adventures of American gangsters", drawing information from newspapers. He writes his first detective story in 12 days. No Orchids for Miss Blandish was well received by publishers, critics and readers, becoming one of the best-selling books of the decade. On account of Chase under a hundred detective novels, delighting the reader with a twisted plot and dashing events.
3rd place: Rex Stout (1886 - 1975)
Popular novels: League of Frightened Men, Kill Again, Black Orchids
Popular character: Nero Wolfe, a private detective, overweight, with a wide forehead, black and gray hair, and gorgeous teeth.
Interesting Facts: in 2001, the detective series "The Secrets of Nero Wolfe" was released. And although the series was more than good, after two seasons it was canceled due to a change in the direction of the channel that released it. There is also a Russian version of the series, but in comparison with the original it is rather mediocre.
Stout is original in the plot, his character solves crimes without leaving the house due to his own completeness. All the rough work is done for him by assistant Goodwin, and in exceptional cases - by a couple of other detectives.
Stout and his character Wolfe are a bit similar. The surname "Stout" translates as "fat", "obese", and his character Nero is exactly that. Rex is fond of growing strawberries, has won numerous competitions, and Nero Wolfe is a passionate collector of orchids.
The cycle of novels about Wolfe is one of the heights of the world detective literature. In them, the author reflected his worldview, a vision of the world based on humanistic principles.
2nd place: Agatha Christie (1890 - 1976)
Popular novels: Murder on the Golf Course, The Man in the Brown Suit
Popular character: Hercule Poirot, a Belgian detective, short, with an egg-shaped head, black hair (dyes it with age), "cat's eyes", strict well-groomed clothes, shoes and a mustache, which are a source of pride.
Interesting Facts: Agatha Christie became the standard for creating detective stories, with her submission was created "10 commandments of the detective genre", which are still adhered to by the classics of the genre.
One of the few authors of detective stories - women, especially successful ones. It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t heard of the legendary mustache sleuth or seen the television adaptations of her novels. Hercule Poirot has become an icon of style, an inimitable detective who unravels even the most mysterious stories with ease, and, without fail, ends the investigation with his debut unmasking monologue. Therefore, he never shares his conclusions either with the police or with the participants, leaving all the details and the solution of the next puzzle to the "last act".
1st place: Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 - 1930)
Popular novels:"The Dog of the Baskervilles", "Study in Crimson Tones", "The Sign of the Four"
Popular character: Sherlock Holmes, a London-based private detective, biochemist, has versatile talents, knows perfectly well anatomy, chemistry, medicine, a convinced bachelor, highly addicted smoker, uses cocaine intravenously in the complete absence of interesting crimes.
Interesting Facts: Conan Doyle was a giant with a powerful torso and biceps, a bodybuilder who possessed incredible strength even in old age. He was fond of many sports, was an excellent billiard player. It was he who instilled in Switzerland alpine skiing, was one of the first organizers of the rally, the first test of a moped.
A Study in Crimson, Doyle's first success, was published in 1887. Peru Doyle owns 60 stories and two literary compositions about Sherlock Holmes, the most famous hero of English literature. Sherlock Doyle was inspired by Joseph Bell, who worked at the Royal Hospital in Edinburgh and was distinguished by the ability to draw subtle inferences from the smallest observations of a patient's appearance. In turn, Sherlock Holm became one of the foundations for creating the character of Gregory House, the genius doctor from the series of the same name. Like Holmes, House loves only complicated things, is cynical, has a passion for music and is addicted to drugs.
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