100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century

by Jim Huang (Editor), Jim Huang (Editor)

The Independent Mystery Booksellers Association list of 100 favorite mysteries of the 20th century represents the accumulated wisdom of the most knowledgeable people in the business. These are the books we most enjoy, the books we present to our customers over and over again, and the books that we return to when we want to visit with cherished friends.In this book, we journey through our list of 100, with reviews contributed by booksellers across the US and Canada. The book also features booksellers' lists of titles that did not make the list of 100 but should have, insights about mysteries and what our favorites mean to us, a directory of independent mystery booksellers and, finally, a 100 favorites shopping list.

Genres: Mystery, Nonfiction, 20th Century, Reference

160 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2000

Reviews

[Christina]

I picked this book up at the Malice Domestic conference where I had the opportunity to briefly meet the editor, Jim Huang. Skimming through, it’s a great reference for mystery readers. Part 1 consists of the best 100 mysteries of the 20th century as chosen by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association—these are people who own bookstores that specialize in mysteries. These are the favorites, the books they recommend over and over to customers. In the introduction Huang clarifies that only one book per author could be included, and first in series tend to take precedence. Therefore there are some books not included because the other had a different book, or an author’s collective body of work is outstanding but there isn’t a single book of theirs that stands out enough to make the list. This is not a list of the most historically significant mysteries, either, so some notable books aren’t included. Each book has a page of description written by a bookseller. In part 2, Individual booksellers share their thoughts and/or five books they felt should have been included in the list. There’s also a list of books mystery fans suggested as additions, and finally a list of mystery bookstores.

I’m not sure that the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association is still active. They have an infrequently updated Facebook page, and their website is only current as of 2006. It saddens me as they did so much to support books and authors.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains essays about all 100 books on the favorite mysteries list. I was reminded of many great books that I have read. After reading this book, my to-read list has gotten much longer. I look forward to discovering new great books.