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British Library Crime Classics
This list is for the British Library Crime Classics Editions only.
Score
A book’s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
101 |
Final Acts: Theatrical Mysteries
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3.62 avg rating — 194 ratings
score: 255,
and
3 people voted
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101 |
The Black Spectacles
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3.81 avg rating — 1,300 ratings
score: 255,
and
3 people voted
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103 |
Death of Mr. Dodsley (Francis McNab, #5)
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3.48 avg rating — 318 ratings
score: 249,
and
4 people voted
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103 |
He Who Whispers
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3.90 avg rating — 1,102 ratings
score: 249,
and
3 people voted
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105 |
Death Has Deep Roots (Inspector Hazlerigg #5)
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4.02 avg rating — 665 ratings
score: 246,
and
3 people voted
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106 |
Suddenly at His Residence
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3.53 avg rating — 754 ratings
score: 243,
and
3 people voted
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107 |
The Long Arm of the Law: Classic Police Stories
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3.81 avg rating — 373 ratings
score: 237,
and
4 people voted
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108 |
The Man Who Didn't Fly
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3.18 avg rating — 301 ratings
score: 210,
and
3 people voted
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109 |
Pocket Detective 100+ Puzzles
by
4.45 avg rating — 11 ratings
score: 209,
and
3 people voted
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110 |
Guilty Creatures: A Menagerie of Mysteries
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3.75 avg rating — 235 ratings
score: 204,
and
3 people voted
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111 |
The Pocket Detective 2: 100+ More Puzzles, Brainteasers and Conundrums
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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings
score: 200,
and
2 people voted
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112 |
Murder in Vienna
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3.80 avg rating — 699 ratings
score: 199,
and
3 people voted
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113 |
Twice Round the Clock
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3.75 avg rating — 326 ratings
score: 197,
and
2 people voted
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114 |
Crimes of Cymru: Classic Mystery Tales of Wales
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3.66 avg rating — 211 ratings
score: 189,
and
2 people voted
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115 |
Before the Fact
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3.60 avg rating — 852 ratings
score: 184,
and
2 people voted
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116 |
Lessons in Crime: Academic Mysteries
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3.77 avg rating — 177 ratings
score: 175,
and
2 people voted
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117 |
Settling Scores: Sporting Mysteries
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3.65 avg rating — 178 ratings
score: 168,
and
2 people voted
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117 |
Metropolitan Mysteries: A Casebook of London's Detectives
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4.01 avg rating — 162 ratings
score: 168,
and
2 people voted
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119 |
The Chianti Flask
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3.41 avg rating — 223 ratings
score: 167,
and
2 people voted
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119 |
The Seat of the Scornful (Dr. Gideon Fell, #14)
by
3.86 avg rating — 776 ratings
score: 167,
and
2 people voted
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121 |
Mr. Pottermack’s Oversight
by
3.97 avg rating — 238 ratings
score: 154,
and
2 people voted
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122 |
Who Killed Father Christmas?: And Other Seasonal Mysteries
by
Martin Edwards (Goodreads Author)
3.87 avg rating — 357 ratings
score: 146,
and
2 people voted
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123 |
The Progress of a Crime
by
3.26 avg rating — 275 ratings
score: 140,
and
3 people voted
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124 |
The Female Detective
by
2.96 avg rating — 441 ratings
score: 138,
and
2 people voted
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125 |
Someone from the Past
by
3.36 avg rating — 182 ratings
score: 123,
and
2 people voted
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126 |
London Particular
by
3.66 avg rating — 465 ratings
score: 118,
and
2 people voted
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127 |
Dramatic Murder
by
3.25 avg rating — 264 ratings
score: 115,
and
2 people voted
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128 |
A Telegram from Le Touquet
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3.88 avg rating — 279 ratings
score: 109,
and
2 people voted
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129 |
Fear Stalks the Village
by
3.60 avg rating — 438 ratings
score: 104,
and
2 people voted
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130 |
Tea on Sunday
by
3.68 avg rating — 154 ratings
score: 100,
and
1 person voted
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131 |
The Arsenal Stadium Mystery
by
3.57 avg rating — 285 ratings
score: 98,
and
1 person voted
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132 |
Big Ben Strikes Eleven: A London Mystery
by
3.34 avg rating — 189 ratings
score: 93,
and
2 people voted
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133 |
Excellent Intentions
by
3.43 avg rating — 450 ratings
score: 91,
and
1 person voted
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133 |
Tour de Force
by
3.80 avg rating — 431 ratings
score: 91,
and
1 person voted
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135 |
Family Matters
by
3.40 avg rating — 295 ratings
score: 74,
and
2 people voted
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136 |
The Theft of the Iron Dogs: A Lancashire Mystery
by
4.06 avg rating — 899 ratings
score: 67,
and
1 person voted
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137 |
The Ten Teacups
by
3.74 avg rating — 391 ratings
score: 57,
and
1 person voted
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138 |
Not to Be Taken: A Puzzle in Poison
by
4.08 avg rating — 12 ratings
score: 56,
and
1 person voted
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139 |
Scandalize My Name
by
3.72 avg rating — 58 ratings
score: 55,
and
1 person voted
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140 |
Cat and Mouse: A mystery in Wales
by
3.48 avg rating — 196 ratings
score: 54,
and
1 person voted
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141 |
Cyanide in the Sun
by
3.92 avg rating — 80 ratings
score: 53,
and
1 person voted
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142 |
The Odd Flamingo
by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 4 ratings
score: 52,
and
1 person voted
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143 |
Murder as a Fine Art
by
3.48 avg rating — 159 ratings
score: 43,
and
1 person voted
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Comments Showing 1-38 of 38 (38 new)
date
newest »

message 1:
by
Becky
(new)
Jan 22, 2019 09:08PM

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Be aware though that GR has a nasty habit of changing a book to the most popular edition...


I don't know how to delete one, but there are two copies of Excellent Intentions on here.


Oh, how annoying! I will join you in glaring at the interloper.


Do you want me to perform a duplicates check?



I'll do a duplicate check then 😉 In my opinion it is worse to have a duplicate than an incorrect edition...

I hope no one minds but i have tried again to correct the list and deleted the 'Green Penguin' (as much as I love them!) and added the correct 'British Library' edition of Excellent intentions
...
I also did it for Fell Murder!
I certainly wouldn't normally do this for any kind of 'vote for the best' type of list but I think the purpose of this list is to be a complete collection of British Library Crime Classics.
My apologies if this was not the original intention of the creator of the list :)


No promotion - just a nice collection of new covers for crime and mystery books originally published 50+ years ago. Certainly, some titles are better than others but many are excellent. You should really try some! :)

I hope no one minds but i have tried again to correct the list and deleted the 'Green Penguin' (as much as I love them!) and added the correct 'British Library' edition of ..."
Thank you for this.

Be aware though that GR has the nasty habit of changing an edition to the most popular one...

I bothered to count the books I have read in this list, that would be 58 of them, I don’t count the compendiums edited by M Edwards. I see absolutely no reason to change the tone of my previous post.



I think you might be on to something Robin.
'Revelations of a Lady Detective' is simply published by BL and states nowhere I can find that it is part of the British Library Crime Classics collection.
'Mr. Bazalgette's Agent' may be more of a grey area - Waterstones list it as 'British Library Crime Classics' and it does state this on the cover but it certainly does have a different look and feel to the rest.
Finally, neither appear to be currently available/in print by BL. It makes sense to me to remove them both but what does the list creator Tania think?

I bothered to cou..."
You mean you don't like the idea of the British Library Crime Classics reissues. Why blame the lister?

Sorry, I hadn't seen this. I don't mind at all if someone wants to remove the two that aren't BLCC. I can't do it myself.

Rude people never do.

Hi Veena. This is basically a collection of classic and overlooked crime and mystery books published 50+ years ago, often out of print for some time.
They are edited and the collection curated by Martin Edwards who has recently been awarded the CWA Diamond Dagger, so I get the feeling he knows what he is talking about :)
There are a few series included in the collection but they certainly don't need to be read in order - you can start anywhere. Happy reading!

Eventually worked out how to remove the two erroneous listings. Done.

Hi Veena. This is basically a collection of classic and overlooked crime and mystery books pub..."
Hi Hugh. Thanks a lot for the clarification. I already read a couple and enjoyed them immensely. I just wanted to read in order if there is one. Now that I know, I will start with those titles which are interesting. Thanks again :)

Should we add Kate Jacksons 'Golden Age of Detection Puzzle Book' and/or Martin Edwards' 'The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books'?
Both have their own relation to the series but are not necessarily part of it. I'm guessing having them mentioned here may be good enough :)

Add, Mr Bazalgettes Agent which is a BLCC issue.
Rowley

Unfortunately goodreads won't allow outside URLs but you can find it at the issuu .com site and search for 'classic crime'. Very helpful to know what's in and what's out :)

I hope no one minds but i have tried again to correct the list and deleted the 'Green Penguin' (as much as I love them!) and added the correct 'British Library' edition of ..."
Thx Hugh. Yes, it would be great if this was a list of every BLCC release. I've read 15 (all from the library) and I love the covers, the introductions, and since this is my go-to genre for escapism, I so appreciate the availability. The quality varies, certainly, but I just finished ECR Lorac's "Two-Way Murder" and it's my fav so far.



Thanks Dina! That helps fill in a few hard to get titles :)

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