David Lehman, in his The Perfect Murder: A study in Detection (1989), provides a list of recommended titles. They "were chosen for their importance in the evolution of the mystery genre or simply for the pleasure they reliably give; in many cases, both reasons apply."
| Allingham, Margery |
The Fashion in Shrouds. 1938 |
| Auster, Paul |
The New York Trilogy. 1985-86 |
| Bentley, E.C. |
Trent's Last Case. 1912 트렌트 최후의 사건 |
| Bergman, Andrew |
The Big Kiss-Off of 1944. 1974 |
| Berkeley, Anthony |
The Poisoned Chocolates Case. 1929 독 초콜릿 사건 |
| Blake, Nicholas |
Thou Shell of Death. 1936 |
| Blake, Nicholas |
The Beast Must Die. 1938 야수는 죽어야 한다 |
| Blake, Nicholas |
The Corpse in the Snowman. 1941 |
| Blake, Nicholas |
Minute for Murder. 1947 |
| Blake, Nicholas |
The Widow's Cruise. 1959 |
| Cain, James M. |
Double Indemnity. 1936 이중보상 |
| Candy, Edward |
Words for Murder Perhaps. 1971 |
| Carr, John Dickson |
The Three Coffins. 1935 세개의 관 |
| Carr, John Dickson |
The Burning Court. 1937 화형법정 |
| Carr, John Dickson |
The Crooked Hinge. 1938 |
| Chandler, Raymond |
The Big Sleep. 1939 빅슬립 |
| Chandler, Raymond |
Farewell, My Lovely. 1940 굿바이 마이 러브 |
| Chandler, Raymond |
The High Window. 1942 하이 윈도 |
| Chandler, Raymond |
The Long Good-bye. 1954 기나긴 이별 |
| Chesterton, Gilbert Keith |
The Club of Queer Trades. 1935 |
| Chesterton, Gilbert Keith |
The Man Who Was Thursday. 1908 |
| Chesterton, Gilbert Keith |
The Innocence of Father Brown. 1911 브라운 신부의 결백 |
| Chesterton, Gilbert Keith |
The Wisdom of Father Brown. 1914 브라운 신부의 지혜 |
| Christie, Agatha |
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. 1926 애크로이드 살인 사건 |
| Christie, Agatha |
Murder in the Orient Express. 1934 로리엔트 특급 살인 |
| Christie, Agatha |
The ABC Murders. 1936 ABC 살인 사건 |
| Christie, Agatha |
And Then There Were None. 1940 그리고 아무도 없었다 |
| Christie, Agatha |
Curtain. 1975 커튼 |
| Collins, Wilkie |
The Moonstone. 1868 달보석 |
| Crispin, Edmund |
The Moving Toyshop. 1946 |
| Crumley, James |
Dancing Bear. 1985 |
| Dickson, Carter |
The Judas Window. 1938 |
| Dickson, Carter |
The Reader Is Warned. 1939 |
| Doyle, Arthur Conan |
A Study in Scarlet. 1887 주홍색 연구 |
| Doyle, Arthur Conan |
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. 1892 셜록 홈즈의 모험 |
| Doyle, Arthur Conan |
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. 1894 셜록 홈즈의 회상 |
| Doyle, Arthur Conan |
The Hound of the Baskervilles. 1902 바스커빌가의 개 |
| Eco, Umberto |
The Name of the Rose. 1983 장미의 이름 |
| Ellin, Stanley |
Mystery Stories. 1956 특별 요리 |
| Ellin, Stanley |
The Eighth Circle. 1958 제 8 지옥 |
| Fearing, Kenneth |
The Big Clock. 1946 |
| Freeman, R. Austin |
The Red Thumb Mark. 1907 |
| Grafton, Sue |
"C" is for Corpse 말없는 목격자 |
| Hammett, Dashiell |
Red Harvest. 1929 붉은 수확 |
| Hammett, Dashiell |
The Maltese Falcon. 1930 말타의 매 |
| Hammett, Dashiell |
The Glass Key. 1931 |
| Highsmith, Patricia |
Strangers on a Train. 1949 낯선 승객 |
| Highsmith, Patricia |
The Talented Mr. Ripley. 1957 태양은 가득히 |
| Hjortsberg, William |
Falling Angel. 1977 엔젤 하트 |
| Innes, Michael |
Hamlet, Revenge! |
| James, P. D. |
Death of an Expert Witness. 1977 |
| James, P. D. |
A Taste for Death. 1986 죽음의 맛 |
| Kemelman, Harry |
Friday the Rabbi Slept Late. 1964 금요일, 랍비는 늦잠을 잤다 |
| Leonard, Elmore |
Glitz. 1985 글리츠 |
| Levin, Ira |
A Kiss Before Dying. 1953 죽음의 키스 |
| Lyons, Arthur |
Hard Trade. 1981 |
| McBain, Ed |
Ten Plus One. 1963 |
| McBain, Ed |
Long Time No See. 1977 잃어버린 시간 |
| McBain, Ed |
Ice. 1983 |
| MacDonald, Ross |
The Chill. 1964 소름 |
| MacDonald, Ross |
The Good-bye Look. 1969 |
| MacDonald, Ross |
The Underground Man. 1971 지하인간 |
| Marsh, Ngaio |
Overture to Death. 1936 |
| Maxwell, Thomas |
Kiss Me Once. 1986 |
| Nash, Simon |
Death Over Deep Water. 1963 |
| Paretsky, Sara |
Bitter Medicine. 1987 |
| Poe, Edgar Allan |
Tales. 1845 |
| Postgate, Raymond |
Verdict of Twelve. 1940 |
| Potter, Dennis |
The Singing Detective. 1986 |
| Queen, Ellery |
The Chinese Orange Mystery. 1934 차이나 오렌지의 비밀 |
| Rendell, Ruth |
Means of Evil. 1977 |
| Rendell, Ruth |
The Killing Doll. 1985 |
| Rosen, Richard |
Strike Three, You're Dead. 1984 |
| Sayers, Dorothy |
Strong Poison. 1930 |
| Sayers, Dorothy |
Murder Must Advertise. 1933 |
| Simon, Roger |
The Big Fix. 1974 |
| Smith, Mark |
The Death of the Detective. 1974 |
| Stout, Rex |
Too Many Women. 1947 |
| Stout, Rex |
And Be a Villain. 1948 |
| Stout, Rex |
The Second Confession. 1949 |
| Symons, Julian |
The 31st of February. 1951 |
| Tey, Josephine |
The Daughter of Time. 1951 시간의 딸 |
| Thompson, Jim |
The Killer Inside Me. 1952 |
| Thompson, Jim |
The Getaway. 1959 |
| Vine, Barbara |
A Fatal Inversion. 1987 |
| Wade, Henry |
Heir Presumptive |