# I'm Looking for Some Classic Mysteries - Please Help



## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

I am in the middle of "The Body in the Library" by Agatha Christie. After I'm finished I'd like to move on to another mystery.

I love the classics. 

Does anyone know of a list of free Kindle Mystery Classics? Or names of other classic mystery authors? 

I dug through Listmania but couldn't find anything. 

I'm aware of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Thanks!

Jenna


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

There's one other Christie that's Public Domain and available free. Many of her others are not too expensive either.

R. Austin Freeman has a series about a Dr. Thorndyke.

I have two 'anthologies' on my Kindle: _The Lock and Key Library Classic Mystery and Detective Stories_ and _Library of the World's Best Mystery and Detective Stories._ Both free. . .from Amazon I think but, if not, through manybooks, mobilereads, or feedbooks probably.

I also have two volumes by Aurthur Morrison: _Martin Hewitt, Investigator_

And _The Red House Mystery_ by A.A. Milne of _Winnie the Pooh_ fame.

I haven't necessarily read all of these. . .but they looked good enough to try for free or very cheap. . . . .


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

I  have bought a collection of 100  classic mysteries  -  including  2  by Agatha Christie,and many many more.. If  I recall  the whole thing  was  less than  $10.  Each  chapter is a different  book.


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

Ohhh - Dr. Thorndyke. Sounds intriguing.


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

bordercollielady said:


> I have bought a collection of 100 classic mysteries - including 2 by Agatha Christie,and many many more.. If I recall the whole thing was less than $10. Each chapter is a different book.


For your Kindle I'm assuming? Do you have the full name of the collection handy?

Jenna


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Be very careful about buying collections on CD or something like that. . . .they've occasionally been discussed here and the consensus is they're usually either public domain books that you could get free anyway or they're books that are not public domain and the seller hasn't the right to distribute.

Collections from Amazon, MobileRead, Project Gutenberg, FeedBooks, and ManyBooks are probably o.k.  But always check the formatting -- that's usually where problems come in with the public domain classics.


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Be very careful about buying collections on CD or something like that. . . .they've occasionally been discussed here and the consensus is they're usually either public domain books that you could get free anyway or they're books that are not public domain and the seller hasn't the right to distribute.
> 
> Collections from Amazon, MobileRead, Project Gutenberg, FeedBooks, and ManyBooks are probably o.k. But always check the formatting -- that's usually where problems come in with the public domain classics.


Got it - thanks for the tip.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

When I look for any type classics I start at mobileread,  they are carefully formatted, artwork added if available and looked over. Then I move on to manybooks, feedbooks, Gutenberg.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

JennaAnderson said:


> Got it - thanks for the tip.


I should add, that it might be worth it to pay for a collection that's well indexed and formatted, even if the books in it are all public domain. . . .just advising that you know what you're paying for.


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

Atunah said:


> When I look for any type classics I start at mobileread, they are carefully formatted, artwork added if available and looked over. Then I move on to manybooks, feedbooks, Gutenberg.


I've never gotten ebooks from any of these sites. Time for me to go a-wandering


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

JennaAnderson said:


> For your Kindle I'm assuming? Do you have the full name of the collection handy?
> 
> Jenna


Here it is:

http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Mystery-Collection-Illustrated-ebook/dp/B00121SIHS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1285603785&sr=1-2


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

bordercollielady said:


> Here it is:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Mystery-Collection-Illustrated-ebook/dp/B00121SIHS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1285603785&sr=1-2


Thanks - I forgot about Sax Rohmer... has anyone read any of his work?


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Bulldog Drummond.

Early Nick Carter stories (pulpy).

Sax Rohmer if you are open minded about definition of mystery.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

On Sax Rohmer--he write Fu Manchu. Fun, pulpy, and with some very dated attitudes.


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Bulldog Drummond.
> 
> Early Nick Carter stories (pulpy).
> 
> Sax Rohmer if you are open minded about definition of mystery.


Those do look like fun. Every once in a while I like to read outdated attitudes and behaviors. It's a good reminder.


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

I enjoyed Ellery Queen and Erle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason). Both are fairly dated, but fun. I also really loved Mr. & Mrs. North, but I'm not sure they're available digitally.


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

JennaAnderson said:


> Thanks - I forgot about Sax Rohmer... has anyone read any of his work?


I recently downloaded a ton of them, including some of the Fu Manchu books. I finished a book of the short stories, have to get back to the others.

I also recommend G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown mysteries.

I keep hoping the the Ellery Queen books, which are some of my favorite mysteries, show up in Kindle editions.

If you want to pay for a couple, Peter Lovesey's Sergeant Cribb mysteries (Swing, Swing Together; Waxwork; The Tick of Death aka Invitation to a Dynamite Party); Wobble to Death; A Case of Spirits; Mad Hatter's Holiday; Abracadaver; The Detective Wore Silk Drawers ... not necessarily in that order) are 1970s novels set in Victorian-era London).


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

stormhawk said:


> I keep hoping the the Ellery Queen books, which are some of my favorite mysteries, show up in Kindle editions.


You're not the only one.

Jenna: I'd recommend the Dr. Thorndyke mysteries by R. Austin Freeman also.

Mike


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

jmiked said:


> You're not the only one.
> 
> Jenna: I'd recommend the Dr. Thorndyke mysteries by R. Austin Freeman also.
> 
> Mike


He's a forensic detective - sold!

I just bought this four book collection for $0.99.

http://www.amazon.com/Thorndyke-Mysteries-Collection-Books-ebook/dp/B001FB5ST6/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

Monique said:


> I enjoyed Ellery Queen and Erle Stanley Gardner (Perry Mason). Both are fairly dated, but fun. I also really loved Mr. & Mrs. North, but I'm not sure they're available digitally.


These may have to be library or half price book store finds. You're right - not much on Kindle.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

But you can subscribe to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine on Kindle. . . . .



There are also a couple of radio scripts available per this page:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=ellery+queen&x=0&y=0


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## IUHoosier (Aug 6, 2010)

Try Dorothy L Sayers.  Book 1 in the Lord Peter Wimsey series is 99 cents on Amazon.

For a more contemporary read, try P.D. James - very like the old whodunits....  (I like the Brits.)


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

I don't know if this is too Classic for you or not but have you read anything by Wilkie Collins? I think _Moonstone_ and _Woman in White_ are both free on Amazon.


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## CNDudley (May 14, 2010)

IUHoosier said:


> Try Dorothy L Sayers. Book 1 in the Lord Peter Wimsey series is 99 cents on Amazon.
> 
> For a more contemporary read, try P.D. James - very like the old whodunits.... (I like the Brits.)


I second Dorothy Sayers. Elegant, witty writing, great characters. (If you get to the later ones with Harriet Vane, be sure to read in order.)


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

Only the first two Agatha Christie novels are currently in the public domain: "A Mysterious Affair at Styles" (which is very good) and "A Secret Adversary" (which I thought was lame.)  The rest of her books are currently around $6 at Amazon.

You can also try Wilkie Collins.  There is currently an active thread about his "The Woman in White."  "The Moonstone" is his other masterpiece.  And both should be available for free.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Thanks to this thread I've picked up the Dr. Thorndyke books and also a Raffles collection.


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