1939 Best-Selling Novel Was Just Ranked the 'Greatest Mystery Book of All Time'

Mysteries have remained one of the most popular literary genres, largely due to the captivating twists and exciting thrills. The publication Collider recently showcased some beloved novels within the genre by releasing a ranking of “the 10 greatest mystery books of all time.”

The list, published on July 9, included popular mystery books like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, published in 2005, 1892’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, and Patricia Highsmith‘s 1955 book The Talented Mr. Ripley.

According to Collider, the top mystery novel ever published isAgatha Christie‘s 1939 book, And Then There Were None. The publication reported that the nearly 90-year-old novel still deserves recognition because of its unexpected ending and how original it was when it was published.

According to HarperCollins Publishers, the book is the “bestselling crime novel of all time,” with “100 million copies worldwide” purchased. And Then There Were None currently holds a Goodreads score of 4.27 out of 5 with 1,684,601 ratings from readers.

Sarah Phelps Discussed Her BBC One ‘And Then There Were None’ Adaptation in a 2015 Interview

There have been movies and TV shows inspired by And Then There Were None, including a 2015 BBC One miniseries. The And Then There Were None series scriptwriter, Sarah Phelps, discussed making the show during a December 2015 interview with BBC’s Media Centre. She described the plot of the 1939 book as surprisingly “brutal,” “cold,” and ” very, very clever.”

“It’s a plot that you can tell someone delights in having pulled off, this extraordinary piece of sleight of hand conjuring, but within that when you read it as a novel – rather than read it as an escalating series of tricks – it’s rather extraordinary,” said Phelps during the 2015 interview.

She also said that she intended for her And Then There Were None series to stun and tantalize viewers as much as the book has for readers.

“It’s not just a piece of clever plotting or trickery, it is a really profoundly disturbing and anguishing psychological thriller because what it is really is the forensic nature of guilt,” explained Phelps. “It really is about the times; 10 people on an island all of whom have done a terrible deed. Being forced to account for their crimes as the world stands on the brink of war, being forced to account for the things that went before.”