Polygon recommends detective novels that deliver engrossing mysteries with satisfying resolutions and clever plotting.
– Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz masterfully interweaves two narratives: a 1955 murder at Pye Hall solved by fictional detective Atticus Pünd, and a modern editor's quest to find the missing final chapter of the novel containing it, honouring classic Golden Age whodunits.
– The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie follows narrator Dr. James Sheppard and retired detective Hercule Poirot investigating a wealthy man's murder, employing skilful misdirection and an unexpected twist to subvert genre expectations.
– The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett sets former private eye Nick Charles and his socialite wife Nora on a booze-filled Christmas 1932 mystery involving a missing client and murdered secretary, with their charming dynamic and fast pace driving the plot.