Rating of the best foreign detective books in 2022

Detective stories open the door to the world of mysterious murders and disappearances for the reader, allowing you to plunge headlong into the investigation process and feel like a detective. Also, this genre is able to teach a person vigilance, mindfulness, analytical and logical thinking.

The shelves of the store are "breaking" from an overabundance of books. The reader is given both budget options, in paperback, and options at a higher price, with hardcover and, possibly, bright pictures and photographs.

Given our recommendations, you can choose an interesting foreign detective who will definitely impress you.

Selection criteria: which book is better?

So, where to start looking, and how to choose the right one?

First of all, you need to decide on a detective subgenre that will meet your desires:

• for history buffs, a historical detective would be a good choice;
• the "fantastic" subgenre will open the reader to a fictional world with an alternative reality;
• the ironic look of the detective will dilute the usual investigation with humor;
• the "political" genre will open the door to a world of political intrigues and conspiracies;
• "Participate" in the life of saboteurs, intelligence officers and spies, the "spy" genre will help;
• psychological detective will be a godsend for lovers of knowledge of the psychological component of a person's personality. This fire will be useful to read for those who want to connect their lives with professions such as a criminalist, psychiatrist and the like.

When choosing a book in a store or on the Internet, you should not immediately pay attention to the beautiful cover and contents with a lot of illustrations. After all, the goal is to find a decent book and enjoy reading, and not looking at a beautiful picture. Moreover, you can always find your favorite work in different editions.

Carefully study the abstract to the work and, preferably, read a few pages in order to understand whether the author's style of presentation suits you.

It’s not always worth focusing on people’s reviews, because due to a difference in preferences, you can lose a decent book.

Rating of high-quality foreign detectives

Gillian Flynn "Gone Girl"

Year of publication in Russian	2014
Interpreter	Vladislav Rusanov
Number of pages	512
publishing house	ABC
Circulation	20000
Book weight	1 kg 600 g
Binding type	solid
What is the price	403 rubles
Minimum Reader Age	16 years

The author, Gillian Flynn, is the winner of many literary awards. Each of the 3 novels she wrote is a bestseller that has been published in 28 countries! Also bought the rights to the film adaptation of books.

Content

Detective psychological thriller tells the story of a married couple - Emma and Nick Dunn. After both spouses are laid off from work, the couple moves from New York to Missouri, where Nick was born and lived. His sister and mother, who has cancer, also live there.

After the forced move, the couple's relationship noticeably deteriorates: frequent quarrels lead to Nick's distance and indifference towards Amy. The situation is exacerbated by Nick's secret love relationship with his student.

On a seemingly festive day - the 5th anniversary of married life, Nick decides to notify his spouse of the decision, about the divorce, but upon arrival home, he discovers that Amy has disappeared.

Found records of Amy's personal diary, traces of her blood, information about the pregnancy and riddle notes that should help in the search for the disappeared, indicate Nick's guilt, which both the police and the public are sure of.

Is it really guilty, gloomy and dissatisfied with family life, Nick, or, perhaps, the disappearance is staged by a cunning and smart, but offended wife?

An unpredictable plot will reveal many secrets, and the story of the missing wife will sparkle with amazing colors.

Screen adaptation

The novel was filmed in 2014. Directed by David Fincher, and the main roles went to Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pack, who did an excellent job with their work, which is proved by the high marks of film critics and viewers.The film received Best Actress and Thriller awards and was nominated for numerous awards.

• the book describes in detail the behavior of a person with an unstable psyche;
• there is no positive or negative character. During the reading, each character will be revealed from a different angle, which in turn will cause sympathy and understanding, then disgust and rejection;
• twisted plot with an unpredictable ending.

• the first part of the book is rather boring and seems to be drawn out, which may cause the desire to continue reading to disappear;
• a lot of foul language.

Truman Capote "In Cold Blood"

Year of publication of the original	1966
Publication from the Russian publishing house "Azbuka"	2004
Translation from the original	Maria Galperina
Number of pages written	480
Circulation of printed books	5000
Cover type	soft
average price	141 ruble
Book weight	235 g

The writer Truman Capote created truly worthwhile works that have become classics in literature. The last published masterpiece was the novel In Cold Blood, which was filmed in 1967 and 1996. The film received many deserving awards and was added to the National Film Registry.
A book with an unusual and interesting mixture of styles is still a huge success with the public. The work is a useful discovery for fans of the rare genre "Roman Reportage".

Description

The book introduces readers to the real events that took place on November 15, 1959 in Holcomb, Kansas. On this day, there was a completely cold-blooded murder of the Clutter family, which consisted of 2 adults and 2 children.

Truman Capote found out about the terrible event the very next day, after reading a note in the newspaper.The incident struck the writer, and he went to Holcomb to conduct his own investigation. His goal was to study the character, behavior and thoughts of the killers in order to understand their motives.

To restore the full picture, the writer visited the crime scene, learned the details of the life of the Clutter family, and also personally spoke with the killers - Dick Hickok and Perry Smith.

The first part of the book describes the life of the Clutter family. The reader will get acquainted with the head of the family - a kind and caring father and husband Herbert, who earned a large fortune working as a farmer, and his wife, Mrs. Bonnie Clutter, who has some mental problems.

The couple has 3 children: 2 daughters and a son. The eldest daughter lives separately from her parents, which is why she was not at her parents' house that terrible day. The younger Nancy is a beautiful teenager who always brings a smile and gives parents a lot to be proud of. And, finally, the son of Kenyon, showing great promise in science.

But one day the life of these people ends ...

Deprived of parental attention, love and upbringing, and also accustomed to constant bullying Perry Smith and growing up in poverty, but surrounded by the love and support of his parents, Dick Hickok, having once heard information about a rich farmer in prison, decide to get rich. The result of the decision is four committed murders and a profit of $ 40.

For an ordinary person who is far from the world of crime, it will be psychologically difficult to get acquainted with the life of a wonderful family, knowing that in the end they will be dead. But in order to compile a holistic psychological portrait of the killers and their victims, it was extremely important for the author to provide detailed information that had been collected for a long time.

• non-fictional plot;
• presentation of the real facts of the murder in a pleasantly presented art form;
• a detailed psychological portrait of the killers, which reveals the motives of the crime;
• the work of the judicial system "from the inside" is shown;
• the book can serve as a kind of textbook for future criminologists and investigators.

• a detective novel-reportage will be extremely difficult for impressionable people to read.

Robert Ludlum "The Bourne Identification"

Publisher and year of release	Eksmo, 2007
average cost	404 rubles
Number of pages written	512
Series	The Bourne Ultimatum
Translator from the original	O. Kolesnikov and K. Ershov
Binding	solid
Book weight	440 g
Circulation	3,100 books

Detective is the first book in a trilogy about the adventures of Jason Bourne. According to readers, it is the first part that deserves to be in the top - the best detective books.

The book was not written by an expert, but Robert Ladlem made a lot of effort in order to understand the method and specifics of the work of the special services.

Plot

Readers are presented with an exciting and interesting story that is read in one breath.
The action of the book begins at the seashore, where a wounded man is found. A local doctor treats gunshot wounds. During the examination, the doctor finds a microfilm sewn into the thigh, on which the account number in a Swiss bank in Zurich is indicated. And in a dream, a stranger shows a high level of ability in knowing several languages.

The doctor manages to bring the young man back to consciousness. But it turns out that the rescued man has lost his memory and does not know his name and surname, or his place of residence.

The only thing that the main character knows after coming to his senses is information from the doctor: about having a bank account and the ability to speak several languages.

The protagonist, using the main clue, which may shed light on his life, goes to Zurich.

The contents of the cell really lift the veil of secrecy. Several passports, including an American passport in the name of Jason Bourne, a decent amount and weapons point to the dark past of the hero.

Who is he, Jason Bourne - a hired killer or, on the contrary, a law enforcement officer?

Screen adaptation

The novel was filmed 2 times: in 1988 and 2002.

• The book is suitable for both adult readers and children.
• the novel is read easily and quickly;
• interesting story.

• not detected.

Dan Brown "The Da Vinci Code"

Price	649 rubles
Pages	544
Binding type	solid
Year of issue	2017
Circulation of printed books	5000
publishing house	AST
Text translated	Natalya Rein
Genre	intelligent detective thriller

The famous author, Dan Brown, has given the world more than one bestseller.

The Da Vinci Code is one of the top 10 most read books of recent years in the world.

Description

The voluminous book tells the story of Robert Langdon, a professor and historian of iconography and religious history who not only helps investigate the unusual murder of a Louvre curator, but is himself a prime suspect.

Together with Sophie, the granddaughter of the murdered Jacques Saunière, Robert must unravel the encrypted death inscription left on the body. But this is only the first step to the puzzle.

This amazing story is full of puzzles and mysteries that readers will solve together with the main characters.On the way to the solution, the reader will plunge into the world of science and religion, learn about the global conspiracy and secret societies.

• several parallel storylines;
• dynamic plot;
• many historical facts;
• exciting puzzles, riddles and mysteries;
• immersion in the world of religion, science and antiquity.

• some of the historical facts described in the book are incorrect.

Stieg Larsson "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

Average book price	400 rubles
Edition	2016
Cover type	hard
publishing house	Eksmo
translated from the original	Muradyan Katarina
Pages to read	576
Circulation	4,000 copies
Packed book weight	550 g

The detective novel has many honorary awards and 2 film adaptations: 2009 and 2011.

The plot of the book

Journalist Mikael Blomkvist agrees to investigate the case of a missing 16-year-old girl. 40 years ago, in order to avoid a prison term of 3 months, a journalist lost a libel case against billionaire Erik Wennerström.

The missing Mikael investigation leads to Lisbeth Salander. This is an unusual hacker girl with a dragon tattoo, whose character and behavior were influenced by a difficult childhood and rape at the age of 18. Lisbeth shuns people, is closed in herself and has a strange, somewhere, frightening, appearance.

Mikael is the exact opposite of Lisbeth. Actually, it is all the more interesting to observe the work of two such different personalities, in whose relations there is something more than work.

The investigation of the missing Harriet Vanger leads to 20 years of serial killings, which may have included Harriet.

The finale of the piece will leave an ambiguous aftertaste, combining many conflicting emotions.

• the author deeply reveals an asocial personality;
• parallel storylines throughout the plot;
• disclosure of the topic of bullying and rape;

• no.

Arthur Conan Doyle "The Complete Tales and Novels of Sherlock Holmes"

Price	663 rubles
publishing house	Eksmo
Year of issue	2018
Pages	1168
Cover type	hard
Printed edition	11,000 copies
Age limit	16 +

Popular books about Sherlock Holmes will not leave anyone indifferent - this is a hit among detectives about detectives, which everyone must read.

In order for a child to have a desire to learn to think logically, to analyze what has been said and done, it is enough to let him read a book about Sherlock Holmes, with places, even practical advice.

Description

The book contains 2 stories and 56 stories about the extremely intelligent and extraordinary detective Sherlock Holmes and his faithful companion and assistant Dr. Watson.

The ingenious book about Sherlock Holmes shows his incredibly high deductive abilities in investigating strange, seemingly dead-end, and sometimes mystical cases.

• the book is able to teach both a child and an adult to notice the little things that can later help in drawing up a complete picture in different life situations;
• stories and novels are read in one breath. This book can be an excellent travel companion.

• not found.

Edgar Allan Poe Murder in the Rue Morgue

average cost	197 rubles
Publisher and year of release	Publishing house E, 2017
Number of printed pages	448
Cover	glossy, soft
Circulation	5,000 books
Book weight	290 g
Minimum Reader Age	16 years

This is the first book written since the rise of the detective genre. It was from her that the best authors who created Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes drew a lot of information to create their masterpieces.

The picture tells about the investigation of the mysterious murder of 2 women, committed extremely cruelly. Auguste Dupin takes over the investigation with his friend, who silently writes down all the details of the investigation.

Auguste is not a professional detective, and he did not even think about working in the police. But his amazing ability to notice what others do not see and unusually high analytical abilities make it possible to find out in a short time who committed the murder.

The author does not skimp on the details of the murder, among which one can read about a severed head and torn hair with a scalp.

• the book is easy to read;
• the author shows the reader a detailed analysis of events;
• unexpected ending.

• because of the detailed description of the murder, it is not advisable to read the work to very impressionable natures.

Agatha Christie "Ten Little Indians"

average price	291 ruble
publishing house	Eksmo
Year of issue	2016
Text translated	Ekimova N.
Binding type	solid
Published edition	4,000 books
Number of pages	288
Book weight	300 g

Agatha Christie's best-selling book has been filmed 10 times. This is a classic in the detective genre.

Plot

Alric and Anna Owen invited 10 guests to Negro Island who, apart from the married couple, are seeing each other for the first time. What is worth paying attention to is that each of the guests was involved in or committed a murder in the past, but his guilt has not been proven.

At the entrance to the living room, the guests are striking 10 porcelain blacks, and in their rooms they find a very strange children's counting.

The plot twists from the moment everyone gathers in the living room, where the butler turns on the gramophone, and the published voice tells about the committed atrocities of each of the guests.

The inhabitants of the house took everything for a joke, but no such luck. Following the counting rhyme, one by one people began to die. Everyone fears for their lives, but how to find a killer among killers?

• extraordinary plot;
• unexpected ending.

• no.

Conclusion

Your attention was given an overview of the best books of detectives. Focusing on your preferences, you can easily choose the best option for yourself.

Instead of making mistakes when choosing, it will help you to familiarize yourself with the plot of the book and read a few pages in order to make sure that the author’s style suits you.