When I was on the Board of the Perrot Memorial Library, I was always stunned by the circulation figure that indicated that more mysteries were checked out every year than any other genre.  And that was a national statistic, too.  And there are people who read only mysteries, and this is mind-boggling to me.  Here is my Six Picks list of Classic Mysteries.

1. IN THE LAKE OF THE WOODS by Tim O’Brien

Tim O’Brien is a superlative writer, and if you’ve never read any of his books, now is the time to begin.  IN THE LAKE OF THE WOODS will hold you in thrall with the quality of its writing and the questions that the author raises.  The central issue of this novel makes it curious and painful:  What is evil?  How does it happen?  Who is responsible? On the face of it, IN THE LAKE OF THE WOODS is a mystery story about the marriage of John and Kathy Wade.  John has recently lost an election, and the two retreat to a lakeside cabin to recover from his defeat.  Then one morning Kathy is gone.  O’Brien, who has written much about Vietnam (THE THINGS THEY CARRIED)  uses that experience once more, bringing in the details of John’s time there with fierce and agonizing exactitude.
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2. JACK MAGGS by Peter Carey

A number one bestseller in England and Australia, JACK MAGGS by Peter Carey has all the ingredients for mass appeal: a strong, mysterious character driven by obsession, a vivid historical backdrop, romance, humor, and hints of sordid deeds.  Carey’s novel also boasts elements of good literature: dazzling characterization, strong narrative, and believable dialogue that moves the narrative along.
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3. THE KNOWLEDGE OF WATER by Sarah Smith

Here’s another book that’s been labeled “mystery” but is really so much more.  Set in Paris at the turn of the 20th century, the puzzle at the heart of THE KNOWLEDGE OF WATER by Sarah Smith, is whether a young American aspiring to a career as a concert pianist can withstand pressures to marry and settle down to domesticity, and whether the man she loves will kill her artist’s dream.  THE KNOWLEDGE OF WATER is written in overlapping layers, and it does require patience to wade through them, meeting a number of new characters, waiting to see the connections among them.  The payoff is worth it!
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4. REBECCA by Daphne duMaurier

REBECCA by Daphne duMaurier reveals the story of the second Mrs. DeWinter, a quiet and plain young woman who is completely enchanted by her handsome, mature, wealthy husband and his lavish estate.  But her marriage immediately becomes mixed with surprises, shocks, fears – and the oppressive memory of Rebecca, the first Mrs. deWinter.  At every turn in the house, in every corner of the grounds, in the whispers and looks of servants and friends, the beautiful Rebecca mocks the new Mrs. deWinter, traps her, and threatens to take away any happiness she hopes to gain in her marriage.  This should be required reading for anyone over the age of fourteen.
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5. THE SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

THE SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, takes place in 1945 in Barcelona, a city that is slowly healing from its war wounds. Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son, mourns the loss of his mother.  Daniel finds solace in a mysterious book entitled THE SHADOW OF THE WIND by Julian Carax.  when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery:  someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written.  In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence.  Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets – an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.
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6. THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The American Library Association and the National Council of Teachers of English have placed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES on their required reading lists.  Holmes’s  baffling cases always begin with something that seems trivial, but they quickly become complicated and dangerous.  For example, a harmless family ritual becomes the basis for a mysterious crime; a strange organization whose membership is all red-headed men deals in bizarre operations; and a lost Christmas goose is related to a jewelry robbery.  Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories were originally published between 1887 and 1927.
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