MathCo. BnBB Corner
Crime novels are terribly fascinating, with their seemingly unsolvable crimes, easily hated red herrings, and charismatic protagonists. But over time, traditional mysteries may feel a bit formulaic – and the recognizable patterns can damper your enjoyment. Here are three detective stories with a twist not just in the tale, but on the formula itself.
Book Recommendations
The Case of the Crooked Candle: A Perry Mason Mystery (1940)
Erle Stanley Gardner is best known for his mystery novels featuring Perry Mason, an incredibly competent and charming lawyer. Switching out a police detective for a lawyer as the protagonist spices up the formula with its added emphasis on legal proceedings, unusual methods of detection, and characters of ambiguous morality. The Case of the Crooked Candle delivers on all fronts and is a fun-to-read murder mystery which starts out as an inconspicuous insurance claim. As the case at hand gets increasingly complex, with more and more players popping up, the reader is left wondering if there could truly be a simple explanation to it all.
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Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (1987)
This detective novel from Douglas Adams, best known for his sci-fi series Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is a refreshing departure from the familiar pathways of the genre. Featuring a detective that appears quite late in the story, and a protagonist who is unwittingly caught up in a murder, the novel manages to competently balance its varied point-of-view characters. From the very beginning, it conveys an otherworldly tone, and sets the stage for the supernatural elements to come, all the while maintaining a layer of dry British humor. Fans of the series Doctor Who will find this book especially fascinating, as it was inspired by several episodes written by Douglas himself.
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The Prophet (2013)
History seems to be repeating itself when a high-school girl goes missing and then turns up dead due to Adam and Kent’s carelessness. But this time, Adam sees a chance to, if not redeem, at least atone for his mistakes. In The Prophet, Michael Koryta manages to make the reader feel the entire dread a small-town experiences in the presence of an unknown serial killer. What sets this novel apart from other detective stories is its human element, the drama between brothers that plays out powerfully alongside the mystery. As the threads unravel, Adam, and the readers, realize that just finding the killer may not be enough.
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