The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (1926):

This novel, which is widely regarded as one of Christie’s greatest works, features the detective Hercule Poirot and centers around the murder of a wealthy industrialist in a small English village.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (1920):

Christie’s first published novel, this story features the debut of detective Hercule Poirot and takes place at a country estate where a wealthy woman has been poisoned.

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (1929):

This hard-boiled detective novel, which introduced the iconic character of private investigator Sam Spade, is set in San Francisco and involves a complex web of deceit and double-crossing.

The Roman Hat Mystery by Ellery Queen (1929):

The first novel in the Ellery Queen series, this mystery features a murder that takes place during a crowded theater performance in New York City.

The Benson Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine (1926):

This novel features the aristocratic detective Philo Vance and was one of the most popular detective novels of the 1920s.

The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1920):

This novel, which was adapted into a play by Rinehart and Avery Hopwood, is notable for its use of a masked villain known as “The Bat.”