Mysteries: a dubious question

[G L Wilson]

Mysteries. Are they like heroin - passe?

[Calidore]

Not according to the bestseller lists. I don't read a lot of them, but James Lee Burke and Carol O'Connell continue to blow me away on a regular basis.

[dfloyd]

I was hooked on well-written mysteries. I read all the Sherlock Holmes short stories, then Poe's tales of ratiocination. Next, I conquered all of Dashiel Hammett and moved on to Raymond Chandler.

I have investigated many modern mystery writers, but most I couldn't finish. The three who are the best are Michael Connelly, Patricia Cornwell, and PD James. Most modern mystery writers pale when compared to these.

Of all mentioned above, Raymond Chandler rises to the top when comparisons are made. The one mystery writer whose output was literature.