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Kreizler, Book 1

Kreizler, Libro 1

The Alienist

El Alienista

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The Girl on the Train

La Chica del Tren

On a crisp morning in November 1959, Herbert Clutter oversees his expansive ranch while across Kansas, Perry Smith rendezvouses with Dick Hickock. The Clutters carry on with their routines, unaware of the impending danger as Smith and Hickock prepare their car for a long journey. By the end of the day, they arrive at the Clutter residence, armed with deadly intentions.

The following morning, the grim discovery of the Clutter family's lifeless bodies stuns two of Nancy Clutter's friends. The local authorities are initially perplexed, with Bobby Rupp, a friend of the family, briefly considered a suspect. The lead investigator, Alvin Dewey, theorizes that the culprit must be someone familiar with the family, setting the community into a whirlwind of speculation and fear. In the meantime, Smith and Hickock, the true culprits, have returned to Hickock's home in Olathe. After committing check fraud, they flee to Mexico, where they engage in frivolous spending and dream of a life of luxury. Perry, reminiscing about his troubled upbringing, knows the money won't last.

As the investigation stagnates, a prisoner named Floyd Wells, incarcerated in the Kansas state prison at Lansing, recognizes Hickock's involvement in the crime. He contemplates revealing what he knows to the authorities. Concurrently, Smith and Hickock, now penniless in the American desert, attempt car theft unsuccessfully. Wells eventually confesses, prompting Dewey to initiate an extensive manhunt. The duo manage to avoid capture for a while, even returning to Kansas City and Miami, before their luck runs out in Las Vegas when their stolen vehicle's license plate is identified. Following intense interrogation, both men confess and are sentenced to death. They spend the following five years on Death Row, enduring the company of other hardened criminals, while their appeals are processed. As their execution approaches, Dick's demeanor is clumsy, while Perry expresses regret.

In Cold Blood

A Sangre Fría

Gone Girl

Perdida

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

La Chica del Dragón Tatuado

The protagonist, unnamed, and her spouse, Maxim de Winter, are moving from one European hotel to another, cherishing the memories of a beautiful dwelling called Manderley, which was devastated by fire. Reminiscing about the past, the protagonist remembers how she and Maxim met in Monte Carlo. During this period, she was employed as a travel companion for a wealthy American, Mrs. Van Hopper. Maxim was staying in the same hotel and after a short acquaintance, he proposed. Following their marriage, they moved to Manderley, his ancestral home. However, their life was overshadowed by the untimely demise of Maxim's previous wife, Rebecca, who had drowned near the estate. The presence of Rebecca's loyal housekeeper, the eerie Mrs. Danvers, combined with the constant reminders of Rebecca's perfection, fueled the protagonist's feeling of inferiority and her suspicion that Maxim was still attached to Rebecca.

Every year, a fancy-dress ball was organized at Manderley, and as the event approached, the protagonist found herself enthusiastic. However, the celebration ended poorly when Mrs. Danvers tricked her into wearing the same outfit Rebecca had worn at the previous ball. This had a profound effect on Maxim, and the protagonist became convinced that Maxim was still devoted to his deceased wife. The following day, a shipwreck was discovered near the mansion, and divers found Rebecca's sailboat, with her body inside. This led Maxim to confess to his new wife that Rebecca was a manipulative woman, embroiled in numerous affairs and planning to bear another man's child. In a fit of rage, Maxim had shot her and then sunk her boat with her body inside.

The protagonist's knowledge about Rebecca's true character rejuvenates her marriage, although Maxim soon finds himself facing legal issues. The discovery that Rebecca's boat had been tampered with raised suspicions of murder. Rebecca's cousin, Jack Favell, accused Maxim of the crime, leading to an investigation by Colonel Julyan. A visit to a Doctor Baker in London, whom Rebecca had seen on the day of her death, uncovered that Rebecca had been terminally ill with cancer and was infertile, contradicting her claim of pregnancy and providing a possible reason for suicide. As they returned to Manderley after being cleared of the murder charges, they found the mansion ablaze with Mrs. Danvers missing.

Rebecca

And Then There Were None

Diez negritos

A Novel

Una Novela

My Sister, the Serial Killer

Mi Hermana, la Asesina en Serie

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

La Dulzura en el Fondo de la Tarta

In 1983, Richard Papen changes his education path from a self-contained college in Plano, California, to a picture-perfect Hampden College in Vermont. He faces initial resistance but eventually gets admitted into an exclusive ancient Greek program led by Professor Julian Morrow, with five other students - Henry, Bunny, Francis, and the twins, Charles and Camilla. Richard, who hails from a less wealthy background, hides his financial status from his affluent classmates. He feels estranged initially but manages to blend in after being invited to Francis's country house over the weekends.

During winter vacation, Richard, instead of going home, stays back in Hampden, working for a psychology professor for sustenance while living in a cold, free-warehouse. Henry eventually finds Richard in a state of exhaustion and takes him to a hospital. After this incident, Richard discovers that Henry, Francis, and the twins had plans to flee the country, their escape hindered by insufficient funds. The group had participated in a bacchanal at Francis's country house, where they accidentally killed a farmer in what they believed to be a Dionysiac frenzy, an idea inspired by Julian's class.

Bunny, despite being unaware of the murder, jokingly insinuates the group's involvement when he reads about the farmer's death. He later discovers the truth from Henry's journal while they were in Italy. Bunny's increasing demands and threats bring about his death when the group decides to push him off a cliff during his routine hike, with Richard unintentionally present at the scene. After Bunny's death, the group begins to fall apart, with Charles heavily drinking and Francis facing anxiety attacks. This crisis unveils hidden relationships and manipulations within the group leading to a tragic climax with Henry's suicide. The group eventually disbands, with Richard being the only one to graduate. Years later, Richard is still in love with Camilla and often reminisces about Henry.

The Secret History

La Historia Secreta

Within the heart of the Louvre, a zealous monk named Silas interrogates museum curator Jacques Saunière, seeking the location of the Holy Grail. Saunière deceives Silas about its whereabouts before being fatally shot, leaving him enough time to create a cryptic message in his own blood. Meanwhile, Robert Langdon, a symbology professor and the main character, is called by detective Jerome Collet to interpret the scene, unaware he's under suspicion himself. Silas, deceived by Saunière's misleading information, goes to the Church of Saint-Sulpice only to realize he's been tricked. In a fury, he kills the church's guardian, Sister Sandrine Bieil.

Sophie Neveu, Saunière's granddaughter and a cryptology agent, arrives at the crime scene. She instructs Langdon to call the embassy, leading him to a message warning him of his perilous situation. She reveals to Langdon that they're being tracked by police captain Bezu Fache and successfully diverts the tracker. Sophie and Langdon discover a hidden key behind one of the Louvre's paintings, leading them to a Swiss bank. Inside the bank, they discover a cryptex designed by Da Vinci, an intricate device only unlockable with a password. Despite being pursued by the authorities, bank manager André Vernet aids their escape.

Seeking help to unlock the cryptex, Sophie and Langdon approach historian Sir Leigh Teabing. He unwraps the legend of the Holy Grail, suggesting it is Mary Magdalene's remains and documents proving her royal lineage with Jesus. Their meeting is interrupted by Silas demanding the cryptex. They manage to overpower and capture Silas, before escaping to England via Teabing's private plane. Here, they unravel more cryptex clues leading them to the tomb of Sir Isaac Newton in Westminster Abbey. Teabing reveals himself as the orchestrator of the events, wishing to uncover the secret of the Holy Grail. After a tense standoff, Teabing is apprehended by Fache and the remaining cryptex clue leads Sophie and Langdon to Scotland where she discovers her connection to Mary Magdalene's lineage.

The Da Vinci Code

El Código Da Vinci

Philip Marlowe, Book 1

Philip Marlowe, Libro 1

On a gloomy mid-October morning, Philip Marlowe, a hardened yet honorable private detective, is enlisted by an elderly, frail General Sternwood. His mission is to handle Arthur Gwynn Geiger, a likely bisexual man involved in pornography who is blackmailing the General with compromising photos of his daughter, Carmen Sternwood. Concurrently, Marlowe becomes embroiled in the mystery of the General's missing son-in-law, Rusty Regan, who was married to Vivian, Sternwood's elder daughter.

Marlowe's investigation leads him to Geiger's storefront, a porn ring masquerading as an antiquarian bookstore. As he stakes out the establishment, he follows Geiger to his residence where Carmen also arrives. Events take a drastic turn when photos are taken of Carmen, causing her to scream. Three gunshots are heard from inside Geiger's house, and Marlowe discovers Geiger dead with Carmen, drugged and undressed, nearby. The murder of Geiger sets off a chain reaction resulting in the deaths of Owen Taylor, the Sternwoods' chauffeur who was infatuated with Carmen, and Joe Brody, who had plans of usurping Geiger's shady business.

Marlowe later uncovers that the string of murders are interconnected, with Joe Brody being murdered by Carol Lundgren who was Geiger's lover, as he believed Brody had killed Geiger. As the case unravels, Marlowe also discovers that Rusty Regan was not involved in the blackmailing scheme as suspected, but was actually killed by Carmen. Despite the public exposure of the blackmail plot, Marlowe continues to dig deeper, leading him to Harry Jones, a man with crucial information about Mona Grant, another key player in this convoluted scenario. With Mona's help, Marlowe manages to escape the clutches of Eddie Mars's henchman, Lash Canino, and eventually uncovers the truth about Regan's demise. In the aftermath of the events, Marlowe pledges to keep the details of Regan's murder hidden from the General to protect him, and the narrative closes with Marlowe contemplating the concept of death.

19 Best Murder Mystery Books of All Time

The Alienist

Kreizler, Book 1

The Girl on the Train

In Cold Blood

Gone Girl

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Rebecca

And Then There Were None

My Sister, the Serial Killer

A Novel

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Secret History

The Da Vinci Code

The Big Sleep

Philip Marlowe, Book 1

Big Little Lies

The Dry

A Novel

Postmortem

Kay Scarpetta, Book 1

The Silence of the Lambs

Mystic River

Night Film

A Novel

The Postman Always Rings Twice

Sources

What To Read Next

19 Best Murder Mystery Books of All Time

The Alienist

Kreizler, Book 1

The Girl on the Train

In Cold Blood

Gone Girl

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Rebecca

And Then There Were None

My Sister, the Serial Killer

A Novel

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Secret History

The Da Vinci Code

The Big Sleep

Philip Marlowe, Book 1

Big Little Lies

The Dry

A Novel

Postmortem

Kay Scarpetta, Book 1

The Silence of the Lambs

Mystic River

Night Film

A Novel

The Postman Always Rings Twice

Sources

What To Read Next

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