About This Lesson
Most readers love a good beach read, but they may differ in what they consider the best kind of books to read when they're at leisure. Some people like to tuck into the newest romance novel and get swept up in the thrill of new love. Others enjoy true crime, where they can get an insider's view of famous cases. It's good to branch out of your typical genre once in a while, though. Even if your usual fare is a provocative memoir or classic literature, a summer of mystery novels may be just the escape you're looking for. Even if you don't read mysteries very often, there is something out there for almost every taste. If summer reading is on your agenda, here are the best mystery novels to read by the pool.
Classic Mysteries
When you take out a pool loan, you want to make sure you have hours of entertainment to make the most of your investment. While you may enjoy Paula Hawkins The Girl on the Train or S.J. Watson's Before I Go To Sleep for a quick thrill, if you are just starting out in the mystery genre, classic novels may be just the thing to whet your taste. You can't go wrong with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novels that feature eccentric detective Sherlock Holmes. A Study in Scarlet or The Hound of the Baskervilles are both excellent novels to begin with. Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express is a great introduction to her beloved detective Hercule Poirot. Both Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett wrote novels that keep you guessing at every turn. Finally, few books define the classic mystery genre more completely than The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.
Clever Characters
A book has to have several elements to be a good mystery. It needs an intricate plot that drops clues without giving too much away before the big finish. It needs at least one true villain as well as several other shady characters, each of whom could easily be the perpetrator, to make things interesting. Most of all, however, it needs a smart detective. Lyndsay Faye's Jane Steele challenges you all the way through to decide whether the title character is good or evil as she seeks to unravel the secrets of her childhood home. Whether you prefer Adam Dalgliesh or Cordelia Gray as your lead detective, P.D. James wrote well-rounded characters you'll love to root for. While you are relaxing by your pool, you may sympathize with Auntie Poldi in Mario Gidrdano's Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions, who upon seeking a peaceful retirement by the sea, stumbles onto a mystery in her own backyard. The key to becoming engrossed in a novel you love is finding characters within it whom you adore.
Captivating Series
Perhaps you want your summer to have a theme beyond just good mysteries. Children often discover their love of reading through the many adventures of Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys or Enola Holmes. Adults can benefit from devoting themselves to a mystery series, too. Get to know Inspector Gamache and the small village of Three Pines when you read through Louise Penny's famous series from start to finish. You can read Kerry Greenwood's series about a detective named Phyrne Fisher and then binge-watch the television series modeled after it to see how they compare. Kate Atkinson's Jackson Brodie series will keep you wanting more. If a trilogy is more your speed for leisurely summer reading, consider Paul Auster's The New York Trilogy that features a mystery writer as its main character. Centering your whole summer around a great series is a wonderful way to pass the time by your pool.
Conclusion
No matter what you enjoy reading, there are few activities more relaxing than lounging by the pool with a good book. If you are looking for something new to try, pick up a good mystery. You may find it difficult to put down.
