5 Fantastic Books about Mystery Books
Here are five of the best books about detective fiction and the whole mystery genre that I have read to help us cap off 2026 National Mystery Month. Each May, the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) holds their famed Edgar Awards (here are the 2026 winners) while celebrating mystery stories in books, magazines, games, films, and television. But today we're just focusing on the books. So here is my short list of some fantastic "books about books" for mystery readers:
Murder Ink: The Mystery Reader's Companion by Dilys Winn
This book came out in 1977 and is so much fun. It is loaded with quirky tidbits, fun essays, and amazing cut/paste artwork that feels very 70s. If you enjoy cheeky mysteries, then you will get all of Winn's puns and organizational structure. The coverage is pretty complete, but it wraps up in the late 70s. So nothing from the 80s through today, but you will learn some new facts about some of your favorite older mystery authors and will pick up some new ones. It is always interesting to see books and authors that were so well known back then, but that no one mentions anymore.
The pages and art have a very "Monty Python of Mystery Fiction" vibe. So fun!
Murderess Ink: The Better Half of the Mystery by Dilys Winn
Just a couple of years later, in 1979, Dilys did a follow-up that is just as fun and focuses on the female authors and female detectives. While the original Murder Ink is larger, I have to say that I enjoyed this one more. It dove deeper into some of the authors, and there were Golden Age detective stories and characters that I had never heard of before. If you enjoy mysteries, then this one should be on your shelf.
The design here is so easy to browse. It's more fun than your favorite yearbook from school.
Guilty Parties: A Mystery Lover's Companion by Ian Ousby
Thames & Hudson brought this book out in 1997, and it fits nicely alongside the two previously mentioned books. While not as comprehensive, it is a fun read, and the artwork is absolutely amazing. Even after you've read through this one and made a list of all the books you want to read, it's one you'll come back to just to flip through and look at the design and all the cool pulp-styled colors and art.
It's amazing how eye-grabbing all the old art is when you see it in color. Very well designed book.
The Great Detective by Zach Dundas
My paperback edition of Dundas' The Great Detective came out in 2016 (hardcover was 2015) and focuses solely on the writing, development, and fandom of Sherlock Holmes.Lots of foundational bits about the first serialized stories, books, and characters. Dundas then goes the extra mile and interviews fan clubs, movie and TV folks, etc. There are no photos in this one, but by the end, you have a real sense of how the man at 221B Baker Street is still selling books and making movies after all these years.
For me the book was ultimately a "fun hang" with lots of fellow fans, though it was interesting to hear from so many Sherlockian experts.
The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators by Martin Edward
If you are going to have one book on your shelf about mystery books, detective fiction, authors, and publishers, then Edwards' The Life of Crime has to be it. Published by Collins Crime Club in 2022, this book is such a fun one to take off the shelf and reference. It comes in at 724 pages, but is organized so well that it's easy to find what you're looking for. If you're like me, you'll start on one page and then find yourself an hour later following the footnotes and clues to another great read. The level of research here is wonderfully done and annotated, but it never feels stuffy or academic. This is one for the casual and diehard fans of the genre.
If those color covers, on the endpapers, don't grab your attention, then turn to the back and check out the amazingly helpful indexes. So well done.
That's it for this year's books-about-mystery-books roundup. I would love it if you would mention any I missed. You can join here to leave a comment on the site, chat with me via @tgb@booksaboutbooks.com on Mastodon, Instagram, or Bluesky. I'm always looking for something great to read.
