I am a sucker for mystery and thriller books. I can go for days binge-reading detective novels. And if there’s one iconic sleuth who has set the gold standard for clever deductions and gripping investigations, it’s the one and only, Sherlock Holmes. If you’ve read his heartpounding mysteries and are looking for more books like Sherlock Holmes, we have the best collection of whodunit and detective books that’ll keep you up at night.
Written by the brilliant Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the unforgettable adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his partner, Watson, have shaped the mystery genre for generations. Many authors have tried to fill his shoes and give their best at investigative fiction and some have done genuinely well. From sharp-witted detectives to chilling cases that keep you guessing until the final reveal, these stories carry forward the legacy of suspense and clever twists that every Holmes fan craves.
Note: There is no order to read the books. They are all standalone books that feature the same detective.
Hercule Poirot Series By Agatha Christie
For: Readers who love classic whodunit masterpieces.
Of course, we are going to start the list with the queen of mystery writing, Agatha Christie. Being one of the most prolific authors of all time, she has written a total of 66 detective novels. Let’s take a look at some of her detective novels to read that have the same vibe as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes:
1. Murder on the Orient Express
Best Part: Timeless classic, puzzle enthusiast’s delight
If you are looking to read some golden age mysteries, then Murder on the Orient Express is your best pick. It’s a locked-room murder mystery. Instead of a room or a house, the murder takes place in a luxurious train. Hercule Poirot is also traveling in the same Orient Express along with a murdered passenger and a carriage full of suspects.
Poirot must piece together this puzzle before they reach the destination. If you like Sherlock Holmes for its web of lies and shocking twists, you are sure going to love Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.
2. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Best Part: Unpredictable ending
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is my personal favorite Christie thriller. My heart was thumping the entire time as I followed Poirot through the village that harbors many secrets and suspects. As the title suggests, the story follows the murder of the wealthy Roger Ackroyd.
What happens after that is a fun-filled ride with fascinating characters and buried secrets. This is one among the best detective novels to read as it has the most groundbreaking endings in crime literature.
3. Death on the Nile
Best Part: Exotic setting, dramatic suspense
Christie’s thrillers unfold in every kind of setting you can imagine. From haunted mansions to glorious villas. In land and in water. Death on the Nile takes place on an exotic cruise along the Nile River. What starts off as a dreamy holiday soon turns into a tense whodunit.
The plot revolves around an heiress who is found dead. Murdered, obviously. Every passenger onboard is hiding secrets and motives. It’s Poirot’s duty to uncover the lies and find the killer. The stunning backdrop, high stakes, and unforgettable twists make this an enthralling read.
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Cormoran Strike Series By Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
For: Readers who love gritty, character-driven mysteries.
Robert Galbraith is the pseudonym of J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. If you enjoy books similar to Sherlock Holmes, then you must pick up the ones mentioned below. They have the same addictive page-turning quality with a detective duo solving mysteries.
4. The Cuckoo’s Calling
Best Part: Flawed human-like detectives, character-driven
Next on the list of books for people who like Sherlock Holmes is The Cuckoo’s Calling, an exceptional murder mystery book for young adults. When I first read it, I had no idea it was written by J.K. Rowling. I read the novel in one sitting and couldn’t put it down. Cormoran Strike’s prosthetic leg and investigative skills had me hooked from the first page.
Strike is hired to investigate the suspicious death of supermodel Lula Landry. Initially, people mistake it for a suicide but what unravels later is a labyrinth of lies, jealousy, and buried secrets. Along with his detective duo, Robin Ellacott, Strike solves the case with his sharp observation and grit.
5. The Silkworm
Best Part: Dark theme
I am a fan of the entire Comoran Strike series but The Silkworm was the most intriguing one. It’s a chilling literary mystery where a controversial author has disappeared. Strike is hired to find out about the disappearance. The investigation turns even more interesting when the author is found dead in a gruesome manner.
It has the same dark elements of a Holmes novel and it is cleverly plotted. You won’t be able to guess what happened till the last page. The second installment in the series only deepens the addictive dynamic between the detective duo.
6. Career of Evil
Best Part: Psychological thriller
Of all the books I’ve read in this series, I found Career of Evil the most character-driven one. The story of Career of Evil becomes deeply personal when a severed leg is delivered directly to Robin’s office with a threatening note.
As they dig deeper, the investigation tests their emotional resilience and trust. Sherlock Holmes style mysteries are always intense, unsettling, and filled with psychological suspense, and this one is no different. It’s a must-read young reader mysteries.
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Miss Marple Series By Agatha Christie
For: Readers who love cozy and clever YA murder mystery books.
If you think Agatha Christie only created one clever detective, you couldn’t be more wrong. Meet Miss Marple, the most understated detective in fiction and a sort of female equivalent of Sherlock Holmes. With her quiet demeanor and sharp observational skills, this amateur sleuth uses her intuition and deep knowledge of her town to solve mysteries.
7. The Murder at the Vicarage
Best Part: Village secrets
Murder at the Vicarage is the first full-length Christie book featuring Miss Marple. The series is set in a quiet village called St. Mary Mead. Miss Marple in St. Mary Mead. Sounds like a tongue twister, doesn’t it? Despite its charming appearance, the village holds many secrets and suspicious characters.
It all starts when Colonel Protheroe is murdered in the Vicar’s study and everyone connected to the victim has a notice to kill him. With her Sherlock Holmes’ type intuition and observation skills, this classic mystery series is a clever book filled with twists and turns.
8. They Do it With Mirrors
Best Part: Family drama
Miss Marple in They Do it With Mirrors is invited to her friend’s estate, which is also sort of a rehab for troubled young adults. From the moment she arrives, she can sense some tension in the air, and her gut feeling turns out to be right. A violent crime takes place.
She does what she does best. Calmly observe everything, connect the dots, and find the murderer. It has family drama, psychological tension, and cleverly plotted twists. This is hands down one among the cleverly written books similar to Sherlock Holmes.
9. A Murder is Announced
Best Part: Clever plotting
Listen to this. A newspaper advertisement announces the exact date, time, and place a murder is going to take place. Intriguing, right? That’s the story of A Murder is Announced. The entire village shows up to see at the given place whether the advertisement is real or just a prank.
That’s when Miss Marple steps in to untangle the case and find out who is the mastermind behind this carefully planned murder. It’s one of Christie’s most beloved novels that delivers the climax that’ll satisfy all the mystery lovers.
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Robert Langdon Series By Dan Brown
For: Readers who love action-packed intellectual thrillers.
Dan Brown’s best-selling series follows Robert Langdon. He is a Harvard symbologist who finds himself decoding secret codes, hidden histories, and conspiracies throughout the world. This one’s a little different from your regular murder mysteries but Langdon’s brilliant deductions make them classic mysteries of all time.
10. Angels & Demons
Best Part: High-octane adventure
Dan Brown introduced his detective, Robert Langdon, in Angels & Demons, a thriller where a physicist is found murdered. What’s unique about the victim is that he has a mysterious symbol branded into his chest. That’s when Langdon is pulled in to solve the case.
It’s an exciting book that involves the secret society of the Illuminati. He goes to iconic locations in Rome to the grand cathedrals in the Vatican City. With codes, art, science, and history colliding in every chapter, Angels & Demons is a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat mystery for Sherlock Holmes fans who love intellectual puzzles and nonstop action.
11. The Lost Symbol
Best Part: Hidden history, intriguing symbolism
Robert Langdon is again called in urgently to Washington D.C. What awaits him there is a big shocker. His mentor is kidnapped. There are hidden clues scattered throughout the city and they are all somehow tied to Freemasonry.
As Langdon deciphers ancient symbols embedded in iconic American landmarks, he races against time to stop a ruthless enemy with chilling ambitions. If you are searching for books like Sherlock Holmes, give The Lost Symbol a chance. It’s a smart thriller that will keep you guessing till the end.
12. The Da Vinci Code
Best Part: Art and religion mystery, conspiracy
A murder takes place inside the Louvre, and Robert Langdon is summoned to solve it. Why? Because there are clues hidden in famous paintings, religious symbols, and centuries-old myths.
Like Sherlock Holmes, even The Da Vinci Code moves at a good pace. It peels the layers of conspiracy with mind-blowing twists. If you are into art and religion, this book is a must-read.
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C. Auguste Dupin By Edgar Allan Poe
For: Readers who want to know the origins of detective fiction.
Before Sherlock Holmes, there was C. Auguste Dupin walking the streets of London solving crimes. Created by Edgar Allan Poe, an author who had a tragic death, has written some unputdownable murder mysteries. Dupin uses keen logic, psychological insight, and sharp observation to solve baffling cases. Let’s take a look at some of Poe’s mystery books like Sherlock Holmes.
13. The Murders in the Rue Morgue
Best Part: Gothic atmosphere
The Murders in the Rue Morgue is considered as the world’s first modern detective story. It features C. Augustine Dupin, a Parisian sleuth who solves crime using logic and analytical reasoning. When a mother and a daughter are found dead inside their locked apartment, the police are baffled and they aren’t able to solve it.
Dupin steps in and works his way through all the tiny details and clues. Poe is known for his horror writing and this book too has elements of horror in it along with suspense and thrill. Pick this book up if you want to see how the detective genre began.
14. The Purloined Letter
Best Part: Clever and concise storytelling
A letter is stolen that holds earth-shattering secrets. The Paris police are searching for it everywhere, but to their disappointment, they aren’t able to find it. Enter Dupin. The detective who once again proves his detective skills.
Of all the mystery books written by Poe, this one is the most Sherlock Holmes type of novel. The author shows how a detective can succeed by simply understanding human behavior. Short, smart, and satisfying. It’s a perfect example of Dupin at his best.
15. The Mystery of Marie Rogêt
Best Part: Forensics, analytical reasoning
This is Poe’s experimental detective fiction that’s based on a real unsolved murder mystery. The central character of the book is Marie Rogêt who disappears one day and soon her body is discovered floating in the river. When the public is busy with crazy theories and gossip, Dupin quietly analyzes the conflicting reports with his signature trait: logic.
This book is a little less action-packed but has a whole lot of analytical reasoning. You can spot the early traces of forensic science in this book and how detectives often choose evidence over their instinct. It’s a remarkable piece of crime-fiction history.
Conclusion
Detectives like Sherlock Holmes are rare in literature. There are only a few who can match his style, skills, personality, and intelligence. All of them are mentioned in this list. If you are new to detective fiction, you are going to love these whodunits. If you are a seasoned reader, there’s at least one book on this list that will challenge your inner detective.
From globe-spanning adventures to collections of short stories, these books like Sherlock Holmes promise nail-biting suspense. Dive into these mysteries and let each page pull you into its web of secrets and lies.
FAQs
1. What should I read if I like Sherlock Holmes?
If you love Sherlock Holmes, try Agatha Christie’s Poirot or Miss Marple, Father Brown, or Cormoran Strike. These books have twisted puzzles, smart detectives, and page-turning investigations.
2. Are there detectives similar to Sherlock Holmes?
Yes. There are many detectives similar to Sherlock Holmes like Hercule Poirot, Robert Langdon, Byomkesh Bakshi, and Miss Marple.
3. What is the darkest Sherlock Holmes story?
Some people say The Adventure of the Devil’s Foot is the darkest Sherlock Holmes story, whereas some argue that it’s The Sussex Vampire. These two are eerie and darker than usual.
4. Which classic detective novels are most like Sherlock Holmes?
Books like Murder on the Orient Express and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd are a couple of classic detective novels similar to Sherlock Holmes.
