Cleverest mystery novels

By WildHeron1980

No spoilers, but I’m still thinking about the best mystery/detective novel I’ve read. For me, it’s Agatha Christie’s *Death on the Nile*—that book is all about misdirection, and it seriously keeps you getting the wrong idea. Also, a completely different vibe: Janice Hallett’s *The Appeal*. The whole email/text/internet stuff layout feels like it’s doing one thing, but somehow there’s more going on. I don’t even think the main murder is the only thing being dealt with, and it’s kind of wild how much it hides in plain sight. I’ve read a couple of her others too, and she’s really good at using that format to mess with what you think you’re seeing.