Most Popular Crime Fiction Books of the 1940s

Discover popular Crime Fiction books from the 1940s, with reader ratings and new favorites to explore.

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Books in this list

Hercule Poirot #27

The Labors of Hercules

Agatha Christie

Crime Fiction · Short Stories · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1947

8.0/10 2 ratings

Hercule Poirot #26

The Hollow

Agatha Christie

Crime Fiction · Short Stories · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1946

7.7/10 3 ratings

Hercule Poirot #25

Five Little Pigs

Agatha Christie

Crime Fiction · Short Stories · Mystery · Thriller

May 1, 1942

7.3/10 3 ratings

Hercule Poirot #22

Sad Cypress

Agatha Christie

Crime Fiction · Short Stories · Mystery · Thriller

March 1, 1940

7.3/10 3 ratings

Hercule Poirot #24

Evil Under the Sun

Agatha Christie

Crime Fiction · Short Stories · Mystery · Thriller

June 1, 1941

7.0/10 3 ratings

Hercule Poirot #23

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

Agatha Christie

Crime Fiction · Short Stories · Mystery · Thriller

November 11, 1940

7.0/10 3 ratings

Hercule Poirot #29

Taken at the Flood

Agatha Christie

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1948

7.0/10 2 ratings

Miss Marple #2

The Body in the Library

Agatha Christie

Crime Fiction · TV Series · Mystery · Thriller

February 1942

7.0/10 1 ratings

The Stranger

Albert Camus

Crime Fiction · Psychological Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

May 19, 1942

5.7/10 3 ratings

Inspector Hazlerigg #3

The Doors Open

Michael Gilbert

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1949

Philip Marlowe #5

The Little Sister

Raymond Chandler

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1949

Inspector Hazlerigg #2

They Never Looked Inside

Michael Gilbert

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1948

British Library Tales of the Weird #76

The Black Mirror

Johnny Mains, Winifred Duke

Horror · Crime Fiction · Gothic Horror · Historical Fiction · Thriller

1948

Inspector Hazlerigg #1

Close Quarters

Michael Gilbert

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1947

The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes

Ellery Queen

Crime Fiction · Sherlock Holmes · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

March 1944

The Ministry of Fear

Graham Greene

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1943

Philip Marlowe #4

The Lady in the Lake

Raymond Chandler

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1943

Philip Marlowe #3

The High Window

Raymond Chandler

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

August 17, 1942

Miss Marple #3

The Moving Finger

Agatha Christie

Crime Fiction · TV Series · Mystery · Thriller

July 1942

Philip Marlowe #2

Farewell, My Lovely

Raymond Chandler

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1940

Journey Into Fear

Eric Ambler

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Historical Fiction · Mystery

1940