Murder Mystery Movies That Will Satisfy Your Inner Private Investigator

The murder mystery genre is perfect for those who love solving crimes and being kept on the edge of their seats. If you are looking for a few good movies to satisfy your inner PI, then be sure to check these out.

'Knives Out' (2019)

Harlan Thrombey is a famous author and aging patriarch who kills himself, or does he? That is when detective Benoit Blanc is hired to investigate. As the story unfolds, the plot takes an unusual turn which demonstrates how this movie is a great example of a spin on the classic genre.

'Death on the Nile' (1978)

A woman steals her best friend's husband and ends up dead, but shockingly, her best friend didn't do it. Starring Mia Farrow and a cast of other unbelievable talents, this film channels the perfect balance of intensity and hysterics.

'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' (2005)

Robert Downey Jr. is a thief who gets mistaken for an actor and is thrown into the glamorous, murder-y world of Hollywood. This movie is not only funny, but demonstrates how Downey Jr. is one of the best actors of our time.

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A couple of Canadian mystery novels which uncover bigger secrets

Investigators in Canadian mystery novels often discover that once they tug at one thread, they may find a whole host of things unravelled that they hadn’t bargained for. Here are a couple of Canadian mystery novels which uncover bigger secrets than originally thought.

Cold Skies by Thomas King

There aren’t too many Canadian authors whose work is immediately recognizable, but Thomas King is one of them. In this latest instalment of the series following a retired California cop, we find the uniquely named Thumps Dreadful Water seeking the quiet life in a small town called Chinook.

The origins of the character’s name are form Canadian-Indian tradition, which is a calling card of King himself who, as well as writing thrilling mystery novels, is an advocate for many indigenous people in North America.

In Cold Skies, Thumps’s quest for peace proves futile as the local sheriff, learning of his investigative past, asks for his help in finding the truth behind the sudden discovery of a body. With town set to host a major water conference, the sheriff wants it wrapped up quickly but what Thumps comes to realise is that there may be a connection between the body and the delegates who will soon come flooding into the town. Has he uncovered something much bigger than he could have imagined and what are the secretive forces at play here?

Still Water by Amy Stuart

High River is more than a town – it's a haven for women who want to get away from their troubled pasts. That’s where Sally and her young son were last seen before they suddenly disappear. Clare is the investigator charged with tracking her down, but when she travels to High River looking for answers, she only finds more questions.

Sally’s disappearance isn’t the only tightly-wound secret Clare must unravel as she faces a host of characters who aren’t what they initially appear to be.

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Two must-read gritty crime novels

Canadians have a well-cultivated image for being nice, and their public persona certainly backs up that assumption by the world. However, when it comes to crime fiction, Canadian writers can get down and gritty like the best of them. Here are two must-read gritty Canadian crime novels.

Needles by William Deverell

First published in 1979, this was a book very much ahead of its time. It features a lawyer Foster Cobb who is investigating an Asian drug boss who is operating on the streets of Vancouver. However, Cobb himself is locked in a heroin habit he is struggling to shake. While try to bring down the drug trade in the city, he finds himself getting deeper into a seedy underworld of prostitution, murder and drugs.

This gritty novel is a thrilling, tightly-wound mystery which features gut-punching twists and jaw-dropping revelations.

Helpless by Barbara Gowdy

Even in its conception, this is a daring book. Gowdy takes an unconventional approach to crime-writing by telling a story from multiple points of view and challenging the reader to examine their preconceptions. It firstly looks at life through the eyes of a paedophile called Ron who is saving a nine-year-old while battling his own inner-demons. Gowdy also tells the story through the eyes of the girl, whose own life is further complicated by her mother’s relationship with her boyfriend.

What is Ron saving the girl from and how can she put her trust in such a man. A challenging and fearless story plays out in the hands of a master of her craft in this often uncomfortable but utterly compelling novel.

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The best mystery movies that were once books

Mysteries are something that appeal to people of all ages, so it’s no wonder that mystery books are one of the biggest and best selling genres out there. It also means that there are plenty of good books for movie adaptation. Here is our list of the top mystery movies that were once books.

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

The Agatha Christie novel of the same name is one of the most beloved Poirot books, so it should be no surprise that the movie adaptation of the same name is one of the most popular and best mystery movies that used to be books. In December 1935 the Orient Express that Poirot is travelling on gets stuck in deep snow and he must solve the mystery of a murder on the train that happened during the night.

The Big Sleep (1946)

The movie that gave use Bogey and Bacall, The Big Sleep is one of the most complex and wonderful books by Raymond Chandler, and the movie adaption gives the book the perfect treatment. Detective Philip Marlowe is a private eye that is hired by a rich family to solve a seemingly simple case, but it is much more complicated than it first seems.

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

The 1930 detective novel by Dashiell Hammett is a classic detective book and movie that cannot exclude from any best of list in the mystery book and movie genres. Spade and Archer are detectives in San Francisco, but one night Miles is found dead, Spade is left in the middle of a world of murder for the sake of a statue – the Maltese Falcon.

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