Murder mysteries to read now

'The Mirror Crack'd' (1980)

The film's about two warring actresses who are starring in the same film together. Poison, meant for one of them, ends up killing another woman—so who's the culprit? This is the only time Angela Lansbury played the classic Agatha Christie character, Miss Marple. But she is glorious in it—and you can see the seeds of the 1980s-90s series Murder She Wrote, in which Lansbury played a modern version of the character. Elizabeth Taylor rants and rages with characteristic flair, and if you're not familiar with her work, here's a great place to start.

'Clue' (1895)

This comedy, based on the classic board game, follows a group of guests at a dinner party who all suspect each other when their host is murdered. It's one of the rare instances in which a game adaptation works, and the original theatrical release had multiple endings distributed out randomly to audiences. (The version you'll watch will have all three, one after the other.)

'The Big Sleep' (1946)

Private investigator Philip Marlowe (Bogart) is hired by General Sternwood to help fix the issue of his daughter, Carmen's, gambling debts. Marlowe turns to the general's older daughter, Vivian (Bacall), who reveals that the situation is much more twisty than it appears. The film dives into how a crime is solved; With literary legend William Faulkner cowriting, the story's aged well.

'Zodiac' (2007)

Director David Fincher's 2007 film took on the still officially unsolved murders of the Zodiac Killer. The film is long and windy but doesn't feel it. If the lack of closure makes you wary of seeing it, don't let that deter you. This film's as riveting as it gets.

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