If you delight in a good mystery, you’ll have no doubt eagerly devoured the entire franchise: Knives Out, Knives Out: Glass Onion and Knives Out 3: Wake Up Dead Man, the tongue-in-cheek films that pay tribute to Golden Age whodunnits with a thoroughly modern twist.
The latest film, Knives Out 3: Wake Up Dead Man sees Daniel Craig return in the role of private detective Benoit Blanc to investigate the murder of a priest, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, found dead in a sealed concrete box after a sermon. This locked room set-up feels very Agatha Christie-esque and, as with the first two Knives Out films, Wake Up Dead Man is wonderfully entertaining and deliciously funny.
We’ve rounded up some brilliant books that share similar themes – think classic mysteries with quirky detectives, and modern whodunnits with a twist. These books each have a Knives Out vibe, packed with eccentric characters, serpentine plots and malevolent murderers with a point to prove. If you suspect foul play, you’re in good company…
Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
Like the Knives Out films, Whose Body? is a playful take on the classic murder mystery, with Sayers poking fun at existing detective fiction.
This crime novel was first published in 1923 and introduced Dorothy L Sayers’ aristocratic detective Lord Peter Wimsey. It has one of the most original crime scenes written: a naked man is found dead in a bathtub, wearing only a pince-nez. Nobody knows who he is or how he ended up there, then in comes witty Lord Wimsey to solve the mystery – whilst quoting poetry and drinking Napoleon brandy.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
Like the group of old friends invited by tech mogul Miles Bron to his private island in Knives Out: Glass Onion, this group of old friends don’t much seem to like each other that much: deep-seated resentments, secrets and rivalries simmer just below the surface.
A group of old university mates travel to an exclusive lodge in the remote Scottish wilderness for a New Year’s reunion. Very soon a body is found and a freak snowstorm means they can’t leave. They might have all been friends once, but now one of them is a murderer. Exploring the intensity of friendships with a shared history, this is an atmospheric thriller that delights in keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Evelyn Hardcastle is murdered again and again and again… and the deadly deed is witnessed on repeat by Aiden Bishop. Living the murderous day multiple times, Bishop wakes up afresh each morning in a different body, or “host”, of a guest attending the Blackheath ball that ends when the fatal shot is fired at Evelyn. The day will keep repeating and Aiden will continue to be haunted by the brutal events until he can correctly identify the murderer and in turn release himself from the loop.
Like Knives Out, this book gives a fresh spin to the classic whodunnit. With a labyrinth plot that both baffles and beguiles, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is also a smart, complex thriller that is as original as it is unique.
