past and present mystery stories

[rubyprism]

Murder mysteries are my "guilty pleasure"-- i.e. the books I enjoy just for fun, even when they aren't especially thought-provoking-- yet I find that the modern type don't appeal to me nearly as much as the Holmes-esque ones of the past. Too many of the modern mysteries seem intent on conveying a quaint atmosphere or indulging in the thematic surroundings, or getting the reader to be friends with the characters, and I'm not really interested in that, except insofar as their personalities impact the mystery itself. I don't want to read a mystery set in a bakery in order to enjoy the atmosphere of a bakery, nor do I want to read about a quaint small town and its colourful inhabitants. I just want to know who's acting evasive and what was found in the locked room. A mystery is a puzzle using the rules of one's environment, and that's what I want to hear about. I prefer the ones with minimal or obvious social details, and more concern with how any one got past without being seen. But these days mysteries seem to be more often character studies with a few crucial questions left until the end.