MY SIX BEST BOOKS

Mark, 58, is an awardwinning English crime writer. His latest thriller THE MALTESE FALCON

by Dashiell Hammett

(Orion, £8.99)

Sam Spade investigates the death of his partner in the novel which kick-started the hardboiled movement. Raymond Chandler and others went on to perfect the style but it was Hammett’s ball they were running with.

THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY

by Patricia Highsmith

(Vintage, £8.99)

In an era that celebrated status above wisdom, Ripley – deceitful and without conscience – is the perfect early-20th century protagonist.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

by Harper Lee

(Arrow, £7.99)

This thrilling courtroom drama is a timeless examination of prejudice and innocence lost. It casts a light into the darkest corners of society.

THE BIG BLOWDOWN

by George Pelecanos

(Out of print)

This tale of Washington’s immigrant community, from the early thirties to 1959, sees young men take hard decisions in a city which goes to war and then struggles to recover from it. Gripping and heart-breaking.

RED DRAGON

by Thomas Harris

(Arrow, £8.99)

Hannibal Lecter’s first appearance became the template for a legion of inferior imitations and the book still affords a glimpse into a world where monsters are made flesh.

THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS

by John Connolly

(Hodder, £8.99)

This is a funny and deeply moving story about a young boy who escapes a traumatic existence by losing himself inside the books on his shelf. It’s a remarkable tale about childhood and about the power of stories themselves.