The History of Mystery

Since I’ve stated that I consider Eye of the Needle to surpass most of the other Edgar winners, you can guess that the bar for another work to beat it is a very high bar. A very popular mystery work published the same year as Eye of the Needle (1978) is John Mortimer’s Rumpole of the Bailey. I have not read that one yet but I have read a different anthology with some of the same stories and one of the stand-alone novels. They are enjoyable but I did not feel magic. In their Top 100 Mystery vote, the Mystery Writers of America rated Rumpole of the Bailey #26 – and Eye of the Needle #25. They also voted for another 1978 mystery, Ross Thomas’ Chinaman’s Chance (#85). Thomas will win an Edgar years later for Briar Patch.

I did read John D MacDonald’s The Empty Copper Sea, which was excellent, but again not excellent enough to beat Eye of the Needle. Elmore Leonard and Tony Hillerman are also represented that year, by The Switch (which I have read and enjoyed) and Listening Woman (I haven’t read that one). Not a bad supporting cast for the year but as far as I’m concerned, Eye of the Needle is still your winner.