Which crime thrillers do you think should be on the English school curriculum? Choose from any period.
Which crime thrillers do you think should be on the English school curriculum?
Choose from any period.
55 Answers
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Agatha Christie – classical.
Sherlock Holmes.
One of mine is now on the English curriculum at the local middle school here in France 😉
That’s fantastic, Lesley!
@David Been to give talks there, been in the regional daily paper and all sorts as a result 🙂
Agatha christie. I’ve got hers 3 times each
Mine and luckily one is a local history book called Scarborough a History of the town and it’s people. Chuffed to bits with that.
The naming of the dead, Ian Rankin. Sums up a moment in recent history very well.
My daughter is doing Jekyl and Hyde or An Inspector Calls
I’m also teaching those right now
She has just done Macbeth and hated it . She has asd and dyslexia.
That couldn’t have been good, Sarah – I wish her well.
I love An Inspector Calls @Sarah! I’m sure she’ll like it xx
Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers or Josephine Tey a particular favourite of mine.
My favourites as well Vicki and I reread them all the time x
I adore Josephine Tey x
Me too , all of them especially ” The Franchise Affair ” and ” The Daughter of Time “
Yessss!
We are clearly like minded in our tastes Vicki x
@Jean seems we are x
The Moonstone
I love CJ Samsom’s Shardlake series. Not only a wonderful whodunit series, but also a great evocation of Tudor times
Absolutely, power and privilege, etc.
Similarly Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther series – giving the mostly the 30s/40s with bits in the 50s and 60s… …
Moving off “books” the series “The Wire” – given each series’s social theme would be good – but the violence sex and drugs would make if a downturn for many as too tame ; ))))
Any Ian rankin
Witch Hunt?
@David given the series was an accident – the evolution of Rebus from say the first 2 or 3 novels into the Rebus of the teen and onward numbers is an interesting migration journey.
CJ Samson historical and thriller
George Pelecanos and Richard Price. Controversial, I know.
Not controversial for me! Great writers.
I’m just not sure if the lurid subject matter is palatable for schools, however, their writing style and prose, that’s something the youth of today could learn from.
The Long Goodbye – Raymond Chandler
@Tony yes
I’m not sure if it’s a thriller but the name of the rose should be on it
Enter The Dragonfish: A Tale of Greed Gone Bad
The Hound of the Baskervilles.
The Sign of Four is on the curriculum.
The Maltese Falcon.
Anything by Ian Rankin
Roy grace x
Peter Temple The Broken Shore
A fabulous book. Although the paedophilia aspect might keep it from the curriculum!
The Journey by @Conrad.and The Penultimate Man by Malcolm Hollingdrake…Beautiful writing..Heartwrenching..
Thank you, @Livia, very kind words. x
I do recall having to study The Franchise Affair at school.
which would have been 1968?
I don’t think any of my books would be suitable in schools, although White is the Coldest Colour would be informative for teachers.
I don’t believe that these should be a forced read ever as not everyone will be able to handle the stories.
@Sean as much as I love thrillers, i have to totally agree with you.
Totally agree with you Sean x
You’ve got to take the individual into consideration. Most kids would absolutely freak at some of the books I’ve read!
Jekyll and Hyde already is. And The Sign of the Four. Our curriculum only allows for the British Heritage to be represented.
Some few years ago before the A levels became linear there was an early DCI Banks on the curriculum, might have been In a Dry Season. Love the book but didn’t feel like pulling it apart with year 12!
Maigret – French.
No Enid Blyton, then?
This is probably out of order and I’m not saying it’s amazing or anything but I did wish that The Pact was on the secondary school curriculum because it dealt with social media and teenagers and showed the difference between what you know and what you do anyway and how easy it is to be sucked into something dangerous and I know I wrote it but I guess I wrote it because I would want that topic raised for discussion in an accessible way. Delete comment if inappropriate.