Gift Guide for Lovers of Classic Detective Fiction 

Maybe you can’t fulfill your Holmesian buddy’s dream to move into 221B Baker Street, but you can certainly get them the next best thing—a collectible model of the iconic supersleuth’s famous London apartment.

This creative building block set (with three separate rooms) promises to be immense fun to assemble, and is packed with intricate details and easy-to-follow instructions.

This can make for a great group activity and an eye-catching addition to any living room. 

If your friend loves classic murder mysteries and logic puzzles, a game of Cluedo is a wonderful way to test their deductive skills.

 This beloved board game is designed for two to six players and is particularly suitable for family game nights.

With several “suspect” cards, a gorgeously illustrated gameboard and striking tokens, it provides an immersive mystery-solving experience unfolding in a dazzling Tudor mansion—the perfect opportunity to play as detectives against each other. 

Another option is to awaken your special someone’s inner sleuth with this detective accessories kit that comes with delightful hats, magnifying glasses, round glass frames and even a fake moustache.

It’s great for murder mystery dinner parties, role-play scenarios or ComicCons where they can cosplay as Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, or any other detective of their choice.

The items in this kit can be styled in several ways, making it a very thoughtful way of letting them know that “the game is afoot”.

This is for those who’ve read and reread all their favorite Agatha Christie novels but can’t get enough.

So instead of gifting them another crime thriller that they’ll devour in two hours or less, you can invite them to dive deep into Agatha Christie’s world with this puzzle book that has 100 cases waiting to be solved.

From logic puzzles and word searches to choose-your-own-adventure games, there’s a huge variety of puzzles that will appeal to armchair sleuths, promising fun and challenge in equal measure. 

American crime and detective fiction has an interesting history, filled with writers experimenting with different tones and themes.

So this annotated omnibus by Leslie S. Klinger that collects five classic novels, along with a comprehensive introduction by Otto Penzler is a valuable addition to any detective-lover’s bookshelf.

Not only does this edition pack five books in one thick volume, but it also provides valuable historical and cultural contexts to these works, adding to one’s detective trivia. 

A sleuth’s most important possession—apart from their brain—is the notebook where they jot down important clues and theories to find out who is the killer.

This charming A4 notebook makes for a great gift for any budding detective where they can write down their daily observations, review their favorite crime fiction novels, make notes for a murder mystery party, or use it as a day-to-day organizer.

So if you’re on a tight budget and it so happens that your sleuth friend also has a soft spot for striking stationery, this gift will surely be appreciated.

Most classic detective novels don’t shy away from portraying grisly murders or criminals with severely messed-up minds; thus, death seems a ubiquitous presence in a detective’s field of work.

So, if your buddy has a morbid sense of humor, they can enjoy their cup of coffee or hot chocolate in this gorgeous Memento Mori mug while reading their favorite novel or perusing the newspaper for the latest unsolved crime.

Etched with funerary symbolism, it will appeal to gloomy bookworms with a love for Gothic mysteries. 

Finally, if your friend adores hardboiled detective fiction from the likes of Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett and the gritty film noirs of that age, this book of cocktail recipes makes for the perfect present.

With both classic recipes and some noir-themed drinks, the book is also packed with interesting trivia and behind-the-scenes photographs.

So if you’re planning a date night with a cynical detective or a seductive femme fatale, this book of cocktail recipes will help you make the most of your mini-bar.