Watching the movie or television version of a classic mystery story is often a frustrating experience for the reader because so many changes are often made by the filmmakers, not all of them satisfying. In Mystery Classics on Film, the author takes a look at the screen versions of 65 famous mysteries, showing where the filmmakers either helped or seriously failed the telling of the story.

Watching the screen version of a classic mystery novel can be disappointing. By necessity or artistic license (or possibly just ego) changes are often made by the filmmakers--many of them ineffective or even detrimental. This book focuses on the screen adaptations of 65 famous mysteries and examines how the filmmakers either succeeded or failed in the telling of the story. Interviews with several famous mystery writers are included, with their comments on how filmmakers treated their work.