The Locked-Room Books That Inspired Wake Up Dead Man’s Perfect Murder

I just finished Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025), the third Benoit Blanc film, and it’s officially my favorite in the series—perfect 10/10. As someone who loves both movies and books (especially classic mysteries), this one felt like a personal gift. Not only is it a brilliant locked-room whodunnit set in a creepy church, but it’s packed with shoutouts to the greatest detective novels ever written. Seeing those books on screen? Pure joy for a bookworm like me.

Benoit Blanc’s Reading List: The Golden Age Locked-Room Classics in Wake Up Dead Man

Right from the start, when Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, still perfect) arrives to solve the impossible murder of Monsignor Wicks—stabbed in a sealed room with no way in or out—he calls it “a textbook example of a perfectly impossible crime. The stuff of detective fiction. This should not exist in our real world.”

Then he pulls out The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr and describes it as “a Golden Age detective novel and a veritable primer on the locked-door mystery.” Blanc is basically speaking for every mystery fan!

Later, they find the church book club’s reading list, and Blanc’s reaction—“My God, this is practically a syllabus for how to commit this crime”—had me laughing out loud. The books mentioned:

• The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr
• Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
• The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe
• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
• The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

I’ve read and loved every single one. These are absolute classics of the locked-room/impossible crime genre. The Hollow Man even has that famous “locked room lecture” chapter where the detective breaks down every possible way to pull off the trick. Rian Johnson clearly knows his stuff—this movie is a love letter to Golden Age mysteries.

See also: The 29 Best Mystery Books of All Time: From Classics to Modern Thrillers

A Rare Chance to Talk Books AND Movies

My blog is all about the overlap between books and films, and this is the perfect post. Wake Up Dead Man isn’t just great cinema—it’s a celebration of the mystery novels that inspired it. I’m planning full reviews of each book on that list soon (starting with The Hollow Man, obviously).

If you’re a mystery lover, this movie is a must-watch. And if you haven’t read those classics? Do it now—they’re even better than the film makes them sound.

What did you think of Wake Up Dead Man? Did the book references excite you too? What’s your favorite movie scene that shows or mentions books? Let me know in the comments—I read them all!

And hit me with suggestions: more locked-room mysteries (books or movies) or anything with classic whodunnit vibes.

If this post got you excited about mysteries old and new, like, follow, share. See you in the next one!