As a subset of "best" I read "The Daughter of Time" because it was voted the best crime novel ever.
It was good. A modern (well, 1951) detective solves a historical mystery while bedbound.
As for things that might be "Best" with a capital B I Loved pretty much everything by Umberto Eco.
Neal Stephenson used to feature an NYT quote on his website that described his works "bogging down into lectures like Umberto Eco without the charm", so if you like the historical lectures in Neal Stephenson, check him out.
It was good. A modern (well, 1951) detective solves a historical mystery while bedbound.
As for things that might be "Best" with a capital B I Loved pretty much everything by Umberto Eco.
Neal Stephenson used to feature an NYT quote on his website that described his works "bogging down into lectures like Umberto Eco without the charm", so if you like the historical lectures in Neal Stephenson, check him out.