999 vs Owls Don't Blink: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: American Detective and mystery stories

Cover of 999

999 Al Sarrantonio · 1999 ★★★★☆ 4.0 682 pages · ≈ 12 h 38 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

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Cover of Owls Don't Blink

Owls Don't Blink Erle Stanley Gardner · 1942 ★★★★☆ 3.9 277 pages · ≈ 5 h 08 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 4.0 vs 3.9 — either is a safe pick by score.
Owls Don't Blink is the quicker read — about 5 hours vs 12 for 999.
999 is the easier read (Moderate), Owls Don't Blink more demanding (Challenging).

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