Books
100 best crime books of all time, as chosen by our readers
We asked you to tell us what you think are the best crime and thriller books ever, from iconic classic mysteries to contemporary bestsellers.
There’s nothing like a good crime novel – but with brand new thrillers publishing every week, it can be difficult to know where to start.
Since no one knows crime fiction as well as our readers, who better to ask for recommendations?
From Golden Age classics to modern detective novels and game-changing psychological thrillers, it was certainly a hard choice to make, but the resulting list of thrilling novels is the perfect place to find inspiration for your next read – particularly with this year’s Dead Good Reader Awards on hiatus.
So without further ado – and in no particular order – here are the crime and thriller books you think stand head and shoulders above the rest.
100 best crime and thriller books:
Garnethill by Denise Mina
Garnethill by Denise Mina
The award-winning debut crime novel by Denise Mina sees psychiatric patient Maureen O’Donnell thrown into a difficult situation when she finds her boyfriend dead in her living room. Glasgow police view her as both a suspect and an unstable witness. Can Maureen prove her own innocence?
Full of humour and shocking twists and turns, Garnethill is a gritty slow-burner that will take you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions.
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
Two desperate men with their minds on murder meet on a train and make a dreadful pact – they will swap victims. But when only one man follows through on the deal, the other is caught in a nightmarish game of psychological cat-and-mouse.
The inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1951 film, Strangers on a Train is undoubtedly one of the greatest psychological thrillers of all time. The Ripley author once again tells a claustrophobic, oppressive tale of obsession and insanity that is truly unforgettable.
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
When Anne is invited to dinner next door, she’s told not to bring her baby, Cora. Her husband says it’ll be fine – they’ll take the baby monitor and check her every half hour. But as the evening wears on, Anne becomes increasingly unsettled – and then her worst fear comes true…
This unmissable debut from the queen of the one-sit read explores what happens behind closed doors. Combining every parent’s worst nightmare with the unravelling of a family built on lies and deceit, this tense, chilling tale will keep you turning the pages until the final shocking twist.
The Dry by Jane Harper
The Dry by Jane Harper
Three members of the same family are brutally murdered. Everyone thinks the husband is guilty and committed suicide after killing his wife and six-year-old son. But when policeman Aaron Falk returns to attend the funeral of his childhood best friend and is drawn into the investigation, he is quickly forced to question the truth behind the killings.
Set against a dramatic Australian backdrop in the midst of a two-year drought, this is a suffocating and engrossing debut novel about a small town with big secrets.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Ten strangers are invited to an isolated island where the hosts are mysteriously absent. When one of the party dies suddenly, the remaining nine realise there’s a murderer amongst them. As the group form suspicions and allegiances, one by one they fall. But who is the killer? And will anyone survive?
Topping an international poll as the world’s favourite Agatha Christie novel to celebrate her 125th birthday, this is Christie at her finest.
The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
Los Angeles, 1947. The tortured body of a beautiful young woman is found; the newspapers call her ‘The Black Dahlia’. For two cops, what begins as an investigation becomes a hellish journey that takes them to the core of the dead girl’s twisted life. And soon professional curiosity spirals into obsession…
This iconic neo-noir crime novel from the legendary James Ellroy is based on the true story of Elizabeth Short, a Hollywood hopeful whose murder prompted one of the greatest manhunts in Californian history.
Triptych by Karin Slaughter
Triptych by Karin Slaughter
Meet Special Agent Will Trent in Karin Slaughter’s series opener, which follows Will and detective Michael Ormewood as they investigate one of the most brutal, violent killings they’ve ever seen.
If you like your crime fiction dark and gritty, you won’t want to miss this perfectly-plotted police procedural that’s packed with twists and turns.
61 Hours by Lee Child
61 Hours by Lee Child
In a small town threatened by sinister forces, one brave woman is standing up for justice. But if she’s going to live to testify, she’ll need help from a man like Jack Reacher – because there’s a killer coming for her.
Featuring our hero, the gallant and enigmatic loner Jack Reacher, 61 Hours is regularly chosen as a fan favourite by Lee Child readers. It’s pacy and tightly-plotted, with an explosive, shock ending you won’t see coming.
The Poet by Michael Connelly
The Poet by Michael Connelly
The ultimate in serial killer novels, The Poet follows crime reporter Jack McEvoy as he investigates a series of similar killings that have happened across the country, revealing a disturbing link between the murders of police officers with those of children.
This expertly crafted first in the series bursts with rich characters and eerie chills. If this isn’t on your bookshelf already, you’re in for a real treat.
A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell
A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell
‘Eunice Parchman killed the Coverdale family because she could not read or write’. It’s rare to discover the culprit, the victim and the motive in the very first sentence of a crime book, but in Rendell’s 1977 novel that’s exactly what happens.
Despite this, A Judgement in Stone keeps on our toes every step of the way, leaving us never knowing what to expect. It’s a gripping tragedy of crime and class, widely regarded as one of Ruth Rendell’s seminal masterworks and a crime fiction classic.
Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow
Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow
Rusty Sabich is a prosecution lawyer whose world turns upside down when the woman he’s been having an affair with is found raped and murdered and he is accused of the crime. Trusting no one, Rusty fights to prove his innocence and in doing so uncovers a tangled web of corruption and betrayal.
One of the most infamous ‘insider’ crime novels of the 1980s, this has sold more than nine million copies – and over thirty years on, it certainly stands the test of time.
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
FBI trainee Clarice Starling has an elusive serial killer to hunt. Only one man can help: psychopathic cannibal Hannibal Lecter. Locked up in an asylum, he’s willing to put a brave face on and assist her – if it will help him escape.
This legendary thriller is the basis for the Oscar-winning movie starring Anthony Hopkins and is certainly one of the best crime books we’ve ever read. It’s as chilling and unsettling as they come and is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Run Away by Harlan Coben
Run Away by Harlan Coben
Simon’s daughter, Paige, has been missing for six months when he spots her busking in New York’s Central Park. But Paige is not the happy teenager he remembers – frightened and clearly in trouble, she runs. To save his daughter, Simon must follow Paige into a dark, dangerous world where no-one is safe, only to find it’s his life that’s now on the line.
With a brilliant cast of characters and twists and turns that will keep you guessing, this intriguing mystery from master storyteller Harlan Coben, the creator of Netflix’s Safe and The Stranger, should be at the top of your reading list.
The Whisper Man by Alex North
The Whisper Man by Alex North
When a father and son move to a small, sleepy town, they could never suspect that it would bring them straight into the path of a serial killer.
This gripping mix of police procedural and psychological thriller is perfect for fans of Thomas Harris and C J Tudor. Combining a creeping sense of unease and a tense plot with an emotional father-son relationship, it’s a small town mystery that will have you hooked from the start. Prepare yourself for a case of the chills!
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
Ellie was her mother’s golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her and then, in the blink of an eye, she was gone. Ten years on, Laurel still hasn’t given up hope of Ellie coming home. Can Laurel uncover the truth and find the answers to the questions that haunt her?
Lisa’s Richard and Judy book club bestseller about every parent’s worst nightmare grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let you go. Prepare for a chilling, compulsive and pacy read easily devoured in one sitting.
A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee
A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee
Captain Sam Wyndham is a new arrival to Calcutta. Desperately seeking a fresh start, he’s been recruited to head up a new post in the police force. But with barely a moment to acclimatise to his new life or to deal with the ghosts that still haunt him, Wyndham is caught up in a murder investigation he is unlikely to ever forget.
A wonderfully written, award-winning murder mystery and the first book in an atmospheric crime series. Featuring a determined detective duo on a pursuit of justice, this thrilling whodunit is perfect for fans of Kurt Wallander and Harry Hole.
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Two murders take place in a small town in East Texas in a matter of days. The first, a black lawyer from Chicago, and the second, a local white woman. Darren Matthews, a black Texas Ranger, must solve the crimes, and in doing so confront the burning resentment by the locals and the bubbling undercurrent of racism.
This beautifully crafted triple whodunit explores love, race and justice in a corrupt world.
Behind Closed Doors by B A Paris
Behind Closed Doors by B A Paris
Grace and Jack are married and everything seems perfect. But you never truly know what happens behind closed doors.
Written from the perspective of Grace and interweaving their past and present lives, this relentless thriller is, at points, as suffocating as it is tense, chilling and addictive. It’s no wonder it’s sold over one million copies and is an international bestseller.
Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer
Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer
Life is strange for Patrick Fort – being a medical student with Asperger’s Syndrome doesn’t come without its challenges. And that’s before he is faced with solving a possible murder. Because the body Patrick is examining in anatomy class is trying to tell him all kinds of things. And now he must stay out of danger long enough to unravel the mystery – while he dissects his own evidence…
Belinda Bauer’s brilliant, compelling protagonist shines in this unique, perfectly crafted award-winning crime novel that you won’t forget in a hurry.
I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
It happened on one November night and changed the life of a mother forever. A tragic accident, a hit and run that perhaps she could have prevented.
Following Jenna as she moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast to deal with her grief and start afresh, alongside the two detectives tasked with finding the boy’s killer, this is an emotional, psychological thriller that’s full of twists.
Nerve by Dick Francis
Nerve by Dick Francis
First published in 1964, Nerve follows Rob Finn, a steeplechase rider who must use all his cunning and racing know-how to find the culprits behind a campaign to discredit successful jockeys.
It’s a unique and thrilling mystery that’s packed with intrigue and hair-raising suspense, and a real classic from one of the greats of the genre.
Death at la Fenice by Donna Leon
Death at la Fenice by Donna Leon
When world-famous conductor Maestro Helmut Wellauer is poisoned during a performance of La Traviata at a celebrated Opera house in Venice, Commissario of Police Guido Brunetti is on the case.
This magical, atmospheric story delivers a cracking mystery while delving into the social and political nuances of Venetian life and is fully deserving of a place in our list of the best crime books of all time.
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Seven-year-old Libby Day hid in a cupboard as her older brother massacred her family. At the trial, her evidence helped convict him. But twenty years later when a group of true-crime obsessives approach Libby with their theory that her brother is innocent, she’s forced back to her home town to delve into her family’s past to uncover an unimaginable truth.
From the author of the bestselling phenomenon Gone Girl, this is the book many Flynn fans would argue is actually her best novel. It’s creepy, unsettling and – as the title suggests – very, very dark.
The Collector by John Fowles
The Collector by John Fowles
Withdrawn and unloved, Frederick collects butterflies and takes photographs. When he becomes obsessed with a beautiful stranger – art student Miranda – he buys a remote Sussex house and calmly abducts Miranda, believing she will grow to love him in time. Alone and desperate, Miranda must struggle to understand her captor if she is to gain her freedom…
Taught and compelling, The Collector was an instant bestseller when it was published in 1963. It is regarded as one of the best thrillers of all time with one of the most terrifying villains to have ever been created on the page.
The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell
The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell
Every morning Håkan von Enke takes a walk in the forest near his apartment in Stockholm. Then, one day he fails to come home. Detective Kurt Wallander is not officially involved, but Håkan’s son is engaged to his daughter Linda, and he’d been eager to talk to Kurt about a controversial incident from his past. Could it be connected to his disappearance?
Wallander’s final case sees him look back over his career while investigating a new mystery. It’s an intriguing, powerful read that shows why Mankell is one of the true greats of Scandinavian crime fiction.
Black and Blue by Ian Rankin
Black and Blue by Ian Rankin
Black and Blue, the eighth of Rankin’s novels featuring John Rebus, sees the DI juggling four cases to try and catch one killer. Rebus’s unconventional methods regularly get him into trouble and here he finds himself both under the scrutiny of an internal enquiry and with TV cameras on him investigating a miscarriage of justice. One mistake and he’s a goner.
The first of the Rebus books to be adapted for television, this is a must-read from a true master of the genre.
Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
In the second book in James Patterson’s phenomenal bestselling series, Detective Alex Cross is caught between two murderous masterminds who are collaborating and competing, committing the most baffling murders Cross has ever seen.
Adapted into a major Hollywood film starring Morgan Freeman, this iconic thriller is as page-turning and difficult to put down as it was when it was first released. Prepare to be gripped.
Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs
Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs
Dr Temperance Brennan’s forensic expertise is required when a barely recognisable decomposing body is discovered in a closet. ‘Death by self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head’ is the initial assessment, but the victim’s relatives are adamant that this was not suicide.
World-class forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, the inspiration behind the hit TV series Bones, delivers a thriller packed with fascinating, authentic forensic detail, characters you’ll love and a plot that’ll keep you turning the pages.
Holy Island by L J Ross
Holy Island by L J Ross
Holy Island is where it all began for DCI Ryan, who retreats to Holy Island when he’s forced to take a sabbatical from his job as a murder detective. But it’s not long before a young woman is found dead on the island and Ryan is pulled into the investigation alongside police consultant Dr Anna Taylor to work together to hunt the killer.
Inspired by the beauty of Lindisfarne in Northumberland, Ross combines murder, mystery, romance and humour in this atmospheric whodunit.
Blue Monday by Nicci French
Blue Monday by Nicci French
The abduction of five-year-old Matthew Farraday provokes national outcry and a desperate police hunt. And when his face is splashed over the newspapers, psychotherapist Frieda Klein is left troubled: one of her patients has been relating dreams in which he has a hunger for a child. A child he can describe in perfect detail, a child the spitting image of Matthew.
With great characterisation and intricate plotting, Blue Monday oozes psychological suspense from every page and is the first book in an absolutely killer series.
Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson
Before I Go to Sleep by S J Watson
Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? That’s what happens to Christine, the protagonist in S J Watson’s debut psychological thriller, who soon begins to realise the people closest to her may only be telling her half the story.
Now a major film starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong, this is an original, haunting and deeply chilling read.
Eeny Meeny by M J Arlidge
Eeny Meeny by M J Arlidge
In the first DI Helen Grace thriller, our flawed heroine is pitched in a battle of wits against a monstrous serial killer. Pairs of victims are being abducted, imprisoned then faced with a terrible choice: kill or be killed.
Eeny Meeny addresses a base terror in all of us: when faced with a fight for survival, would you sacrifice yourself for the one you love? This fast-paced and nerve-wrenching book will have you gripped to the very last page.
Written in Bone by Simon Beckett
Written in Bone by Simon Beckett
Dr David Hunter is on the remote Hebridean island of Runa to inspect a grisly discovery. He’s familiar with death in all its guises but is shocked by what he finds: a body, incinerated but for the feet and a single hand. The local police are certain it’s an accidental death but to Hunter the scorched remains suggest otherwise…
Written in Bone delivers everything we love in an outstanding crime book: authentic forensic detail, an unnerving sense of menace, fiendish plotting, strongly drawn characters and great sense of place.
The Brighton Mermaid by Dorothy Koomson
The Brighton Mermaid by Dorothy Koomson
Dorothy Koomson’s suspenseful book explores what happens when those closest to you are hiding deadly secrets. Switching between the past and the present day, we follow Nell as she tries to solve a 25-year-old mystery – but as she edges closer to the truth, dangerous things start to happen. Someone seems to be watching her every move, and soon she starts to wonder who in her life she can actually trust.
Transport yourself to the coast with this fast-paced, thrilling and brilliantly plotted mystery that will leave you hooked on Dorothy’s books.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
From the outside, Alicia’s life is seemingly idyllic. But one day she shoots her husband Gabriel in the head five times and then never speaks another word. Alicia becomes a patient for forensic psychotherapist Theo Faber, who is determined to get her to talk and unearth the truth behind her tragedy. But the investigation consumes Faber more than he ever expected.
A fast-paced, complex psychological mystery with startling twists, The Silent Patient is soon to be a major film.
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard becomes fascinated with a contemporary portrait of Richard III that bears no resemblance to the Wicked Uncle of history. Could such a sensitive, noble face actually belong to one of the world’s most heinous villains? Or could Richard have been the victim, turned into a monster by the the Tudors?
Fans of Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham and Daphne du Maurier will love this classic tale that was voted the best mystery novel of all time by the Crime Writers’ Association.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Big Little Lies is a tense, page-turning story about ordinary people who find themselves caught in extraordinary situations.
In this darkly humorous tale of playground politics and feuding mothers, Liane Moriarty brings to life three altogether different characters while confronting scenarios every reader can relate to. This is a must-read for fans of the award-winning TV series!
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case…
From one of TV’s best-loved presenters and producers comes one of the most exciting, refreshing and fun new crime series that we’ve seen in some time. This is a contemporary crime novel with a classic and quintessentially British twist, penned by a true crime fan – and it doesn’t fail to delight.
The Family by Martina Cole
The Family by Martina Cole
The juggernaut of crime explores the darkest corners of family life in this classic Martina Cole page turner. Phillip Murphy is a business-minded family man and his wife, Christine, is his perfect match. But Phillip has rules – things he expects from his nearest and dearest – and a side to him he never wants his wife to see…
Dubbed the queen of crime writing, Martina Cole is at the top of her game and never fails to deliver hard-hitting crowd-pleasers.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
A runaway global sensation with over 20 million copies sold, this addictive page turner is now a major film starring Emily Blunt.
Told from the point of view of Rachel, a troubled woman struggling to make sense of her past, The Girl on the Train has an all-too imaginable premise and is the ultimate read for those who love to be drawn in by an unreliable narrator.
Dead Simple by Peter James
Dead Simple by Peter James
From the mind of one of the great crime writers comes Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, whose first case involves a man who is buried alive on his stag night before four of his best friends are killed. Dealing with the pain of losing his own wife, Grace has to dig deep into the lives of the groom-to-be to discover the sinister truth.
Selling more than six million copies worldwide, it’s not difficult to see why the tense, pacy Roy Grace books regularly top bestseller lists.
Silent Scream by Angela Marsons
Silent Scream by Angela Marsons
Five figures gather round a shallow grave, taking it in turns to dig a child’s grave. Years later, a headmistress is found strangled. DI Kim Stone quickly realizes she’s on the hunt for a gruesome killer whose crimes span decades and with the body count rising, she needs to stop them before they strike again.
The first book in the DI Stone series is a gripping serial killer thriller that’ll leave you guessing whodunit until the very end.
The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
The first snowfall in Oslo brings a series of gruesome murders, pitting Harry Hole against a brutal serial killer who will drive him to the edge.
You’ll never look at a snowman in the same way again after reading this dark thriller from one of Scandinavia’s most celebrated writers that boasts first class writing and a chilling plot that will give you goosebumps.
Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent
Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent
Lydia lives in the perfect house with her adoring husband and beloved son. There’s just one thing Lydia yearns for, though the last thing she expects is that pursuing it will lead to murder. However, needs must – because nothing can stop this mother from getting what she wants…
Liz Nugent kicks off her dark, twisted thriller with a chilling quote that we won’t be forgetting any time soon: ‘My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it’. This is a wickedly clever and addictive novel that fans of Patricia Highsmith will love.
Those We Left Behind by Stuart Neville
Those We Left Behind by Stuart Neville
Set in Belfast, Those We Left Behind is a well-crafted police procedural that explores family burdens, buried secrets and the influence our childhood has on the people we become.
Featuring a compassionate, strong female detective, this book places a hugely likeable and relatable main character at the heart of a tragic tale. Raising many questions along the way, it’s a powerful read that’s as gripping as they come.
When She Was Bad by Tammy Cohen
When She Was Bad by Tammy Cohen
Five colleagues’ comfortable routine life is suddenly shattered when an aggressive new boss walks in. Now, there’s something chilling and toxic in the air. Who can be trusted? Who secretly hates everyone? Who is tortured by their past? And who is capable of murder?
Tammy Cohen will introduce you to an all-too-familiar world and make you question how well you can truly know the people you work with every day. This roller coaster ride of hidden agendas and jealousies is the perfect read for fans of Liane Moriarty and Erin Kelly.
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
Pilgrim: the codename for a man who doesn’t exist – a man who must return from obscurity. And the only man who can uncover a flawless plot to commit an appalling crime against humanity.
The first novel from a successful Hollywood screenwriter, I Am Pilgrim is an unsurprisingly epic espionage thriller. With plot twists to match Homeland and a super spy to give Jason Bourne a run for his money, you won’t want to put this nail-biting book down.
A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George
A Banquet of Consequences by Elizabeth George
Part of the Inspector Lynley series, this page turner links the suicide of a young man off the cliffs of Dorset with a poisoning in Cambridge. Desperate to prove herself after past misdemeanors, Barbara Havers reunites with DI Lynley in another darkly disturbing and addictive case.
With her intricate plotting and finely drawn characters, Elizabeth George is a superstar of the mystery genre.
Our House by Louise Candlish
Our House by Louise Candlish
Imagine coming home to find a family of strangers has moved into your house… a house you had no intention of selling. This is the nightmare that unfolds for Fiona, whose estranged husband Bram disappears leaving a trail of lies in his wake, including events that led to a terrible crime.
Longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year 2019, this is an addictive roller coaster of a domestic thriller from a big fan-favourite.
Want to Play? by P J Tracy
Want to Play? by P J Tracy
People are dying for the new computer game Serial Killer Detective. Literally. Real-life murders have Detectives Gino and Magozzi baffled, but they bear a striking resemblance to a certain game. It’s up to Grace MacBride and her eccentric team of computer mavericks to stop a brutal killer before more people die.
This absorbing, tense novel has an absolutely brilliant, original premise that takes the cat and mouse serial killer genre to a new level, and unforgettable characters with humour and personalities that are both unique and addictive.
The Broker by John Grisham
The Broker by John Grisham
In his final hours in the Oval Office, the outgoing President grants a full pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious power broker who has spent the last six years in a federal prison. Smuggled out of the country, Backman is given a new identity and a new home in Italy. But the CIA will soon leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese and the Saudis, and then sit back and watch. The question is not whether Backman will survive – there’s no chance of that. The question the CIA needs answered is: who will kill him?
A real American classic from a master storyteller.
No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay
No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay
Fourteen-year-old Cynthia Bigge wakes up one morning to discover her family have disappeared – no note left, never to return. Twenty-five years later, a letter arrives which starts to unravel the events of that fateful night. But is it better to leave the past in the past? And is Cynthia ready to find out the devastating truth?
This million-copy bestseller is a fast-moving, one-sit thriller that will keep you in suspense right to the very end.
I Looked Away by Jane Corry
I Looked Away by Jane Corry
What first seems like an accident starts to look like murder in this compelling thriller from the author of My Husband’s Wife and Blood Sisters.
Exploring the lifelong impact of childhood trauma and secrets left buried in the past, this twisty domestic drama is one of those books you’ll really struggle to put down as you find yourself desperate to uncover what happens next.
Birdman by Mo Hayder
Birdman by Mo Hayder
Detective Inspector Jack Caffery – young, driven, unshockable – is called to one of the most gruesome crime scenes he has ever seen. Five young women have been ritualistically murdered and dumped on wasteland, and subsequent post-mortems reveal a singular, horrific signature linking the victims.
Mo Hayder’s heart-stopping debut is as gritty and intense as they come, with chills and thrills that will send a shiver down your spine and leave you wanting more.
The Killer in Me by Olivia Kiernan
The Killer In Me by Olivia Kiernan
The second outing for DS Frankie Sheehan sees her up against the historic case of Seán Hennessey, who was convicted of the brutal murder of his parents and attempted murder of his sister, yet always maintained his innocence. But when two further bodies are discovered, allegedly connected to the original case, Sheehan has her work cut out. Could the killer really still be out there?
Set in Dublin and with a complex and compelling central protagonist, Kiernan’s take on the police procedural is fresh and exciting, making this well worth adding to your reading list.
Fault Line by Robert Goddard
Fault Line by Robert Goddard
It could be your average suicide. A man found dead in his car, engine running, parked at the end of a lonely track, a tube feeding deadly fumes from the exhaust through the window. Except for the seven-year-old boy still breathing in the boot… If Jonathan Kellaway is to uncover the truth, he must confront all the secrets which have consumed his life, and which may yet consume him.
This tense, multi-layered race-against-time thriller from the master of the triple cross is expertly plotted and packed with suspense.
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
When Rowan comes across the advert, it seems too good to be true: a live-in nanny position, with an extremely generous salary. What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare – one that will end with her in a cell awaiting trial for murder.
Full of menace, The Turn of the Key is a genuinely suspenseful read permeated with a creeping sense of dread, and it’s sure to have you holding your breath right up to the dramatic conclusion.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Under the influence of their charismatic professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed forever, and they discover how hard it can be to truly live and how easy it is to kill.
Hailed by writers everywhere as a modern classic, Donna Tartt’s clever, addictive literary thriller explores obsession, corruption, betrayal and murder.
Origin by Dan Brown
Origin by Dan Brown
Unfolding entirely in Spain, Origin thrusts Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, into the intersection of two of humankind’s most enduring questions – Where do we come from? Where are we going? – and the earth-shaking discovery that will answer them.
With his trademark style, Dan Brown interweaves codes, science, religion, history, art and architecture with a decidedly fresh twist, resulting in a real page turner.
The Business of Dying by Simon Kernick
The Business of Dying by Simon Kernick
On a cold November night, and DS Dennis Milne is waiting to kill three unarmed men. Cynical and jaded, Milne earns money on the side by doing what he does best: punishing the bad guys. But this time, he’s been set up. With his colleagues and his enemies closing in on him, Milne must use all of his skills just to stay alive.
Notorious for his authentic, pulse-pounding, race-against-time thrillers, The Business of Dying takes us back to where it all began for Simon Kernick and one of his best-loved characters.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
The first in Larsson’s iconic trilogy, this international bestseller tells the story of Harriet Vanger, who disappeared from a family gathering on an isolated island forty years ago and whose body was never found. Her uncle, part of the powerful Vanger clan, is convinced it was murder – and someone in the family is responsible.
Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist and tattooed computer hacker Lisbeth Salander are hired to investigate and unearth the dark secrets of a tight-knit family. This is Scandi crime at its very best.
On Beulah Height by Reginald Hill
On Beulah Height by Reginald Hill
Fifteen years ago, three little girls disappeared from a farming village and neither their bodies, nor the prime suspect in their disappearance, was ever found. Years later, when a child goes missing from the next valley it seems the culprit is back. Superintendent Dalziel and DCI Pascoe must delve into the past as they investigate the present to catch the culprit and lay old ghosts to rest.
Inspiring the hugely popular television series Dalziel and Pascoe, this brilliantly crafted police procedural is Hill at his very best.
The Memory Wood by Sam Lloyd
The Memory Wood by Sam Lloyd
It’s remarkably easy to lose yourself in the pages of The Memory Wood – an absorbing new book that will hook you in right from the beginning and refuse to let go.
This cat-and-mouse story about a young girl who must use her intellect to outwit and outmaneuver her captor is chilling, eerie and atmospheric, and both thrilling and moving in equal measure.
The Burning by Jane Casey
The Burning by Jane Casey
When a serial killer’s latest victim is found murdered, Maeve Kerrigan must investigate. It’s the fifth in a string of murders all ending, chillingly, with the burning of the victims’ bodies. As the clock ticks, can Maeve uncover the identity of the dangerous burning man before he strikes again?
This compelling police procedural features a young, likeable DC who’s keen to prove herself and overcome the prejudices she’s faced with in the force. You’ll be left on the edge of your seat as you examine the clues and try to identify the prolific burning man.
Close to Home by Cara Hunter
Close to Home by Cara Hunter
Investigating the disappearance of eight-year-old Daisy Mason, DI Adam Fawley is trying to keep an open mind. But he knows the nine times out of ten, it’s someone the victim knew.
Fans of Tana French and Ruth Rendell will love this absorbing Richard and Judy book club pick that asks how a child can vanish without a trace. Close To Home unnervingly confronts how often we make assumptions and jump to dangerous conclusions in the face of tragedy – and it’ll keep you guessing to the very last page.
The Chalk Man by C J Tudor
The Chalk Man by C J Tudor
When Eddie receives an unnerving message in the post, it drags him straight back to his home town, back to his teenage days when he and his friends stumbled across a body in their sleepy village…
Childhood games, sinister chalk figures, a tragic accident and a gruesome murder. This is a dark, atmospheric small-town crime novel with an exceptionally creepy premise and a cast of well-drawn characters. With alternate chapters switching between past and present, the tension builds and builds as the truth of Eddie’s childhood games is slowly revealed.
Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell
Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell
The last thing Lisa expects to find when she rents a beautiful double room in a lovely house with a welcoming live-in couple is a suicide note of the man who claims to have lived in her room before her. The owners swear this man never existed, but when disturbing incidents begin to occur, Lisa’s happy new home becomes a sinister nightmare…
Dreda Say Mitchell’s creepy psychological thriller is guaranteed to have you checking under your bed before you switch off the lights.
The Blackhouse by Peter May
The Blackhouse by Peter May
A remote island in northern Scotland is the atmospheric setting to this first offering in the Lewes trilogy, where DI Fin Macleod is sent to investigate the murder of a man who was the class bully at his childhood school. With chapters alternating between past and present events, the story unfolds to reveal Fin’s childhood experience is intricately linked with the murder, as he, the hunter, becomes the hunted.
It’s a dark and complex narrative with an equally wild and sinister backdrop, and one of the best crime books to get completely lost in.
The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin
The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin
A classic 1940s crime caper, this dastardly tale tells of poet Richard Cadogan, who finds a dead body in a toyshop and is immediately hit round the head. Coming to, he finds the toyshop is nowhere to be seen, instead replaced by a grocery store. What’s going on?
It’s down to Richard and his old schoolmate, eccentric Oxford professor and amateur detective Gervase Fen, to join forces and get to the bottom of this bizarre tale in this quirky and inventive crime novel that is utterly delightful.
The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter
The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter
A notorious serial killer who leaves a brutal calling card was thought to be caught and executed some time ago. But when the body of a young woman is found with the familiar crucifix marking etched into her neck it doesn’t bode well. Is it a copycat killer? Or is the real crucifix killer still at large?
Detective Robert Hunter is forced into a game of cat and mouse with a sadistic murderer in this gruesome, addictive thriller that’s not for the faint-hearted.
Eight Detectives by Alex Pavesi
Eight Detectives by Alex Pavesi
All murder mysteries follow a simple set of rules. Crime author Grant McAllister once sat down and worked them all out. Now, thirty years on, a young, ambitious editor is probing his work, unsettled to realise there are intricate clues that seem to reference a real murder – one that’s remained unsolved for thirty years…
Alex Pavesi’s debut is a refreshing and original novel that fans of the crime fiction genre will adore. Eight Detectives picks apart the traditional murder mystery through a clever battle of wits, resulting in a hugely entertaining, irresistible read.
No One Home by Tim Weaver
No One Home by Tim Weaver
Four households gather for a party in a tiny Yorkshire village. By the next morning, they’ve all vanished without a trace. With the police investigation dead in the water, the families ask missing persons investigator David Raker to find out what happened. But nothing can prepare him for the truth…
If you’ve never picked up a book in this series then you’re sure in for a treat. With plenty of mysterious characters and an intriguing plot, No One Home is as immersive as they come, and a must-read for fans of Clare Mackintosh and Peter James.
Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
The first instalment in Cleeves’ Shetland series introduces DI Jimmy Perez who investigates the brutal murder of local teenager found strangled on a snowy hillside. Whilst everyone is quick to fixate on suspicious loner Magnus Tait, Perez has his doubts. With the killer still at large and the locals living in fear, Perez unearths long-buried secrets leaving no one in the community unaffected.
Inspiring the unmissable BBC series Shetland, this atmospheric mystery is a standout in the genre that’ll keep you hooked.
You by Caroline Kepnes
You by Caroline Kepnes
Guinevere Beck is an aspiring writer and Joe Goldberg is smitten. Luckily for Joe, she shares her life via social media enabling Joe to obsess over her and transform himself into her perfect man. Manipulating his way from stalker to boyfriend, Joe is prepared to do anything for Guinevere’s love, even murder.
Now a major Netflix series, You provides a terrifying insight into the nature of obsession in the digital age.
Scrublands by Chris Hammer
Scrublands by Chris Hammer
Bubbling with ferocious heat of a scorched Australian landscape, Scrublands tells the story of an isolated town where a priest opens fire on his congregation before turning the gun on himself. A year on, a journalist arrives to write a feature about the tragedy just as two bodies are discovered, and finds himself hellbent on uncovering the secrets that the town is determined to keep buried.
Full of intricate descriptions, this is an atmospheric, slow-burning mystery that evolves into a gutsy thriller.
The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
A killer is targeting lone women, torturing and murdering them. The precision of his methods leads Detective Jane Rizzoli to suspect he is medically trained. Then Jane makes a terrifying discovery. Years ago a young woman was assaulted in a similar way. She escaped by shooting her attacker dead. So why does it feel like he’s stalking her again?
Introducing one of our favourite sleuthing duos, Rizzoli and Isles, this is a gory, gripping, high voltage serial killer thriller that Kathy Reichs and Patricia Cornwell readers will love.
Cover Her Face by P D James
Cover Her Face by P D James
This is where it all began for P D James and her thoughtful, poetry-writing detective Adam Dalgliesh. Her 1962 debut crime novel centres on the death of a young maid in a fictional Essex village where DCI Dalgliesh is determined to find the killer among a manor house of suspects.
This classic British crime caper is littered with dastardly characters and hidden secrets that bubble under the surface of village life. A traditional whodunit with echoes of Agatha Christie.
A Place of Execution by Val McDermid
A Place of Execution by Val McDermid
When Alison Carter vanishes, everyone in the Peak District village of Scardale knows it’s murder. For DI George Bennett, it’s the start of his toughest and most intense case ever. Decades later he tells his story to journalist Catherine Heathcote, but just as she’s about to publish, he stops her, forcing Catherine to delve into the past to find the truth, for once and for all.
Part police procedural, part psychological thriller, this standalone is one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve turned the final page and changes the way you think about crime fiction.
It by Stephen King
IT by Stephen King
Seven children are terrorized by an evil entity that has no name. IT lurks in the storm drains, in the sewers; IT takes on the shape of every nightmare, every child’s deepest dread… Now adults, they can’t escape the force drawing them back to their hometown, re-appearing to make their childhood nightmares haunt them once more.
A Stephen King classic that’s not for the faint-hearted, IT will capture your imagination and leave you hoping you never come across Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham
The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham
A fog is creeping through the weary streets of London, and so too are whispers that Jack Havoc, charismatic outlaw, knife-wielding killer and ingenious jail-breaker, is on the loose once again. It falls to Albert Campion to hunt down the fugitive and put a stop to his rampage before it’s too late.
Meet one of crime fiction’s greatest classic detectives from a writer Agatha Christie herself called a ‘shining light’ of the genre. Entertaining, intriguing and clever, this is essential reading for Golden Age fans.
The Bones Beneath by Mark Billingham
The Bones Beneath by Mark Billingham
DI Tom Thorne, one of the great detectives in contemporary British crime fiction, is back in action when dangerous psychopath Stuart Nicklin promises to reveal the location of a body he buried twenty-five years previously – if Thorne agrees to escort him. Gathering a team, he travels with Nicklin to a remote Welsh island – but it’s not long before the body count rises.
With an excellent premise that pits an accomplished super sleuth against a superbly sadistic villain, this delivers on everything it promises and will make you want to read the full series.
The Chain by Adrian McKinty
The Chain by Adrian McKinty
A stranger kidnaps your child and to free them you have to kidnap someone else’s child. Your child will only be released when your victim’s parents kidnap another child. And if any of these things don’t happen… your child will be killed.
This edge-of-your-seat thriller with a stomach-wrenching premise is utterly terrifying and one of the best crime books of recent years. Once you’re part of the chain, you’ll never forget it.
The Wych Elm by Tana French
The Wych Elm by Tana French
Tana French’s dark and hypnotic standalone tells the suspenseful story of a man who finds himself caught up in a murder case that threatens the heart of his family and his own sense of self.
Tana is a a novelist who takes crime writing and turns it inside out – and if you’ve never tried one of her books before, The Wych Elm is the perfect place to start. We can’t recommend this psychological character study highly enough.
We Begin At the End by Chris Whitaker
We Begin At the End by Chris Whitaker
Thirteen-year-old Duchess Radley’s family is thrown into chaos when killer Vincent King is released from prison after thirty years and comes knocking. Trying to protect her mother from the man who killed her sister, Duchess becomes embroiled in a series of events that threaten not just her own family, but the whole town.
Set under the blistering Californian sun, this psychological thriller explores family ties through a compelling young protagonist.
The Last Mile by David Baldacci
The Last Mile by David Baldacci
When a convicted killer is saved in the final moments before his execution by another man’s confession, FBI special task force detective Amos Decker takes on the case, which shares alarming similarities with his own life. But when a member of Decker’s own team disappears it becomes clear that there’s something very sinister at play.
With twists and turns a’plenty, this is a gripping thriller with an offbeat sleuth that’s perfect crime fiction fodder.
My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
How well do you really know the person you love the most? Dexter meets Gone Girl in this chilling, twisted psychological thriller about a married couple hiding a dark secret.
Full of characters you’ll love to hate, it’s shocking, devilish and impossible to put down, and we promise you’ll be hooked after just one chapter.
Perfect Remains by Helen Fields
Perfect Remains by Helen Fields
A missing persons case escalated to murder is Detective Inspector Luc Callanach’s first test, when the body of Elaine Buxton is burnt on a remote mountain in the highlands. Elsewhere, in a concealed room, the real Elaine Buxton screams. It’s not long before another woman is abducted and Callanach finds himself in a game of cat and mouse with the perpetrator.
A gripping beginning to a page-turning series that fans of M J Arlidge and Mark Billingham will love.
A Time of Torment by John Connolly
A Time of Torment by John Connolly
Charlie Parker is a private investigator whose cases push him into the realm of the supernatural. In this sinister instalment, a former hero who was sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit turns to Parker in his final days to find the people who ruined his life, what happened to the young woman whose life he saved and a ruthless, isolated community known as the Cut.
Read as a standalone, or enjoyed as part of the wider series, this is Connolly at his best: top drawer characterisation, multi-layered plots and excellent writing.
The Murder Bag by Tony Parsons
The Murder Bag by Tony Parsons
Twenty years ago, seven rich, privileged students became friends at their exclusive private school, Potter’s Field. Now, they’re being murdered one by one in the most violent way imaginable. Soon Detective Max Wolfe is following the bloody trail from the backstreets and bright lights of the London to the darkest corners of the internet and all the way to the corridors of power.
Ian Rankin and Peter James readers will love Tony Parsons’ DC Max Wolfe, a tough hero with a soft heart, introduced for the first time in The Murder Bag. Pacy and brilliantly plotted, the twists and turns are sure to keep you guessing.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Your wedding day is meant to be the happiest day of your life… except when there’s a murder. A picture-perfect wedding on a remote Irish island turns to horror when a body is discovered, and with a severe storm trapping the wedding party at the spoilt nuptials, it looks like no one is leaving until the killer is uncovered.
With multiple narrators, all of whom harbour dark secrets, and an entertaining mix of characters, this has all the ingredients for a hugely enjoyable thriller.
Predator by Patricia Cornwell
Predator by Patricia Cornwell
Patricia Cornwell is a powerhouse of crime writing, deftly combining traditional police procedure with forensic detail to create an addictive and hugely popular series. In this fourteenth instalment in the series, Dr Kay Scarpetta has to tackle one of the most intense and complex cases she’s ever faced.
Everything you’d want from a psychological thriller, it’s no wonder Cornwell’s writing has been lauded with every major crime award going.
Gallows View by Peter Robinson
Gallows View by Peter Robinson
Having recently relocated from London for a quieter life in Yorkshire, DI Alan Banks quickly realises that life in the countryside isn’t as peaceful and carefree as he’d like. Three cases emerge – a peeping Tom frightening the women of the town, two glue-sniffing youngsters breaking into homes and an old woman who may have been murdered.
After you’ve read this first instalment of the Banks series, you’ll be keen to dive into more of Robinson’s expertly plotted page turners.
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
When Louise meets David one night in a bar and they kiss, she doesn’t expect to walk into her new job and for him to be her boss. Or to meet a new friend, Adele, and for her to be his wife. But the more Louise gets to know the couple, the more she realizes no one is who they seem.
This unique, mind-bending, electrifying domestic thriller is soon to be a major Netflix series. Whatever you do, don’t give away the ending…
Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton
Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton
Living in a small island community, you can’t escape the woman who destroyed your life. Each chance encounter is an agonizing reminder of what you’ve lost – your family, your future, your sanity. How long before revenge becomes irresistible? And with no reason to go on living, why shouldn’t you turn your darkest thoughts into deeds?
Haunting and atmospheric, this book can lead to sleepless nights as you find you have to read just one more page before turning out the lights…
Fifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanagh
Fifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanagh
One father is dead. Two sisters are on trial for murder. Both accuse each other. One is a liar and a killer. Who do you believe?
The follow-up to Cavanagh’s award-winning bestseller Thirteen featuring lawyer Eddie Flynn, this is a slick, compelling concept with an addictive, pacy mix of murder and justice that’s full of twists. A master of the genre who’ll have you hooked from the first page.
Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins
Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins
When eight-year-old Felicity, a child with selective mutism, goes missing in the middle of the night, the police quickly turn to her nanny Dee for answers. Narrated by Dee, who looks back over her months spent with Felicity and her high-achieving but dysfunctional parents, a frightening truth begins to emerge.
Set in the Master’s lodging of an Oxford College, this is a suspenseful exploration of family, privilege, love and parental responsibility.
Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride
Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride
Three-year old David Reid’s body is discovered in a ditch, brutally killed. It’s a horrific crime, but sadly, he’s not the only one. Soon, more children are going missing, bodies are piling up in the morgue, and more are going to die if DS Logan ‘Lazarus’ McRae doesn’t do something about it… fast.
Peppered with black humour, the first Logan McRae novel in the acclaimed Aberdeen-set Tartan Noir series establishes MacBride as a must-read author.
Dark Pines by Will Dean
Dark Pines by Will Dean
Mutilated bodies found in a forest near a remote Swedish town: this striking image propels the first novel in Will Dean’s gripping Scandi noir thriller series. Tuva Moodyson, a young deaf reporter working for a small local paper, is the compelling heroine who pursues the story of those gruesome murders in the woods, hoping it’ll make her career. It’s either that, or she’ll wind up dead.
Atmospheric, with its fair share of shock and nastiness, this will appeal to fans of chilling, gritty fiction – and with more books in the series to come, it’s one to read to get ahead of the crime curve.
The Woman in the Window by A J Finn
The Woman in the Window by A J Finn
Recently estranged from her husband and daughter, chronic agrophobic Anna lives alone in her Manhattan apartment, winding away the hours people-watching from her window. But one night a scream rips through the neighbourhood and Anna witnesses something she wasn’t supposed to see. But will anyone believe her?
This domestic thriller is a mix of Hitchockian suspense and contemporary noir and delights in misdirection, with the villain hiding in plain sight.
Tick Tock by Mel Sherratt
Tick Tock by Mel Sherratt
Two murders in the space of two days. The first, a school girl discarded in the field behind a school. The second, a young mother strangled and dumped in a local park. Can DS Grace Allendale and her team catch the killer before another young woman dies?
Fans of everyday horrors that could happen to anyone will find themselves gripped by the second book in the bestselling DS Grace Allendale series.
There you have it – the best crime books as chosen by our readers! A huge thank you to everyone who contributed a suggestion on social media.
What would make your list? Let us know in the comments below…
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J D Kirk and Neil Lancaster should definitely be in there – brilliant books!
Agree with alot of them and will enjoy reading the books I have missed
For addicts of Lee Child and Jack Reacher I would recommend author Scott Blade and his ex military man Jack Widow.
I would suggest Harlan Coben, MW Craven although not totally to my taste, Adam Croft, really good.
No James crumley, James Lee burke or Robert crais???
How can you have a best 100 crime novels and not include authors like Dennis Lehane, James Crumley, Robert Crais & James Lee Burke. And even though they may not be strictly crime I’d argue Don Winslow & Elmore Leonard have to be considered.
Also, Raymond Chandler, Robert B Parker are virtually the blueprint most modern crime writers have aspired towards.
Louise Penny, Elly Griffiths and Kate Atkinson
Andrea Camilleri, Louise Penny and Vaseem Khan are definitely on my list.
So many recent books / authors. I’d have liked to see more “golden age” writers.
Recently new author Deborah Masson or anything by Mark Billingham.
Barbara Nadel, (books set in Turkey), Yrsa Sigurdardottir,(set in Iceland), Cath Staincliffe “the silence between breaths” is brilliant
Pleased to see many on the list that I have read and new authors to try.
John D. MacDonald
I agree with many of the titles and have spotted a few I now want to read. I would have nominated Fred Vargas and/or Delores Redondo
Lindsey Davis…falco?
I am amazed about some of the comments here. Firstly, some of the authors that people say are missing are mentioned here. Secondly, it is a reader’s poll. People did not vote for these. I did not hear of the poll until too later but, as previously mentioned, I would have loved to see some James Lee Burke, Andrea Camilleri and Colin Watson here.
Also this has given me the chance to “discover” new authors, so I am all in favour of the results.
Well maybe next time…
Blood Falls – my favourite by Tom Bale
Robert B Parker and James lee Burke are 2 obvious omissions
No Ed Bunker!! Now that’s a crime. Chuck Hogan’s prince of thieves should of made it too. And Dirty White boys.
David Baldacci, Benjamin Black, Nicolas Upson. All very readable.
What about Asa Larsson, Jo Spain, Samuel Bjork , Brian mcgilloway. Thought the list was good but it would be better if it included any of these fine crime writers.
An interesting list but many of these books are comparatively recent, as opposed to “all time”.
I would venture to include Colin Dexter, Helen McInnes, Raymond Chandler, Arthur Conan Doyle, Len Deighton, Joe Poyer, Alistair McLean, Sue Grafton. If Dan Brown can make the list then so should Tom Clancy? Robert Ludlum, Adam Hall….
None by Elizabeth George – what an oversight. She is my favourite crime writer – great mysteries and fabulous development of the detectives over the series. I also love the Inspector Montalbano books. It should have listed authors, not titles.
Arnaldur Indridason
I agree about James Lee Burke and the Montalbano books of Andrea Camilleri but I would have also loved to see one of the Flaxborough Mysteries by Colin Watson. Inspector Purbright and Lucilla Teatime are two wonderful characters.
James Lee Burke, Louise Penney, CJ Sansom, Susan Hill, Sara Paretsky…
Any or all of Michael Robotham’s books should be there. His novels are well-crafted with characterisation that makes you feel as if you are right there, in the story.
Also, more of Nicci French’s work. (I think I only noticed one book on the list.) And what about Jonathan Kellerman?
Inspector Montalbano? Plenty to choose from….
The Light Between Oceans
M. L. Stedman
Try David Mark, excellent series, if you like a good well rounded read you must try this absorbing author.
And for me the king of crime is Arnuldur Indridason.
The puppet show
‘Her Last Tomorrow’ and/or ‘Closer To You’ by Adam Croft
Anything by James Lee Burke – think he’s an amazing author.
No MW Craven? That’s a surprise. The Puppet Show and Black Summer both outstanding