The Top-100 Crime Novels of All Time

1-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-40 | 41-50 | 51-60 | 61-70 | 71-80 | 81-90 | 91-100

Frederick Forsyth (1999) The Day of the Jackal. (Reprint Ed.)

First published in 1971, the Jackal created a new genre: realistic spy fiction. Forsyth didn't bother with fantasy espionage (a la James Bond), but depicted a brutal and nasty world of evildoers. The plot is about an attempt to murder General DeGaulle of France. Most reviewers consider the novel as the gold standard of spy fiction.

Friedrich Glauser (2006) In Matto's Realm (First published in 1936)

Glauser's second Sergeant Studer mystery is a psychological police procedural. A child killer has escaped from a psychiatric asylum and as Studer begins to investigate, the director of that institution is found in the boiler room with a broken neck. In a battle of will between Studer and the assistant director, who is suspected of the crime, the truth slowly unravels. A masterpiece!

John Grisham (2004) A Time to Kill.

A young lawyer defends Carl Lee Hailey, a black Vietnam war hero, who had killed the white rednecks who raped his child. The tiny town of Clanton, Mississippi, is split: Some folks want to give Carl Lee a second medal; others want him to roast on the electric chair. Probably the best Grisham. (Great movie on blue-ray DVD)

Henning Mankell (2006) Before the Frost.

Atmospheric thriller about a religious fanatic on a murder spree. In his latest Kurt Wallander crime novel, Henning Mankell describes a secret world of religious extremists in peaceful southern Sweden, who are bent on punishing the world's sinners.

Henning Mankell (2004) The Dogs of Riga.

Kurt Wallander, the stoic Swedish detective is investigating the murders of two unidentified men washed up on the Swedish coast in an inflatable dinghy. It leads him into the dangerous underworld of government corruption characteristic of Soviet-style totalitarian regimes. Scandinavian police work at the aftermath of the Soviet Union collapse.

Robin Moore (2003) The French Connection: A True Account of Cops, Narcotics, and International Conspiracy.

Detectives Edward Egan and Salvatore Grosso almost stumble into a case of heroin smuggling that ultimately leads to the seizure of the largest cache of heroin ever picked up in New York. Crime syndicate heads in Canada and France are involved. First published in 1969. Also a top movie with 5 Academy Awards.

Richard North Patterson (2007) Exile.

Rare combination of a thrilling story with an intelligent political analysis of the ongoing tragedy between Israelis and Palestinians. A courtroom drama, a love story, and a political thriller on a most complex and controversial subject. There is not one page that is boring!

Ruth Rendell (2000) A Judgement in Stone. (First published 1977)

Stella Rimington (2010) Dead Line (Kindle Edition)

After working for 27 years in Britain's intelligence agency MI 5, Rimington knows what she is talking about. When she retired as Director General of the agency she started a series of credible espionage thrillers. Her fourth thriller is about a plot to disrupt a Middle East peace conference in Scotland.

Ann Rule (2007) Too Late to Say Goodbye: A True Story of Murder and Betrayal.

Idyllic life in Atlanta's wealthy suburbs turned into jealous rage. Perhaps Ann Rule's best book so far with detailed descriptions of cutting-edge forensic techniques.

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