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

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.

Denise Mina (2011) End of the Wasp Season.

A young woman is found savagely murdered in her home. When DS Alex Morrow, heavily pregnant with twins, is called in to investigate, she soon discovers that behind the murder lurks a tangled web of lies.

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.

Douglas Starr (2010) The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science.

Carefully researched, articulate, gripping. One of the classics in true crime. A forensic thriller.

Johan Theorin (2009) The Darkest Room: A Novel.

This excellent plot is deeply disturbing: A young couple, Joakim and Katrine, with two children is trying to make a new home in an old manor house on a desolate island. One day Joakim comes home to discover that Katrine has drowned in shallow water near Eel Point's twin lighthouses.

Robert Traver (2005) Anatomy of a Murder. (First published in 1958)

Traver's book tells a story of deceit and murder that ends in a sensational trial. Army Lt. Manion has obviously killed tavern owner Barney Quil, the man who allegedly raped his wife. A cunning prosecutor and a determined defense attorney are battling out the convoluted case, with a surprising end. Also a classic Otto Preminger film.

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