Today, we’re going to look at some of the best crime books ever written.
You are reading: Criminal books to read
The crime fiction genre may be underrated by some, but the lure of a crime novel about a sadistic killer, a serial killer, or terrifying villains can be an irresistible thrill.
Immerse yourself in the world of crime literature with 30 of the best crime books (in no particular order).
mystery crime thrillers
1. memory man by david baldacci
Amos Decker had a tragic accident that left him with a life changing injury – he can never forget anything. this becomes a curse when he comes home from a stakeout to find his wife, daughter and brother-in-law brutally murdered.
Amos’s life falls apart and he leaves the local police. but, years later, a man confesses to the murders. while this is happening, an even greater tragedy occurs at the local school.
coincidences don’t happen in the police, so how do the murders connect? decker joins the police force once again to find justice for his family.
2. jo nesbo’s bat
Inspector Harry Hole is destined to stay out of trouble. this admirable resolve goes out the window when he becomes embroiled in a murder case.
A young Norwegian celebrity has been murdered. Along with the lead detective, Harry discovers that this case is one of a series of unsolved murders going back years.
They have a psychopath on their hands who is starting to turn on the investigators.
3. silent screams of angela marsens
Five people share a dark secret involving a child’s grave. years later, a director is found strangled, which is only the first in a series of murders.
when d.i. Kim Stone discovers human remains on the floor of a former children’s home, he realizes that he is no longer facing a single murder. she is looking at a murder spree.
Kim needs to face her own past and solve this case before it’s too late.
4. gorky park by martin cruz smith
a triple murder in a moscow amusement center reveals a gruesome sight: three corpses frozen in the snow with their faces and fingers missing.
Chief Homicide Detective Arkady Renko must identify the victims and uncover the truth, and to do so he must take on the KGB, the FBI, and the New York City Police.
5. mystic river by dennis lehane
Twenty-five years ago, a terrible incident occurred that separated three friends. Now, Sean is a homicide detective, Jimmy is an ex-con who owns a corner store, and Dave is trying to hold his marriage together and keep his demons at bay.
When Jimmy’s daughter is murdered, Dave returns home covered in blood and Sean becomes the lead investigator. The three men’s lives slowly unravel as they try to solve the murder case.
6. autopsy by patricia cornwell
The first in the Kay Scarpetta series, Post Mortem follows a human monster who leaves a trail of gruesome strangles around Richmond, Virginia.
Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta uses the latest in forensic investigation to unmask the monster. But the investigation is being sabotaged from within because someone wants Kay dead.
7. the girl with the dragon tattoo by stieg larsson
Harriet Vanger, a young woman from a wealthy Swedish family, disappears under mysterious circumstances. Forty years later, her uncle hires Michael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander to discover the truth of what happened.
Blomkvist, a crusading journalist, and Salander, a tattooed and pierced 24-year-old hacker genius, uncover a line of iniquity running through the Vanger family and a staggering corruption in Swedish industrialism.
8. kill floor by lee child
jack reacher is unpredictable. One day he decides to jump off his bus and walk 14 miles to Margrave, Georgia. He’ll regret it.
He’s the only stranger in a close-knit town when a murder occurs. Naturally, he’s the prime suspect, but he didn’t do it. he hasn’t murdered anyone for at least a year, he thinks. but how will he convince everyone that he is innocent?
9. the shadow of the wind by carlos ruiz zafón
Set in 1945 Barcelona, a young Daniel is introduced to the Secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library staffed by the Barcelona Rare Book Dealers Guild that deals with forgotten books until someone cares about them again. they.
daniel chooses one, julian carax’s shadow of the wind, which opens a door to one of barcelona’s darkest secrets, including murder, magic, madness and doomed love.
10. big lies of liane moriarty
light blue is perfect. Madeline is a whirlwind who remembers everything and spares no one. Jane is a normal mom with a big secret.
The three women become good friends, but then an incident involving their children puts their friendship to the test.
11. the spy who came in from the cold by john le carré
le carré uses his years in British intelligence to craft a novel of international espionage around a British agent who longs to retire but undertakes one final mission.
He hopes to recover from the cold for good, but is sent to take down East German intelligence and knock his head off.
See Also: James Rollins – Book Series In Order
legal thrillers
12. the defense of steve cavanagh
In court, the truth doesn’t matter. what matters is what the prosecution can prove, and eddie flynn always made sure they couldn’t prove anything.
Eddie had been retired until Olek Volchek, New York’s infamous Russian mob leader, forced him back into the courtroom by planting a bomb and kidnapping his daughter.
Now, Eddie must win this murder trial against Olek, because if he doesn’t, he’ll lose everything.
13. a time to kill by john grisham
A time to kill is a haunting and riveting story of retribution and justice. a 10-year-old black girl is brutally raped by two drunk white men, and her father takes the law into his own hands with an assault rifle.
the rest of the story is a racially charged courtroom drama that explores racial violence, uncertain justice, and when or if there is a time to kill.
how to write a crime novel
All these crime novels have one thing in common: they keep you hooked. the writing keeps you turning pages as you try to figure out who did it or wait for the villain to face justice.
The vehicle for a great plot is great writing, but it’s not always easy to figure out why the writing is good.
goes beyond spelling and grammar. think about the books you didn’t enjoy.
if you look closely, they were probably difficult to read, filled with vague or overly complex language, long sentences, rhyme issues, and a host of other errors that can make a reader stop reading a book.
prowritingaid’s 25 writing reports cover all the areas you need to focus on to connect with your readers. You’ll receive scores for each report, helping you determine where to focus your time.
once you’re ready to edit, prowritingaid’s in-text suggestions help you make quick changes with big impact. You can even compare your writing to authors of your genre in key areas of your writing, like dialogue tags, sentence lengths, and more:
From actionable reports and real-time editing progress tracking to author comparisons and detailed writing guides, prowritingaid keeps everything you need to remember about good writing in one place.
If you’re looking for an editing tool designed for writers like you, you’ve found it.
now back to the list.
psychological thrillers
14. the silent patient by alex michaelides
Alicia Berenson is a famous painter married to a fashion photographer, Gabriel. One night, Alicia shoots her husband in the face and then never speaks again.
is hidden in the grove and is known as the “silent patient”, while her art becomes more popular and expensive than ever.
A criminal psychotherapist learns of the situation and sets out to find out why Alice, a seemingly normal woman, brutally murdered her husband.
15. imposter of l.j. pink
Dr alexander gregory has a talent for discovering what lies in the darkest corners of the mind. With his talent, he can’t help but find himself in the middle of a murder investigation.
A murderer is on the loose in Ireland and Gregorio can’t ignore the call for help, despite promising to live a quiet life.
16. the girl on the train by paula hawkins
every morning, rachel takes the same train and sees the same people. he feels that he knows them well, even though he has never met them.
one morning, everything changes. she sees something she shouldn’t but she can’t ignore. now rachel has the opportunity to become a part of the lives of the people she used to see every day.
she is much more than a girl on the train.
17. jeffrey deaver’s bone collector
lincoln rhyme was one of the best criminologists before an accident left him physically and emotionally shattered. but now he is in a battle with a terrifying serial killer, trying to catch him before he strikes again.
Joining Amelia Sachs, Rhyme must delve into New York City’s past and into the mind of a madman determined to tear his life to the bone.
18. eeny meeny from m.j. arlidge
This psychological thriller asks the question “would you rather lose your life or your morals?”
Innocent people are being forced to make this terrible choice: kill or be killed. It’s the most twisted crime chain Detective Inspector Helen Grace has ever seen.
is forced to battle her own demons and sift through these gruesome murders to find the serial killer, before it all finally starts to make sense.
19. red dragon by thomas harris
The first in the Hannibal Lecter series, Red Dragon features Will Graham, the FBI’s top profiler, who still bears physical and mental scars from capturing Hannibal Lecter, leading to his early retirement.
comes out of retirement to help the fbi find serial killer mouse perez and ends up turning to hannibal lecter for help.
See Also: Classic Baby Books – Happiest Baby
20. gillian flynn’s lost girl
On Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary, Amy, the beautiful and perfect wife, goes missing.
Nick, who is Husband of the Year material, is suddenly evasive. But as we get deeper into the machinations behind Amy’s disappearance, the plot thickens.
cozy mysteries
21. the man who died twice by richard osman
Elizabeth, a founding member of the Thursday Kill Club, receives a letter from an old colleague asking for her help.
Her story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a real threat to her life. Elizabeth recruits club members Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in her search for the diamonds and the killer.
Can you get to him before he catches you?
22. murder on the orient express of agatha christie
How can you have the best crime book list without Agatha Christie?
Shortly after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express. The train is full of wealthy passengers and Hercule Poirot panics when millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett is found murdered in his compartment. he has been stabbed 12 times and the killer is still on the train.
one of the best suspense books that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.
23. he does not. 1 ladies detective agency by alexander mccall smith
This is the first novel starring Preciosa Ramotswe, Botswana’s number one female detective. She is hired to find a missing husband, uncover a con artist, and follow a wayward daughter before a truly disturbing case emerges.
An eleven-year-old boy has gone missing and locals believe he’s been taken by sorcerers. the case sends her into some unusual situations and just a little bit of danger.
classic crime and mystery
24. the godfather of mario puzo
The Corleones are the first family of the American Mafia, and The Godfather details their powerful legacy of tradition, blood, and honor.
Family loyalty, greed and power fuel every decision made. An epic tale of crime and betrayal, this book uncovers the underbelly of the violent mob subculture and places the reader right in the middle.
25. a study in scarlet by arthur conan doyle
after suffering the war in afghanistan, dr. John Watson finds himself living with the strange and enigmatic Sherlock Holmes.
A shocking murder in south east London interrupts his peaceful life. Watson doesn’t know what to do, but private investigator Holmes relishes the challenge. this is the beginning of the two men’s long and famous partnership.
26. and then there was none by agatha christie
Summoned to a private island off the coast of Devon, ten curious strangers are brought together at the behest of an eccentric millionaire none of them know.
One by one, they are all found dead. the murder hides in plain sight, but who is it?
27. rebeca by daphne du maurier
maxim de winter, a handsome widower, woos a young woman’s maid and takes her to his huge country estate. it is there that he realizes the role that his late wife still plays in the life of the estate.
She is a lingering evil that threatens to destroy the couple’s new marriage from beyond the grave.
28. raymond chandler’s big dream
The first in Philip Marlowe’s series, The Big Sleep features Marlowe, an educated, heroic, cunning, and tough private detective and individualist who embodies the hardened detective.
marlowe is hired by general sternwood to deal with the blackmailer of his young daughter carmen. This is just the tip of the iceberg discovered by Marlowe’s research.
29. the name of the rose by umberto eco
Brother William is brought in to investigate the monks of a wealthy Italian abbey suspected of heresy.
Seven strange deaths occur, and Brother William focuses on a murder investigation. he collects evidence, deciphers secret symbols and coded manuscripts, and discovers that “the most interesting things happen at night.”
30. the woman in white by wilkie collins
Walter Hartright stumbles upon a mysterious woman dressed all in white on a moonlit London highway and becomes embroiled in the sinister machinations of Sir Percival Glyde and his “charming” friend Count Fosco.
The Woman in White asks questions of identity and insanity as she plays in the corridors of English country houses and the madhouse.
Let us know your favorite crime stories that aren’t on the list in the comments below.
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