Phillip marlowe, to dashing spy james bond and medical examiner dr. Amazons most sold charts rank books according to the number of copies sold and preordered through, amazon books stores, and books read through digital subscription programs once a customer has read a certain percentage roughly the length of a free reading sample. These selections are all mystery series books, written for adults, and. The first book a cold day for murder was awarded the edgar award in 1993 and the 2011 novel though not dead collected the 2012 nero award. Amazon author rank is based on the sales of all of an authors books on and is updated hourly. From what i recall of reading my grandfathers ellery queens mystery magazines while i was growing up. We provide detailed listings of all authors and charactersseries in both publication order and chronological order. Connected by a love of intriguing characters, factpaced writing and edge of your seat tension, you can find out more on the twelve authors. The works of female mystery authors is so abundant and high quality that its a difficult task to develop a list of mustreads from the classics. You might be surprised to see steve allen included on this list.
This list was initially complied by the mystery writer eleanor taylor bland and was later expanded upon by the writer and scholar frankie y. Though the list is near countless, the following is a selection of popular authors listed alongside their more commonly associated mystery sub genres. A books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Each book is written by a different author around various characters. Use the alphabetical author and character links above or the special indexes in the left column. Regardless of the relationship between the mystery and the thriller, we bring you a list of the top 25 best mystery thriller books ever written these are solid thrillers that also double down a mystery tale in their own right. Mccall smith easily earns status as one of the most popular mystery writers with literary reads such as the no. The list features the writer of the famous characters of sherlock holmes and writers such as alfred. These are the cozy mystery book authors whose last names begin with a. Assembling a comprehensive list of the most popular crime writers is a daunting task, but im takin.
I went to the alabama public schools at a time when my english teachers, all but one of whom. Add some new scary books to your nightstand from these five mystery authors. From a twisting tale of three brothers in the australian outback to a creepy story in which an apartment sitter gets far more than she bargained for, this list has something for every armchair detective. With bestselling christian mystery authors like colleen coble and terri blackstock, you get a reading experience that blows your mind. Get to know the writers behind your favorite nailbiting listens on audible. Kate mattes, whose kates mystery books was a haven for fans. Do you love pageturners that keep you up and panicked at night. While finding precise sales numbers for any given author is nearly impossible, the list is based on approximate numbers provided or repeated by reliable sources. I found my prospective cozy mystery book authors by annotating tips from friends in my mystery reading groups, and also searching for authors on the web and in my local library and bookstores. Mystery is one of the most popular genres of stories.
From elderly spinster miss marple and harddrinking p. Yes, hes the steve allen who hosted the tonight show before jay leno, and even before johnny carson. These books are classified as mystery books with a mystery of some sort being central to the plot but they can also double in for a romantic novels as well though you probably wont find them classed as romance in the genre section of the book. Mystery novels can be some of the most entertaining books, keeping pages turning long into the night. Most mystery authors have written more than one series, so if you are looking for a particular series in order, rather than all the books written by the author, here you will find each mystery and thriller series listed separately under the author.
From reallife spies john le carre, ian fleming, and graham greene to politicians and journalists, mystery authors come from all walks of life and so do their protagonists. Because while ghosts and bloodthirsty creatures can give you the spooks, the best scares are the ones that play with your head and remind us the real terrors are the ones that come from the people around us. Life is all about challenges, riddles and our thrive to explaining. Special group designed for authors and readers mystery and thrillers to interact, post their work, chat about their favorites, ask questions, and inspire others. Parker, robert crais, and pulp crime fiction authors like jim thompson. From stories of inspiring female sleuths to hardboiled. Some of the popular authors added are lee child with his jack reacher series, harlan coben with his myron bolitar series, the late tom clancy, michael connelly with his harry bosch series, james patterson. Apr 24, 2020 mystery and horror, llc a micropress that publishes mystery and horror stories. Explore these pages to find the best selling authors in your. After 76 rejections, the british authors first novel and the lead off book of the.
Everyone loves a good novel, but when youre looking for something new, why not take a look at the best mystery books around. Discover gripping crime fiction, cozy mysteries, detective novels, police stories, and more pageturning books you wont be able to put down. Isaac asimov wrote several novellength mysteries albeit often ones with a science fiction setting. Here ive listed what i consider to be the top ten, with the rest below. May 31, 2018 today i have given myself the impossible and unfair task of naming the top 10 best mystery authors of all time. Kay scarpetta, the mystery genre spans far and wide. Common knowledge book awards the top 100 mystery novels of all time mystery writers of america. For avid readers, finding a series you love is especially nice, providing easy entertainment without the risk that the book will be a dud. The twelve are awardwinning and bestselling authors writing across the boundaries of thriller, mystery, horror and crime. The caves of steel, the naked sun, and murder at the aba, are the ones i can think of. Most mystery authors have written more than one series, so if you are looking for a particular series in order, rather than all the books written by the author, here you will find each mystery and thriller series listed separately under the author s name. Apr 08, 2020 whatever the reason, if youre looking for other authors like janet evanovich who write in that kind of style, some of the ones listed below may strike your fancy when you want to get a comedic mystery fix. Please note it is listed by the authors first name. Jun 14, 2019 best crime authors include classic mystery authors like the brilliant agatha christie to detective authors like robert b.
Feb 20, 2019 from literary icons to fresh, buzzworthy talent, here are 25 great books by africanamerican authors you should add to your reading list today. Tales of mystery and imagination by edgar allan poe. From the book covers to the narratives, the books in this list are clean. If you were a regular harriet the spy as a kid, dust off your trusty notebook, polish up the old magnifying glass, and get back in the game with the best mystery books for adults. List of best mystery books of all time by some of the famous mystery writers like john grisham, agatha christie and truman capote among others. This is a list of bestselling fiction authors to date, in any language. This is a listing in alphabetical order of all of the authors that we currently list. Top authors science fiction, fantasy and horror mystery and thriller romance general fiction young adult and childrens fiction all genres search for author book series. The spy who came in from the cold by john le carre. Lifeway offers a variety of christian mystery and suspense books to keep you on the edge of your seat. About blog bestthrillers is a book club that helps fans of mysteries and thriller ebooks discover amazing writers and the ebooks they publish. The mystery and thriller genre has always been a rich one, full of complex stories, fascinating characters, and killer endings, and in 2018, it only got better. A mystery explores the dark lives and unexplained secrets of the world. Top 10 mystery and thriller series mal warwick blog on books.
List of the best mystery authors that include the novelists, poets and movie script writers. The award is named for the late anthony boucher william anthony parker white, wellknown writer and critic from the san francisco chronicle and new york times, who helped found the mystery writers of. Apr 05, 2020 kates mystery books quickly became an iconic destination for mystery book lovers everywhere. The mystery genre has been around for over two centuries, with pioneers like sir arthur conan doyle, wilkie collins, edgar allan poe and g. Mystery sequels is a resource site for all mystery series, thrillers, and suspense book fans who enjoy reading the series books in order. Welcome to fantastic fiction search and browse bibliographies of over 50,000 bestselling fiction authors, with the latest books and series information join our 99,999 members. Parker was one of many authors, bestselling or otherwise, who did booksignings in. The top 100 mystery novels of all time mystery writers of. A guide to cozy mystery and other favorite books, movies, and tv allyson k. That is why ive asked 11 authors who have published books this year from jessica knoll, whose highly anticipated sophomore novel the. If the book is part of a series, please only vote for the first book. These are the authors i think have gone beyond simply writing a fun mystery and have really elevated or added to the mystery genre in some way. Theyre in alphabetical order by the authors last names. Then check out this list of the best mystery books 2019 has to offer.
A veteran thriller and mystery writer of over 20 books, cook shared his favorite mystery novels. So if looking for stephen king you would search by s, not k. Apr 22, 2020 mystery and horror, llc a micropress that publishes mystery and horror stories. With the beautiful location that it takes place in, this is a nice little break from the real world, with a slice of mystery and. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Jun 27, 2017 then youre going to want to check out these incredibly addictive mystery series that will pull you in from book one and never let you go. Ive included both authors because many of their characters appear in each of several novelsand because theyre so good i cant bring myself to ignore them. Carolyn keene, author of nancy drew series of novels. Christian mystery equally blends surprise with strange events that leave your mind wondering and keep your fingers glued to the pages.
Cozy mystery list a guide to cozy mystery and other. If you were a regular harriet the spy as a kid, dust off your trusty notebook, polish up the old magnifying glass. This is not surprising as we have previously discussed at great length that crime fiction and mystery is increasingly a womans game see our overview of the 25 top female crime writers. From the awardwinning author who brought you the handmaids tale, alias grace is an amazing. Prime members enjoy free twoday delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, tv shows, original audio series, and kindle books. In addition, you can also check out the authorsbooks listed in the mystery genres below. For avid readers, finding a series you love is especially nice, providing easy entertainment without the risk that the book. The list has expanded to include other diverse groups of mystery writers. Black mystery authors directory i found this great book. From a twisting tale of three brothers in the australian outback to a creepy story in which an. A native alaskan, stabenow is also known for her works of science fiction, but mystery seems to be her calling and all her work uses her surroundings as the backdrop.
Poe started off writing short mystery stories, eventually to become the father of this genre. Unlike traditional book clubs, there are no monthly fees or purchases required. Whether its victorian era crime youre after, or contemporary psychological thrillers are your thing, enjoy our list of essential mystery authors. Many of these authors may also overlap with authors of crime fiction, mystery fiction, or thriller fiction. Mystery and thriller authors are the masters of suspense. Sign up for news about books, authors, and more from penguin random house. Explore these pages to find the best selling authors in your favorite genres. The mystery authors page is useful if you know the name of a series e. From what i recall of reading my grandfathers ellery queens mystery.
Christian mystery books christian suspense authors lifeway. If youd like to see a favorite mystery author on the site, simply leave a comment with the authors name, and it will be added soon. Welcome to the most comprehensive website on the internet for listing books in order. The top 100 mystery novels of all time mystery writers of america. The more information you include in your post, the more your readers can get to know you and your. This accolade is determined by the mystery writers of america for what they consider to be the best mystery content. Americas most popular suspense novelist rolling stone delivers thrills and chills in. Enter a thrilling world of suspense with our wide selection of mystery and crime books. This list inspired me to create a directory designed for readers of mysteries who want to read books. Thrillers, suspense, crime novels, detective fiction whatever you call them, mystery books make for some of the most exciting literature out there. Oct 15, 2018 everyone loves a good novel, but when youre looking for something new, why not take a look at the best mystery books around. These are the best mystery authors that go beyond simply writing a fun mystery and really elevate or add to the mystery genre in some way. Another great source of information on mystery authors of color is the crime writers of color website.