Top 10 Crime Novels You need to Read
If you’re looking for a great crime novel to place in your must-read list, check out the mystery-laden and suspenseful list below. It’s filled with spine-chilling story-lines, whether relevant, semi-modern, or classic noir!
This groundbreaking novel is fearless and hard-hitting. It doesn’t rely on old tricks or tired clichés. Adrian McKinty is a forerunner in the latest string of Northern Irish crime writers. He is a master at his craft, and it seems as though he was born to write this book set during the 1981 hunger strikes in N. Ireland. With the mystery itself so unique and interesting, it ties so many things together that the setting is just as important as the murder.
2. The Cartel by Dan Winslow
Dan Winslow describes a gritty version of the drug wars. You’ll enjoy it so much that you’ll be sorry when you’re done reading this book. With its sprawling story lines, it isn’t difficult, surprisingly, to keep track of the characters. See the story of the Mexican Cartels in the same light as the Italian Mafia in the Godfather series.
3. Even the Dead: A Quirke Novel by Benjamin Black
5. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
This classic hardly needs a review. Another hard-boiled detective novel wherein Philip Marlowe first appears in his series of detective novels, it is sophisticated and well-crafted. Set in Los Angeles, Raymond Chandler married American noir fiction with the hard-boiled detective genre that Dashiell Hammett created in The Maltese Falcon, changing the American cultural landscape to this day.
Another engrossing novel about Coroner Quirke. In this part of the series, Quirke must have been down among the dead too long, suffering hallucinations and blackouts. It continues themes from his previous novels, focusing on the close friendship of Quirke and detective Hackett, as well as the oppressive influence of the Catholic Church in Irish life in the middle of the 20th century. The story, however, is still self-contained enough for new readers. The characters have depth and credibility, and the plot is filled with suspense.
This thriller by Edgar Wallace is reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes's London, including secret passageways, locked rooms, eastern mystique and the nefarious evil villain. It’s a good example of the Edwardian era's suspense novels--the most popular form of fiction following the pulp romances of that age, with plenty of twists and turns and unexpected surprises that’ll keep you wondering what's next.
This classic hardly needs a review. Another hard-boiled detective novel wherein Philip Marlowe first appears in his series of detective novels, it is sophisticated and well-crafted. Set in Los Angeles, Raymond Chandler married American noir fiction with the hard-boiled detective genre that Dashiell Hammett created in The Maltese Falcon, changing the American cultural landscape to this day.
This novel should be at the top (or close to the top) of your must-read list. Although it isn’t as current, and the English is a bit dated, the story is still top notch and remains a page turner. It is both a compelling and satisfying thriller about how ten people are murdered on an island. The novel’s appeal is timeless.
Hammett is a brilliant writer of dialog in this hard-boiled detective fiction. Although dated in some ways (such that it lacks political-correctness), don’t let that dissuade you. The gritty, dialog remains relevant, and the characters of the book, written in the ‘20s, are all in it for themselves. Dashiell Hammett’s detective, Sam Spade, is one of the most famous in American Literature, besides Raymond Chandler’s Marlowe. A great noir set in an old time of irreverence.
You won’t be able to put this book down. Although a bit focused on the emotional/relationship side, it’s an easy read with an interesting story, and unexpected, but logical idea. This novel is haunting dark and depressing, yet very effective in part due to the writing skills of Paula Hawkins
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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created flourishing, fully-realized characters that are arguably the world’s best known, inspiring spin off after spin off. Since his death, countless have tried to copy the charm between Dr. Edward Watson and Detective Sherlock Holmes. The author is a genius when it comes to dialog, criminal elements, and mundane details.
This novel written by acclaimed writer Elizabeth Brundage mixes noir and gothic in a book about two families entwined in their own unhappiness focusing on a gruesome and unsolved murder.
Whether you're relaxing by the pool or at your personal reading corner at home, grab any of these copies to make it even more worth your while. Watch out for our next article on which books you need to read!
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