Criminal logo

100 Must-Read Crime and Mystery Novels

: A Compilation of the Best in the Genre.......

By Shivam Rai Published 3 years ago 3 min read
100 Must-Read Crime and Mystery Novels
Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

The Silence of the Sea by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins

The Outsider by Stephen King

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

The Reversal by Michael Connelly

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy

The Godfather Returns by Mark Winegardner

The Silence of the Sea by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

A Is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

American Tabloid by James Ellroy

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

The Silence of the Sea by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

The Reversal by Michael Connelly

The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

The Godfather Returns by Mark Winegardner

The Outsider by Stephen King

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain

A Is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

The Reversal by Michael Connelly

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

The Silence of the Sea by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

book reviewscapital punishmentcartelcelebritiesfact or fictionfictionguiltyhow toincarcerationinnocenceinterviewinvestigationjurymafiamovie reviewphotographyproduct reviewracial profilingtraveltv review

About the Creator

Shivam Rai

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2026 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.