List of crime writers explained
This is a list of crime writers with a Wikipedia page. They may include the authors of any subgenre of crime fiction, including detective, mystery or hard-boiled. Some of these may overlap with the List of thriller authors.
Entries need an English Wikipedia page. Abbreviations: A = Australia, B = Belgium, C = Canada, Ch = China, E = England, F = France, G = Germany, Ic = Iceland, In = India, IoM = Isle of Man, Ir = Ireland, Is = Israel, It = Italy, J = Japan, Ma = Malta, Ne = Netherlands, NZ = N Zealand, P = Poland, R = Soviet Union/Russia, SA = S Africa, Sc = Scotland, Sw = Switzerland, T = Turkey, US = United States, W = Wales
A–B
- Megan Abbott (born 1971, US)
- Jirō Akagawa (赤川次郎, born 1948, J)
- Boris Akunin (born 1956, R), pseudonym of Grigori Chkhartishvili
- Susan Wittig Albert (living, US)
- Steve Allen (1921–2000, US)
- Margery Allingham (1904–1966, E)
- Eric Ambler (1909–1998, E)
- Sarah Andrews (died 2019, US)
- Gosho Aoyama (青山剛昌, born 1963, J)
- Charlotte Armstrong (1905–1969, US)
- Jake Arnott (born 1961, E)
- Gianluca Arrighi (born 1972, It)
- Taku Ashibe (芦辺拓, born 1958, J)
- Isaac Asimov (1920–1992, R/US)
- Pieter Aspe (1953–2021, B)
- H. C. Asterley (1902–1973, E)
- Edward Atiyah (1903–1964, Lebanon)
- Edward Attard (born 1947, Ma)
- Yukito Ayatsuji (綾辻行人, born 1960, J), pseudonym of Naoyuki Uchida (内田直行)
- Desmond Bagley (1923–1983, E)
- H. C. Bailey (1878–1961, E)
- Deb Baker (born 1953, US)
- Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay (1899–1970, In)
- Ashok Banker (born 1964, In)
- Michael Bar-Zohar (born 1938, Is)
- John Franklin Bardin (1916–1981, US)
- Burl Barer (born 1947, US)
- Robert Barnard (1936–2013, E)
- Nevada Barr (born 1952, US)
- J. J. Barrie (born 1933, C)
- Earle Basinsky (1923–1963, US)
- G. D. Baum (living, US)
- William Bayer (born 1939, US)
- Simon Beckett (born 1960, E)
- George Bellairs (1902–1982, E/IoM), pseudonym of Harold Blundell
- Robert Leslie Bellem (1902–1968, US)
- Edmund Clerihew Bentley (1875–1956, E)
- Earl Derr Biggers (1884–1933, US)
- Mark Billingham (born 1961, E)
- Robert Bloch (1917–1994, US)
- Lawrence Block (born 1938, US)
- Deborah Blum (born 1954, US)
- Ernest Borneman (1915–1995, G/Austria)
- Ernest Bramah (1868–1942, E)
- Paolo Brera (1949–2019, It)
- Simon Brett (born 1945, E)
- P. J. Brooke (living, Sc), pseudonym of Philip James O'Brien
- Fredric Brown (1906–1972, US)
- Pat Brown (born 1955, US)
- Ken Bruen (born 1951, Ir)
- John Buchan (1875–1940, Sc)
- John Bude (1901–1957, E), pseudonym of Ernest Elmore
- James Lee Burke (born 1936, US)
- Jan Burke (born 1953, US)
C
- James M. Cain (1892–1977, US)
- Paul Cain (1902–1966, US), pseudonym of George Caryl Sims
- Bernard Capes (1854–1918, E)
- John Dickson Carr (1906–1977, US)
- Jane Casey (born 1977, Ir/E)
- Kathryn Casey (living, US)
- Rajorshi Chakraborti (born 1977, In)
- Chan Ho-Kei (born 1975, 陳浩基, Hong Kong/Taiwan)
- Jessie Chandler (born 1968, US)
- Raymond Chandler (1888–1959, US/E)
- Vikram Chandra (born 1961, In)
- Kate Charles (born 1950, US/E)
- Leslie Charteris (1907–1993, Singapore/E)
- James Hadley Chase (1906–1985, E/Sw)
- G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936, E)
- Lee Child (born 1954, E), pseudonym of James Dover Grant
- Chin Shunshin (陳舜臣, 1924–2015, Taiwan/J)
- Agatha Christie (1890–1976, E)
- Carol Higgins Clark (born 1956, US)
- Mary Higgins Clark (1927–2020, US)
- Paul Cleave (born 1974, NZ)
- Brian Cleeve (1921–2003, E/Ir)
- Ann Cleeves (born 1954, E)
- Harlan Coben (born 1962, US)
- Liza Cody (born 1944, E)
- Max Allan Collins (born 1948, US)
- Michael Collins (1924–2005), pseudonym of Dennis Lynds
- Michael Connelly (born 1956, US)
- Sheila Connolly (1950–2020, US)
- Robin Cook (born 1940, US)
- Patricia Cornwell (born 1956, US)
- Anthony Berkeley Cox (1893–1971, E)
- Philip R. Craig (1933–2007, US)
- Robert Crais (born 1953, US)
- John Creasey (1908–1973, E)
- Michael Crichton (1942–2008, US)
- Catherine Crier (born 1954, US)
- Edmund Crispin (1921–1978, E), pseudonym of Robert Bruce Montgomery
- Freeman Wills Crofts (1879–1957, Ir/E)
- Amanda Cross (1926–2003, US), pseudonym of Carolyn Gold Heilbrun
- James Crumley (1939–2008, US)
- Chris Culver (living, US)
D–F
- Jordan Dane (born 1953, US)
- Diane Mott Davidson (born 1949, US)
- Carol Anne Davis (born 1961, Sc)
- Dorothy Salisbury Davis (1916–2014, US)
- Janet Dawson (born 1949, US)
- Jeffery Deaver (born 1950, US)
- Vicki Delany (born 1951, C)
- Lester Dent (1904–1959, US)
- P. T. Deutermann (born 1941, US)
- William Deverell (born 1937, C)
- Colin Dexter (1930–2017, E)
- Ranj Dhaliwal (born 1976/1977, C)
- Michael Dibdin (1947–2007, E)
- Eric Jerome Dickey (1961–2021, US)
- Peter Dickinson (1927–2015, N Rhodesia/E)
- S. S. Van Dine (1888–1939, US), pseudonym of Willard Huntington Wright
- Doris Miles Disney (1907–1976, US)
- Stacy Dittrich (born 1973, US)
- Stephen Dobyns (born 1941, US)
- R. B. Dominic (1927–1997 and born 1929, US), pseudonym of Mary Jane Latsis and Martha Henissart
- Tim Dorsey (born 1961, US)
- John E. Douglas (born 1945, US)
- Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930, Sc/E)
- John Dunning (1918–1990, US/Luxembourg)
- Umberto Eco (1932–2016, It)
- Edogawa Rampo (江戸川乱歩, 1894–1965, J), pseudonym of Tarō Hirai (平井太郎)
- Martin Edwards (born 1955, E)
- Åke Edwardson (born 1953, Sweden)
- Mark Ellis (born 1953, W)
- James Ellroy (born 1948, US)
- Sven Elvestad (1884–1934, Norway)
- Loren D. Estleman (born 1952, US)
- Janet Evanovich (born 1943, US)
- Stanley Evans (born 1931, C)
- Diane Fanning (born 1950, US)
- Charles Finch (born 1980, US)
- Paul Finch (living, E)
- Shamini Flint (born 1969, Malaya/Malaysia)
- R. Barri Flowers (born 1956, US)
- Pascale Fonteneau (born 1963, F/B)
- Dick Francis (1920–2010, W/E)
- Ron Franscell (born 1957, US)
- Antonia Fraser (born 1932, E)
- Kinky Friedman (born 1944, US)
- Gayleen Froese (born 1972, C)
- Jacques Futrelle (1875–1912, US)
G–H
- Leighton Gage (1942–2013, US)
- Stephen Gallagher (born 1954, E)
- Erle Stanley Gardner (1889–1970, US)
- Anthony Gilbert (1889–1973, E), pseudonym of Lucy Beatrice Malleson
- Michael Gilbert (1912–2006, E)
- Kenneth Giles (died 1974, E)
- Steven Gore (living, US)
- Ed Gorman (1941–2016, US)
- Sue Grafton (1940–2017, US)
- Caroline Graham (born 1931, E)
- Ann Granger (born 1939, E)
- Anna Katharine Green (1846–1935, US)
- John M. Green (born 1953, A)
- Graham Greene (1904–1991, E/Sw)
- Bryan Gruley (born 1957, US)
- Robert van Gulik (1910–1967, Ne/Dutch E Indies)
- Elizabeth Gunn (living, US)
- Batya Gur (1947–2005, Is)
- Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961, US)
- Cyril Hare (1900–1958, E), pseudonym of Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark
- Kent Harrington (living, US)
- Margie Harris (fl. 1930s, US)
- Havank (1904–1964, Ne), pseudonym of Hendrikus Frederikus van der Kallen
- Monika Hausammann (1974, CH)
- Mo Hayder (1962–2021, E)
- J. M. Hayes (living, US)
- Elizabeth Haynes (living, E)
- Tim Heald (1944–2016, E)
- Peter Heck (born 1941, US)
- Georgette Heyer (1902–1974, E)
- Carl Hiaasen (born 1953, US)
- Keigo Higashino (東野圭吾, born 1958, J)
- George V. Higgins (1939–1999, US)
- Patricia Highsmith (1921–1995, US/Sw)
- Reginald Hill (1936–2012, E)
- Tony Hillerman (1925–2008, US)
- John Buxton Hilton (1921–1986, E)
- Chester Himes (1909–1984, US/Spain)
- Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (1889–1955, US)
- Victoria Houston (living, US)
- Dorothy B. Hughes (1904–1993, US)
I–L
- Ibn-e-Safi (1928–1980, Pakistan)
- Francis Iles (1893–1971, E), pseudonym of Anthony Berkeley Cox
- Arnaldur Indriðason (born 1961, Ic)
- Michael Innes (1906–1994, Sc), pseudonym of J. I. M. Stewart
- Kōtarō Isaka (伊坂幸太郎, born 1971, J)
- Ira Ishida (石田衣良, born 1960, J)
- Shirley Jackson (1916–1965, US)
- P. D. James (1920–2014, E)
- Peter James (born 1948, E)
- J. A. Jance (born 1944, US)
- Quintin Jardine (born 1945, Sc)
- Marshall Jevons (fl. 1970s, US), pseudonym of William L. Breit (1933–2011) and Kenneth G. Elzinga (living)
- He Jiahong (何家弘, born 1953, Ch)
- Bimal Kar (1921–2003, In)
- H. R. F. Keating (1926–2011, E)
- Carolyn Keene (fl. 1970s–1980s, US), syndicate pseudonym
- Faye Kellerman (born 1952, US)
- Jonathan Kellerman (born 1949, US)
- Harry Kemelman (1908–1996, US)
- Michael Kenyon (1931–2005, E)
- Simon Kernick (born 1967, E)
- Kim Young-ha (김영하, born 1968, S Korea)
- Laurie R. King (born 1952, US)
- Natsuo Kirino (桐野夏生, born 1951, J)
- Kenzo Kitakata (北方謙三, born 1947, J)
- Kazuhiro Kiuchi (木内一裕, born 1960, J)
- Andrew Klavan (born 1954, US)
- Ronald Knox (1888–1957, E)
- William Kent Krueger (born 1950, US)
- Natsuhiko Kyōgoku (born 1963, J)
- Lori L. Lake (born 1960, US)
- Joe R. Lansdale (born 1951, US)
- Shulamit Lapid (born 1934, Is)
- Gaylord Larsen (born 1932, US)
- Stieg Larsson (1954–2004, Sweden)
- David Lassman (living, E)
- Emma Lathen (fl. 1960s ff., US), pseudonym of Mary Jane Latsis (1927–1997) and Martha Henissart (born 1929)
- John le Carré (1931–2020, E)
- Stephen Leather (born 1956, E)
- Vanessa Leggett (born 1968, US)
- Dennis Lehane (born 1965, US)
- Anthony Lejeune (1928-2018, E)
- Donna Leon (born 1942, US/Sw)
- Elmore Leonard (1925–2013, US)
- Gaston Leroux (1868–1927, F)
- Ira Levin (1929–2007, US)
- Paul Levine (born 1948, US)
- Ted Lewis (1940–1982, E)
- Laura Lippman (born 1959, US)
- Steven Long (born 1944, US)
- E. C. R. Lorac (1894–1958, E)
- Gabrielle Lord (born 1946, A)
- Gayle Lynds (living, US)
M
- John D. MacDonald (1916–1986, US)
- Ross Macdonald (1915–1983, US/C), pseudonym of Kenneth Millar
- Shane Maloney (born 1953, A)
- Henning Mankell (1948–2015, Sweden)
- Petros Markaris (born 1937, T/US)
- John Marquand (1893–1960, US)
- Ngaio Marsh (1895–1982, NZ)
- William Marshall (1944–2003, A)
- Edward Marston (born 1944, W/E), pseudonym of Keith Miles
- Jan Mårtenson (born 1933, Sweden)
- Faith Martin (living, E), pseudonym of Jacquie Walton
- Seichō Matsumoto (松本清張, 1909–1992, J)
- Peter May (born 1951, Sc)
- Ed McBain (1926–2005, US)
- James McClure (1939–2006, SA/E)
- Val McDermid (born 1955, Sc)
- Dennis McDougal (born 1947, US)
- Iain McDowall (living, Sc/E)
- Clive Leo McNeir (living, E)
- Michele McPhee (born 1970, US)
- Lee Mellor (born 1982, E/C)
- Nicholas Meyer (born 1945, US)
- Milton Scott Michel (1916–1992, US)
- Margaret Millar (1915–1994, C/US)
- Zygmunt Miłoszewski (born 1976, P)
- Denise Mina (born 1966, Sc)
- Kanae Minato (湊かなえ, born 1973, J)
- Dreda Say Mitchell (born 1965, E)
- Gladys Mitchell (1901–1983, E)
- Miyuki Miyabe (宮部みゆき, born 1960, J)
- Gwen Moffat (born 1924, E)
- Rick Mofina (living, C)
- Christopher G. Moore (born 1952, C)
- David Morrell (born 1943, C/US)
- Mark Morris (born 1963, E)
- John Mortimer (1923–2009, E)
- Patricia Moyes (1923–2000, E)
- Marcia Muller (born 1944, US)
- Clare Munnings (living, US), pseudonym of Jill Ker Conway and Elizabeth Topham Kennan
- Margaret Murphy (born 1959, E)
- Susan Murphy-Milano (died 2012, US)
N–Q
- Magdalen Nabb (1947–2007, E)
- Fuminori Nakamura (中村文則, born 1977, J)
- Jo Nesbø (born 1960, Norway)
- Beverley Nichols (1898–1983, E)
- Kyōtarō Nishimura (西村京太郎, 1930–2022, J)
- Asa Nonami (乃南アサ, born 1960, J)
- Jamyang Norbu (འཇམ་དབྱངས་ནོར་བུ, born 1949, Tibet/US)
- Rintarō Norizuki (法月綸太郎, born 1964, J)
- Joyce Carol Oates (born 1938, US)
- Rodica Ojog-Brașoveanu (1939–2002, Romania)
- Kidō Okamoto (岡本綺堂, 1872–1939, J)
- Celil Oker (1952–2019, T)
- Gō Ōsaka (逢坂剛, born 1943, J)
- Arimasa Ōsawa (大沢在昌, born 1956, J)
- Otsuichi (乙一, born 1978), pseudonym of Hirotaka Adachi (安達寛高)
- Rodrigues Ottolengui (1861–1937, US)
- Sara Paretsky (born 1947, US)
- Edith Pargeter (1913–1995, E)
- Robert B. Parker (1932–2010, US)
- Surender Mohan Pathak (born 1940, In)
- James Patterson (born 1947, US)
- Hayford Peirce (1942–2020, US)
- Don Pendleton (1927–1995, US)
- Louise Penny (born 1958, C)
- Anne Perry (1938–2023, E)
- Ellis Peters (1913–1995, E)
- Mike Phillips (born 1941, British Guiana/E)
- Scott Phillips (born 1961, US)
- Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849, US)
- Nicholas A. Price (living, US)
- Bill Pronzini (born 1943, US)
- Lisa Pulitzer (born c. 1962, US)
- Ellery Queen (1929 ff., US), pseudonym of Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee
R–S
- Melanie Raabe (born 1981, G)
- Indra Soundar Rajan (born 1958, In)
- Ian Rankin (born 1960, Sc)
- Clayton Rawson (1906–1971, US)
- Satyajit Ray (1921–1992, In)
- Kathy Reichs (born 1948, US)
- Ruth Rendell (1930–2015, E)
- Osvaldo Reyes (born 1971, Panama)
- Craig Rice (1908–1957, US)
- Lynda Suzanne Robinson (born 1951, US)
- Peter Robinson (born 1950, E/C)
- Elliott Roosevelt (1910–1990, US)
- Karen Rose (living, US)
- Caitlin Rother (born 1962, C/US)
- Hemendra Kumar Roy (1888–1963, In)
- S. J. Rozan (born 1950, US)
- Jane Rubino (living, US)
- Ann Rule (1931–2015, US)
- Craig Russell (living, Sc)
- James Sallis (born 1944, US)
- C. J. Sansom (born 1952, Sc)
- Joh Sasaki (佐々木譲, born 1950, J)
- Robin Sax (born 1972, US)
- Dorothy L. Sayers (1893–1957, E)
- Sandra Scoppettone (born 1936, US)
- Cathy Scott (born 1950s, US)
- Will Scott (1893–1964, E)
- Lisa Scottoline (born 1955, US)
- Sōji Shimada (島田荘司, born 1948, J)
- John Silvester (living, A)
- Georges Simenon (1903–1989, B)
- Roger L. Simon (born 1943, US)
- Dorothy Simpson (born 1933, E)
- Elizabeth Sims (born 1957, US)
- John Sladek (1937–2000, US)
- Karin Slaughter (born 1971, US)
- Aaron Smith (born 1976, US)
- Alexander McCall Smith (born 1948, S Rhodesia/E)
- Anthony Neil Smith (living US)
- Joan Smith (born 1953, E)
- Martin Cruz Smith (born 1942, US)
- Teresa Solana (born 1962, Spain)
- Mehmet Murat Somer (born 1959, T)
- Suzy Spencer (living, US)
- Julia Spencer-Fleming (born 1961, US)
- Mickey Spillane (1918–2006, US)
- Nancy Springer (born 1948, US)
- Rex Stout (1886–1975, US)
- Linda Stratmann (born 1948, E)
- Cecil Street (1884–1964, Gibraltar/E), pseudonym John Rhode
- Kalpana Swaminathan (born 1956, In)
- Leonie Swann (born 1975, G)
- Vikas Swarup (born 1960, In)
- Mitzi Szereto (living, E)
T–Z
- Akimitsu Takagi (高木彬光, 1920–1995, J)
- Katsuhiko Takahashi (高橋克彦, born 1947, J)
- Kazuaki Takano (高野和明, born 1964, J)
- Tetsuo Takashima (高嶋哲夫, born 1949, J)
- Andrew Taylor (born 1951, E)
- Josephine Tey (1896–1952, Sc/E), pseudonym of Elizabeth MacKintosh
- Johan Theorin (born 1963, Sweden)
- Paul and Mabel Thorne (early 20th c., US)
- Masako Togawa (戸川昌子, 1931–2016, J)
- M. J. Trow (born 1949, W/E)
- Margaret Truman (1924–2008, US)
- James Twining (born 1972, E)
- Ahmet Ümit (born 1960, T)
- Lisa Unger (born 1970, US)
- Arthur Upfield (1890–1964, E/A)
- Andrew Vachss (1942–2021, US)
- Edgar Wallace (1875–1932, E/US)
- Lew Wallace (1827–1905, US)
- Minette Walters (born 1949, E)
- Wang Shuo (王朔, born 1958, Ch)
- Sarah Ward (living, E)
- Hillary Waugh (1920–2008, US)
- Betty Webb (living, US)
- Charlie Wells (1923–2004, US)
- Patricia Wentworth (1877–1961, E)
- Jeri Westerson (born 1960, US)
- Donald E. Westlake (1933–2008, US)
- Janwillem van de Wetering (1931–2008, Ne)
- Ethel Lina White (1876–1944, E)
- Collin Wilcox (1924–1996, US)
- Charles Willeford (1919–1998, US)
- Leslie Wolfe (born 1967, US)
- Cornell Woolrich (1903–1968, US)
- Dornford Yates (1885–1960, E/S Rhodesia), pseudonym of Cecil William Mercer
- Seishi Yokomizo (横溝正史, 1902–1981, J)
- Hideo Yokoyama (横山秀夫, born 1957, J)
- Shuichi Yoshida (吉田修一, born 1968, J)
- Yumeno Kyūsaku (夢野久作, 1889–1936, J)
- Helen Zahavi (born 1966, E)
See also