Detective Fiction
Ann Cleeves
Cleeves writes police procedural novels that are set in remote parts of the British Isles, and draw on the contrast between natural beauty and human nature's darkness.
 
Books by this author 
James Ellroy
 
 
Ellroy writes tales of fast-paced suspense with strong sinister undercurrents, appealing characters, twisting plots, and forensic details.
 
Books by this author 
 
Karin Fossum
 
Fossum is known for her Inspector Sejer series. The stories can be bleak: a violent crime occurs in each novel, and descriptions of the insular Norwegian setting create a dark tone.
 
Books by this author 
Tana French
In French's finely plotted police procedurals, grim realities of social class, police politics, and human violence give the stories a dark tone, while the vividly drawn character portraits of the protagonists add emotional depth.
 
Books by this author 
Martha Grimes
Grimes's books draw readers in with a mix of humor and suspense, rich descriptions of English locales and customs, and a moody atmosphere.
 
Books by this author
Lee Goldberg
His stories are filled with authentic, likable, culturally diverse characters in dialect-filled gritty stories.
 
 
Books by this author
.
Rachel Howzell Hall
Hall's police procedurals are fast-paced, complex, suspenseful stories, studying psychological motivations of the villains to solve cases.
 
 
Books by this author
Naomi Hirahara
Hirahara's novels are culturally diverse and suspenseful police procedurals that span the decades.
 
Books by this author
Craig Johnson
Johnson is best known for his Walt Longmire mysteries. Modern-day westerns with compelling and gritty storylines.
 
 
Books by this author
Stephen Mack Jones
 
Jones pens well-developed, suspenseful stories that address simmering social issues via evocative, nuanced crime novels.
 
Books by this author
Alexander McCall Smith
 
McCall Smith features the richly drawn characters, engaging prose, and vivid settings that have earned him a loyal following.
 
Books by this author
Jo Nesbo
Nesbo is best known for his intricately plotted, gritty, and thrilling mystery fiction. His twist-filled, fast-paced crime stories often take place in the seedy underbelly of Oslo, Norway.
 
Books by this author
Kwei Quartey
Quartey specializes in suspenseful, intricately plotted fiction that vividly evokes the time and place of its setting 
 
Books by this author
PJ Tracy
 
Mother/daughter writing team P. J. Tracy (Patricia and Traci Lambrecht) write fast-paced, entertaining, yet thoughtful crime dramas that blend the mystery, thriller, and suspense genres.  
 
 
Books by this author 
Peter Swanson
 
Swanson writes compelling and intricately plotted fast-paced psychological suspense novels that revolve around deception, murder, and ill-suited romantic partners.
 
Books by this author
.
Don Winslow
Set in California, Winslow's detailed stories are gritty, adrenaline-pumping stories of shocking violence, sinister criminal organizations, and an endless supply of complex, often double-crossing, characters. 
 
Books by this author
 
Ask a librarian for more reading suggestions! 
Get Reading Recommendations
Forsyth County Public Library | #WeKnowBooks