As readers, we love to be thrilled and chilled in equal measure. It’s why so many of us read detective fiction, where a lone investigator (or, occasionally, a dynamic duo) delves into dark crimes and tracks down the unlikely culprit. We love the thrill of following the investigation, trying – and, if a book is well-written, failing – to figure out ‘the twist’ before the detective.
If you’ve sped through your own collection of detective novels and want to try something new, you’re in luck: below, we’ve rounded up some of the best detective novels of all time, from classic hard-boiled murder mysteries to modern thrillers.
Classic detective fiction
The detective: Sherlock Holmes
No list of classic detective fiction would be complete without Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, the fictional detective duo whose enduring cultural legacy is still felt to this day. Set amid the misty Devonshire moorland, The Hound of the Baskervilles sees Holmes and Watson venture beyond their usual Baker Street abode, as they apply their powers of deduction to a mysterious case of a phantom hound that committed a grisly murder.
The detective: Chief Inspector Wexford
Originally published in 1964, From Doon with Death introduces Chief Inspector Wexford, as he investigates a somewhat baffling murder. Margaret Parsons led a mundane life. So why was she brutally killed? And who has signed a number of Margaret’s rare books with the name, ‘Doon’? Sixty years later, this book cements Rendell’s high status in the crime genre.
A stone-cold noir epic written in artful, staccato, hard-boiled style, L.A. Confidential brings to life cruel, sun-baked Los Angeles in 1951, where six prisoners are found beaten to within an inch of their lives by power-drunk (and alcohol-drunk) cops. The novel follows three of those L.A.P.D. detectives, unravelling their violent, corrupt careers to expose the ugly side of Hollywood and law enforcement.
The detective: Detective Inspector Archer
In this imaginative, captivating classic, it’s 1941 and Britain has lost the war. Churchill has been executed, the King is imprisoned in the Tower of London, and the country is now occupied territory. But Detective Inspector Archer is still on the job, and his latest case – a murder in a Mayfair flat – is finding him stuck between his new German bosses and a British resistance force. Something has to give, and it might just change the fate of the world.
Modern detective novels
The detective: David Raker
Tim Weaver has carved out a niche for himself with his intriguing missing-persons mustery books. In The Missing Family , three members of the Fowler family go out on a Dartmoor lake in a boat. The mother, Sarah, stays onshore. A minute later, she looks out to see how her family are doing, but the boat is empty. It is this sort of hook that leads anyone to devour Weaver’s books – and The Missing Family is no exception.
The detective: Detective Kamil Rahman
Detective Kamil Rahman is now a cook in East London – he left his detective days behind him in Kolkata. But when local law enforcement is indifferent to the murder of a woman close to him, not to mention the sudden increase in deaths around Brick Lane, Rahman is forced back into action. But he certainly didn’t expect to find a connection leading all the way back to Lahore…
The detective: Detective Constable Angus MacVicar
Newly promoted Detective Constable Angus MacVicar has been handed the case of the decade: the search for the ‘Fortnight Killer’. Every two weeks, a couple is targeted. One is left at the scene, while the other is never seen again. It has been 12 days since the last murders – and the clock is ticking. Stuart MacBride always delivers the macabre with a dash of humour to lighten the darkness.
The detective: Commissario Guido Brunetti
Set against the gorgeous, labyrinthine canals of Venice, the first book in Donna Leon’s beloved Commissario Brunetti series establishes the tone perfectly. World-famous conductor Maestro Helmut Wellauer has been poisoned – in the middle of a performance of La Traviata, no less. But how many enemies could he possibly have? And how many had the motive for murder? Brunetti shines in this sinister, sparkling debut that launched a series.
Amateur sleuths
The detectives: Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron
Proving that solving crimes has no age limit, Richard Osman's record-breaking bestseller introduces us to an unlikely group of friends in a retirement village who meet weekly to solve cold-case murders. However, when a body shows up, they find themselves tasked with their first ever live case...
In this recent addition to the popular Women’s Murder Club series, the gang arrives at the scene of a violent assault. Despite making an arrest and taking on the case, the four friends gradually realise it will be near-impossible to get a conviction, due to the victim’s unique memory problems. The 24th Hour will have you transfixed as you plough through those short chapters, saying to yourself “just one more chapter” – until you finish at 2am.
Historical detective novels
The detective: Detective Sebastian Wolff
The year is 1936, and Munich is about to host the Olympic Games. Sebastian Wolff is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a woman, but this is no ordinary missing persons case: the woman in question, Elena is a famous actress and the mistress of Nazi figure Joseph Goebbels. As he dives deeper into the case, he uncovers dark corners of the city and battles his own conflicted feelings about the evil forces fighting for power.
A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee
The detectives: Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant 'Surrender-not' Banerjee
Set in 1919 Kolkata, A Rising Man follows Captain Sam Wyndham as he takes up a new job in the city's police force, but among his first cases is a horrific murder that strikes at the heart of colonial tensions: a senior official is found dead, with a note warning the British to leave India. Teaming up with Sergeant Banerjee, he finds himself in a race against time to catch the killer quickly.
Detective duos
The detectives: Detective Jane Rizzoli and Forensic Pathologist Maura Isles
Tess Gerritsen was already an established writer by the time she published The Surgeon in 2001, but few could have predicted what that book would spawn. The now-classic novel introduced readers to a homicide detective on the trail of a serial killer whose torture-murders are so intricate he’s nicknamed “the surgeon”. That detective? Jane Rizzoli, future partner of Maura Isles, and the basis of a genre-defining crime duo.
The detective: Daniel Hawthorne
This clever meta-fictional series sees author Anthony Horowitz write himself into the crime-solving antics of genius detective Daniel Hawthorne, as unlikely sidekick and writing partner. In their first outing, Hawthorne is faced with a baffling case: the murder of woman, strangled six hours after organising her own funeral. As they look into the case, the pair embark on a surprisingly dark and dangerous journey to get to the truth...
The detectives: Joe Stark and Fran Millhaven
Matthew Frank’s marvellous writing is a treat of its own. Combined with an intricate plot, Frank returns with a stunner of a novel, The Woman Who Fell . Lucinda Drummond is found at the bottom of her museum staircase. Who could have pushed her? Joe Stark and Fran Millhaven are back, entering the world of high art and extravagant wealth. This is a complex story with great characterisation and drama.
Police procedurals
The detective: Harry Hole
Jo Nesbo’s brilliant, tough-as-nails antihero Harry Hole is a household name for detective fiction fans, and this is one of his best stories, about a notoriously vicious killer with a trademark murder style. But the crime scene is also the site of Hole’s one failed case – and whether he can find the connection between his failure and this killer depends on whether he can bring himself to face both.
The detective: Detective Inspector Jack Caffery
This modern classic was the late Mo Hayder’s debut novel, in which we’re introduced to beloved DI Jack Caffery. Faced with one of the grisliest crime scenes he’s ever laid eyes on, Caffery – young, disliked by his fellow officers, and still aching with grief over a personal loss – knows he’s on the trail of a serial killer. He might be up against it, but he knows it’s only a matter of time before the killer strikes again…
The detective: Lucy McVeigh
It’s almost two years into the case, and Operation Maypole is no closer to catching The Bloodsmith, the serial killer at the middle of a media circus. Now, Detective Lucy McVeigh is being pulled into another case: that of Benedict Strachan, who, at 11 years old, killed a homeless man then disappeared. He’s back on the street and terrified someone’s out to get him – and he’s begging Lucy for help. The question is: besides The Bloodsmith, who else is out there?
Set on the remote, beautiful island of Lindisfarne in Northumbria, this wintry Christmas murder mystery sees Detective Chief Inspector Ryan, a homicide detective on leave, struggling to catch a killer hiding in plain sight. Along with former local Dr Anna Taylor, Ryan must solve the murder of a young woman found in the ruins of an ancient priory, but pagan rituals and the politics of the island threaten to get in the way...
The detective: DCI Julia Day
In Just Another Missing Person , 22-year-old Olivia is last seen on CCTV entering an alleyway – but then she disappears. DCI Julia Day is conflicted as she wants to find Olivia, but someone has threatened her: “Find Olivia and we’ll take your daughter.” Gillian McAllister is wonderful at bringing personal conflict and emotional intensity to her books and this one is no exception.
Detective Chelsey Calhoun has never given up hope of finding her missing sister but, for the past 20 years, she has come up with no leads. There have been other missing girls, but no success in finding them or their captor. Then Ellie Black is found alive in Washington State woods – two years after her disappearance. Calhoun believes this could be the tipping point in the case. But there is something not right about Ellie, and she refuses to help with the police investigation. This is a fascinating novel, tying together professional skill with high personal stakes.
Detective thriller books
The detective: Alex Cross
It’s hard to choose the best James Patterson book, let alone the best Alex Cross title, but Cross Justice is a strong contender. When Cross returns home to North Carolina for the first time in decades to help find justice for his cousin, he’s pulled into a case that reveals family secrets that will change his life forever – and, if he’s not careful, might just end it, too.
The detective: Jack Reacher
The question that kicks off the action in Better Off Dead – how did a Jeep in the middle of a deserted Arizona road smash into the only tree for miles? – is just the beginning for this highlight in the Jack Reacher series. Within minutes, our hero has found himself neck-deep in trouble, and getting out is going to take a miracle. But then, this is Jack Reacher; who’s in more trouble, him or the people who cross his path?
Don’t Let Go by Harlan Coben
The detective: Napoleon “Nap” Dumas
This standalone book features one of Harlan Coben’s best protagonists to date: police detective Napoleon “Nap” Dumas, whose twin brother was found dead on the railway tracks near his home 15 years ago. It was ruled a suicide, but Nap knew better – and now he has information that could finally lead to justice. Don’t Let Go demonstrates why, with good reason, Coben has been called the “master of the double-twist”.
New for 2026 The latest releases in detective fiction out this year.
Richard Osman (Author)
James Patterson (Author)
Jo Nesbo (Author)
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Seán Kinsella (Translator)
Rory Clements (Author)
Ragnar Jónasson (Author)
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Philip Roughton (Translator)
Tana French (Author)
Ajay Chowdhury (Author)
Abir Mukherjee (Author)
Chris Chibnall (Author)
LJ Ross (Author)
Søren Sveistrup (Author)
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Ian Giles (Translator)
