# List of detective fiction authors

This is a list of detective fiction writers. Many of these authors may also overlap with authors of crime fiction, mystery fiction, or thriller fiction.

## A–C

* Mario Acevedo (1955–)
* Douglas Adams (1952–2001)
* Humayun Ahmed (1948–2012)
* Margery Allingham (1904–1966)
* Rudolfo Anaya (1937–2020)
* Gosho Aoyama (1963–)
* Frank Arnau (1894–1976), pseudonym of Heinrich Schmitt
* Taku Ashibe (1958–)
* Ace Atkins (1970–)
* Kate Atkinson (1951–)
* Yukito Ayatsuji (1960–)
* Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay
* Nevada Barr (1952–)
* Earle Basinsky
* M. C. Beaton (1936–2019)
* Larry Beinhart
* E. C. Bentley (1875–1956)
* Earl Derr Biggers (1884–1933)
* Cara Black (1951–)
* Emery Bonett (1906–1995)
* John Bonett (1906–1989)
* Rhys Bowen (1941–)
* Leigh Brackett (1915–1978)
* P. J. Brackston
* Lilian Jackson Braun
* Collin Brooks (1893–1959)
* John Burdett (1951–)
* James Lee Burke (1936–)
* Michel Bussi (1965–)
* Meg Cabot (1967–)
* John Dickson Carr (1905–1977)
* Jessie Chandler (1968–)
* Raymond Chandler (1888–1959)
* Leslie Charteris (1907–1993)
* G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936)
* Shunshin Chin (1924–2015)
* Agatha Christie (1890–1976)
* Carol Higgins Clark (1956–)
* Brian Cleeve (1921–2003)
* Ann Cleeves (1954–)
* Barbara Cleverly
* Michael Collins (1924–2005), pseudonym of Dennis Lynds
* Michael Connelly (1956–)
* Patricia Cornwell (1956–)
* Robert Crais (1953–)
* Bill Crider (1941–2018)
* Edmund Crispin (1921–1978)
* Amanda Cross (1926–2003), pseudonym of Carolyn Gold Heilbrun
* Chris Culver
* Clive Cussler (1931–2020)

## D–H

* Jordan Dane (1953–)
* Lindsey Davis (1949–)
* Jeffery Deaver (1950–)
* Ted Dekker (1962–)
* Colin Dexter (1930–2017)
* Graham Diamond
* David Dodge (1910–1974)
* Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930)
* Sarah Dunant (1960–)
* John Dunning (1942–2023)
* Francis Durbridge
* C. M. Eddy, Jr.
* Rampo Edogawa (1894–1965)
* Martin Edwards (1955–)
* Loren D. Estleman
* Jasper Fforde (1961–)
* Charles Finch (1980–)
* Dick Francis (1920–2010)
* R. Austin Freeman (1862–1943)
* Kinky Friedman (1944–)
* Gayleen Froese (1972–)
* David Fulmer (1950–)
* Jacques Futrelle
* Frances Fyfield, pseudonym of Frances Hegarty
* Émile Gaboriau (1832 – 1873)
* Erle Stanley Gardner (1889–1970)
* Elizabeth George (1949–)
* Alan Gordon (1959–)
* Alison Gordon
* Steven Gore
* Chester Gould (1900–1985)
* Sue Grafton (1940–2017)
* Heather Graham (1970–)
* Maxwell Grant (1924–2005)
* W. E. B. Griffin (1929–2019)
* Martha Grimes (1931–)
* Tarquin Hall (1969–)
* Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961)
* Joseph Hansen (1923–2004)
* John Harvey
* Carl Hiaasen (1953–)
* Keigo Higashino (1958–)
* E. W. Hildick (1925–2001)
* Tony Hillerman (1925–2008)
* Kay Hooper (1957–)
* Barry Hughart

## I–M

* Ibn-e-Safi (1928–1980)
* Michael Innes (1906–1994)
* Kōtarō Isaka (1971–)
* P. D. James (1920–2014)
* Peter James (1948–)
* J. A. Jance
* Darynda Jones
* Faye Kellerman (1952–)
* Jonathan Kellerman (1949–)
* Philip Kerr (1956–2018)
* Laurie R. King (1952–)
* Natsuo Kirino (1951–)
* Kenzo Kitakata (1947–)
* Kazuhiro Kiuchi (1960–)
* Andrew Klavan
* William Kent Krueger (1950–)
* Natsuhiko Kyogoku (1963–)
* Camilla Lackberg (1974–)
* Lori L. Lake (1960–)
* Maria Lang (1914–1991)
* Stieg Larsson (1954–2004)
* David Lassman (1963–)
* Dennis Lehane (1965–)
* Paul Levine (1948–)
* Paul Levinson (1947–)
* Jeff Lindsay
* Laura Lippman (1959–)
* Peter Lovesey (1936–)
* Lisa Lutz (1970–)
* Dennis Lynds (1924–2005)
* Ed Lynskey (1956–)
* John D. MacDonald (1916–1986)
* Ross Macdonald (1915–1983), pseudonym of Kenneth Millar
* Charlotte MacLeod (1922–2004), also writes under Alisa Craig
* Henning Mankell (1948–2015)
* Dan J. Marlowe (1914–1987)
* Ngaio Marsh (1895–1982)
* Seichō Matsumoto (1909–1992)
* Ed McBain (1926–2005)
* Alexander McCall Smith (1948–)
* James McClure (1939–2006)
* Val McDermid (1955–)
* Jimmy McGovern
* Margaret Millar (1915–1994)
* Gladys Mitchell (1901–1983)
* Premendra Mitra (1904–1988)
* Miyuki Miyabe (1960–)
* Christopher G. Moore (1946–)
* Walter Mosley (1952–)
* Margaret Murphy

## N–S

* Reggie Nadelson
* Jo Nesbø (1960–)
* Friedrich Neznansky
* Kyotaro Nishimura (1930–2022)
* Asa Nonami (1960–)
* Rintaro Norizuki (1964–)
* Joyce Carol Oates
* Kido Okamoto (1872–1939)
* Go Osaka (1943–)
* Arimasa Osawa (1956–)
* Robert B. Parker (1932–2010)
* James Patterson (1947–)
* Eliot Pattison
* Louise Penny (1958–)
* Anne Perry (1938–2023)
* Ellis Peters (1913–1995), pseudonym of Edith Pargeter
* Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849)
* Ellery Queen, pseudonym of Frederick Dannay and Manfred B. Lee
* Qiu Xiaolong (1953–)
* Ian Rankin (1960–)
* Satyajit Ray (1921–1992)
* Kathy Reichs
* Ruth Rendell (1930–2015)
* Rick Riordan (1964–)
* J. D. Robb, pseudonym of Nora Roberts
* Les Roberts
* Peter Robinson
* Hemendra Kumar Roy (1888–1963)
* S. J. Rozan (1950–)
* Lawrence Sanders (1920–1998)
* John Sandford (1944–)
* Dorothy L. Sayers (1893–1957)
* Steven Saylor (1956–)
* Dell Shannon (1921–1988), pseudonym of Elizabeth Linington
* Soji Shimada (1948–)
* Georges Simenon (1903–1989)
* Sjöwall and Wahlöö (1935–2020, 1926–1975)
* Martin Cruz Smith (1942–)
* Mickey Spillane (1918–2006)
* Manning Lee Stokes (1911–1976)
* Rex Stout (1886–1975)
* Leonie Swann

## T–Y

* Akimitsu Takagi (1920–1995)
* Katsuhiko Takahashi (1947–)
* Josephine Tey (1896–1952)
* Andrew Vachss (1942–2021)
* Janwillem van de Wetering (1931–2008)
* Robert van Gulik (1910–1967)
* Jack Vance (1916–2013)
* Barbara Vine, pseudonym of Ruth Rendell
* H. Russell Wakefield (1888–1964)
* Joseph Wambaugh (1937–)
* Charlie Wells
* Patricia Wentworth (1878–1961)
* Donald Westlake (pseudonyms include Richard Stark)
* Jacqueline Winspear
* Stuart Woods (1938–)
* Seishi Yokomizo (1902–1981)
* Hideo Yokoyama (1957–)