# List of crime writers

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
* Andrea Camilleri (1925–2019, IT)
* 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)
* Gabriella Genisi (born 1965, IT)
* 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)