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
 * 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)