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–)

• Edmund Wallace 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–)

External resources

 * Classic Crime Fiction, resource site for collectors of detective fiction