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–)
• 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–)

See also

• Detective fiction
• List of crime writers
• List of mystery writers
• List of authors
• List of female detective/mystery writers

External resources

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