Most Popular Crime Fiction Books of the 1980s

Discover popular Crime Fiction books from the 1980s, with reader ratings and new favorites to explore.

Browse publication years

Choose a year or decade. Your genre selection stays the same.

Books in this list

Another Part of the City

Ed McBain

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1986

A Dark-Adapted Eye

Barbara Vine

Crime Fiction · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1986

Live Flesh

Ruth Rendell

Crime Fiction · Psychological Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1986

The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #13

The Rose Rent

Ellis Peters

Crime Fiction · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

October 1, 1986

The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #12

The Raven in the Foregate

Ellis Peters

Crime Fiction · Historical Fiction · Mystery

February 1, 1986

Matthew Hope Mysteries #6

Cinderella

Ed McBain

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1986

Stallion Gate

Martin Cruz Smith

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Adventure · Historical Fiction · Mystery

January 1, 1986

Side Effects

Michael Palmer

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

May 1, 1986

Harry Maxim Spy Thrillers #3

The Crocus List

Gavin Lyall

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

January 28, 1986

Matt Helm #23

The Vanishers

Donald Hamilton

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Adventure · Mystery · Thriller

August 1, 1986

Rene Shade #1

Under the Bright Lights

Daniel Woodrell

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1986

Leaphorn & Chee #7

Skinwalkers

Tony Hillerman

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller · Western

December 1, 1986

Kinsey Millhone #3

C Is for Corpse

Sue Grafton

Crime Fiction · Adult · Mystery · Thriller

November 24, 1986

Santorini

Alistair MacLean

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Adventure · Mystery

December 1, 1986

Barrier Island

John D. MacDonald

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1986

The Secret of Spandau

Peter Lovesey

Crime Fiction · Historical Fiction

February 24, 1986

Rough Cider

Peter Lovesey

Crime Fiction · Historical Fiction · Mystery

January 1, 1986

A Matter of Honor

Jeffrey Archer

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Adventure · Historical Fiction · Mystery

July 1, 1986

Killer on the Road

James Ellroy

Horror · Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1986

Lloyd Hopkins #3

Suicide Hill

James Ellroy

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1986

Spenser #13

Taming a Seahorse

Robert B. Parker

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1986

Found in the Street

Patricia Highsmith

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1986

The Lost Get-Back Boogie

James Lee Burke

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

1986

Bernard Samson #3

London Match

Len Deighton

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1986

Auguste Lupa #1

Son of Holmes

John Lescroart

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1986

Kinky Friedman Mysteries #1

Greenwich Killing Time

Kinky Friedman

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

1986

Inspector Lestrade #2

Brigade

M. J. Trow

Crime Fiction · Sherlock Holmes · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

1986

Sherlock Holmes #1

The Quallsford Inheritance

Lloyd Biggle, Jr.

Crime Fiction · Sherlock Holmes · Mystery · Thriller

1986

The Secret House Of Death

Ruth Rendell

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

October 12, 1985

Inspector Wexford #13

An Unkindness of Ravens

Ruth Rendell

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

April 15, 1985

The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #11

An Excellent Mystery

Ellis Peters

Crime Fiction · Historical Fiction · Mystery

June 20, 1985

Matthew Hope Mysteries #5

Snow White and Rose Red

Ed McBain

Crime Fiction · Mystery

January 1, 1985

87th Precinct #38

Eight Black Horses

Ed McBain

Crime Fiction · Christmas Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1985

Tony Lord #1

Private Screening

Richard North Patterson

Crime Fiction · Legal Thriller · Adult · Mystery · Thriller

September 28, 1985

Newspaper Murders

Bill Granger, Joe Gash

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1985

Modesty Blaise series #11

Dead Man's Handle

Peter O'Donnell

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Adventure · Mystery · Thriller

October 3, 1985