Most Popular Mystery Books of the 1980s

Dismas Hardy #1

Dead Irish

John Lescroart

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1989

Alex Delaware #4

Silent Partner

Jonathan Kellerman

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1989

The Misadventure of Sherlock Holmes

Sebastian Wolfe

Science Fiction · Crime Fiction · Anthology · Sherlock Holmes · Short Stories

1989

Tomorrow's Crimes: Anarchaos and Other Stories of Fantastic Suspense

Donald E. Westlake

Science Fiction · Short Stories · Mystery

October 1989

Little Saigon

T. Jefferson Parker

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1988

The Simeon Chamber

Steve Martini

Crime Fiction · Legal Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1988

Alex Delaware #3

Over the Edge

Jonathan Kellerman

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1987

Agents of Innocence

David Ignatius

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1987

Alex Delaware #2

Blood Test

Jonathan Kellerman

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1986

The Christmas Train

David Baldacci

Christmas Fiction · Mystery · Romance

October 1, 1984

Watchman

Ian Rankin

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

1988

The Flood

Ian Rankin

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1986

French Kiss

Eric Van Lustbader

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1988

Zero

Eric Van Lustbader

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1988

China Maroc #2

Shan

Eric Van Lustbader

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1986

China Maroc #1

Jian

Eric Van Lustbader

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1985

Nicholas Linnear #2

The Miko

Eric Van Lustbader

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1984

Black Heart

Eric Van Lustbader

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1983

Nicholas Linnear #1

The Ninja

Eric Van Lustbader

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1980

Badge Of Honor #2

Special Operations

W.E.B. Griffin

Crime Fiction · War & Military · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

October 1, 1989

Gone Missing

Clive Egleton

Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1989

Gangs!

Ed McBain

Crime Fiction · Mystery

April 1, 1989

Downtown

Ed McBain

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1989

The Bridesmaid

Ruth Rendell

Crime Fiction · Psychological Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1989

Red Phoenix #1

Red Phoenix

Larry Bond

War & Military · Adventure · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

June 6, 1989

The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #17

The Potter's Field

Ellis Peters

Crime Fiction · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

September 1, 1989

The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #16

The Heretic's Apprentice

Ellis Peters

Crime Fiction · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

February 1, 1989

87th Precinct #41

Lullaby

Ed McBain

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1989

Bernie Gunther #1

March Violets

Philip Kerr

Crime Fiction · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1989

Arkady Renko #2

Polar Star

Martin Cruz Smith

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

June 13, 1989

The November Man #10

The Man Who Heard Too Much

Bill Granger

Spy Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

November 1, 1989

Matt Helm #25

The Frighteners

Donald Hamilton

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Adventure · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1989

Leaphorn & Chee #9

Talking God

Tony Hillerman

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller · Western

January 1, 1989

Kinsey Millhone #6

F is for Fugitive

Sue Grafton

Crime Fiction · Adult · Mystery · Thriller

May 15, 1989

The Tiller Galloway Novels #1

Hatteras Blue

David Poyer

Adventure · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1989

The Lindsay Gordon Mysteries #2

Common Murder

Val McDermid

Crime Fiction · LGBTQ+ · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1989