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Fiction » Thrillers

Most Recommended Books

The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

“This book is about an old-fashioned Second World War hero and it was popular at the time but somehow it still resonates because it’s a damn good story.”

Jeffrey Archer, Novelist

Read more

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

“If you want to be a crime writer it is one of the books that you absolutely have to read. It has been one of the most successful, if not the most successful, crime novel of the 20th century.”

Peter James, Thriller and Crime Writer

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Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

“The main thing about Rebecca that I find completely compelling is the way that you, the reader, become complicit in a situation which, eventually, turns into a crime.”

Lucy Atkins, Journalist

Read more

The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

“What I adore about the book is how brilliantly she explores the idea of moral grey areas and how the main character does things in a sort of neutral space—a psychopathic neutral space—and Highsmith writes this in a quite nonchalant way, while building this ongoing tension and horror. You sort of love Ripley, as the novel moves on, but you are also horrified by him. I just think that’s genius: when you can get me deeply caring about a character who I also find appalling and frightening.”

Lucy Atkins, Journalist

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Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett

“John le Carré is very cerebral. There is an intellectual puzzle of trying to figure out who the characters are. Eye of the Needle was an out-and-out chase thriller.”

Tess Gerritsen, Thriller and Crime Writer

Read more

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We have a lot of interviews with writers and other experts choosing the best thriller books.

Anthony Franze,  Lucy Atkins, Jeffrey Archer, Tess Gerritsen, Sam Bourne, Simon Kernick and James Twining all choose their favourite thrillers.  Matt Lynn chooses his best British thrillers.

On sub-genres of thrillers Scott Turow recommends the best legal novels.  Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom recommend their best Swedish crime writing.  Peter James recommends his best crime fiction and Simon Brett the best Whodunnits.

On political thriller books, Peter Hitchens chooses his best anti-communist thrillers and Jeremy Duns his best forgotten Cold War thrillers.  Ben Macintyre chooses The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carré and Casino Royale by Ian Fleming in his best books on spies. Charles Cumming chooses Le Carré’s The Constant Gardener among his best books on espionage.

Ramsey Campbell and Kim Newman choose their best horror stories, while Louise Bagshawe chooses the best chase stories.

We have selected the best thriller audiobooks if you prefer to listen.

Our interviewees have chosen a very wide range of books, but, some thrillers come up multiple times. Both Lucy Atkins and Tess Gerristen chose Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.  Jeffrey Archer and Sam Bourne both selected The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan. Sam Bourne also chose The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth.  That thriller also makes James Twining’s list.  Tess Gerritsen and Louise Bagshawe both choose Eye of a Needle by Ken Follett.

    The Best Psychological Thrillers, recommended by Tammy Cohen

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    The Best Psychological Thrillers - Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty

    1

    Apple Tree Yard
    by Louise Doughty

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    The Best Psychological Thrillers - Lie With Me by Sabine Durrant

    2

    Lie With Me
    by Sabine Durrant

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    The Best Psychological Thrillers - Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent

    3

    Lying in Wait
    by Liz Nugent

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    The Best Psychological Thrillers - Broken Harbour by Tana French

    4

    Broken Harbour
    by Tana French

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    The Best Psychological Thrillers - Our House by Louise Candlish

    5

    Our House
    by Louise Candlish

The Best Psychological Thrillers, recommended by Tammy Cohen

Psychological thrillers play on our fears that those closest to us can’t be trusted and that even our homes aren’t safe, explains Tammy Cohen, author of Stop at Nothing and They All Fall Down. She recommends five psychological thrillers and explains what it is that makes them so deeply unsettling and utterly gripping.

    The Best Thrillers of 2020, recommended by Anthony Franze

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - One Good Deed by David Baldacci

    1

    One Good Deed
    by David Baldacci

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - Rag and Bone by Joe Clifford

    2

    Rag and Bone
    by Joe Clifford

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - Recursion by Blake Crouch

    3

    Recursion
    by Blake Crouch

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzell Hall

    4

    They All Fall Down
    by Rachel Howzell Hall

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - The Chain by Adrian McKinty

    5

    The Chain
    by Adrian McKinty

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    The Best Thrillers of 2020 - Conviction by Denise Mina

    6

    Conviction
    by Denise Mina

The Best Thrillers of 2020, recommended by Anthony Franze

Every year, the International Thriller Writers awards highlight the best new thrillers of the previous year. Anthony Franze, administrator of the awards and an acclaimed thriller author in his own right, talks us through their 2020 shortlist for the best new thriller published in hardback.

    The Best Thrillers of 2019, recommended by Anthony Franze

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    The Best Thrillers of 2019 - November Road by Lou Berney

    1

    November Road
    by Lou Berney

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    The Best Thrillers of 2019 - Paper Ghosts: A Novel of Suspense by Julia Heaberlin

    2

    Paper Ghosts: A Novel of Suspense
    by Julia Heaberlin

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    The Best Thrillers of 2019 - Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

    3

    Jar of Hearts
    by Jennifer Hillier

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    The Best Thrillers of 2019 - Pieces of Her: A Novel by Karin Slaughter

    4

    Pieces of Her: A Novel
    by Karin Slaughter

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    The Best Thrillers of 2019 - The Cabin at the End of the World: A Novel by Paul Tremblay

    5

    The Cabin at the End of the World: A Novel
    by Paul Tremblay

The Best Thrillers of 2019, recommended by Anthony Franze

Looking for a pacy, suspenseful thriller that keeps you racing through the pages? Look no further. Anthony Franze, author and coordinator of the International Thriller Writers’ annual awards, talks us through some of the books that made the shortlist for the best thrillers of 2019.

    The Best Classic Thrillers, recommended by Lucy Atkins

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    The Best Classic Thrillers - Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

    1

    Rebecca
    by Daphne Du Maurier

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    The Best Classic Thrillers - The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

    2

    The Talented Mr Ripley
    by Patricia Highsmith

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    The Best Classic Thrillers - We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

    3

    We Have Always Lived in the Castle
    by Shirley Jackson

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    The Best Classic Thrillers - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

    4

    Jane Eyre
    by Charlotte Brontë

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    The Best Classic Thrillers - The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

    5

    The Woman in White
    by Wilkie Collins

The Best Classic Thrillers, recommended by Lucy Atkins

Every week, dozens of new thrillers appear in bookshops. But, often, the classic ones are the best of all. If you haven’t read any of these five yet, you have a treat in store.

    The Best Classic Thrillers, recommended by Sam Bourne

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    The Best Classic Thrillers - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré

    1

    Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
    by John le Carré

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    The Best Classic Thrillers - Fatherland by Robert Harris

    2

    Fatherland
    by Robert Harris

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    The Best Classic Thrillers - The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

    3

    The Day of the Jackal
    by Frederick Forsyth

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    The Best Classic Thrillers - The Plot Against America by Philip Roth

    4

    The Plot Against America
    by Philip Roth

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    The Best Classic Thrillers - The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

    5

    The Thirty-Nine Steps
    by John Buchan

The Best Classic Thrillers, recommended by Sam Bourne

The bestselling author tells us how his other job as a political journalist helps with thriller writing, and what makes le Carré, Forsyth and Buchan such masters of their trade

    The Best Thrillers, recommended by Simon Kernick

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    The Best Thrillers - A Dance at the Slaughterhouse by Lawrence Block

    1

    A Dance at the Slaughterhouse
    by Lawrence Block

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    The Best Thrillers - Tell No One by Harlan Coben

    2

    Tell No One
    by Harlan Coben

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    The Best Thrillers - The Pledge by Friedrich Dürrenmatt

    3

    The Pledge
    by Friedrich Dürrenmatt

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    The Best Thrillers - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

    4

    The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
    by Agatha Christie

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    The Best Thrillers - Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane

    5

    Gone Baby Gone
    by Dennis Lehane

The Best Thrillers, recommended by Simon Kernick

Plot is king, says bestselling thriller writer Simon Kernick of his chosen genre. He lists five of his all-time favourites

    Tess Gerritsen recommends her Favourite Thrillers

  • Read
    Tess Gerritsen recommends her Favourite Thrillers - Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

    1

    Rebecca
    by Daphne Du Maurier

  • Read
    Tess Gerritsen recommends her Favourite Thrillers - Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett

    2

    Eye of the Needle
    by Ken Follett

  • Read
    Tess Gerritsen recommends her Favourite Thrillers - The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

    3

    The Andromeda Strain
    by Michael Crichton

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    Tess Gerritsen recommends her Favourite Thrillers - The Informationist by Taylor Stevens

    4

    The Informationist
    by Taylor Stevens

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    Tess Gerritsen recommends her Favourite Thrillers - Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson

    5

    Before I Go To Sleep
    by SJ Watson

Tess Gerritsen recommends her Favourite Thrillers

A good thriller isn’t about the violence or bloodshed, it’s about making the reader feel off-balance and as if something isn’t quite right, says bestselling author Tess Gerritsen. She tells us about her own favourite thrillers.

    Great British Thrillers, recommended by Matt Lynn

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    Great British Thrillers - Journey into Fear by Eric Ambler

    1

    Journey into Fear
    by Eric Ambler

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    Great British Thrillers - The Wreck of the Mary Deare by Hammond Innes

    2

    The Wreck of the Mary Deare
    by Hammond Innes

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    Great British Thrillers - Ice Station Zebra by Alistair MacLean

    3

    Ice Station Zebra
    by Alistair MacLean

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    Great British Thrillers - Berlin Game by Len Deighton

    4

    Berlin Game
    by Len Deighton

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    Great British Thrillers - The Odessa File by Frederick Forsyth

    5

    The Odessa File
    by Frederick Forsyth

Great British Thrillers, recommended by Matt Lynn

Author Matt Lynn says that good thrillers need a sense of foreboding and tension – and a brilliant central character. “The thriller has always been a very political genre, a kind of snapshot in time”

    The best books on Swedish Crime Writing, recommended by Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström

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    The best books on Swedish Crime Writing - The Laughing Policemen by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

    1

    The Laughing Policemen
    by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

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    The best books on Swedish Crime Writing - One Step Behind by Henning Mankell

    2

    One Step Behind
    by Henning Mankell

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    The best books on Swedish Crime Writing - Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

    3

    Shutter Island
    by Dennis Lehane

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    The best books on Swedish Crime Writing - The Abominable Man by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

    4

    The Abominable Man
    by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

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    The best books on Swedish Crime Writing - The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

    5

    The Raven
    by Edgar Allan Poe

The best books on Swedish Crime Writing, recommended by Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström

The celebrated Swedish crime-writing duo take turns to recommend gripping and grisly Scandinavian thrillers, as well as to tell us about visiting prison – and being in it

    The Best Crime Fiction, recommended by Peter James

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    The Best Crime Fiction - Brighton Rock by Graham Greene

    1

    Brighton Rock
    by Graham Greene

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    The Best Crime Fiction - The Con Man by Ed McBain

    2

    The Con Man
    by Ed McBain

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    The Best Crime Fiction - The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

    3

    The Hound of the Baskervilles
    by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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    The Best Crime Fiction - The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

    4

    The Silence of the Lambs
    by Thomas Harris

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    The Best Crime Fiction - The Reversal by Michael Connelly

    5

    The Reversal
    by Michael Connelly

The Best Crime Fiction, recommended by Peter James

The best crime novels grip you right from the first sentence and don’t let go, says bestselling crime author, Peter James. He picks his own favourite crime novels.

    The best books on Spies, recommended by Ben Macintyre

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    The best books on Spies - The Double-Cross System by J C Masterman

    1

    The Double-Cross System
    by J C Masterman

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    The best books on Spies - The Defence of the Realm by Christopher Andrew

    2

    The Defence of the Realm
    by Christopher Andrew

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    The best books on Spies - The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré

    3

    The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
    by John le Carré

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    The best books on Spies - The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers

    4

    The Riddle of the Sands
    by Erskine Childers

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    The best books on Spies - Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

    5

    Casino Royale
    by Ian Fleming

The best books on Spies, recommended by Ben Macintyre

The British public-school system, with its hidden homosexuality and feelings of loneliness, encouraged subterfuge and led to a generation of great spy writers and spies, suggests author and journalist Ben Macintyre. He picks the best books on spies.

    The best books on Writing a Great Thriller, recommended by James Twining

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    The best books on Writing a Great Thriller - The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

    1

    The Maltese Falcon
    by Dashiell Hammett

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    The best books on Writing a Great Thriller - From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming

    2

    From Russia With Love
    by Ian Fleming

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    The best books on Writing a Great Thriller - The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

    3

    The Day of the Jackal
    by Frederick Forsyth

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    The best books on Writing a Great Thriller - The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

    4

    The Bourne Identity
    by Robert Ludlum

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    The best books on Writing a Great Thriller - The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

    5

    The Silence of the Lambs
    by Thomas Harris

The best books on Writing a Great Thriller, recommended by James Twining

Best-selling author says the elements you need to write a perfect thriller are a brilliant central character, some link to reality, and an inanimate object around which the human story revolves.

    The best books on Horror Stories, recommended by Ramsey Campbell

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    The best books on Horror Stories - The White People and Other Weird Stories by Arthur Machen

    1

    The White People and Other Weird Stories
    by Arthur Machen

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    The best books on Horror Stories - Collected Ghost Stories by MR James

    2

    Collected Ghost Stories
    by MR James

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    The best books on Horror Stories - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

    3

    The Haunting of Hill House
    by Shirley Jackson

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    The best books on Horror Stories - The Dark Descent by David G Hartwell (editor)

    4

    The Dark Descent
    by David G Hartwell (editor)

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    The best books on Horror Stories - The Mammoth Book of the Best of Best New Horror by Stephen Jones (editor)

    5

    The Mammoth Book of the Best of Best New Horror
    by Stephen Jones (editor)

The best books on Horror Stories, recommended by Ramsey Campbell

From the psychological terror of a haunted house to the spectral dread of an indescribable colour, the British horror writer recommends five disturbing tales to get you in the mood for Halloween

    The Best Legal Novels, recommended by Scott Turow

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    The Best Legal Novels - Billy Budd, Sailor by Herman Melville

    1

    Billy Budd, Sailor
    by Herman Melville

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    The Best Legal Novels - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    2

    To Kill a Mockingbird
    by Harper Lee

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    The Best Legal Novels - The Just and the Unjust by James Gould Cozzens

    3

    The Just and the Unjust
    by James Gould Cozzens

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    The Best Legal Novels - A Married Man by Piers Paul Read

    4

    A Married Man
    by Piers Paul Read

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    The Best Legal Novels - Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

    5

    Snow Falling on Cedars
    by David Guterson

The Best Legal Novels, recommended by Scott Turow

The bestselling author of legal thriller Presumed Innocent tells us about his own favourite legal novels.

    Jeffrey Archer on Bestsellers

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    Jeffrey Archer on Bestsellers - All quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

    1

    All quiet on the Western Front
    by Erich Maria Remarque

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    Jeffrey Archer on Bestsellers - A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

    2

    A Tale of Two Cities
    by Charles Dickens

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    Jeffrey Archer on Bestsellers - The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

    3

    The Thirty-Nine Steps
    by John Buchan

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    Jeffrey Archer on Bestsellers - Malgudi Days by R K Narayan

    4

    Malgudi Days
    by R K Narayan

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    Jeffrey Archer on Bestsellers - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

    5

    The Count of Monte Cristo
    by Alexandre Dumas

Jeffrey Archer on Bestsellers

‘The attitude among the intellectuals was that Dumas wasn’t good enough. It’s taken the French 200 years to realise that telling a good story is actually worthwhile and they’re putting statues up now.” Jeffery Archer on his favourite bestsellers (not by him).

    The Best Whodunnits, recommended by Simon Brett

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    The Best Whodunnits - A Dark-Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine

    1

    A Dark-Adapted Eye
    by Barbara Vine

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    The Best Whodunnits - Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton

    2

    Hangover Square
    by Patrick Hamilton

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    The Best Whodunnits - A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin

    3

    A Kiss Before Dying
    by Ira Levin

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    The Best Whodunnits - The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

    4

    The Big Sleep
    by Raymond Chandler

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    The Best Whodunnits - The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

    5

    The Talented Mr Ripley
    by Patricia Highsmith

The Best Whodunnits, recommended by Simon Brett

When it comes to whodunnits, the latest ones aren’t always the best. Veteran crime writer Simon Brett talks us through some of his all-time favourites.

    The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers, recommended by Peter Hitchens

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    The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - Judgment on Deltchev by Eric Ambler

    1

    Judgment on Deltchev
    by Eric Ambler

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    The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - The Night of Wenceslas by Lionel Davidson

    2

    The Night of Wenceslas
    by Lionel Davidson

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    The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - In the Wet by Nevil Shute

    3

    In the Wet
    by Nevil Shute

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    The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - Advise and Consent by Allen Drury

    4

    Advise and Consent
    by Allen Drury

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    The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers - When the Kissing Had to Stop by Constantine FitzGibbon

    5

    When the Kissing Had to Stop
    by Constantine FitzGibbon

The Best Anti-Communist Thrillers, recommended by Peter Hitchens

Right-wing journalist and political commentator Peter Hitchens says the Left has been liberated by the fall of the Berlin Wall and that speech is probably freer in modern Russia than it is in Britain. He recommends some great anti-Communist thrillers.

    The best books on Forgotten Cold War Thrillers, recommended by Jeremy Duns

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    The best books on Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - Seventeen Moments of Spring by Yulian Semyonov

    1

    Seventeen Moments of Spring
    by Yulian Semyonov

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    The best books on Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - The Private Sector by Joseph Hone

    2

    The Private Sector
    by Joseph Hone

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    The best books on Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - The Ninth Directive by Adam Hall

    3

    The Ninth Directive
    by Adam Hall

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    The best books on Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - Mills by Manning O’Brine

    4

    Mills
    by Manning O’Brine

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    The best books on Forgotten Cold War Thrillers - The Kremlin Letter by Noel Behn

    5

    The Kremlin Letter
    by Noel Behn

The best books on Forgotten Cold War Thrillers, recommended by Jeremy Duns

Author Jeremy Duns says Maksim Isaev was a kind of Soviet James Bond and when they rerun the old black and white TV shows the Russian crime rate drops because everyone is indoors watching them

    The Best Chase Stories, recommended by Louise Bagshawe

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    The Best Chase Stories - The Pelican Brief by John Grisham

    1

    The Pelican Brief
    by John Grisham

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    The Best Chase Stories - Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett

    2

    Eye of the Needle
    by Ken Follett

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    The Best Chase Stories - A Matter of Honour by Jeffrey Archer

    3

    A Matter of Honour
    by Jeffrey Archer

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    The Best Chase Stories - Nathan’s Run by John Gilstrap

    4

    Nathan’s Run
    by John Gilstrap

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    The Best Chase Stories - Passion by Louise Bagshawe

    5

    Passion
    by Louise Bagshawe

The Best Chase Stories, recommended by Louise Bagshawe

Everyone’s on the run from something in their life. Bestselling author Louise Bagshawe recommends some of her favourite chase stories, a world of jailbreaks, secret documents, beautiful heroines, honour, revenge, death and glory.

    The best books on Espionage, recommended by Charles Cumming

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    The best books on Espionage - The Perfect English Spy by Tom Bower

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    The Perfect English Spy
    by Tom Bower

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    The best books on Espionage - Their Trade is Treachery by Chapman Pincher

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    Their Trade is Treachery
    by Chapman Pincher

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    The best books on Espionage - A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler

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    A Coffin for Dimitrios
    by Eric Ambler

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    The best books on Espionage - The Constant Gardener by John le Carré

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    The Constant Gardener
    by John le Carré

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    The best books on Espionage - sex, lies and videotape by Steven Soderbergh

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    sex, lies and videotape
    by Steven Soderbergh

The best books on Espionage, recommended by Charles Cumming

Leading British spy writer Charles Cumming found his vocation at 25 after he was approached by MI6. He says that experience, brief but interesting, was crying out to be dramatised

    The best books on Horror, recommended by Kim Newman

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    The best books on Horror - Dracula by Bram Stoker

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    Dracula
    by Bram Stoker

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    The best books on Horror - I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

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    I Am Legend
    by Richard Matheson

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    The best books on Horror - Misery by Stephen King

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    Misery
    by Stephen King

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    The best books on Horror - Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edgar Allan Poe

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    Tales of Mystery and Imagination
    by Edgar Allan Poe

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    The best books on Horror - The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

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    The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
    by Robert Louis Stevenson

The best books on Horror, recommended by Kim Newman

Which are the best horror books ever written? Novelist and horror expert Kim Newman, author of Anno Dracula, talks us through his top five and reveals which of the classics is, for him, the greatest of them all.

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