Cold-blooded murders and page-turning plot twists gave readers the chills. They had something for every reader of crime fiction. Here are some of the unforgettable crime novels of the 21st century:

1. Sharp Objects

This is perhaps one of the most disturbing psychological thrillers you might’ve ever come across. Written by Gillian Flynn, this book released in 2006 is a chilling crime thriller. It narrates the story of Camille Preaker, a reporter who returns to her hometown to cover a murder story. As the facts of the case are revealed, she finds herself drawn to the young victim. 

She realizes that the culprit might be a lot closer than she thinks. This novel is certainly not for the faint-hearted. The vivid descriptions of animal abuse, violence, and substance abuse might disturb you. However, if you’re truly craving for a spine-chilling crime novel, this would be an excellent treat.

2. The Lock Artist

Steve Hamilton created this intriguing crime novel when he took a break from the Alex McKnight series. Released in 2009, this book has a unique lead character, The Lock Artist. In the book, Michel is an 18-year-old boy with exceptional talent. He can pick any lock in the world. 

He hasn’t uttered a word in ten years owing to childhood trauma. This unique ability pushes him into the world of crime. This book is not just a crime thriller but a tale of curse, horror, redemption, and love. It is worth reading for being an unusual one in the world of crime thrillers.

3. Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead

This book is the very first in the Claire DeWitt series written by Sara Gran. Released in 2011, it has a sharp and engaging voice. The novel has an exciting plot and is full of adventure, mystery, humour, and an interesting backstory. In this novel, Claire claims to be the greatest detective in the world. She has learned detection from a mysterious handbook written by Jacques Silette. 

The author makes you look through the horrific post-Katrina world. You’ve taken on a thrilling journey as Claire goes to New Orleans to solve a murder case. Author Sara Gran does an excellent job of weaving several compelling stories into a single book.

4. Gone Girl

Released in 2012, this is yet another crime thriller from Gillian Flynn. It successfully captured the female rage and popularized female-driven crime novels once again. The author brings you into a dark place with her sharp writing skills. This masterpiece is hard to put down once you start reading. It begins with Amy’s disappearance on the morning of her wedding with Nick. 

He begins to show suspicious behaviour under tremendous pressure from the media and the police. If you’re someone who likes fast-paced books, this one might seem a bit slow. The novel takes its time to reveal the secrets between Nick and Amy.

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It is their brilliant use of all the elements that keep you interested in stories of crime. Although many would never admit it, the fact remains that most of the readers of fiction love crime novels. Now, let’s explore the reasons behind the popularity of these books:

1. Every scene is linked

You’ll notice that every scene must be justified in the world of crime fiction. Each event in the plot has an important reason or purpose in the story. This is mainly to present every scene as a potential cause of an effect that may be revealed later. A certain scene may also be placed in the novel to mislead the reader. So, even if a scene may appear unwanted in the book, it definitely serves a purpose. 

If such scenes are placed in novels of other genres, the audience may not like them. The scenes in a crime novel work like stones of an arched bridge. Every stone is held in place by the other. If you take away one of them, the whole bridge collapses. This is exactly how scenes work in a crime novel.

2. The search for the culprit

There is this law of cause and effect in the universe. However, not everyone can see it in action owing to the universe’s vastness and complicated nature. Behind every action done is the doer of that action. So, every crime committed has a certain individual who is responsible for it. In crime novels, the search for this individual is constantly on. 

The entire story is built around discovering who’s the real culprit behind the crime. This is what keeps you and the other readers interested in the novel. You know that there is someone who has committed the crime and this generates a heightened curiosity. When there are multiple suspects in the story, your curiosity increases even more.

3. The reason for committing the crime

Just like the other readers, you might be interested in knowing why the culprit committed the crime. There may be a particular purpose behind the crime, though it might not be apparent. Every good crime novel reveals the reason behind the act. 

Generally, the common belief is that crime fiction is all about knowing who committed the crime. In reality, readers are also interested in knowing the ‘why’ behind the crime. After all, you’d certainly expect the motive of the crime to be revealed somewhere in the novel.

4. The need for justice

Whenever a crime is committed, you always want justice for the victim or victims. This is mainly because you tend to empathize with the victim or the ones affected by the crime. So, the need for justice keeps you interested in the novel. 

You want the culprit to be caught and the matter resolved. You turn every page to know who’s the culprit and why he or she has committed the crime. Above all, you turn the pages with the hope that justice would be done in the end.

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Besides all of this, she occasionally performs as an actress on stage in the local theatres. She has the amazing skill of putting her every hobby to work, and this makes her a perpetual workaholic. Here, we’ve listed her exciting crime novels that would give you the right doses of thrills:

1. Chain of Command

Journalists McKenzie and Noah Hutchins, a former Navy SEAL, come together in a search for truth. The Speaker of the House has become the first female President of the United States. This has happened after the assassinations of the President and the Vice President. One of the assassins is believed to be a former Navy SEAL. 

Noah Hutchins finds it hard to believe that his partner has committed the crime. He sees his friend as a hero and not a murderer, as they’ve endured the war in Afghanistan together. The book unravels a dangerous web involving a violent group of ultra-feminists, a radical foreign faction, and corrupt politicians.

2. The Trade

Journalist McKenzie is on her next assignment, tracking down ‘The Cradle Robber’. He is a serial killer who targets pregnant women and takes away infants from their wombs. Jonas Cleary, McKenzie’s former lover, believes that his slain wife was the first victim of The Cradle Robber. 

Assisted by the former Navy SEAL Noah Hutchins, McKenzie sets out on a journey to uncover the mystery. At the heart of the web is a brilliant but ruthless surgeon. Now, it’s up to McKenzie to unlock the puzzle. In the process, she draws dangerously close to the dreaded serial killer.

3. Color Blind

Dr Jenna Ramey has a rare neurological condition. It is characterized by some involuntary sensory perceptions that are triggered by unrelated stimuli. She can utilize these automatic mental associations, understand, and interpret them. This gives her the ability to read people and situations in ways that other individuals cannot. 

Some years back, she had used it to profile and catch criminals as an FBI forensic psychiatrist. She also saved her own family from her mother, who was a sociopath. Now, the FBI needs her help after having detained a mass murderer, whose partner is still on the loose.

4. Double Vision

Yet another crime novel in the Jenna Ramey series, Double Vision has the FBI profiler with a new task. A mass shooting has taken place and the witness of this incident is a little girl. What this girl knows may be the key to grab the individual who is responsible for this horrific crime. 

The little girl’s name is Molly. She is a bright and sweet child who is always eager to help. However, her intense preoccupation with numbers allows her to notice certain things that others cannot. Now, Dr Jenna Ramey has to break the codes of Molly to get to the murderer.

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It would be a refreshing change, therefore, to read something quite different from the usual stuff. Such books deserve some attention, as they break the rules and step into rather unexplored territory. Here are some of these unusual crime novels you might’ve missed:

1. Embry

There are times when weirdness has no effect on the narrative. Embry is a perfect example. Written by Michael Allen Rose, this book is a weird tribute to the sleuth pulp of the 1950s. The novel has a lot of running and hiding, fistfights, and a femme fatale who helps the antagonist. 

It also involves a mysterious murder. Now, the weirdest part is that all the characters in this book are chickens! Yes, you read it right. Apparently, the writer is a fan of pulp and this can be felt on every page of this book.

2. Repo Shark

This novel by Cody Goodfellow qualifies for the crime or bizarro hybrid category. It narrates the story of a repo man whose name is Zef DeGroot. He is sent to a big-time dope dealer in Hawaii to repossess a vintage Harley. What follows next is a succession of fights, misunderstandings, guns, and deities that get transformed into sharks. 

This novel shows that Cody Goodfellow has crime chops. This is surprising, as he is an accomplished writer who is popular in dark and weird fiction. Read this novel if you want to see what pulp appears like when taken to its extremes.

3. Haunt

Written by Laura Lee Bahr, Haunt can be one of the underground cult classics worth reading. Although the book is pure Los Angeles noir at its core, the rest of it is something truly special. The editor John Skipp had to do some serious work on this novel. 

Nevertheless, he turned it into a narrative that was pretty straightforward. It tells the story of a dame who may or may not has died. This keeps the reader interested throughout the narrative. Haunt certainly comes across as one of the most engaging and weird debut novels.

4. Clownfellas

Can you imagine a Mario Puzo joke being turned into a novel? Well, this looks exactly like it. This novel written by Carlton Mellick III is an unusual take on the classic tropes of Italian mobs. Through this book, the author created a world where individuals turn into clowns. 

They do it by injecting themselves with a DNA-altering serum! You’ll find some short narratives in the book that are loosely connected. All of them deal with the criminal acts and tribulations of several characters.

5. Black Gum

You cannot place this work of J. David Osborne is under a particular genre. It would be hard to determine whether it’s really a crime novel. The fact remains that it deals with criminals, unlucky people, and controlled substances. 

In the book, a young man loses control over his life. He then gets into a dark and depressing world of drug abuse, tattoos, and criminals. The oppressive atmosphere created by the story is what makes the book different from the other works of Osborne.

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Most of them are written from the point of view of the person investigating the crime. Almost all the crime story writers use the same investigator throughout the book series. The book The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe is considered the first modern crime novel. 

The detective characters ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and his companion, ‘Dr. Watson’ was popularized by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Another famous character is ‘Hercule Poirot’ from Agatha Christie’s novels. There are five essential features that can be found in most of good crime novels:

1. The detective

Every storyline of a good crime novel will have a detective who is usually the protagonist of the story. Placing a private investigator in a crime novel isn’t always easy. The writer needs to develop a character that the readers will follow during the entire novel. 

Many authors, therefore, spend some time thinking about their protagonist’s personality. They also think about their background, their strengths, their weaknesses, and their motivations. This is mainly due to the fact that they want their protagonist to be unique among the other investigators.

2. The crime

Without a crime, there’ll be no crime novel. Most of the crime novels have a crime as a central part of the story. The book can also have a string of related crimes. The crime that has been committed becomes the catalyst of the novel. It is, therefore, important for it to be interesting and mysterious. 

The seemingly unsolvable mystery would certainly keep the readers guessing until the end. A very common crime in such novels is murder, but there can be other crimes like robberies and kidnappings.

3. The suspects

Many of the crime novels have several suspects who might’ve committed the crime. These suspects may have a history of lying or have weak alibis. Whoever they are, such characters form a vital part of the novel. This is primarily due to the fact that they divert the reader’s attention away from the culprit. 

Some novels in the genre don’t have any suspects. This is deliberately done by certain crime writers to heighten the tension in the book. Often, having no suspects can make it difficult for the writer to keep the case from going cold. So, they find some creative ways to avoid the problem.

4. The antagonist

Every good crime novel would always have an antagonist. He or she is an individual who has evil intentions or selfish motives. Generally, the antagonist is the true culprit behind the crime that has been committed. In some cases, the antagonist doesn’t have to be the one who has committed the crime. 

He or she can be a police officer who doesn’t want someone to be a part of the investigation. The antagonist can also be someone who knows the identity of the culprit and tries to cover it up.

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They rarely feature the courtroom. Mystery and suspense are two of the key elements that are used in these books to create excitement in the reader. Here are some of the best crime novels that you would never want to let go of once you start reading:

1. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

This is the book that made Agatha Christie the best-selling author of detective novels. It was first published in the United Kingdom in 1926. The book was published by Dodd, Mead and Company in the United States. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is the third novel featuring Hercule Poirot as the lead detective. In the novel, Poirot retires to a village close to the home of Roger Ackroyd. 

He is one of Poirot’s friends. Later, Ackroyd is murdered and this prompts Poirot to come out of retirement for solving the case. This novel was well-received after it was published for the first time. The British Crime Writers’ Association voted the novel in 2013 as the best crime novel ever.

2. The Hound of the Baskervilles

Written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this is the third of his four crime novels. You’ll be unable to resist reading about one of the most extraordinary cases of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. It tells the story of an attempted murder, which is based on a legend of a diabolical hound. The case is investigated by Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, who is his companion. 

The Hound of the Baskervilles is considered one of the most famous stories ever written. In 1999, the book was listed as the top Holmes novel. Sherlock Holmes made his first appearance after his apparent death in the short story The Final Problem. The success of this novel led to the eventual revival of the character.

3. The Godfather

This crime novel gives you a glimpse of The Corleones. They are the first family of the powerful American mafia. The Godfather is an epic tale of crime and betrayal, which uncovers the secrets of the underworld. Written by Mario Puzo, the novel was originally published in 1969. It covers the period from 1945 to 1955, including the back story of Vito Corleone. 

There were many Italian words introduced in the novel, such as caporegime, omerta, and Costa Nostra. The novel also served as an inspiration for the 1972 film of the same name. It also had two sequels, which were made in 1974 and 1990. Out of these three films, the first two are regarded as shining examples of cinematic art.

4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

An international bestseller, this psychological thriller tells the tale of Harriet Vanger. She is a young woman belonging to a wealthy family in Sweden. Harriet disappears under mysterious circumstances. Her uncle hires Michael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander forty years later to solve the mystery. 

Blomkvist is a journalist, while Salander is a freelance surveillance agent and researcher. The two discover a line of iniquity that runs through the wealthy Vanger family. You’re also given a glimpse of the corruption in Swedish industrialism. This thrilling novel was written by Stieg Larsson, a Swedish author and journalist.

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