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Quick answer: If you like Jeffery Deaver, read Michael Connelly, Tess Gerritsen, Karin Slaughter and Thomas Harris. All write clever, twisting thrillers about killers and the investigators who hunt them.
Jeffery Deaver is known for the Lincoln Rhyme series, starting with The Bone Collector, in which a quadriplegic forensic expert solves crimes through evidence, as well as for Kathryn Dance and standalone thrillers. His books are famous for twists. The books below offer similar puzzle-driven crime fiction.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bone Collector | Jeffery Deaver | Adult | forensic puzzles |
| The Poet | Michael Connelly | Adult | investigative thriller |
| The Black Echo | Michael Connelly | Adult | modern procedural |
| The Lincoln Lawyer | Michael Connelly | Adult | legal thriller |
| The Surgeon | Tess Gerritsen | Adult | Rizzoli and Isles |
| Blindsighted | Karin Slaughter | Adult | gritty small-town crime |
| The Silence of the Lambs | Thomas Harris | Adult | classic FBI thriller |
| Red Dragon | Thomas Harris | Adult | profiler thriller |
| Kiss the Girls | James Patterson | Adult | fast crime |
| Postmortem | Patricia Cornwell | Adult | the series start |
| Deja Dead | Kathy Reichs | Adult | forensic anthropology |
| The Face of Deception | Iris Johansen | Adult | forensic suspense |
| Gone Girl | Gillian Flynn | Adult | readers who like unreliable narrators |
| Mindhunter | John Douglas and Mark Olshaker | Adult | profiling |
| Killing Floor | Lee Child | Adult | action thriller |
1. The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver
A quadriplegic forensic expert, Lincoln Rhyme, guides a young officer through crime scenes by reading evidence. Clever, twisty and heavy on detail.
Best for: forensic puzzles.
2. The Poet by Michael Connelly
A crime reporter investigates a serial killer who targets detectives. Tightly plotted and fast, from a master of procedurals.
Best for: investigative thriller.
3. The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
Detective Harry Bosch investigates a body in a drain. A tight modern classic.
Best for: modern procedural.
4. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
Mickey Haller works out of his car. Sharp and fast.
Best for: legal thriller.
5. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
Detective Jane Rizzoli hunts a killer with a surgeon's precision. It launched a long Boston series and is fast, tense and unsettling.
Best for: Rizzoli and Isles.
6. Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter
Pediatrician and medical examiner Sara Linton helps solve brutal murders in a Georgia town. Dark and character-driven, and not for the squeamish.
Best for: gritty small-town crime.
7. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
Clarice Starling consults Hannibal Lecter to catch Buffalo Bill. Essential.
Best for: classic FBI thriller.
8. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
An FBI agent consults Hannibal Lecter to catch a killer. Dark and precise.
Best for: profiler thriller.
9. Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
Alex Cross hunts a collector of women. Short chapters make it a quick read with a strong focus on the killer's methods.
Best for: fast crime.
10. Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
The first Scarpetta novel, in which the medical examiner chases a serial killer in Richmond. If you have not started the series yet, begin here.
Best for: the series start.
11. Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist in Montreal, investigates dismembered bodies. Reichs works as a forensic anthropologist herself, and the science feels real. It also inspired the TV show Bones.
Best for: forensic anthropology.
12. The Face of Deception by Iris Johansen
A forensic sculptor helps a detective find a missing girl. Fast and gripping.
Best for: forensic suspense.
13. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
A wife disappears, and her husband is accused. A twisty, cynical marriage thriller.
Best for: readers who like unreliable narrators.
14. Mindhunter by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker
The memoir of an FBI profiler who helped build behavioural analysis. Fascinating.
Best for: profiling.
15. Killing Floor by Lee Child
Jack Reacher arrives in a Georgia town and is arrested for murder. Fast and tough.
Best for: action thriller.
How to Choose
For more Deaver begin with The Bone Collector. For forensic thrillers choose Cornwell, Reichs or Gerritsen. For serial-killer chases pick Thomas Harris or James Patterson. For modern procedurals read Michael Connelly. For psychological twists try Gone Girl. Deaver's plots turn on reversals, so these picks suit readers who love to be surprised. Deaver plots his novels in great detail before writing, which is one reason they feel so tightly constructed. The Bone Collector was adapted into a 1999 film starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, and a TV series followed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Jeffery Deaver known for?
The Lincoln Rhyme thrillers and clever twist endings.
Where should I start?
With The Bone Collector.
Do I need to read in order?
Mostly not, though the Rhyme series develops.
Are his books violent?
Yes, but not gratuitously.
How many Lincoln Rhyme books are there?
More than a dozen. Check current listings.
Is there a film?
Yes, The Bone Collector (1999).
Does he write standalones?
Yes, as well as other series.
What should I read next?
Try The Poet or The Surgeon.
Which book here is best for legal thriller?
Try The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly, which suits readers looking for legal thriller.
Which book here is best for classic FBI thriller?
Try The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris, which suits readers looking for classic FBI thriller.
Which book here is best for the series start?
Try Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell, which suits readers looking for the series start.
Which book here is best for readers who like unreliable narrators?
Try Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, which suits readers looking for readers who like unreliable narrators.