Top 10 Most Famous Detective Fiction Authors Worldwide

Sydney Sheldon (1917 - 2007) was a renowned American novelist. His childhood was filled with hardships, which provided him with a wealth of experiences that became the foundation for his captivating and rich novels. Sydney Sheldon authored 18 novels, selling over 300 million copies worldwide.

He holds the Guinness World Record for being the most translated author. In addition to his detective fiction, he was a successful screenwriter and television scriptwriter.

Some of his famous works include:

• Rage of Angels
• If Tomorrow Comes
• Nothing Lasts Forever
• The Sky is Falling
• Tell Me Your Dreams
• The Perfect Poison
• The Doomsday Conspiracy

His difficult childhood and wealth of life experiences served as the foundation for his incredible storytelling, producing some of the most memorable literary works that continue to resonate with readers worldwide.

Tri Thù is a Chinese author known for his detective novels. His real name is Wang Lei Wei, and he hails from Shandong, China. His most famous work is "Ten Crimes," which was later adapted into a television series.

"Ten Crimes" revolves around ten shocking cases based on real-life incidents that created a stir across China. In these stories, you will encounter evil characters who are so vile they seem devoid of any morality. Every form of crime is portrayed naturally, without forced exaggeration. However, beyond the distorted worldview of criminals, Tri Thù seeks to guide readers toward humanity and goodness, echoing his belief that "There are no evil people in the world, only good people who make mistakes."

Other works by him include:

• Records of the Qin Dynasty
• Complete Encyclopedia of Crime
• The Manifesto of the Disabled
• Memoir Notes
• Reaching the Peak of Conflict

For detective fiction lovers, Tri Thù's "Ten Crimes" is a must-read.

For those who are passionate about detective fiction, Jeffery Deaver is a must-read. Born on May 6, 1950, Deaver is a former journalist, lawyer, and folk singer from the United States. Throughout his literary career, he has written over 20 novels, which have been sold in more than 150 countries and translated into 25 different languages.

Deaver has received several prestigious awards, including the annual Steel Dagger from the British Crime Writers' Association for the best thriller of the year, the Ellery Queen Readers' Award, the British Thumping Good Read Award, the Anthony Award, and an Edgar Award nomination from the Mystery Writers of America.

Some of his most famous works include:

• The Bone Collector
• The Devil's Den
• The Coffin Dancer
• Deadly Secrets
• The Roadside Cross
• The Sleeping Doll
• The Devil's Teardrop
• The 12th Card

His books have regularly appeared on bestseller lists such as The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times.

Lôi Mễ is a famous Chinese detective novelist. Unlike most crime writers, Lôi Mễ is also a lecturer at a police academy in China. He developed a passion for literature from a young age and began writing while still in middle school. After serving three years in the police force, he wrote his first book, "The Seventh Reader." His psychological crime thrillers, including The Seventh Reader, Bloody Exam Papers, Inhuman Obsession, Underground River, and City Lights, which features the legendary character Phương Mộc, have all become bestsellers. According to Lôi Mễ, no criminal case exists in isolation; each one has a backstory full of colorful and intricate details.

Some of his most famous works include:

• Bloody Exam Papers
• Inhuman Obsession
• Underground River
• City Lights

Due to his professional background, Lôi Mễ’s crime novels are known for their deep criminal insight, logical structure, and realistic, meticulous details.

Stefan Wolf, whose real name was Rolf Kalmuczak, is the renowned author of the famous detective series "TKKG." Born in Germany in 1938 and passing away in 2007, Wolf was also an editor for several daily newspapers in Germany. Aside from writing novels, he made a significant contribution to the literary world with his detective stories.

The "TKKG" series follows four young friends: Peter Carsten (aka Tarzan), Karl Vierstein (aka The Computer), Willi Sauerlich (aka Chubby), and Gaby Glockner (aka The Princess). The series was first released in Vietnam in 2010 and was later adapted into a film in Germany.

Some of the most popular books in the "TKKG" series by Stefan Wolf include:

• The Invisible Criminal
• The Empty Grave on the Moor
• The Secret of the Old Villa
• The Beasts in the Castle
• The Fake Silver Gang on Rat Street

As a well-known name in the world of detective fiction, Wolf’s works are filled with thrilling, suspenseful plots that are a must-read for any fan of the genre.

Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (born February 13, 1903, died September 4, 1989) was a Belgian writer who wrote in French. He is renowned as a highly successful crime novelist, particularly famous for his series featuring the detective Jules Maigret.

Simenon's vast literary career includes 183 novels, 158 short stories, numerous autobiographies, articles, and other works, in addition to 172 novels, dozens of short stories, and fairy tales written under 27 pen names. He is the most widely read Belgian author in the world, with over 550 million copies sold. According to UNESCO’s Index Translationum in 1963, Simenon ranked as the 13th best-selling author of all time, the 3rd best-selling Francophone author after Jules Verne and Alexandre Dumas, and the most translated Belgian author in history, with more than 3,500 translations in 47 languages.

Some of his famous works include:

• The Heaven-bound Cart Driver
• The Tenant
• The Foggy Harbor
• Maigret
• The Teddy Bear

André Gide, André Thérive, and Robert Brasillach were among the first critics to recognize Simenon's talent. Impressed by Simenon's writing from his early detective novels, Gide corresponded with him in 1941, writing: "Simenon is a genius novelist and the most authentic novelist of modern literature."

Patricia Highsmith was a famous 20th-century American author, born in 1921 and living to 95. Many of her novels were adapted into films. In 1950, a young, then unknown female author made a huge impact with her brilliantly plotted story about a planned murder.

Patricia Highsmith (1921 – 1995) pioneered a new genre in detective fiction with her novel Strangers on a Train, giving birth to the psychological thriller. Renowned for her suspenseful psychological novels, her work focused not on solving crimes but on exploring the psychological motivations and circumstances that drive ordinary people to commit crimes.

Some of her notable works include:

• Strangers on a Train
• The Price of Salt
• The Blunderer
• The Talented Mr. Ripley
• Deep Water
• This Sweet Sickness

Not all of Patricia Highsmith's works revolve around murder. Her focus was on the inner lives of her characters and their psychological struggles, rather than moral, legal, or ethical issues. As Highsmith once remarked, 'I find the passion for openly expressing fairness utterly tedious and hypocritical, because life and nature don’t care whether fairness exists.'

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (May 22, 1859 – July 7, 1930) was a Scottish author best known for creating the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes, a work that revolutionized the detective genre. Sherlock Holmes was originally conceived under the name 'Shelling Ford,' a detective who was yet to be fully formed.

In addition to his detective fiction, Doyle wrote numerous works across multiple genres, including science fiction, historical novels, plays, poetry, and memoirs. Though his middle name was Conan, he later adopted it as part of his surname. Over the course of his life, he had two wives and five children (two from his first wife and three from his second). Besides detective stories, his writing portfolio spans science fiction, historical fiction, plays, poetry, and memoirs.

Some of his most famous works include:

• The Sign of Four
• The Hound of the Baskervilles
• The Lost World
• The Valley of Fear
• The Adventure of the Final Problem

Doyle passed away on July 7, 1930, and was found in his garden, clutching his chest. His death was attributed to a heart attack at the age of 71. He was buried in the churchyard at Minstead in New Forest, Hampshire, England.

Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (September 15, 1890 – January 12, 1976), known to the world as Agatha Christie, was a renowned British author of detective fiction. In addition to writing romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, she is most famous for her 66 detective novels.

Christie created two iconic detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, earning her the title of the Queen of Crime. She is recognized as one of the most influential and innovative writers in the genre. According to the Guinness World Records, Agatha Christie is the best-selling mystery novelist of all time, and holds second place overall, trailing only William Shakespeare.

Her books have sold over a billion copies in English alone, and approximately another billion in 103 other languages. Christie is also the best-selling foreign author in France, with 40 million copies sold in French by 2003, surpassing even the French author Emile Zola, who sold only 22 million copies.

Her play The Mousetrap, which debuted at London's Ambassadors Theatre on November 25, 1952, holds the record for the longest-running play in London theatre history, continuing to be performed with over 20,000 performances by 2007. In 1955, she was the first recipient of the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America.

Some of her most famous works include:

• Murder on the Orient Express
• Murder in Mesopotamia
• The Third Girl
• The Goddess of Vengeance
• The Secret Adversary

Nearly all of her works have been adapted into films, with some being adapted multiple times, such as Murder on the Orient Express, Murder on the Nile, and 16:50 from Paddington. Many of her stories have also been turned into TV shows and video games.

Dan Brown is an American author born on June 22, 1964. His mother was a professional musician, and his father was a renowned mathematics teacher. Before becoming a writer, Brown taught English. His debut novel, Digital Fortress, was published in 1998. The book garnered significant attention, marking the beginning of his career as an author.

In 2003, he released The Da Vinci Code, which quickly became one of the best-selling books of all time, with 60.5 million copies sold worldwide. Riding the wave of success from The Da Vinci Code, he followed up with Inferno in 2014, which also became a major hit among thriller enthusiasts.

Some of his other notable works include:

• Angels & Demons (2000)
• Deception Point (2001)
• The Lost Symbol (2009)

Brown ranks 12th on Forbes' list of “The World's Most Influential People.” His books have achieved impressive sales, with The Da Vinci Code alone selling over 25 million copies and being translated into 44 languages.