Wonderful at exploring the dark corners of the human mind, and the way private fantasies can clash and explode into terrifying violence

Once her characters start twisting on every-tightening tracks, their fates are brilliantly sealed, and it’s never obvouis who’ll be the victim or the culprit. Rendell’s greatest trick is making an unforeseen outcome feel predestined

There are quite a few Ruth Rendells: the doyenne of the traditional English detective novel; the queen of the psychological thriller; the celebrated author of the literary thriller

Ruth Rendell is certainly one of the foremost of our writers of crime fiction... She’s using the detective story to say things she thinks are important

Probably the greatest living crime writer in the world

Amis is arguably the greatest wordsmith living today, tossing of hundred-dollar words like spent matchsticks, with a scalding wit to go with it. Night Train is a tightly crafted and skilled work

Colossally cool . . . Captures the essence of Southern California itself: forecast sunny and clear, with an undertow of darkness

Winslow is a sensational writer

At a time when many successful crime and thriller writers produce a book a year, Don Winslow stands out. He is one of the best

If you've never read Don Winslow, start now

Don Winslow is the kind of cult writer who is so good you almost want to keep him to yourself

Patterson is in a class by himself.

[Patterson's] books don't pussyfoot around when it comes to the villains. These are bad, bad people ... with a lot of intrigue in high places.