9 Crime Novels That Will Leave Your Heart Pounding

	Title	Author	More by the Author
1.	Yesterday's Echo	Matt Coyle	Night Tremors	Dark Fissures
2.	Killing Pace	Douglas Schofield	Time of Departure	Flight Risks
3.	Arrowood	Mick Finlay	The Murder Pit
4.	Dangerous Illusions	Joseph J. Gabriele
5.	Dead Girls	Abigail Tarttelin	Golden Boy	Flick
6.	The Hope That Kills	Ed James	Worth Killing For	What Doesn't Kill You
7.	See How They Run	Tom Bale	One Dark Night	All Fall Down
8.	The Blinds	Adam Sternbergh	Shovel Ready	Near Enemy
9.	As the Crow Flies	Damien Boyd	Head in the Sand	Kickback

Popular Categories of Crime Fiction

10 Great Crime Films

If you love reading about crime, you probably enjoy the genre in film as well. Here are ten movies that you should definitely watch (if you haven't already):

The Godfather (1972)
Scarface (1983)
Goodfellas (1990)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Kill Bill (2003)
Sin City (2005)
Baby Driver (2017)

The Sociology of Crime

In Depth

Crime fiction is full of action and suspense, and it offers thrilling stories with all sorts of twists and turns that often lead to satisfying conclusions. It's a flexible genre that allows authors to tackle many different themes, and even throw in meaningful social commentary. With that in mind, we've compiled a list of nine crime novels that will leave your heart pounding. Take note that this list is done in no particular order.

First up, at #1, we have "Yesterday's Echo" by Matt Coyle. Eight years after the death of his wife, which he was blamed for, ex-cop Rick Cahill finds himself in trouble with the law once again. After an intimate encounter with a reporter, he's suddenly named a suspect in a murder he was never involved in. Now, he has to stay alive while trying to clear his name and uncover the mystery.

Next up, at #2, we have "Killing Pace" by Douglas Schofield. Lisa Green is a woman struggling with amnesia after surviving a near-fatal car accident. When she realizes that the person taking care of her is not who he claims to be, she escapes captivity and starts regaining bits of her memory. The story follows Lisa as she pieces together her true identity and somehow gets involved in an investigation that aims to expose a child trafficking ring.

When she realizes that the person taking care of her is not who he claims to be, she escapes captivity and starts regaining bits of her memory.

At #3 is "Arrowood" by Mick Finlay. Set in late 19th century London, it follows a P.I. named Arrowood and his assistant Norman as they investigate the disappearance of a photographer's brother. It's a story set in the same era as Sherlock Holmes, and it shows what life is like in the poorer areas of London, where people in need are forced to enlist the help of less reputable professionals.

Next, at #4, is "Dangerous Illusions" by Joseph J. Gabriele. Eliot Sexton is an economist who's holding a party at his apartment in New York. During the party, a former US diplomat is murdered, and an iconic drum set is stolen. Eliot is named the prime suspect, and now he needs to uncover the truth before he ends up being the killer's next victim. It's a fast-paced murder mystery that all culminates in one shocking twist that readers won't see coming.

Next up, at #5, we have "Dead Girls" by Abigail Tarttelin. It revolves around Thera Wilde, an eleven-year-old girl whose best friend, Billie, was murdered by an unknown assailant. With the help of the spirits of Billie and four other girls, Thera starts her own investigation to hunt down the killer. It's a disturbing thriller that deals with a lot of sensitive topics, such as sexual assault and pedophilia.

It's a disturbing thriller that deals with a lot of sensitive topics, such as sexual assault and pedophilia.

At #6 is "The Hope That Kills." Written by Ed James, it's the first entry of his "DI Fenchurch" series. It introduces readers to Simon Fenchurch, a detective who's tasked with investigating the death of a young sex worker. When the body of another prostitute is found, Simon and his team realize that there's more to these cases than meets the eye, and they start looking deeper into London's sex trade.

Next, at #7, is "See How They Run" by Tom Bale. One night, Alice and Harry French are awakened by a group of mysterious men looking for Renshaw, a man they've never heard of. Before leaving empty-handed, the invaders threaten to hurt the couple's infant daughter if they tell anybody about this encounter. When Alice and Harry decide to try and unravel the mystery behind Renshaw and the people after him, they're forced to go on the run.

At #8 is "The Blinds" by Adam Sternbergh. The story is set in the fictional town of Caesura, which is mainly populated by criminals and witnesses who have had their memories erased. When someone in their small community is murdered, the town suddenly spirals into chaos. The story focuses on Sheriff Calvin Cooper, who's trying to figure out who the murderer is and how they managed to acquire a gun.

The story focuses on Sheriff Calvin Cooper, who's trying to figure out who the murderer is and how they managed to acquire a gun.

Finally, at #9, we have "As The Crow Flies." Written by Damien Boyd, it's the first book of his "DI Nick Dixon" series. It introduces us to detective Nick Dixon, who's investigating the supposedly accidental death of his former climbing partner, Jake Fayter. The story follows the detective as he digs deeper into the case and discovers that his old friend may have been involved in criminal activities.