Most Popular Suspense Thriller Books of the 1980s

Inspector Lynley #1

A Great Deliverance

Elizabeth George

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Adult · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1988

Jack Ryan #1

The Hunt for Red October

Tom Clancy

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

1984

Kindle County Legal #1

Presumed Innocent

Scott Turow

Crime Fiction · Legal Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1987

Lucas Davenport #1

Rules of Prey

John Sandford

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

July 24, 1989

Jake Brigance #1

A Time to Kill

John Grisham

Crime Fiction · Legal Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1989

Elvis Cole and Joe Pike #1

The Monkey's Raincoat

Robert Crais

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1987

Jason Bourne #1

The Bourne Identity

Robert Ludlum

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

1980

Jack Ryan #4

Clear and Present Danger

Tom Clancy

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

1989

Kay Scarpetta #1

Postmortem

Patricia Cornwell

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1989

Jason Bourne #2

The Bourne Supremacy

Robert Ludlum

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

1986

Inspector Lynley #2

Payment in Blood

Elizabeth George

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

August 1, 1989

Kidd #1

The Fool's Run

John Sandford

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1989

Jack Ryan #3

The Cardinal of the Kremlin

Tom Clancy

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

1988

A Cry in the Night

Mary Higgins Clark

Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1982

Elvis Cole and Joe Pike #2

Stalking the Angel

Robert Crais

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1988

The Aquitaine Progression

Robert Ludlum

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

1984

Hannibal Lecter #2

The Silence of the Lambs

Thomas Harris

Horror · Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Movie · Mystery

July 1, 1988

Inspector Rebus Novels #1

Knots and Crosses

Ian Rankin

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1987

The Russia House

John Le Carré

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1989

A Perfect Spy

John Le Carré

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1986

The Little Drummer Girl

John Le Carré

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1983

Cathedral

Nelson DeMille

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

February 1, 1981

Dave Robicheaux #3

Black Cherry Blues

James Lee Burke

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Edgar Allan Poe Award · Historical Fiction · Mystery

1989

The Day Before Midnight

Stephen Hunter

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

January 1, 1989

Dave Robicheaux #2

Heaven's Prisoners

James Lee Burke

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

1988

The Icarus Agenda

Robert Ludlum

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

1988

Dave Robicheaux #1

The Neon Rain

James Lee Burke

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

1987

Laguna Heat

T. Jefferson Parker

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1985

Alex Delaware #1

When the Bough Breaks

Jonathan Kellerman

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

April 1, 1985

The Parsifal Mosaic

Robert Ludlum

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

1980

The Master Sniper

Stephen Hunter

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

1980

The Charm School

Nelson DeMille

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1988

Word of Honour

Nelson DeMille

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1985

The Talbot Odyssey

Nelson DeMille

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1984

Jack Ryan #2

Patriot Games

Tom Clancy

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

1987

Rune #1

Manhattan Is My Beat

Jeffery Deaver

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1988