Most Popular Suspense Thriller Books of the 1980s

Discover popular Suspense Thriller books from the 1980s, with reader ratings and new favorites to explore.

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Books in this list

Travis McGee #20

Cinnamon Skin

John D. MacDonald

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Adventure · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1982

Butcher's Boy #1

The Butcher's Boy

Thomas Perry

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Adventure · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1982

Clandestine

James Ellroy

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1982

Spenser #9

Ceremony

Robert B. Parker

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

March 1, 1982

Two for Texas

James Lee Burke

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

1982

Max Flynn #2

Atom Bomb Angel

Peter James

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1982

River of Death

Alistair MacLean

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Adventure · Mystery

January 1, 1981

Travis McGee #19

Free Fall in Crimson

John D. MacDonald

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

May 1, 1981

The Man with No Face

Peter May

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

July 1, 1981

Spenser #8

A Savage Place

Robert B. Parker

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

November 1, 1981

Spenser #7

Early Autumn

Robert B. Parker

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Adventure · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1981

Hannibal Lecter #1

Red Dragon

Thomas Harris

Horror · Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

October 1, 1981

8.0/10 2 ratings

Quiller #10

The Peking Target

Adam Hall

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1981

The Care of Time

Eric Ambler

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1981

Roger Levin #3

The Caribbean Account

Alan Furst

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

1981

Max Flynn #1

Dead Letter Drop

Peter James

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1981

Will Lee #1

Chiefs

Stuart Woods

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1981

Sunburn

John Lescroart

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1981

White Continent

David Poyer

Suspense Thriller · Thriller

January 1, 1980

Athabasca

Alistair MacLean

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Adventure · Mystery

January 1, 1980

Face of the Earth

Andrew Klavan

Psychological Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mythology · Thriller

June 5, 1980

Spider Girl

Peter Lovesey

Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

October 1, 1980

Spenser #6

Looking for Rachel Wallace

Robert B. Parker

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1980

Ripley #4

The Boy Who Followed Ripley

Patricia Highsmith

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1980

Quiller #9

The Scorpion Signal

Adam Hall

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1980

Roger Levin #2

The Paris Drop

Alan Furst

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

1980