Most Popular Thriller Books of the 1980s

The Name of the Rose

Umberto Eco

Crime Fiction · Historical Fiction · Mainstream · Mystery · Thriller

1983

The Eight #1

The Eight

Katherine Neville

Historical Fiction · Mainstream · Mystery · Thriller

December 27, 1988

Sphere

Michael Crichton

Science Fiction · Thriller

1987

Congo

Michael Crichton

Science Fiction · Thriller

1980

Inspector Lynley #1

A Great Deliverance

Elizabeth George

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Adult · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1988

Tool of the Trade

Joe Haldeman

Science Fiction · Thriller

1987

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

Kinky Friedman Mysteries #2

A Case of Lone Star

Kinky Friedman

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller · Western

1987

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

Cities of the Night #2

The Place of Dead Roads

William S. Burroughs

Fantasy · Science Fiction · Thriller

1983

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

Kinky Friedman Mysteries #4

Frequent Flyer

Kinky Friedman

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

June 10, 1989

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

Dirk Pitt #9

Treasure

Clive Cussler

War & Military · 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