Most Popular Thriller Books of the 1980s

Down River

Stephen Gallagher

Horror · Thriller

1989

Dollanganger Children #3

If There Be Thorns

Virginia C. Andrews

Horror · Gothic Horror · Psychological Horror · Psychological Thriller · Thriller

1981

Forbidden Garden

Diane Guest

Horror · Thriller

1987

Dollanganger Children #2

Petals on the Wind

Virginia C. Andrews

Psychological Thriller · Thriller

1980

French Kiss

Eric Van Lustbader

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1988

Zero

Eric Van Lustbader

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1988

Cities of the Night #3

The Western Lands

William S. Burroughs

Fantasy · Science Fiction · Thriller

1987

Jake Grafton #1

Flight of the Intruder

Stephen Coonts

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Adventure · Thriller

1986

China Maroc #2

Shan

Eric Van Lustbader

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1986

China Maroc #1

Jian

Eric Van Lustbader

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1985

Nicholas Linnear #2

The Miko

Eric Van Lustbader

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1984

Black Heart

Eric Van Lustbader

Crime Fiction · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1983

A Memory of Murder

Ray Bradbury

Short Stories · Mainstream · Thriller

1983

Nicholas Linnear #1

The Ninja

Eric Van Lustbader

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

1980

Roadwork

Richard Bachman

Thriller

1981

Death Is a Lonely Business

Ray Bradbury

Mainstream · Thriller

1985

Dollanganger Children #4

Seeds of Yesterday

Virginia C. Andrews

Horror · Psychological Horror · Psychological Thriller · Thriller

1984

Red Phoenix #1

Red Phoenix

Larry Bond

War & Military · Adventure · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

June 6, 1989

The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #17

The Potter's Field

Ellis Peters

Crime Fiction · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

September 1, 1989

The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #16

The Heretic's Apprentice

Ellis Peters

Crime Fiction · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

February 1, 1989

87th Precinct #41

Lullaby

Ed McBain

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1989

Bernie Gunther #1

March Violets

Philip Kerr

Crime Fiction · Historical Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1989

Arkady Renko #2

Polar Star

Martin Cruz Smith

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

June 13, 1989

The November Man #10

The Man Who Heard Too Much

Bill Granger

Spy Thriller · Mystery · Thriller

November 1, 1989

Matt Helm #25

The Frighteners

Donald Hamilton

Crime Fiction · Spy Thriller · Adventure · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1989

Leaphorn & Chee #9

Talking God

Tony Hillerman

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller · Western

January 1, 1989

The Cloning of Joanna May

Fay Weldon

Science Fiction · Thriller

1989

Kinsey Millhone #6

F is for Fugitive

Sue Grafton

Crime Fiction · Adult · Mystery · Thriller

May 15, 1989

McGarvey #1

Without Honor

David Hagberg

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · Thriller

1989

Patrick McLanahan #4

Day of the Cheetah

Dale Brown

Spy Thriller · Suspense Thriller · War & Military · Adventure · Thriller

July 14, 1989

The Tiller Galloway Novels #1

Hatteras Blue

David Poyer

Adventure · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1989

The Lindsay Gordon Mysteries #2

Common Murder

Val McDermid

Crime Fiction · LGBTQ+ · Mystery · Thriller

January 1, 1989

The Fireman

Stephen Leather

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

December 1, 1989

Philip Marlowe #8

Poodle Springs

Robert B. Parker, Raymond Chandler

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

April 30, 1989

The Scarred Man

Andrew Klavan

Mystery · Thriller

December 1, 1989

The John Wells Mysteries #4

Rough Justice

Andrew Klavan

Crime Fiction · Mystery · Thriller

October 1, 1989