If you enjoy reading books by Pierre Lemaitre then you might also like the following authors:
Readers who enjoy Pierre Lemaitre’s psychological thrillers may find Gillian Flynn a welcome addition to their bookshelf. Flynn dives deep into complex characters with stories full of dark suspense and unexpected twists.
In her novel “Gone Girl,” Flynn tells the story of Nick and Amy Dunne on their fifth wedding anniversary, when Amy mysteriously vanishes. Nick quickly becomes the prime suspect, and readers are taken on a tense journey through secrets, lies, and shifting loyalties.
Nothing is as straightforward as it seems, and the line between victim and villain grows blurred. Those who appreciate Lemaitre’s knack for suspenseful storytelling and intricate plotting are likely to feel drawn to Flynn’s sharp narrative style and chilling stories.
Tana French is an Irish crime writer known for her psychological depth and vivid storytelling. Readers who enjoy Pierre Lemaitre’s twisty plots and complex characters will appreciate her novel “In the Woods.”
This book follows detective Rob Ryan, assigned to investigate the murder of a young girl. The investigation takes him back to the same woods where, years earlier, he survived a traumatic event he can’t fully remember.
With suspense at every turn, the book combines personal trauma, intricate mysteries, and characters you’ll struggle to forget. Fans of crime thrillers with emotional depth and strong plotting may find Tana French’s writing particularly engaging.
Henning Mankell is a Swedish author famous for his realistic and emotionally charged crime novels. His style combines psychological depth with sharp social insights, qualities appreciated by fans of Pierre Lemaitre.
In “Faceless Killers,” the first of his Inspector Kurt Wallander series, Mankell introduces us to the gruff, thoughtful, and deeply human detective working in a small Swedish town.
The brutal murder of an elderly farming couple sends shockwaves through the community and stirs tensions around immigration and prejudice.
Wallander must navigate through prejudice and suspicion as he searches for clues while dealing with his own personal struggles and loneliness.
The story unfolds with meticulous pacing and builds suspense naturally, bringing readers face-to-face with unsettling truths and moral dilemmas.
Readers drawn to Lemaitre’s suspenseful narratives and complex characters would likely appreciate Mankell’s equally thoughtful approach.
Jo Nesbø is a Norwegian thriller author known for his dark atmosphere and sharp psychological insight. Readers who enjoy Pierre Lemaitre’s intricate suspense will likely appreciate Nesbø's Harry Hole series, especially “The Snowman.”
In this book, detective Harry Hole investigates the chilling disappearance of several women. Each woman goes missing during the first snowfall of winter, with a disturbing snowman as the killer’s eerie signature.
Nesbø creates an atmosphere of dread and tension, carefully leading readers into a complex world where everyone hides secrets and danger waits at every turn.
Camilla Läckberg is a Swedish crime novelist known for her engaging psychological thrillers and smart, well-paced mysteries. Her book “The Ice Princess” is the first in her Fjällbacka series.
The story begins when writer Erica Falck returns to her quiet hometown of Fjällbacka after her parents’ death. Soon she discovers the body of her childhood best friend, Alex, in an apparent suicide.
As Erica teams up with detective Patrik Hedström, they uncover dark secrets from Alex’s past and hidden drama within their small community. The further they investigate, the more shocking the truth becomes.
Fans of Pierre Lemaitre’s twists, suspense, and deep character explorations will enjoy Läckberg’s sharp storytelling and intricate plotting.
If you enjoy Pierre Lemaitre’s suspenseful storytelling and vivid characters, Stieg Larsson might be worth exploring next. His book, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” introduces Mikael Blomkvist, a persistent journalist, and Lisbeth Salander, an eccentric yet brilliant hacker.
They team up to investigate the decades-old disappearance of Harriet Vanger, a wealthy industrialist’s niece. Set in Sweden, this thriller reveals dark family secrets, corruption, and violence hidden beneath a veneer of respectability.
Larsson builds powerful, memorable characters whose courage and determination drive the story forward.
Readers who enjoy Pierre Lemaitre’s dark thrillers might appreciate Giorgio Faletti’s novels. Faletti was an Italian author famous for merging suspenseful storytelling with psychological tension.
His book “I Kill” follows FBI agent Frank Ottobre as he investigates a series of strange and brutal murders set against the glamorous backdrop of Monte Carlo. The killer announces his murders beforehand with chilling, cryptic messages.
Faletti creates a memorable villain, crafts unexpected twists, and builds suspense through an intricate cat-and-mouse chase. The psychological depth and complex characters could appeal strongly to fans of Lemaitre’s novels.
Readers who enjoy the dark, suspenseful thrillers of Pierre Lemaitre will appreciate Jean-Christophe Grangé, another prominent French author known for intense psychological suspense novels.
One of his best-known titles, “Blood-Red Rivers,” follows two detectives investigating separate mysteries in different parts of France.
The first detective uncovers a gruesome crime at a remote university town, while the second explores a mysterious grave disturbance hundreds of miles away. Their investigations soon intersect, leading them to dangerous secrets about an isolated community.
Grangé creates vivid, unsettling atmospheres, while his characters dig into dark pasts and complex motives. If friends and foes hidden behind layers of mystery intrigue you, Jean-Christophe Grangé might become your next favorite writer.
Books by Dominique Sylvain offer intriguing mysteries set in vivid, contemporary Paris. If you appreciate Pierre Lemaitre’s intricate plots and fascinating characters, Sylvain’s crime novel “Dirty War” (“Guerre sale”) might appeal to you.
In this story, private investigator Lola Jost teams up with Ingrid Diesel, an adventurous American masseuse, to untangle the brutal murder of a lawyer known for his controversial clientele.
As the two women dig deeper, secrets from France’s darker past surface, along with dangerous threats. Sylvain writes suspenseful mysteries featuring strong, complex personalities who navigate crime and corruption with grit and humor.
Readers who enjoy Pierre Lemaitre’s blend of suspense and strong characterization will find plenty to like in the novels of Fred Vargas. Vargas is a French author whose mysteries combine quirky characters, clever plots, and atmospheric Parisian settings.
In her novel “The Chalk Circle Man,” Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg takes on an unusual case.
Strange chalk circles have been appearing on sidewalks across Paris at night, each circle containing seemingly random objects—a candle, an old shoe, a bottle cap—puzzling residents and drawing widespread curiosity.
But things turn serious when a woman’s body is found within one of these circles, pushing Adamsberg into a strange investigation filled with odd details and elusive suspects.
Vargas’s writing has a unique mix of humor, mystery, and intriguing personalities that makes her stories engaging and memorable.
Michel Bussi is a French author known for psychological thrillers full of intricate twists and memorable characters. If you’ve enjoyed the suspenseful crime novels of Pierre Lemaitre, Bussi’s “After the Crash” could be a fascinating next read.
The novel opens with a devastating plane crash in the Jura Mountains, where only a three-month-old baby survives. But here’s the catch—two families step forward, each insisting the child belongs to them.
Over eighteen years, a detective dedicates himself obsessively to uncover the child’s true identity, leading readers through layers of mystery, family secrets, and emotional tension. Bussi’s narrative skillfully mixes intrigue with deep human drama.
Catherine Dufour is a French author known for dark storytelling filled with sharp insights and complex characters, similar to what fans admire in Pierre Lemaitre’s novels.
In her book “Le Goût de l’immortalité,” Dufour pictures a future world ravaged by ecological disaster, disease, and sharp social divides.
Through the eyes of a woman who has achieved immortality, we explore the harsh realities of a crumbling society, illuminating both human resilience and moral dilemmas.
Readers who loved Lemaitre’s intense narratives and exploration of human nature will find Dufour’s grim yet poetic vision equally captivating.
If you enjoy Pierre Lemaitre’s sharp storytelling and dark twists, Philippe Djian could be another author to explore. Djian is known for his edgy literary novels that explore complex characters and moral ambiguity.
In his novel “Elle,” Djian introduces us to Michèle, a powerful businesswoman whose life takes an unexpected turn after she’s attacked in her own home. Instead of seeking sympathy or reporting the incident, she quietly decides to track down her attacker on her own terms.
This choice sets off a chain of intense situations and unexpected revelations, blurring the line between revenge, desire, and emotional healing.
Djian’s clear writing style and keen understanding of human behavior bring intensity and depth that fans of Lemaitre’s novels might appreciate.
Jean-Philippe Toussaint is a Belgian writer known for books with sharp observation, minimalistic prose, and subtle irony. Readers who appreciate Pierre Lemaitre’s blend of psychological depth and concise storytelling may also enjoy Toussaint’s “The Bathroom.”
The novel tells the curious tale of a man who retreats into his bathroom as an escape from life’s complexities. Over time, this small, ordinary space transforms into a peculiar refuge, reflecting both humor and insight about modern isolation and the human condition.
Toussaint’s simple storytelling invites readers into a tale that feels both profound and oddly amusing.
Books by Olivier Adam often explore human emotions and life’s darker moments, which can appeal to readers who enjoy Pierre Lemaitre. In “I’m Fine, Don’t Worry,” Adam paints a vivid picture of family life shaken by unexpected loss.
The story follows Claire, whose brother’s unexplained disappearance leaves her family broken and searching for answers. As Claire revisits their shared past, she confronts hard truths and unresolved feelings that shift her understanding of family bonds.
Adam’s storytelling captures quiet tragedies under ordinary surfaces, offering suspense and emotional depth that Lemaitre readers will appreciate.