If you enjoy reading novels by Raymond Chandler then you might also like the following authors:
Dashiell Hammett was a master at crafting tough, gritty detective fiction. His novel “The Maltese Falcon” introduces us to the sharp-witted private eye Sam Spade, who becomes caught up in a tense hunt for a valuable artifact.
The story is packed with deception, betrayal, and memorable shady characters, all set against a stark San Francisco backdrop.
Hammett’s clean, lean prose and no-nonsense dialogue share much with Raymond Chandler’s classic hard-boiled style, especially for fans who appreciate strong detectives navigating a dangerous criminal underworld.
Books by Ross Macdonald offer a great next step for readers who enjoyed Raymond Chandler. Macdonald brings a similar grit and atmosphere to his mysteries, but with his own distinct touch.
In “The Galton Case,” detective Lew Archer investigates the disappearance of Anthony Galton, heir to a wealthy family. Archer uncovers family secrets, hidden identities, and simmering tension from the past.
The clues carry Archer through upscale mansions and shabby hideaways, as layers of deception unravel to reveal complicated motives and buried resentments. Macdonald’s sharp dialogue, intricate plotting, and vivid portrayals of southern California life make this novel memorable.
If Chandler’s detective novels appealed to you, Ross Macdonald’s works could also become longtime favorites.
James M. Cain was an American author known for his sharp, direct storytelling and darkly atmospheric noir novels. Readers who enjoy Raymond Chandler’s distinct, gritty detective fiction often find Cain’s stories equally appealing.
One of his best-known works is “Double Indemnity,” a crime thriller about Walter Huff, an insurance salesman who gets caught up with Phyllis Nirdlinger, a femme fatale.
When Phyllis persuades him to help murder her husband and make it look accidental to collect insurance money, the pair sets off a chain of deception, suspicion, and unexpected twists.
The tension between temptation and morality makes the novel a standout in classic crime fiction.
Mickey Spillane was a popular American author known for his gritty detective novels featuring hardboiled private eye, Mike Hammer. Fans of Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe character usually appreciate Spillane’s direct and tough narrative style.
In the book “I, the Jury,” Mike Hammer sets out on a relentless mission to find the killer responsible for the death of his close friend.
Determined and ruthless, Hammer navigates the dangerous underworld of crime and deceit, confronting ambiguous loyalties and often resorting to tough tactics.
Spillane’s vivid writing and swift storytelling deliver an authoritative, energetic detective story packed with memorable, intense moments.
If you enjoy Raymond Chandler’s gritty detective stories, Lawrence Block could be your next great read. In “The Sins of the Fathers,” we meet Matthew Scudder, an ex-cop turned private investigator who wrestles with his demons in the tough neighborhoods of New York City.
The story opens when Scudder agrees to dig into what seems like an open-and-shut case — a young woman murdered in her Greenwich Village apartment by her disturbed roommate. But as Scudder asks around the darker corners of the city, layers unravel.
What looks obvious soon twists into something deeper and more disturbing. Block writes in a direct, raw style, and his detective Scudder feels real, flawed, and deeply human.
Readers who appreciate Chandler’s Philip Marlowe, with his troubled principles and cynical outlook, might find Scudder similarly fascinating.
If you enjoy Raymond Chandler’s detective fiction and noir style, you might appreciate Patricia Highsmith’s psychological crime novels. Highsmith brings suspense through morally ambiguous characters and tense, subtle drama.
Her novel “Strangers on a Train” features two strangers, Guy and Bruno, who meet randomly during a train journey and casually discuss swapping murders.
Bruno takes the conversation seriously and starts to act, dragging Guy into a dangerous web of manipulation, guilt, and suspense. Highsmith brilliantly explores the psychological pressure and ethical conflicts faced by characters caught unexpectedly in crime.
Books by Robert B. Parker capture the sharp wit and gritty style that Raymond Chandler fans love. Parker is best known for his Spenser series, especially the novel “The Godwulf Manuscript.”
This story follows Spenser, a street-smart Boston private detective hired to recover a stolen medieval manuscript from a university library. The case at first seems straightforward, but soon leads Spenser into dark twists and campus politics.
Readers will find a detective full of charisma, clever exchanges of dialogue, and a vivid portrait of Boston’s atmospheric streets. Those who appreciated Chandler’s Philip Marlowe might find Spenser just as engaging.
Books by Elmore Leonard offer sharp dialogue, tight storytelling, and gritty, realistic settings that fans of Raymond Chandler will appreciate. His crime novel “Get Shorty” introduces Chili Palmer, a tough yet charismatic loan shark from Miami.
Chili finds himself in Hollywood, drawn into the strange world of movie producers, shady deals, and big egos. The book offers a great blend of crime fiction and satire, filled with clever humor and memorable characters.
Leonard skillfully crafts a twisting plot, making readers wonder who’s really scamming whom. Anyone who enjoys Chandler’s distinctive style of hard-boiled storytelling will find great fun in discovering Elmore Leonard’s works.
Walter Mosley captures the gritty atmosphere and smooth style of classic detective fiction but gives it a fresh spin. His novel “Devil in a Blue Dress” introduces Easy Rawlins, a World War II veteran who finds himself navigating the shadowy streets of post-war Los Angeles.
Easy reluctantly accepts a job to find a missing woman. Before long he is wrapped up in a dangerous case filled with twists, deception, and racial tension. Mosley’s writing evokes the mood and flavor of Chandler’s Los Angeles.
His storytelling brings new depth by exploring the city’s complexities and the everyday struggles of African-American communities in the 1940s.
If Philip Marlowe’s sharp perspective and pulp charm appeal to you, Easy Rawlins offers a new take on detective fiction filled with tense narratives and memorable characters.
Readers who enjoy Raymond Chandler’s noir mysteries might appreciate Denise Mina, a Scottish author known for vivid characters and gritty, atmospheric stories. Her novel “Garnethill” introduces Maureen O’Donnell, a sharp, resilient woman caught in a dark situation.
Maureen wakes up after a heavy night to find her married boyfriend murdered in her own home. As suspicion immediately falls on her, she must navigate Glasgow’s tough streets, uncover hidden truths, and confront painful family secrets.
Mina presents a realistic portrayal of Glasgow, and her believable characters keep you hooked from start to finish.
If you enjoy Raymond Chandler’s sharp dialogue, morally complex characters, and gritty Los Angeles setting, James Ellroy might be your next favorite writer. Ellroy is known for his dark, crime-ridden portrayal of mid-20th-century LA.
His novel “The Black Dahlia” is based on a real unsolved murder from the 1940s. Two detectives, haunted by their own troubled pasts, chase clues through a maze of corruption, violence, and obsession. The city itself becomes a twisted character filled with secrets and danger.
Ellroy brings history and fiction together, creating a tense and absorbing story of crime and obsession.
David Goodis was a writer whose crime novels painted vivid images of urban darkness and desperate people. His book “Dark Passage” follows Vincent Parry, a man wrongfully convicted for his wife’s murder.
After fleeing prison, Parry undergoes plastic surgery to alter his identity and clear his name. His journey through shadowy corners of San Francisco immerses readers in a tense and atmospheric story filled with danger, secrets, and uncertainty.
Fans of Chandler’s gritty realism and morally ambiguous characters will appreciate Goodis and the harsh yet captivating worlds he creates.
Jim Thompson was an American author known for gritty crime novels filled with sharp dialogue and morally complex characters. Readers who enjoy Raymond Chandler’s detective stories might appreciate Thompson’s dark and intense book “The Killer Inside Me.”
Set in a small Texas town, the story introduces Lou Ford, a friendly and mild-mannered sheriff’s deputy. But Lou hides violent impulses behind his polite smile, and as the plot unfolds, readers get a chilling look at a disturbed mind leading him toward brutal crimes.
The story keeps a tight focus on Lou’s unsettling inner thoughts, making for an intense read with moments you won’t soon forget.
Books by Joe Gores offer a sharp dive into crime fiction that fans of Raymond Chandler might appreciate. His novel “Spade & Archer” serves as a prequel to Dashiell Hammett’s classic “The Maltese Falcon.”
Gores brings back detective Sam Spade in 1920s San Francisco, giving readers an authentic noir atmosphere filled with shady deals, deception, and intrigue. The story shows Spade during his earlier investigations as he navigates dangerous cases and complex characters.
The book has snappy dialogue, vivid city scenes, and a clear-eyed look at the gritty detective world that Chandler readers often enjoy.
George Pelecanos is an author worth exploring for anyone who enjoys Raymond Chandler’s classic detective tales. Pelecanos sets his novels in the gritty, vibrant neighborhoods of Washington D.C.
He creates authentic, memorable characters who face tough choices in realistic situations. In “The Night Gardener,” readers meet homicide detective Gus Ramone who revisits an unsolved case from his past.
When a teenager is murdered under circumstances that closely resemble killings from decades earlier, Ramone must confront unresolved questions and darker truths lurking beneath the surface.
Pelecanos crafts a vivid cityscape full of believable, flawed personalities struggling to find justice. Fans of Chandler’s atmospheric style and complex portrayals of crime and morality will find much to appreciate in Pelecanos.