10 Gripping Crime Thrillers from the 2021 Top 100

It’s no surprise to us that BR readers love crime and thrillers, and they made this crystal clear by voting for so many in the 2021 Top 100!

Australian crime led the way, with some authors even featuring twice on the list, such as Jane Harper with The Dry and The Survivors, and Christian White with The Wife and the Widow and The Nowhere Child. It’s great to see our readers supporting them year after year.

Then there are the writers who’ve made the list for the first time, such as Tasmanian author Kyle Perry with his thrilling and immersive debut The Bluffs. And bestselling author Richard Osman, whose irreverent murder mystery, The Thursday Murder Club, continues its popular streak, coming in at #78 on the list.

Here are some of our favourite crime thriller picks from the 2021 Top 100:

The Dry by Jane Harper

Jane Harper’s internationally bestselling debut follows federal investigator Aaron Falk who returns to his small hometown and unwillingly gets involved in the murder investigation of the Hadler family, found shot dead on their property.

Deadman’s Track by Sarah Barrie

A tragic accident, a terrible crime, an unknown threat… Scarred by a recent tragedy on Federation Peak, Tess Atherton is reluctant to guide a group of young hikers in the wild Tasmanian winter, but it seems safer than remaining amid the violence that threatens them in Hobart.

The Bluffs by Kyle Perry

When a school group of teenage girls goes missing in the remote wilderness of Tasmania’s Great Western Tiers, the people of Limestone Creek are immediately on alert. Three decades ago, five young girls disappeared in the area of those dangerous bluffs, and the legend of ‘the Hungry Man’ still haunts locals to this day.

Last Survivor by Tony Park

Joanne Flack is on the run – suspected of stealing a rare African plant thought to be extinct and worth millions of dollars. Sonja Kurtz is hired by the CIA to hunt down Joanne and find the link between the missing plant and a terrorist group hiding out in South Africa.

Scrublands by Chris Hammer

Set in a fictional Riverina town at the height of a devastating drought, Scrublands is one of the most powerful, compelling and original crime novels to be written in Australia. In an isolated country town brought to its knees by endless drought, a charismatic and dedicated young priest calmly opens fire on his congregation, killing five parishioners before being shot dead himself.

The Wife and the Widow by Christian White

Set against the backdrop of an island town in the dead of winter, The Wife and the Widow is a thriller told from two perspectives: Kate, a widow whose grief is compounded by what she learns about her husband’s secret life; and Abby, an island local who is forced to confront the evidence that her husband is a murderer.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham

From internationally bestselling author Michael Robotham comes this gripping thriller about a dangerous young woman with the ability to know when someone is lying – and the criminal psychologist who must outwit her to survive.

The Nowhere Child by Christian White

On a break between teaching photography classes in Melbourne, Kim Leamy is approached by a stranger investigating the disappearance of a little girl from her Kentucky home twenty-eight years earlier. He believes Kim is that girl. The Nowhere Child is the remarkable debut of Christian White, an exhilarating Australian talent.

The Survivors by Jane Harper

Kieran Elliott’s life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences. The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home.