Book cover of Crime Novels of the 1960s: Nine Classic Thrillers

Book description

Library of America presents a deluxe edition of unforgettable crime thrillers of the 1960s

Here in two volumes are 9 timeless novels, including 4 lost classics now restored to print

In the 1960s a number of gifted writers—some at the peak of their careers, others newcomers—reimagined American crime fiction. Here…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Crime Novels of the 1960s as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Okay, I’m cheating a bit by choosing a two-volume anthology containing nine novels. But I love vintage noir, whether in film or crime fiction, and it’s hard to top this compendium issued by the Library of America, giving hardcover prestige to well-plotted, hardboiled classics of the sort fans used to find on drugstore paperback racks.

Something for everyone here, including an entry in Richard Stark’s series of Parker novels and an Ed McBain police procedural, but the real gem is Dorothy B. Hughes’ The Expendable Man, which fuses its protagonist’s inner fears and paranoia with social ills still relevant…

If you love Crime Novels of the 1960s...

Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

2023 Queer Indie Award Nominee!

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band they rob from the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive…

Want books like Crime Novels of the 1960s?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 68 books like Crime Novels of the 1960s.

Browse books like Crime Novels of the 1960s

Book cover of Ten Plus One
Book cover of The Bone Collector
Book cover of Ghosts

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,343

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Crime Novels of the 1960s, you might also like...

Book cover of Let Evening Come

Let Evening Come by Yvonne Osborne,

After her mother is killed in a rare Northern Michigan tornado, Sadie Wixom is left with only her father and grandfather to guide her through young adulthood. Miles away in western Saskatchewan, Stefan Montegrand and his Indigenous family are displaced from their land by multinational energy companies. They are taken…

Book cover of The Sarcophagus Scroll

The Sarcophagus Scroll by Kat Miller,

A dark academia mystery thriller set in contemporary St Andrews, with snappy dialogue and a strong sense of place.

When Ellie Meikle moves to the picturesque seaside town of St Andrews to study for her PhD in Ancient History, she soon feels as if she has made a mistake. She…

5 book lists we think you will like!