Across the world, a revolution is happening as people are coming together to protest against racism and promote anti-racism.
I want to do what I can by amplifying the Black voices of my first love: fiction. I am, of course, a specialist in all things crime, thriller and suspense so I wanted to share a list of some of the brilliant Black novelists writing in the genre to add to your reading lists and to-be-read piles.
The below is just a limited selection of the fantastic array of crime, thriller and suspense written by Black authors – I wish I could fit them all in – so I would urge you to check out the Crime Writers of Colour website as well as the Black Mystery Authors Directory to discover even more fabulous writers, and hopefully your next read.
Dorothy Koomson
Dorothy Koomson is the award-winning author of 15 novels and has been making up stories since she was 13 when she used to share her stories with her convent school friends. Her published titles include: Tell Me Your Secret, The Brighton Mermaid, The Friend, When I Was Invisible, That Girl From Nowhere, The Flavours of Love, The Woman He Loved Before, Goodnight, Beautiful and The Chocolate Run.
Her next novel All My Lies Are True is out in July.
Eric Jerome Dickey
Eric Jerome Dickey is the New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty-five novels as well as a six-issue miniseries of graphic novels featuring Storm (X-Men) and the Black Panther. Originally from Memphis, Dickey now lives on the road and rests in whatever hotel will have him.
Angela Henry
Angela Henry was once told that her past life careers included spy, researcher, and investigator. She stuck with what she knew because today she’s a mystery writing library reference specialist, who loves to people watch and eavesdrop on conversations. She’s the author of five mysteries featuring equally nosy amateur sleuth Kendra Clayton, as well as the thriller The Paris Secret. When she’s not working, writing, or practicing her stealth, she loves to travel, is connoisseur of B horror movies, and an admitted anime addict. She lives in Ohio and is currently hard at work trying to meet her next deadline.
Rachel Howzell Hall
Rachel was born in Los Angeles, California fifteen days after Paul McCartney announced the split of the Beatles. As a child, she kept a pen in her hand, writing everywhere—in notebooks, on loose-leaf paper, in her big brother’s prep-school yearbook and on the back of church bulletins. But never on walls, buildings or freeway overpasses. That is graffiti.
In 2002, her debut novel, A QUIET STORM, was published by Scribner to great notice, including reviews from O Magazine and Publishers Weekly, with a starred review from Library Journal and also chosen as a “Rory’s Book Club” selection, the must-read book list for fictional television character Rory Gilmore of The Gilmore Girls.
Walter Mosley
Walter Mosley is one of the most versatile and admired writers in America today. He is the author of more than 43 critically acclaimed books, including the major bestselling mystery series featuring Easy Rawlins. His work has been translated into 23 languages and includes literary fiction, science fiction, political monographs, and a young adult novel. His short fiction has been widely published, and his nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times Magazine and The Nation, among other publications. He is the winner of numerous awards, including an O. Henry Award, a Grammy and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in New York City.
Malorie Blackman
Although not strictly thriller, as a teenager I loved Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses, so couldn’t great a list without it.
An award-winning British author and dramatist, Malorie Blackman is a major voice in children’s publishing, holding the post of Waterstones Children’s Laureate from 2013 to 2015. She is best-known for her bestselling novels Noughts & Crosses series as well as Pig Heart Boy, Thief, Cloud Busting, Boys Don’t Cryand Chasing the Stars. The fifth novel in the Noughts & Crosses series, Crossfire, was published in August 2019.
Rebecca Millar Editorial 