The 2010s gave us brilliant crime writing alongside some of the genre’s most self-indulgent excesses—here’s where to find the gold amid the glut.
Crime fiction in the 2010s was a paradox wrapped in a police procedural. While the decade produced some genuinely exceptional work—particularly from writers willing to push beyond traditional boundaries—it also saw the genre bloat with formulaic series and trendy gimmicks that prioritized marketability over craft. The best authors of this era understood that great crime fiction isn’t about the puzzle; it’s about the humanity revealed when ordinary people confront extraordinary darkness.
The Series Worth Your Time
DCI Isaac Cook — Phillip Strang
London homicide investigations that capture the gritty realism and psychological complexity that defined the decade’s best procedurals. Character-driven storytelling with authentic police work.
The Best American Noir of the Century
Ellroy’s curation here is both masterful and revealing—he selects stories that showcase noir’s evolution from Hammett to the contemporary masters. What makes this collection essential is Ellroy’s understanding that true noir isn’t just about crime; it’s about moral decay rendered with surgical precision. The stories span decades but share DNA: protagonists who make choices that damn them, and prose that cuts like glass.
Verdict: The definitive primer for understanding what separates genuine noir from crime fiction with attitude.
Midnight at Malabar House
Khan’s debut in historical crime fiction demonstrates exactly what the 2010s did best: expanding the genre’s geographical and cultural scope without sacrificing narrative rigor. Set in 1950 Bombay, this isn’t tourist-friendly exoticism but a genuine exploration of post-colonial tensions through the lens of police work. The protagonist, Inspector Persis Wadia, navigates both a complex murder case and the institutional sexism of her era with intelligence that never feels anachronistic.
Verdict: Historical crime fiction that respects both history and crime fiction equally.
Crime Beat
Before Harry Bosch made Connelly famous, he was a crime reporter covering Los Angeles in its most violent era. This collection of his journalism reveals the foundation of his fiction: an understanding that real crime is messier, sadder, and more random than any plot device. Reading these pieces alongside his novels shows how the best crime writers of the 2010s learned to blur the line between journalism and literature without losing either’s essential truth.
Verdict: Essential reading for understanding how great crime fiction emerges from lived experience rather than genre conventions.
A MAYA THORNE MYSTERY
Get Dust and Bones Free
Justice runs deeper than drought.
Red dust. Shallow graves. A detective who hunts killers where the law runs thin and the nearest help is two hundred miles away.
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12 Shots
This multi-author collection represents both the promise and the problem of 2010s crime fiction. When it works—particularly in Sharp’s contribution—it showcases the genre’s ability to attract diverse voices and fresh perspectives. When it doesn’t, it reveals how the decade’s emphasis on inclusivity sometimes prioritized representation over rigorous editing. The result is uneven but occasionally brilliant, much like the decade itself.
Verdict: A mixed bag that perfectly captures the 2010s crime fiction landscape—ambitious, diverse, but inconsistently executed.
What to Read First
Start with “The Best American Noir of the Century” to understand the genre’s foundations, then move to “Midnight at Malabar House” to see how contemporary authors expanded those possibilities. Connelly’s “Crime Beat” provides essential context for understanding how the decade’s best writers approached their craft with journalistic rigor rather than genre-specific gimmickry.
The Reading Order
- The Best American Noir of the Century by James Ellroy & Otto Penzler
- Crime Beat by Michael Connelly
- Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan
- 12 Shots by David Beckler & others
Discover Phillip Strang
The characteristics that defined the decade’s best crime fiction—authentic police procedure, international settings, and character-driven narratives—are hallmarks of Strang’s extensive catalog. His series demonstrate that compelling crime fiction doesn’t need gimmicks, just honest storytelling and deep understanding of how investigations actually unfold.
A MAYA THORNE MYSTERY
Get Dust and Bones Free
Justice runs deeper than drought.
Red dust. Shallow graves. A detective who hunts killers where the law runs thin and the nearest help is two hundred miles away.
Send Me the BookYou'll also receive occasional new release emails. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam, ever.
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