Best of
Thriller

1981

Red Dragon


Thomas Harris - 1981
    Graham is the greatest profiler the FBI ever had, but the physical and mental scars of capturing Hannibal Lecter have caused Graham to go into early retirement. Now, Graham must turn to Lecter for help.

Gorky Park


Martin Cruz Smith - 1981
    Chief homicide investigator Arkady Renko is brilliant, sensitive, honest, and cynical about everything except his profession. To identify the victims and uncover the truth, he must battle the KGB, FBI, and New York police as he performs the impossible--and tries to stay alive doing it.

The Man With No Face


Peter May - 1981
    Jaded Edinburgh journalist Neil Bannerman arrives in the capital of European politics intent on digging up dirt. Yet it is danger he discovers, when two British men are found murdered. A CHILD WITH NO FATHER One victim is a journalist, the other a Cabinet Minister: the double-assassination witnessed by the former's autistic daughter. This girl recalls every detail about her father's killer - except for one. THE MAN WITH NO FACE With Brussels rocked by the tragedy, Bannerman is compelled to follow his instincts. He is now fighting to expose a murderous conspiracy, protect a helpless child, and unmask a remorseless killer.

The Mordida Man


Ross Thomas - 1981
    In retaliation, the Libyans kidnap the U.S. President's brother. Enter the Mordida Man--an independent fixer and bribery expert who must find and free the President's brother . . . without causing an international incident.

Hard Place


Douglas Stewart - 1981
    Inspired by the facts of a true crime, Hard Place is set against the background of the war in Afghanistan from where the drugs are coming. Ratso must place his career on the line by pursuing a high-risk strategy against the drug-baron who has used corruption to gain protection. He enters a political minefield involving Scotland Yard and the Ministry of Defence in London and the Pentagon and State Department in Washington DC. The trail leads to the USA and the Bahamas where Ratso is helped by Kirsty-Ann Webber, a svelte Florida detective. Ratso races against the clock from country to country towards a series of dramatic confrontations.

The Executioner Series Books 1–3: War Against the Mafia, Death Squad, and Battle Mask


Don Pendleton - 1981
    In the jungles of Southeast Asia, no sniper was more ruthless than Mack Bolan. After twelve years in-country, with ninety-five confirmed kills, the Special Forces sergeant returns to the United States only to find that his father has gone berserk, slaughtering his family before taking his own life. But Bolan knows his old man was no killer: He was under pressure from a gang of Mafia thugs who were after his money—and willing to destroy his life to get it. For the sake of his father, Bolan declares war on the men who drove him mad . . .   Now in one volume, these are the first three action-packed novels in the long-running series that has sold more than 200 million copies. If you’re a fan of Rambo, James Bond, or Jack Reacher, it’s time to meet the one and only Mack Bolan—an elite operative with a haunted past pitted against legions of mobsters no one else can take down.

Kahawa


Donald E. Westlake - 1981
    As a group of scoundrels and international financiers hijack the train, the double and triple crosses pile up and the comic tension escalates in a brawling brew of buffoons, bumblers, beans and boxcars.

Top Traitor / The Vikings


Peter O'Donnell - 1981
    Collects: 7 Top Traitor; 8 The Vikings.

The Damocles Sword


Elleston Trevor - 1981
    But it required a very brave man to carry it out, one who could infiltrate the elite SS corps.Martin Benedict was the man, and all went well until his cover got blown. Remarkably, success was still possible-- but at an increased risk. Could he bring it off?The answer reveals itself in an agony of suspense, which is no surprise, for Elleston Trevor is a master of the genre.

The Shadow: Jade Dragon & House of Ghosts


Walter B. Gibson - 1981
    On the 50th anniversary of The Shadow-- perhaps the most popular character in mystery fiction since Sherlock Holmes--the Crime Club is proud to republish two of the most exciting adventures of Lamont Cranston, the mysterious millionaire, master of deduction and disguise who battles the forces of evil...In Jade Dragon, The Shadow, master stalker of the night, finds himself trailing a beautiful woman through the foggy alleyways of San Francisco's Chinatown...on a quest for a rare and deadly talisman.In House of Ghosts, the wandering figure of darkness finds himself involved with the magician Dunninger--and proves himself the perfect foil for creatures of the supernatural...as well as archfiends of crime!