As Chosen by FamilyFiction Readers
For our FamilyFiction Collector’s Edition 2019 Suspense Special, we asked our readers to weigh in on their favorite type of suspense, their favorite Christian suspense authors. We’re pleased to announce the results right here! We hope you’ll take a look at who Christian suspense readers picked as their favorites–including those who write political thrillers, whodunits, romantic suspense, supernatural mysteries, police procedurals, and more!
This article is from the 2019 Christian Suspense Special. Get the issue FREE here!
Favorite Type of Suspense
We know that lots of FamilyFiction readers love a good tale of suspense—but what kind of tale? We asked, and this is how our readers answered…
56.7% Romantic Suspense
18.7% Mysteries
5% Thrillers
2.4% Psychological Suspense
1.1% Supernatural Suspense
15.1% Can’t Choose
We also asked our readers to name their five favorite Christian suspense authors. With hundreds of candidates, these are the authors who got the most votes! The results are taken from the combined number of votes for each author.
Click thru to discover your 2019 picks for the 40 essential Christian suspense authors…
https://familyfiction.com/authors/lynette-eason
Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of Protecting Tanner Hollow (Revell), as well as the series Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians. She’s the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, among others. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.
“From some of the feedback I get, it seems a lot of my readers really enjoy the suspense aspect of the stories more than anything else. They like the romance thread and are happy to have the faith element in there. I also get a lot of comments about appreciating the clean reads. But, above all, they REALLY like that high-octane suspense. So, that’s what I tend to lean toward when I’m working on the stories—making it as suspenseful as possible.”
READ THE INTERVIEW: Lynette Eason: Out of the Dark
Latest Release
Collateral Damage
Danger Never Sleeps #1
Lynette Eason
Revell
Buy it from our store!
https://familyfiction.com/authors/dani-pettrey
Praised by New York Times best-selling author Dee Henderson as “a name to look for in romantic suspense,” Dani Pettrey has sold more than 400,000 copies of her novels to readers eagerly awaiting the next release. Dani combines the page-turning adrenaline of a thriller with the chemistry and happy-ever-after of a romance. Her novels stand out for their “wicked pace, snappy dialogue, and likable characters” (Publishers Weekly), “gripping storyline[s],” (RT Book Reviews), and “sizzling undercurrent of romance” (USA Today).
“I think the romance element is always the hardest as it takes the most focus to find the right balance and to show the full texture and nuances men and women deal with, the conflicts and obstacles they overcome, and the sacrificial way they step forward into a relationship in an unconditional way. All for the glory of God according to His will and purpose for marriage.”
READ THE INTERVIEW: Romantic Suspense Q&A: Dani Pettrey (Deadly Isle)
Latest Release
The Killing Tide
Coastal Guardians Book #1
Dani Pettrey
Bethany House
Buy it from our store!
Click through to continue!
https://familyfiction.com/authors/dee-henderson
Dee Henderson is the author of numerous novels, including Taken, Undetected, Unspoken, Full Disclosure, and the acclaimed O’Malley and Uncommon Heroes series. Her books have won or been nominated for several prestigious industry awards, such as the RITA Award, the Christy Award, and the ECPA Gold Medallion.
“I love a strong character who has made decisions about their life, who has a sense of who they are, and where they want to go. The romance that unfolds tends to play to the strength of each character, rather than change their personality. I want an authentic story that reflect how these people would act and decide matters in their lives.”
READ THE INTERVIEW: Suspense Q&A: Dee Henderson (Unspoken)
Latest Release
Betrayed
Cost of Betrayal Collection
Dee Henderson
Bethany House
Buy it from our store!
Click through to continue!
https://familyfiction.com/authors/irene-hannon
With a combined total sales of more than 3.5 million, Irene Hannon is one of the leading authors in inspirational romantic suspense. Her gift of delivering a perfect mix of intrigue and romance continues to draw in new fans with each new book. Honored with three RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, her other awards include National Readers’ Choice, Daphne du Maurier, Retailers’ Choice, Booksellers’ Best, Carols, and Reviewers’ Choice from RT Book Reviews magazine.
“I minimize description as much as possible and always cast crime and aggression in a negative light. We’ve become so desensitized to violence and vulgarity in media that it’s almost expected in mainstream novels now. But I firmly believe you can tell a compelling story without getting gruesome or graphic.”
READ THE INTERVIEW: Romantic Suspense Interview: Irene Hannon—Lens of Faith
Latest Release
Dark Ambitions
Code of Honor #3
Irene Hannon
Revell
Buy it from our store!
Click through to continue!
https://familyfiction.com/authors/susan-sleeman
Prolific suspense writer Susan Sleeman keeps readers on the edge of their seats—and seems to be in the middle of multiple series at any given moment. She’s the bestselling author of more than thirty-five romantic suspense and mystery novels, with sales exceeding one million copies. She has also won several awards, including the ACFW Carol Award for Suspense for Fatal Mistake (FaithWords), and the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Thread of Suspicion (Love Inspired Suspense). In addition to writing, Susan hosts the popular website The Suspense Zone.
“It can be a challenge at times to balance a romance, a complicated suspense plot, and a spiritual message. I try to make the characters romantic conflict also have to do with their spiritual issues so when they resolve the spiritual issue they realize they can love again. This makes it easier to balance the elements, and I also think it’s more powerful for the reader because loving God is an integral part of a Christian’s life and effects everything we do.”
READ THE INTERVIEW: Susan Sleeman: Balancing Act
Latest Release
Seconds to Live
Homeland Heroes Book #1
Susan Sleeman
Bethany House
Buy it from our store!
Click through to continue!
https://familyfiction.com/authors/christy-barritt
Christy Barritt loves stories and has been writing them for as long as she can remember. USA Today has called her books “scary, funny, passionate, and quirky.” She won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, was twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and has finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year.
“My faith is so much a part of me that it’s easily a part of my writing. I don’t necessarily sit down with the intent to write a book with a faith storyline. That storyline grows naturally out of my character’s lives. Oftentimes, it seems, those storylines begin to mirror parts of my own faith journey. I try to be honest and convey that even if you have a steady faith, the emotions that can come because of life circumstances can be very up and down. Throughout all of it, we’ve got the trust God and know that he has a plan for our lives that’s better than anything we can envision.”
READ THE INTERVIEW: Q&A: Christy Barritt
Latest Release
Trained to Defend
K-9 Mountain Guardians
Christy Barritt
Love Inspired Suspense
Buy it from our store!
Click through to continue!
https://familyfiction.com/authors/terri-blackstock
A New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, Terri Blackstock has sold more than seven million books worldwide. Here bestselling series include If I Run, Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, and the Restoration Series. Her honors include two Carol Awards, a Christian Retailers Choice Award, and a Romantic Times Book Reviews Career Achievement Award, among others.
“The fact is that I’m a Christian reader as well. So, I really think about when I’m reading a book, what makes me feel defiled in some way? If I’m reading a really gruesome book, and there’s a lot of blood, and there’s a lot of violence, you know it makes me feel defiled. I don’t want to do that to my readers, so there are lines I won’t cross. But I do have murder, and I do have blood. But I try not to make the reader wallow in it.”
READ THE INTERVIEW: Terri Blackstock – Running Toward the Light
Latest Release
Smoke Screen
Terri Blackstock
Thomas Nelson
Buy it from our store!
Click through to continue!
https://familyfiction.com/authors/colleen-coble
With nearly two million books in print, USA TODAY-bestselling author Colleen Coble writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Her novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA’s RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best.
“My faith impacts everything I do. My characters are Christians who are learning something just like I am. None of us ever arrive, and there is always something God is teaching us. I never know what that something is when I first start out writing a story. My characters have to tell me what they’re struggling with, and together we go from there.”
READ THE INTERVIEW: Colleen Coble — The Mystery of Rainshadow Bay
Latest Release
Strands of Truth
Colleen Coble
Thomas Nelson
Buy it from our store!
Click through to continue!
https://familyfiction.com/authors/ronie-kendig
The award-winning author of some two-dozen novels, Ronie Kendig grew up an army brat, and now she and her Army-veteran husband live a short train ride from New York City with their children and a retired military working dog. Her degree in psychology has helped her pen novels of intense, raw characters.
“Fiction is a brilliant medium for delivering powerful truths because it flies under the radar—readers come to the story for entertainment (by and large), but just as Jesus told parables (a type of story) to reach hearts and change lives, we can do the same thing through novels. And whether that message is overt or covert in regards to Christianity, it is delivered through our words.”
READ THE INTERVIEW: Suspense Interview: Ronie Kendig—Lost And Found
Latest Release
Storm Rising
Book of the Wars Book #1
Ronie Kendig
Bethany House
Buy it from our store!
Click through to continue!
https://familyfiction.com/authors/diann-mills
DiAnn Mills creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels that have won her two Christy Awards, and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne du Maurier, Inspirational Reader’s Choice, and Carol Award contests. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.
“We live in a dangerous and unpredictable world, one that’s also filled with the love of God. The mix of suspense and the gift of love appeals to my sense of adventure and romance. The world needs the combination to know others are trained to prevent and protect people and those brave persons crave love and relationships too.”
READ THE INTERVIEW: Suspense Q&A: DiAnn Mills (High Treason)
Latest Release
Fatal Strike
DiAnn Mills
Tyndale House
Buy it from our store!
Click through to continue!
https://familyfiction.com/authors/lynn-h-blackburn
Lynn H. Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She won the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel. Her latest novel is One Final Breath (Revell), the third title in her Dive Team Investigations series.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/nancy-mehl
The author of more some 30 books, Nancy Mehl welcomes the opportunity to share her faith through her writing. She received the ACFW Mystery Book of the Year Award in 2009. She writes from her home in Missouri, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson. Her latest book is Fire Storm (Bethany House), the second book in her series starring FBI profiler Kaely Quinn.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/susan-may-warren
The USA Today-bestselling author of more than 65 novels, Susan May Warren’s books have sold more than one million copies. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic suspense, thrillers, romantic comedy, and novellas. Her next novel is The Way of the Brave (Revell), the first book in her new Global Search and Rescue series.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/lisa-harris
Lisa Harris is a bestselling author, a Christy Award winner, and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel from Romantic Times. The author of more than 40 books, Lisa and her family have spent over 16 years living as missionaries in southern Africa. Her latest novel is Christmas Witness Pursuit (Love Inspired Suspense).
https://familyfiction.com/authors/rachel-dylan
Rachel Dylan is an award-winning and bestselling author of legal thrillers and romantic suspense. She has practiced law for more than a decade including being a litigator at one of the nation’s top law firms. Rachel’s Atlanta Justice Series features strong, female attorneys in Atlanta. Her upcoming novel is End Game (Bethany House), the first book in her Capital Intrigue series.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/patricia-bradley
Patricia Bradley won an Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award in Suspense, was a finalist for the Genesis Award, won a Daphne du Maurier Award, and won a Touched by Love Award. She is cofounder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc., and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Her most recent novel is Justice Delivered (Revell), the latest in her Memphis Cold Case books.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/jaime-jo-wright
Jaime Jo Wright is winner of the Christy, Daphne du Maurier, and INSPY Awards and is a Carol Award finalist. She’s also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of three novellas. Her latest novel is Echoes among the Stones (Bethany House).
https://familyfiction.com/authors/brandilyn-collins
The award-winning author of more than 30 books, Brandilyn Collins is known for her trademarked Seatbelt Suspense—fast-paced, character-driven suspense with myriad twists and an interwoven thread of faith. Her latest suspense novel is Plummet (Challow Press).
https://familyfiction.com/authors/elizabeth-goddard/
A seventh-generation Texan, Elizabeth Goddard is the bestselling author of more than forty books. Her Mountain Cove series books have been finalists in the Daphne du Maurier Awards and the Carol Awards. Her latest book is Always Look Twice (Revell), the second title in her Uncommon Justice series.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/steven-james
Bestselling novelist Steven James’ award-winning, pulse-pounding thrillers continue to gain wide critical acclaim and a growing fan base. Respected by some of the top thriller writers in the world, Steven deftly weaves intense stories of psychological suspense with deep philosophical insights. His latest novel is the SF thriller Synapse (Thomas Nelson).
Click through to discover authors 21-30!
https://familyfiction.com/authors/janice-cantore
A former Long Beach, Calif., police officer of 22 years, Janice Cantore writes from real-life experience with accuracy and attention to detail, crafting a riveting tale of intrigue for romance and crime drama fans alike. Her latest novel is Cold Aim (Tyndale House), the third in her Line of Duty series.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/ted-dekker
Ted Dekker is the multiple award-winning, New York Times and international bestselling author of more than 40 novels. His work has reached tens of millions worldwide and has been translated into numerous languages and adapted into motion pictures. In 2013, NPR listeners nationwide named him as one of the top suspense writers of all time. His latest novel, co-written with daughter Rachelle Dekker, is The Girl Behind the Red Rope (Revell).
https://familyfiction.com/authors/carrie-stuart-parks
Carrie Stuart Parks is an ECPA Christy Award and multiple ACFW Carol and Inspy Award-winning author. An internationally known forensic artist, Carrie draws on her extensive experience with actual criminal investigations to write authentic, true-to-life fictional suspense. Her latest novel is Fragments of Fear (Thomas Nelson).
https://familyfiction.com/authors/frank-peretti
One of Christian publishing’s best-known authors, Frank Peretti’s novels have sold more than 10 million copies. His blockbuster supernatural thriller This Present Darkness was named by PBS as one of “America’s 100 Favorite Novels.” He most recent project was the supernatural suspense series Harbingers (Bethany House) with co-authors Angela Hunt, Bill Myers, and Alton Gansky.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/cara-putman
The author of more than 25 legal thrillers, historical romances, and romantic suspense novels, Cara C. Putman has won or been a finalist for honors including the ACFW Book of the Year and the Christian Retailing’s BEST Award. She is a practicing attorney and teaches law at a Big Ten business school. Her latest novel is Delayed Justice (Thomas Nelson).
https://familyfiction.com/authors/robert-whitlow
A practicing attorney, Robert Whitlow is the best-selling author of legal novels set in the South and winner of the prestigious Christy Award for Contemporary Fiction. A Furman University graduate, Whitlow received his J.D. with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law where he served on the staff of the Georgia Law Review. His next novel is Promised Land (Thomas Nelson), the latest in his Chosen People series.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/joel-c-rosenberg
Joel C. Rosenberg is a New York Times bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction, with some 5 million copies in print. As an expert on global politics, he’s been interviewed on hundreds of radio and TV shows, and met with religious and government leaders around the world. The Persian Gamble (Tyndale House) is his latest political thriller starring former U.S. Secret Service Agent Marcus Ryker.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/margaret-daley
Margaret Daley has published several more than 70 books and won the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the Year, the Golden Quill Contest, FHL’s Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest, Winter Rose Contest, Holt Medallion and the Barclay Gold Contest. Her romantic suspense titles include the new Yuletide Threat: Standoff At Christmas and Military K-9 Unit Christmas (Love Inspired Suspense).
https://familyfiction.com/authors/davis-bunn
Davis Bunn is a four-time Christy Award-winning, best-selling author who serves as writer-in-residence at Regent’s Park College, the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. His books have sold more than seven million copies. His most recent novel is Unscripted (Revell).
https://familyfiction.com/authors/robin-caroll
The bestselling author of more than 30 novels, Robin Caroll writes Southern stories of mystery and suspense, with a hint of romance to entertain readers. Her books have been recognized in several awards, including the Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, RT Reviewer’s Choice Award, and more. Her latest novel is Darkwater Truth (independently published), the third in her Darkwater Inn series.
Click through to discover authors 31-40!
https://familyfiction.com/authors/jerry-b-jenkins
Co-creator of the blockbuster Left Behind series, Jerry B. Jenkins’s books have sold more than 70 million copies. Twenty-one of his titles have reached the New York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. His latest novel is Dead Sea Conspiracy (Worthy Publishing), the latest in his Dead Sea Chronicles starring archeologist Nicole Berman.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/kathy-herman
Suspense novelist Kathy Herman has written more than twenty novels—including the Sophie Trace trilogy, and Secrets of Roux River Bayou Series—since retiring from her family’s Christian retail store in Tyler, Texas. Her latest novel is A Treacherous Mix (Bethany House).
https://familyfiction.com/authors/dana-mentink
Bestselling author Dana Mentink has been honored to win two Carol Awards, a Holt Medallion, and a Reviewer’s Choice award. She’s authored more than thirty novels to date for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense and Harlequin Heartwarming. Her latest novel is Deadly Christmas Pretense (Love inspired Suspense), from the Roughwater Ranch Cowboys series.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/lisa-phillips
A British ex-pat, Lisa loves high-stakes stories of mayhem and disaster where you can find made-for-each-other love that always ends in happily ever after. Among her recent romantic suspense titles is Murder Mix-Up (Love Inspired Suspense), from the Secret Service Agents series.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/tosca-lee
Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of several novels of historical and speculative suspense. She also co-authored the Books of Mortals series with Ted Dekker. Her latest title is the apocalyptic thriller A Single Light (Howard Books), the continuation in her Line Between series.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/kristen-heitzmann
Kristen Heitzmann is the bestselling author of contemporary romantic suspense, psychological suspense, and historical novels. She’s won a Christy Award and an Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and was a finalist for a people’s choice award in the Netherlands. She’s the author of The Breath of Dawn (Bethany House).
https://familyfiction.com/authors/terri-reed
A member of the Honor Roll of Romance Writers of America, Terri Reed writes books of heart-warming romance and heart-pounding suspense infused with faith. Her romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on Publisher’s Weekly top ten and Nielsen BookScan top hundred lists, and have been featured in USA Today. Her latest book is Seeking the Truth: Faith in the Face of Crime (Love Inspired Suspense), from the True Blue K-9 Unit series.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/jessica-r-patch
Jessica R. Patch lives in the mid-south where she pens inspirational contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. Her latest is Recovered Secrets (Love Inspired Suspense).
https://familyfiction.com/authors/robin-patchen
Robin Patchen writes contemporary Christian suspense, romance, and romantic suspense. She creates strong, protective heroes and intelligent, courageous heroines. Her books are often set in New England, where she grew up. Her most recent book is Legacy Restored (JDO Publishing), the second in the Legacy series.
https://familyfiction.com/authors/james-l-rubart
James L. Rubart is the best-selling, Christy Book of the Year, Carol, INSPY, and RT Book Reviews award winning author of ten novels, co-owner of The Rubart Writing Academy, and an audio book narrator. His latest novel is the suspenseful fantasy The Pages of Her Life (Thomas Nelson).
Want more Christian suspense authors? Visit our Christian suspense department here: https://familyfiction.com/genre/suspense