Must-read Thrillers

I was recently asked by the new International Thriller Writers Association to compile a list of the must-read thrillers. Here is what I came up with.

Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Mister Ripley, 1955
Graham Greene, Our Man in Havana, 1958
Richard Condon, The Manchurian Candidate, 1959
Len Deighton, The Ipcress File, 1962
Adam Hall, The Quiller Memorandum, 1965
Mario Puzo, The Godfather, 1969
Michael Crichton, The Andromeda Strain, 1969
Frederick Forsyth, The Day of the Jackal, 1971
Trevanian, The Eiger Sanction, 1972
William Goldman, Marathon Man, 1974
Ross Thomas, Chinaman's Chance, 1978
Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity, 1980
Dick Francis, Whip Hand, 1981
Thomas Harris, Red Dragon, 1981
Thomas Perry, Butcher's Boy, 1982
David Morrell, The Brotherhood of the Rose, 1984
Warren Murphy & Molly Cochran, Grandmaster, 1985
Stephen King, Misery, 1987
John Grisham, The Firm, 1991
Dean Koontz, Mr. Murder, 1993
Lee Child, Killing Floor, 1997
Daniel Silva, The Mark of the Assassin, 1998

It's not an exhaustive list, but they're all damn fine books.