Who is your favorite crime and thriller author and why?

Crime and thrillers are different genres, in my opinion. And crime isn’t just crime; it can swerve into police procedurals, courtroom dramas, and so on.

Anyway, here are a couple:

Military crime/justice: Anything by Lee Child

Politics / middle east / espionage: Anything by Daniel Silva

Straight crime: Alafair Burke

Horse-based crime: Most of Dick Francis’ earlier stuff. Later stuff not so much. That includes his son, who continued writing.

Faye Kellerman writes better than her husband Jonathan. She writes better stories. Their son – don’t waste the time.

Tom Clancy, because I enjoy those games. Never read anything by him.
John Grisham. I think I read one single of his novellas.
Gosho Aoyama. I like that Anime of his.

I do not know any others.

Ian Rankin, author of the stories of Inspector John Rebus.
First watched the series, then read the books.
Wiki

Still a big fan of the Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Murders: Rex Stout and the Nero Wolfe series. Also, Andrea Camilleri and his Inspector Montalbano novels.

Anne Rule is magnificent when it comes to true crime.

Raymond Chandler
Agatha Christie
Arthur Conan Doyle