For lovers of mysteries and thrillers, it can be hard to resist a detective with a checkered past. Some readers even gravitate toward amateur sleuths who stick their noses where they don't belong.
But what about those who operate outside—and against—the law to bring justice?
Vigilantes are the ultimate antiheroes, driven by their own self-defined moral code and wielding recklessness, bravery, and a unique set of skills.
Too often the proper authorities fail to protect the people who need them most. But vigilantes don't take no for an answer.
Want justice served hot and ready?
Check out these eight gripping thriller books about vigilantes.
Florida Firefight
Chicago cop James Hawker has the opportunity to save a dozen children who are being held hostage at gunpoint. All he has to do is take the shot.
The higher-ups tell him to hold back, but he knows that if he waits for permission it'll be too late. When the terrorist opens fire and kills two of the children, Hawker stops hesitating.
The criminal is dead, and so is Hawker's career. But while he may not be a cop anymore, that's won't stop him from keeping America safe.
When the father of one of the lost children hires Hawker to become a private vigilante, Hawker suddenly has unlimited funds to combat organized crime. His war begins in Florida, where he must snuff out the cancerous blight of drug smugglers taking over the state.
Though this is the first book in the Hawker series, the series can be enjoyed in any order.
Win
More than 20 years ago, heiress Patricia Lockwood was kidnapped amidst a robbery. Taken from her family estate, she was held captive for months in a remote cabin.
Patricia was able to eventually escape. Unfortunately, her captors also evaded justice, the items they'd taken never seeing the light of day again.
Until two notable items—a Vermeer painting and a leather suitcase engraved with WHL3—turn up alongside a dead recluse in his Upper West Side penthouse. This is not just a promising lead in the case of Patricia's kidnapping, but a huge step forward in an FBI cold case.
Windsor Horne Lockwood III—known to those close to him as Win—has no idea how his suitcase or his family's stolen painting fell into the hands of a dead man. But the turn of events certainly has his interest.
When he learns that the man who abducted his cousin was also responsible for an act of domestic terrorism, he's further intrigued by the fact that the conspirators may still be in the wind.
While the FBI might have been stumped by these two cases for decades, Win has some secret weapons the FBI doesn't: a personal stake, a ridiculous amount of wealth, and his own unique flavor of justice.
Bang Bang, You're Dead
We've all read the stories featuring elderly sleuths, but what about elderly vigilantes?
65-year-old Gloria Jones is getting closer and closer to retirement—and even closer to losing her mind. Injustice infects the world all around her, and it's high time someone does something about it.
When someone dumps a gun in the local park, the firearm ends up in Gloria's hands. Suddenly the harmless little old lady has turned into a ruthless antihero.
She's driven by the need to help those who can't help themselves, seeking vengeance against violent criminals. And who's going to stop her?
No one's going to suspect an old woman who's just minding her business…
Devil's Peak
When a horrific tale of abuse makes headlines, one dangerous vigilante takes it upon himself to protect the children of Cape Town. The accused in the abuse scandal is soon found impaled through the heart by a spear—but that's just the first of the bloody murders.
Inspector Benny Griessel has quite the dilemma on his hands now. Not only is this vigilante always one step ahead in cutting down the city's killers, but he has the public's sympathy and support.
When a young prostitute lures both Griessel and this vigilante into a dangerous scheme, the two men find themselves facing a devastating problem too big for any justice system.
They Never Learn
English professor Scarlett Clark has a surprising secret talent: getting away with murder.
She has an annual tradition at Gorman University, finding the worst man—be it a professor, a student, or anyone else—and plotting his ultimate end. With her meticulous preparations, she's never stirred up an ounce of suspicion.
But now that she's scheming her biggest kill yet, the school starts to look into its growing body count. To take control of the situation, Dr. Clark inserts herself into the investigation and endears herself to the woman in charge.
But her flawless master plan flies off the tracks when she loses control of her latest victim. Suddenly, her secret hobby is at risk of exposure.
Meanwhile, Carly Schiller is desperate to make it through her freshman year. After escaping her emotionally abusive father, all she wants is to lose herself in her academics and avoid any attention.
Her new roommate, Allison Hadley, is a surprise. Confident and cool, she's everything Carly admires, and the two form an instant and deep connection.
When Allison is sexually assaulted at a party, Carly can think of nothing else but making the culprit pay.
But can she turn her gruesome fantasies into a reality?
Winter Counts
On South Dakota's Rosebud Indian Reservation, Virgil Wounded Horse is known as the enforcer. When both the American legal system and the tribal council fail to deliver justice, Virgil passes down his own punishment.
When Virgil's nephew becomes the latest victim of the heroin problem snaking its way into the reservation, his vigilantism takes on a new personal tone. Turning to his ex-girlfriend for help, he sets off on a mission to track down the origin of the drugs—and how to make them stop;
The two of them follow the trail to Denver, where they find that drug cartels are booming with dangerous new alliances. Meanwhile, a new tribal council initiative back at the reservation starts an unsettling discussion about money and power.
Virgil has started to piece together the puzzle, but to make any real difference, he must first stare down his own demons and reclaim his Native identity. But his heritage comes at a great cost in the 21st century.
War Against the Mafia
When Mack Bolan served overseas, his compassion for the innocent earned him the nickname “Sgt. Mercy.” Back home, he's called the Executioner for his onslaught against the guilty.
After 12 years in the jungles of Southeast Asia, Bolan's sniper skills are so sharp he has 95 confirmed hits. But when he returns to Massachusetts, it's not to glory and celebration.
He returns home to bury his family, all of them lost to a mass murder/suicide. Bolan's own father pulled the trigger, but that's not who the sniper blames.
He knows the relentless Mafia thugs that have invaded his hometown drove his father mad. Now he's going to cure the sickness at the source.
This is the first book in the Executioner series, but the books may be enjoyed in any order.
Seven Crows
Killian Delaney has just been released from prison, but her stint behind bars hasn't straightened out her skewed moral compass. When she gets a call from her sister informing her that her niece has gone missing, she doesn't hesitate for a second.
Killian is nothing if not loyal, and she sets out to track down the men responsible for her niece's disappearance. It turns out the girl was tangled up with a notorious biker gang known for all kinds of trouble, from drugs to human trafficking.
If things weren't complicated enough, the man at the center of the problem is the man who sent Killian to jail—the man she nearly beat to death.
To save her niece, this ex-con is going to need a smart and efficient plan. Because this time she's going to tear this gang down to the ground.
Featured image: Fabrizio Conti/Unsplash
