Ranking Every Thomas Harris Book From Worst To Best

What can be said about The Silence of the Lambs other than that it's easily Harris' most famous work in addition to being one of the single most important novels in the history of the chiller genre?

Following the success of this book's predecessor, Red Dragon, Harris knew that fans wanted more of the good doctor, Hannibal Lecter, and that's exactly what he gave them. The primary conflict in the novel is still that between FBI agent Clarice Starling and sadistic serial killer Jame Gumb (aka Buffalo Bill),. However, Lecter is an incredibly integral third party.

Each character plays their role exactly as they should, creating a perfect storm of murder, mayhem, and insanity. Clarice is an FBI academy student looking to prove herself and keep a grip on her sanity, Buffalo Bill is a brutal murderer that befits Harris' disturbing storytelling, and Lecter is the all-important cannibalistic chessmaster. Hunting down Bill provides a genuinely tense story in its own right and the sheer amount of chemistry between Starling and Hannibal make the book that much better.

Harris made a name for himself thanks to his ability to portray psychologically damaged characters and this novel showcases that at some of its very best. This story is hardly anything shy of perfection and more than lives up to its legacy. It is a novel that will undoubetdly leave a mark on anyone who reads it.