Mario Puzo was an American writer best known for his iconic novel The Godfather. Born in New York City in 1920 to a family of Italian immigrants, Puzo grew up in a tough neighborhood, which greatly influenced his writing. His early life experiences, combined with his fascination for the mafia, led him to craft stories that delve deep into the world of organized crime.

Despite his focus on gangsterism, Puzo explored broader themes of ambition and family in his work. In addition to mobster tales, his novels include historical fiction, dramas, and war stories. Not all of them are great, of course, but the best of them are intense and engaging. In particular, the author's ability to humanize complex, morally ambiguous characters earned him a legion of fans. With this in mind, here are Puzo's best books, as rated by the users of the review site Goodreads.