Have you taken my quiz to find out whether you’re a Mystery Reader, a Suspense Reader or a Thriller Reader? If you were sorted into Thrillers and want to find out more about them, or just want to find some chilling thrillers to read, you’re in the right place.
Which Thriller Books Should You Read?
Hello! If you got here directly, you might also want to check out my quiz on What Kind of a Mystery Thriller Reader Are You?
What’s A TRUE Thriller? Let’s Recap:
- A thriller has (excuse the political thriller joke): CLEAR and PRESENT danger
- A thriller’s narrative takes place in the present moment
- The pace is FAST (though below I will argue there is such a thing as a slow-burn thriller)
- The stakes are HIGH (they can be global, political, or personal but usually involve matters of life and death)
- Thrillers have continuous and sustained tension and an increasing sense of urgency
- Thrillers often have multiple narrators as a way to increase that tension
- If there’s a ticking clock or deadline, you’re probably reading a thriller (think a kidnapping with a ransom demand or a bomb with a countdown.)
Most book called “thrillers” are probably not true thrillers
They could be a suspense story or mystery that does get thrilling at the end
There is a sub-category of thrillers that I like to call slow-burn thrillers. They have more of the set-up and character development of a suspense story and then kick into thriller territory. Slow burn thrillers start slow and then things escalate until the main character is in extreme jeopardy in the present.
How do you know you’re reading a slow-burn thriller?
- They tend to have a higher page count than a read-in one-sitting thriller. Many popcorn thrillers are in the 300-350 page count.
- The reviews often say “well, this took a while to get going, but then it got SO good…”
Do you want a Fact Paced Thriller?
Looking for fast-paced thrillers? Check out my post on Thrillers You Can Read in One Sitting
Legal Thrillers
The idea of a legal thriller is a bit of an oxymoron.
I am surrounded by lawyers in my daily life, and here to tell you that the legal system moves SLOWLY.
So, sue me (ha ha): I did an entire post on something called Legal Thrillers and you know what? Many of those books probably fit better into the procedural (The Lincoln Lawyer) or legal suspense category.
Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow feels a bit like high stakes Domestic Suspense.
BUT I’ve decided that for my categorization purposes and to help you find books, legal thrillers can be a thing IF they veer into political territory. Or a high-stakes stay of execution case.
I’m thinking about books like:
The Pelican Brief by John Grisham (I’d call many of his books legal suspense or even legal procedurals)
The Defense by Steve Cavanagh – there’s a LITERAL ticking clock in this one.
Gone but Not Forgotten by Philip Margolin
The Truth about the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline (borderline legal thriller)
Political Thrillers
I don’t read many true political thrillers, but they are well-defined. Besides the criteria for a thriller, they have:
- high political or geopolitical stakes
- main characters who are diplomats, politicians, and spies
- OR regular people who get caught in a high level political situation
- an atmosphere of mistrust and danger
Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone was sort of a cross between domestic suspense and a political thriller
If you’re looking for political thrillers with a lighter feel, you can try:
The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
Serial Killer Books Can Be Thrillers
Especially older titles featuring cat-and-mouse games between the killer and the authorities. I’m thinking of books like Silence of the Lambs. Check out my full list of Serial Killer Fiction here!