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Check it Out: Just Along for the Thrill Ride

Submitted by B. Wood on

In fiction books, “thriller” is a genre. Thrillers are characterized as being plot-driven, fast-paced, and adrenaline-fueled. Twists and turns and high stakes keep you on the edge of your seat. These books are defined by the mood they create, rather than a specific plot profile. They may have overlapping subgenres - typically crime, horror, and/or detective fiction. Some of the newer thrillers include diverse voices from authors of different backgrounds and cultures, as well as the appearance of technology elements, such as cybercrimes.

Writers of thrillers often employ what are called the 3 C’s: the contract, the clock, and the crucible. The contract is what the writer is promising the reader will happen by the end of the book - the money will be recovered, or the diplomat will be rescued. The clock is the time limit that applies to the contract. It might be one delivered by a villain, or it might be imposed by some external event, like an asteroid crashing into Earth. Finally, the crucible is a container (or set of conditions) that holds the hero. In the movie Speed with Keanu Reeves, for example, the crucible is that a) the bus can’t go below a certain speed limit, and b) no one can exit the bus.

Agatha Christie is the bestselling thriller author of all time, according to many sources. Although Christie’s books contain twists and turns and sometimes high stakes, they don’t contain the heart- pumping pace that we associate with modern thrillers. In the recent past, the top five thriller authors (by sales) are James Patterson, Stephen King, Dan Brown, John Grisham, and Robert Ludlum.

Here’s a list of some new thrillers which you may not have heard about - and instead of 3 C’s, I’ll give you 3 clue words:

New at the Library

Fiction

Nonfiction

Children

Dark, moody cover with the words This Book Will Bury Me
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