The Triumph of the Thriller: The Best of the ITW

At the 2004 Bouchercon World Mystery and Suspense Conference in Toronto, a group of prominent thriller authors hatched a diabolical plot: to establish a new organization that would promote and celebrate thrillers, award prestigious literary prizes, and build connections within the thriller community. Thus was born International Thriller Writers (ITW), Inc. (www.thrillerwriters.org), which will celebrate its third annual Thrillerfest convention July 9–12 in New York City. Here are some thrilling offerings from its members.

They're known as “creepers”: urban explorers who investigate abandoned buildings to uncover hidden secrets. In David Morrell's page-turner Creepers (Perseus. 2006. ISBN 978-1-59315-357-1. pap. $7.99), a simple overnight exploration of a gutted hotel in Asbury Park, NJ, turns into a deadly visit. Morrell is considered by many to be the predominant thriller writer today.

In the male-dominated world of espionage, Gayle Lynds is truly a “spymaster.” In The Last Spymaster (St. Martin's. 2007. ISBN 978-0-312-98877-7. pap. $6.99), she weaves a tale of intrigue, as legendary CIA agent–turned–traitor Charles “Jay” Tice escapes from a maximum-security facility. The manhunt that follows uncovers a shocking conspiracy.

A microbe found in the depths of the ocean proves to be the key to a medical breakthrough in David Dun's riveting scientific thriller, The Black Silent (Pinnacle: Kensington. 2005. ISBN 978-0-7860-1637-2. pap. $6.99), but will ex–covert operative Sam Wintripp survive long enough to stop a ruthless corporation from misusing this discovery?

“To Dream, To Dare, To Win” personifies Michael Tiranno's life. A master of high finance, he opens an extravagant Las Vegas casino that outshines all the others on the Strip. He also has a secret, and a rival is willing to kill Michael's family and friends to unveil the shocking truth in Jon Land's amazing The Seven Sins (Forge: Tor. 2008. ISBN 978-0-7653-1534-2. $24.95).

Retired agent/bookstore owner Cotton Malone must get back in the game in Steve Berry's The Templar Legacy (Ballantine. 2006. ISBN 978-0-345-47615-9. $24.95) when a rediscovered diary and a robbery lead to an amazing disclosure that could change almost 2000 years of history. This is the first in a new series featuring Malone.

A religious artifact containing the preserved bones of the Three Wise Men is stolen in James Rollins's Map of Bones (Avon. 2006. ISBN 978-0-06-076524-8. pap. $7.99). The Defense Department's covert Sigma Force must find the thieves before they can use their prize for nefarious purposes. Rollins balances history and contemporary adventure like no other thriller writer.

In Gregg Hurwitz's Troubleshooter (HarperTorch. 2006. ISBN 978-0-06-073145-8. pap. $7.99), U.S. Marshal Tim Rackley hunts a fugitive who wounded Rackley's wife, a deputy sheriff. Driven by guilt, Tim immerses himself on the wrong side of the law to obtain justice and hopefully save his wife's life. A riveting look into the world of biker gangs.

Brad Thor's Blowback (Pocket. 2006. ISBN 978-1-4165-0541-9. pap. $7.99) offers a compelling look inside the U.S government's war on terror. Disgraced ex–Secret Service agent Scott Harvath is asked by the President to undertake another mission. Unable to rely on any of his backups, can Harvath still save the world?

The assassination of a popular starlet outside a nightclub propels New York reporter Henry Parker into an investigation of ancient hunting rifles and a bizarre connection to a notorious legend in Jason Pinter's second series entry, The Guilty (Mira: Harlequin. 2008. ISBN 978-0-7783-2463-8. pap. $7.99).

In Robert Dugoni's exhilarating legal thriller debut, The Jury Master (Grand Central. 2007. ISBN 978-0-446-61707-9. pap. $7.99), attorney David Sloane receives a mysterious package that turns his life upside-down, forcing him to use all of his skills of persuasion to survive.

Edited by James Patterson, Thriller: Stories to Keep You Up All Night (Mira: Harlequin. 2006. ISBN 978-0-7783-2299-3. $24.95) is the first short story anthology from ITW. With 32 authors, including those mentioned above, and 30 stories, this guaranteed thrill ride is a great way to introduce readers to a range of thriller writers.