Thrillers: 20 Core Classic and Contemporary Titles
Featuring C.J. Box, Michael Crichton & Chevy Stevens By Kathleen Collins, Megan McArdle, Vicki Nesting, Sharron Smith, Gillian Speace, Miriam Tuliao & Michelle YoungJun 9, 2011
The thrill of the chase, a feeling of tension, and a protagonist in danger: these are the elements that readers seeking excitement and exhilaration demand in their fiction. Thrillers or suspense novels, now often referred to categorically as the adrenaline genre, often feature heart-pounding stories that cross many genres, including psychological, medical, legal, sf, and espionage. The classics, which set the standard for the genre, have given birth to many enduring characters such as James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Hannibal Lecter. Contemporary thrillers continue that tradition but with a modern twist—Lisbeth Salander, anyone?
Members of The Reading List—the RUSA/CODES committee that selects the year's best genre fiction—here pick both classic and contemporary thrillers for a core collection.
CLASSIC THRILLERS | CONTEMPORARY THRILLERS
CLASSIC THRILLERS
Crichton, Michael. The Andromeda Strain. Harper: HarperCollins. 2008. 384p. ISBN 9780061703157. pap. $9.99. F
Crichton, credited with inventing the technothriller subgenre, burst on to the literary scene in 1969 with this sf-flavored roller-coaster ride of a book. When a mysterious disease decimates a small Arizona town after a NASA satellite crashes there, a team of five biophysicists gathers in an underground laboratory in a race to stop the spread of the deadly virus before everyone on Earth falls victim. Crichton marries his technical virtuosity to a hair-raising plot in this relentlessly suspenseful—and still relevant—first outing. He went on to score big with such hits as The Terminal Man, Sphere, and Jurassic Park.
DeMille, Nelson. The Charm School. Grand Central. 1989. 640p. ISBN 9780446353205. pap. $9.50. F
On a road outside of Moscow, an American tourist encounters a man who claims to be an American prisoner of war, an Air Force major taken from Vietnam and held at a Russian spy school, which has been graduating “Americans” to be planted into the United States. It will be up to an embassy attaché and the chief of the CIA's Moscow station to determine whether the purported KGB conspiracy to infiltrate the United States is real. DeMille crafts an intriguing and riveting political thriller, set at the height of the cold war.
du Maurier, Daphne. Rebecca. Harper: HarperCollins. 1997. 410p. ISBN 9780380730407. pap. $14.99. F
While serving as a paid companion to a boorish American socialite on holiday in the French Riviera, the unnamed narrator meets and—following a whirlwind courtship—marries wealthy English widower Maxim de Winter before returning with him to his beautiful estate, Manderley. But the second Mrs. de Winter’s curiosity about her predecessor threatens the newlyweds’ happiness. Maxim’s first wife, Rebecca, died under mysterious circumstances, and her legacy is kept alive by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers. With its haunting combination of psychological suspense and gothic romance, du Maurier’s novel has captivated readers since its original publication in 1938.
Grisham, John. The Firm. Dell. 2009. 560p. ISBN 9780440245926. pap. $9.99. F
Grisham’s second novel, released in 1991, propelled the author to legal thriller stardom. Likable Harvard Law School graduate Mitch McDeere takes a plum job as an associate with a prestigious Memphis tax law firm only to discover deeply sinister secrets lurk beneath the firm’s respectable veneer. A deft mix of legal machinations, psychological suspense, and good old-fashioned action make for a compulsively page-turning read in this fast-unfolding tale.
Harris, Thomas. The Silence of the Lambs. St. Martin's. 1991. 367p. ISBN 9780312924584. pap. $7.99. F
With victim-skinning serial killer “Buffalo Bill” on the loose, FBI trainee Clarice Starling is assigned to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist with unique insight into the criminal mind—he’s a cannibalistic serial killer who’s currently incarcerated for a series of brutal murders. Time is quickly running out for Buffalo Bill’s latest victim, and the FBI is getting desperate, but Lecter’s in no hurry to help with the investigation. That is, unless Clarice is willing to reveal aspects of her own troubled past. Although Harris’s series starts with Red Dragon, the 1991 movie version of The Silence of the Lambs turned Lecter into a cultural icon.
Highsmith, Patricia. The Talented Mr. Ripley. Norton. 2008. 273p. ISBN 9780393332148. pap. $13.95. F
Renowned for her psychological thrillers, including Strangers on a Train, Highsmith achieved perhaps her greatest success with The Talented Mr. Ripley and its four sequels, all of which feature charming, amoral (some might say sociopathic) con artist Tom Ripley. Sent to Italy by American shipping magnate Herbert Greenleaf to convince Greenleaf’s playboy son, Dickie, to return home and join the family business, Ripley soon becomes obsessed with Dickie and his privileged life—so much so that he decides to assume the young man’s identity. Although readers will enjoy Ripley's cat-and-mouse game with the authorities, much of the suspense arises from Ripley's disturbing relationship with Dickie, as well as the ease with which Ripley is able to reinvent himself.
Le Carré, John. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Walker. 2005. 256p. ISBN 9780802714541. $22. F
The 1963 publication of this masterpiece introduced a new era in spy novels—gritty and realistic—built upon the author’s inside knowledge from years of working in British intelligence. Set during the Cold War in 1960s Berlin, this is the story of Alec Leamas, a world-weary agent hoping to return to London after years in the field. But he is sent back behind the Iron Curtain on one last mission—to bring down the head of East German intelligence. While the Iron Curtain may be gone, le Carré’s story remains compelling.
Ludlum, Robert. The Bourne Identity. Bantam. 2010. 608p. ISBN 9780553593549. pap. $9.99. F
After being shot four times and thrown in the sea to die, a man is rescued but has no memory of who he is. Swiss bank accounts and unexpected killer instincts are just a few of the things that emerge as he tries to find out his identity and who would want him dead. The premise is old hat now, but this kind of nonstop action adventure was practically invented by Ludlum. Having Jason Bourne learn things at the same time as the reader gives the story an immediacy and urgency that keeps the reader invested in his adventures. This novel launched a successful series of books still being published under Ludlum’s brand (he died in 2001), along with a blockbuster movie franchise.
Smith, Martin Cruz. Gorky Park. Ballantine. 2007. 384p. ISBN 9780812977240. pap. $15. F
When three mutilated bodies are discovered in Moscow’s Gorky Park, Chief Homicide Insp. Arkady Renko knows these are no ordinary murders. His pursuit of the truth leads him on a convoluted trail across two continents that involves confrontations with KGB officers and New York City cops, actresses, prosecutors, and smugglers. While Renko is not a typical Russian policeman, Smith’s thriller (originally published in 1981) offers readers both a great adventure and a remarkably accurate portrait of Soviet life in the late 1970s.
Turow, Scott. Presumed Innocent. Grand Central. 2011. 496p. ISBN 9781455500406. pap. $9.99. F
Rusty Sabich, the top deputy in Kindle County’s prosecuting attorney’s office, has come unglued. After the 39-year-old unhappily married lawyer engages in a secret affair with Carolyn Polhemus, a bright, seductive associate, he becomes desperately consumed by a wild, obsessive love. When Carolyn is found brutally raped and murdered, Rusty is appointed to help solve the case until proof of his personal relationship with the victim surface, and forensic evidence leads to his indictment. An utterly absorbing story of political corruption, power, and deceit, this legal thriller also focuses on burdens of the heart.
CONTEMPORARY THRILLERS
Box, C.J. Blue Heaven. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. 2008. 352p. ISBN 9780312365707. $24.95. F
Box delivers heart-pounding and pulse-racing suspense, hallmarks of a great thriller, in this tale of two children who witness a murder by a group of retired LAPD police officers in a rural area of northern Idaho. On the run and not knowing who they can trust, Annie and William realize that their survival will depend on finding a champion. Hiding in the barn of local rancher Jess Rawlins, a man facing challenges of his own, they are forced to place their fate and lives into his hands. As the tension escalates, readers won’t be able to stop turning the pages as the story races to a satisfying conclusion. (See LJ's review.)
Child, Lee. Tripwire. Berkley: Penguin Group (USA). 2005. 416p. ISBN 9780425206225. pap. $15. F
Ex-military cop Jack Reacher is digging swimming pools in Key West, living his ideal of an anonymous carefree existence. His peace is interrupted when a private investigator sent to find Reacher dies violently. Reacher traces the PI to Jodie Jacob, his first love—and daughter of his former commanding officer, Leon Garber. Jodie enlists Reacher to continue Garber's investigation of a soldier's suspicious death via helicopter crash during the Vietnam War. This top-notch thriller, the third in Child’s popular series, is unique in revealing a more vulnerable side to the normally stoic renegade.
Coben, Harlan. Tell No One. Dell. 2009. 384p. ISBN 9780440245902. pap. $9.99. F
While celebrating an anniversary at the lake that was their childhood trysting place, David and Elizabeth are attacked, and Elizabeth is murdered. It takes David eight years to put a semblance of life back together until two events shake him out of his fragile existence: two unknown corpses are found at the lake where his wife’s body was dumped, and he receives an email link to a video that seems to show Elizabeth, alive and mouthing the words “I’m sorry.” Of course, he must seek the truth, and as a likable everyman in over his head, David is an effective guide through the ensuing plot.
Gardner, Lisa. The Neighbor. Bantam. 2009. 496p. ISBN 9780553591903. pap. $7.99. F
The winner of the 2010 International Thriller Writers’ Award for Best Hardcover Novel revolves around the overnight disappearance of a young Boston wife and mother. Her eerily composed and secretive husband is the obvious suspect, but their neighbor, a convicted child molester, also draws the eyes of the police—and the media. Inventive twists and gradually revealed secrets keep the reader off balance as the tale unfolds. Gardner has a gift for crafting deeply flawed yet compellingly human characters, and her strong and complicated female leads make this author a particularly welcome addition to the still mostly macho world of the contemporary thriller. (See LJ's review.)
Larsson, Stieg. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Knopf. 2008. 480p. ISBN 9780307269751. $26.95. F
Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist is offered an unusual job to investigate the 40-year-old disappearance of aged industrialist Henrik Vanger’s granddaughter. He travels to their remote family compound in rural Sweden and digs into the old mystery with the help of the eponymous tattooed, pierced, and angry Lisbeth Salander. Salander is the focus of this blockbuster series from Sweden, and for good reason: she is incredibly damaged but equally intelligent and wily, the perfect foil for the likable Blomkvist. Larsson’s pacing is measured, but his twisty and dark plot keeps readers pulled in—both fascinated and repelled by the violence inflicted on the novel’s female characters and determined to see justice for them all. (See LJ's review.)
Lehane, Dennis. Shutter Island. Harper: HarperCollins. 2011. 416p. ISBN 9780062068415. pap. $9.99. F
Federal marshals Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, summoned to a penal institution for the criminally insane located on a small Boston Harbor island, investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando, a young mother responsible for drowning her three children. While trying to locate the missing prisoner, the pair uncovers Ashecliffe Hospital’s dark side: radical medical experimentation; disingenuous, obstructive personnel; and patients with a proclivity for violence (including the man responsible for murdering Daniels's wife). “How much violence, Marshal, do you think a man can carry before it breaks him?” Riveting and dark with multiple plot twists, this psychological thriller is surely one of Lehane’s best.
Silva, Daniel. The Messenger. Signet: NAL. 2007. 512p. ISBN 9780451221728. pap. $9.99. F
When a militant Islamic Saudi businessman targets the Pope and Vatican, Israeli art restorer Gabriel Allon is once again reluctantly drawn into the world of spycraft. Realizing that the best way to get to the bomber will be by infiltrating his organization through the world of art, Allon enlists the aid an American art expert attached to the CIA. As they race to get to the heart of the network, it becomes clear that there is a conspiracy of lies and deception in place, and with multiple plot twists and turns the tension is continually ratcheted up. Silva is often compared to John le Carré, but readers will find his pacing much faster; they will, however, connect to and be engaged by the complexity of Allon as a character. (See LJ's review.)
Smith, Tom Rob. Child 44. Grand Central. 2009. 528p. ISBN 9780446402392. pap. $9.50. F
In Stalinist Russia, Leo Demidov is a complex man, a war hero and officer in the MGB, the State Security Force, and an idealist; however, when he suggests that the death of a local child may be murder and his wife is accused of espionage, he loses his coveted state position and benefits and is sent into exile. Despite this banishment, Leo relentlessly continues to unravel the case and soon believes that it is the work of a serial killer. This dark and brooding debut thriller is a compelling tale of one man’s struggle to maintain his beliefs and idealism in the face of the ultimate challenge of having to define where loyalty lies and where redemption can be found. (See LJ's review.)
Stevens, Chevy. Still Missing. St. Martin’s. 2010. 352p. ISBN 9780312595678. $24.99. F
In Stevens’s stunning debut, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, is kidnapped and held hostage for a year in a remote mountain cabin by a man she refers to as “the Freak.” Interwoven with the story of that horrible year—told in Annie’s voice during sessions with the psychiatrist she sees after her escape—is the narrative of her struggle to rebuild her life afterward and the ongoing police investigation to find her captor. While Annie’s voice is bitter and angry, it is easy to understand and empathize with her character because of the ordeal she has survived. Intense and compelling, this book is nearly impossible to put down. (See LJ's review.)
Steinhauer, Olen. The Nearest Exit. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. 2010. 416p. ISBN 9780312622879. $26. F
The Tourist (2009) introduced us to Milo Weaver, a secret CIA black ops agent who prefers the stability of family life to the ethically nebulous world of espionage fieldwork. Though his name has been cleared of murdering his coworker, Milo is subjected to a series of assignments that test his loyalty to the agency, culminating in the horrific task of killing a 15-year-old girl. Once again, the harshness of his profession causes conflict for this compassionate spy. The complex plotting and keen psychological study make this a standout in the thriller genre. (See LJ's review.)
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