Our editors rank the top thriller and mystery books by year, decade or subgenre. These lists include legal thrillers, crime thrillers, cozy mysteries, FBI thrillers and more.
So many books to read and so little time. We’ve read more great books this year than in any other in recent memory. Increasingly, talented authors seem to be drifting into the thriller genre with new approaches to familiar literary conventions. Here’s our take on the best of the best so far.
With apocalypse thrillers all the rage at the box office over the past few years (2012, anyone?), it’s easy to forget how many great books are devoted to a modern-day Revelations. Check out our top picks and weigh in with your own.
Had we not had a big family gathering to attend, we certainly would’ve been at ThrillerFest in New York this year. Put on by the International Thriller Writers, the festival is part Emmys and part Comic-Con, giving fans a chance to chat with each other as well as meet the writers they adore. Fortunately Contra Costa Times correspondent Myles Knapp did attend, and she’s posted …
Another slew of exciting thrillers is on deck for release between now and August 1st. Here’s a sneak peek at the spy novels that are filling up our queue.
What makes a great psychological thriller? First and foremost, a confounding mystery that is disturbing and at times nearly hallucinogenic. A compelling protagonist whose life is in constant danger. A juicy assortment of clues, both red herrings and genuine puzzle pieces, that don’t quite fit into place until the very end. And a master craftsman at the help who can simultaneously draw the reader in, …
Best Books: Top 5 Psychological Thrillers of the 2000s READ MORE >
Already thinking about beach books for summer vacation? Consider these new and upcoming thrillers. Line of Succession, by William Tyree After a series of political assassinations throw Washington leadership into disarray, a group of Pentagon insiders begin retaliating against Islamic radicals abroad while several forces seemingly vie for control of the White House behind the scenes. All is far from what it seems, however, as …
With the holiday season upon us, the year’s major political thrillers are now in wide release. The genre’s most prolific authors put out another bumper crop of assassins, rogue intelligence agents, dirty politicians and bleeding edge technology. Relative newcomers stormed the scene, finding more readers than ever thanks to Amazon’s Kindle. Here’s how our list shapes up: Pursuit of Honor, by Vince Flynn CIA Agent …
When it comes to staging crime thrillers, the stories almost always take place in New York, New Jersey, Chicago or Las Vegas. Think about it. A significant portion of heist and gangster films involve the mafia as central or ancillary characters, making those places are practically automatic. Even when there isn’t a gangster component, you’ve got the writer/director that wants to make his mark in …
