The Books That Made Me Fall In Love With The Thriller Genre
When I think about why I became a thriller author, these are some of the key books that inspired me.
As I prepared to leave teaching, I told my colleagues I wanted to be an author. I’m not sure how much they believed it would really happen—though to be fair to them, they cheered me on and gifted me all sorts to help me along the way, so it certainly felt like they believed in me—but they gave their support and asked the inevitable question, “What kind of books do you want to write?”
I was an English teacher, for context. I absolutely loved teaching poetry, Shakespeare, contemporary and Romantic and everything in between and before. I also taught History a few hours a week, and this is where the majority of my reading in my free time focused. Non-fiction history books primarily, but also historical fiction. So it made sense, then, didn’t it, to write historical fiction, considering I loved it so much? I’m not saying this will never happen—I have many scribbles about various historical women I would enjoy researching and writing about—but somehow I knew then what my answer was: thrillers.
There is something so special about the thriller genre. I think everyone has a fascination with the unknown, and being able to try and figure that out is exciting. Thriller has become more of a ‘catch-all’ term recently, covering suspense, mystery and crime all in one, and each are a blast to read. There have been many absolutely brilliant thriller novels, but here are five that particularly inspired me to become the author I am today, and the reason I fell in love with the thriller genre.
AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha Christie
Can any post that discusses a love of the thriller genre not include this one? And Then There Were None was a huge inspiration for my debut novel, She Started It. A group of strangers on an isolated island, killed off one by one, and everyone has terrible secrets. This can easily describe both books! Setting is one of the most crucial aspects to a thriller, and the idea of no escape is especially alluring. No emergency services, no contact with the outside world, and no one can hear you scream. This gave me the freedom in my debut to go wild with the characters, because the only consequences were ones they created themselves.
THE KIND WORTH KILLING by Peter Swanson
Fun fact: The Kind Worth Killing was one of the first thriller books I ever read. Ten years later, it’s still one of the best. This book takes no prisoners with its pacing, plot and characters. Everyone is unreliable, everyone is complex, everyone is fascinating. Ted meets Lily at the airport, they start to talk about their lives, and Ted tells Lily he’d rather like to kill his wife for how she’s treated him. And Lily does not run away when she hears this. Instead, she offers to help. It’s Strangers on a Train just as twisted and suspenseful. When I got to that moment—people who have read the book will know which one—I was shocked by the way the narrative had entirely upended. I wanted to recreate something like that, make a reader somewhere gasp and say, “Wait. What just happened?!”
GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn
Something I knew I wanted to write about in my thriller books was complicated female characters. Female characters were always going to be my focus, the ones controlling the narrative, the ones leading the way. She Started It has an entirely female cast, with male characters appearing only at the beginning and end in small parts, or trapped in the past. This was a decision I made purposefully; it was about female friendship in all its forms. I Did Warn Her includes male characters, but the narrative points of view still belong to the women. Though not as terrible as the women in She Started It, the stewardesses in my second novel are still not perfect, however much they are meant to be on the outside. Being able to write complex female characters, and knowing there were readers out there who loved them, was inspired by the incredible protagonist that is Amy Dunne. Amazing Amy indeed. The twist is everything in this (and because of the also brilliant film you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t know it anymore), and despite knowing Amy is terrible, villainous, chaotic—you can’t help but root for her just a little bit. She is one of my absolute favourite literary characters ever. ‘Good For Her’ has practically become a subgenre of its own in the thriller world, and it’s one I enjoy very much.
THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY by Patricia Highsmith
Maybe you are sensing a pattern by now: I love unreliable narrators. Writing is delving into the psyche of your characters, and the more complicated and twisted they are, the more intriguing. The Talented Mr. Ripley is a book where I actually the saw film first – the 1999 version with Matt Damon and Jude Law in glittering Italy. I enjoyed it so much I was delighted to delve into the novel and was equally impressed. This is a perfect example of raising the stakes again and again, as the actions of the central character become increasingly erratic. Ripley is convinced of his own abilities and has no empathy for anyone, and it’s this that drives the narrative into its triumphant climax that leaves you wondering whether to be glad or horrified.
MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER by Oyinkan Braithwaite
“Ayoola summons me with these words—Korede, I killed him. I had hoped I would never hear those words again.” What an opening to My Sister, The Serial Killer, which already has a brilliant title. Korede and Ayoola are getting rid of a body in the first few pages, and there is such a gripping exploration of their sister relationship immediately. The book balances the macabre with genuine humour, and the complexities of family relationships is the central theme. Korede is a nurse meant to protect life; Ayoola is a serial killer. And yet, Korede will do anything to protect her. The characters here shine the most, the kind that stick with you long after finishing reading. They feel real despite their extraordinary circumstances, and that’s exactly what’s so admirable about them.