Who writes the best thrillers? Or who wrote the best?On Wednesay night I went to hear Christopher Reich. Details to follow.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Thrillers?
Who writes the best thrillers? Or who wrote the best?On Wednesay night I went to hear Christopher Reich. Details to follow.
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19 comments:
Jack Higgins - especially the early ones - are definitely worth reading. I've never been able to get into Cussler or Clancy but they sure sell a lot.
I read three Ludlums, including BOURNE IDENTITY, back in the 70s and 80s. I guess you could say Lee Child writes thrillers and they are worth reading.
Jeff M. (that other one was me too)
Jeff is on the money about Jack Higgins. I'm also a big fan of Alistair MacLean.
I am not much for thriller any more. However, in a related genre, there is the hands-down winner: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by Le Carre. The tension is terrifying. I also have fond memories of The Hunt for Red October by Clancy. But I may be partial -- because of my 25 years in the Navy.
Vertical Run by Joseph R. Garber is a gem of a thriller.
Higgins definitely. Alastair Maclean wrote some good ones. Ice Station Zebra.
I read one Lee Child which I liked a lot. I picked up another one and was immediately tired of Jack Reacher. A character that cannot be beaten grows boring pretty quickly. I liked my heroes flawed like Jim Rockford.
Phil tells me I did read a Ludlum back in the seventies.
If there's any John Le Carre, it's some good stuff.
I read one Jack Reacher and didn't like it at all. Talk about padded. And now, the Smirking Dwarf has ruined the entire franchise for me.
I read Cussler's RAISE THE TITANIC! long ago and loved it. I'd also recommend THE DAY OF THE JACKAL. I can't speak to the rest of them, but if Bill and Jeff say something is good, it likely is.
If you are looking for a female thriller writer I'd recommend Jamie Freveletti, especially for her first two books - Running From the Devil & Running Dark.
Jeff M.
Duane Swierczynski is a master of the modern thriller. Severance Package sounds a lot like the description of the book Barry recommended, Vertical Run. Also, the Charlie Hardie trilogy (starting with Fun & Games) is non-stop action.
Jeff M.
Even with ITW and all, how are we defining (if we are) thriller vs. suspense novel? Thrillers require superhuman efforts? Thrillers less downbeat? Thrillers basically where suspense fades into straightforward adventure fiction?
Does Le Carre count, for example? Or does that sort of espionage fiction fall too heavily into reflective crime fiction? Len Deighton?
Thomas Harris? Certainly BLACK SUNDAY?
Michael Crichton. btw. the anti-robot verification has gotten so obnoxious that this will be the last comment I leave on any blog that uses this.
Andrew Klavan is pretty good. His early book The Rain is excellent, and I rather liked Shotgun Alley, too.
Early Jack Higgins (the slimmer the book the better).
Where Eagles Dare by Alastair MacLean. Any number of titles by Desmond Bagley. Fair Game by George Bartram. Sharky's Machine by William Diehl. The Viking Process by Norman Hartley.
Dance of the Dwarfs by Geoffrey Household. The Nighttime Guy by Tony Kenrick. Midnight Plus One by Gavin Lyall.
Barry Eisler does good work.
Olen Steinhauer's Milo Weaver spy novels are great on audio.
I'm with Barry on VERTICAL RUN. It's a great paranoid thriller, and for once, the answer to everything doesn't disappoint.
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