We have a lot of interviews with bestselling authors of thrillers recommending their own favourite books (not by them). Many are thrillers that have been turned into blockbuster movies or Netflix series, but the book is normally (always?) better.
Recommending their top five thrillers we have: Jeffrey Archer, Tess Gerritsen, Sam Bourne, Simon Kernick, Lucy Atkins, and James Twining. Peter James, author of Dead Simple, recommends his best crime fiction and Simon Brett the best whodunnits. Louise Bagshawe chooses the best chase stories.
Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent, recommends the best legal novels. Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom recommend the best Swedish crime writing.
On political thrillers, Peter Hitchens recommends an excellent collection of anti-communist thrillers and Jeremy Duns his best forgotten Cold War thrillers. Ben Macintyre and Charles Cummings both recommend spy thrillers.
Our interviewees have chosen a very wide range of books, but some thrillers come up multiple times, including The Silence of The Lambs by Thomas Harris, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan. Also recommended more than once are: The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth, Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett and The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith.
Recurring authors include John Le Carré and John Grisham.
If you prefer to listen to books, we've picked out some of our favourite thrillers as audiobooks.
The Best Post-Fleming James Bond Books, recommended by Mark Edlitz
The British author Ian Fleming (1908-1964) wrote only 12 James Bond novels, but dozens more have been published since his death. Mark Edlitz, author of James Bond After Fleming, guides us through the ‘continuation novels,’ starting with Kingsley Amis in 1968.
The Best Thrillers Set in Luxury Locations, recommended by Rachel Wolf
It can be a lot of fun reading a pacy thriller set in a glamorous, unattainable world — filled with characters you love to hate. Rachel Wolf, author of Five Nights, recommends five thrillers set in luxury locations where immense wealth and a beautiful setting mix with dark secrets and horrendous crimes.
The Best Spy Thrillers of 2023, recommended by Shane Whaley
2023 was a fabulous year for spy thrillers, with some fans saying there hasn’t been a year like it since the 1970s, says Shane Whaley, host of the Spybrary podcast. He picks out five of his favourites from the year, all works of fiction that nonetheless give a sense of what it’s like to work as a spy.
The Best Thrillers for Teens, recommended by Kathryn Foxfield
Thrillers for teens have to be fast paced, exciting and entertaining, argues Kathryn Foxfield, author of YA thriller Good Girls Die First. She recommends some of her favourite teen thrillers, from books published this year to classics of the genre.
The Best Psychological Thrillers, recommended by J.S. Monroe
The best psychological thrillers are books that draw you into the lives of seemingly ordinary people, keep you turning the pages and then (often) floor you with an unexpected twist. British thriller writer JS Monroe, author of No Place to Hide, recommends some of the best ones out there, including the 1955 book that inspired the modern genre.
Crime Fiction and Social Justice, recommended by Karin Slaughter
Many of us enjoy thrillers because of the pacy story, but good crime fiction has always been about society, says American novelist Karin Slaughter. She recommends five crime novels that are not only great reads but “pry the scab off the human condition.”
The Best Post-Soviet Spy Thrillers, recommended by Charles Cumming
With the end of the Soviet Union, many thought the spy novel was dead. Within a decade, it was back, with old antagonists back in different guises and a new raft of international flashpoints to keep both fictional and real-life spies busy. Here, British spy novelist Charles Cumming, author of more than ten books, recommends five key post-Soviet spy thrillers and explains how the genre has evolved since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
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1
Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me
by Javier Marías, translated by Margaret Jull Costa -
2
2666
by Roberto Bolaño, translated by Natasha Wimmer -
3
Honeymoon
by Patrick Modiano, translated by Barbara Wright -
4
Hurricane Season
by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie Hughes -
5
A Perfect Spy
by John le Carré
The Best Literary Thrillers, recommended by Chris Power
The Best Literary Thrillers, recommended by Chris Power
For those with a taste for fine literature, but who also enjoy their fiction with a bit of suspense and momentum, the acclaimed novelist Chris Power—author of A Lonely Man—has put together a recommended reading list of five ‘literary thrillers’, including work by Fernanda Melchor, Roberto Bolaño and the Nobel laureate Patrick Modiano.
The Best World War II Thrillers, recommended by Graham Hurley
For all its horrors, World War II was a time when things happened to people and that, perhaps, is what makes it such an enduring source of fascination. Graham Hurley, author of the Spoils of War series, recommends five of the best World War II thrillers, including one that reads like nonfiction.
The Best Classic Thrillers, recommended by Lucy Atkins
Every week, dozens of new thrillers appear in bookshops. But, often, the classic ones are the best of all. If you haven’t read any of these five yet, you have a treat in store.