Thrillers (Books)

The bestselling author tells us how his other job as a political journalist helps with thriller writing, and what makes le Carré, Forsyth and Buchan such masters of their trade

A good thriller isn't about the violence or bloodshed, it's about making the reader feel off-balance and as if something isn’t quite right, says bestselling author Tess Gerritsen. She tells us about her own favourite thrillers.

Author Matt Lynn says that good thrillers need a sense of foreboding and tension – and a brilliant central character. "The thriller has always been a very political genre, a kind of snapshot in time"

The celebrated Swedish crime-writing duo take turns to recommend gripping and grisly Scandinavian thrillers, as well as to tell us about visiting prison – and being in it

The best crime novels grip you right from the first sentence and don’t let go, says bestselling crime author, Peter James. He picks his own favourite crime novels.

The British public-school system, with its hidden homosexuality and feelings of loneliness, encouraged subterfuge and led to a generation of great spy writers and spies, suggests author and journalist Ben Macintyre. He picks the best books on spies.

The elements you need for a perfect thriller are a brilliant central character, some link to reality, and an inanimate object around which the human story revolves, says bestselling thriller writer James Twining. He recommends five good thrillers that have been turned into great movies.

From the psychological terror of a haunted house to the spectral dread of an indescribable colour, the British horror writer recommends five disturbing tales to get you in the mood for Halloween

The bestselling author of legal thriller Presumed Innocent tells us about his own favourite legal novels.

The best books are the ones that tell great stories, says bestselling author and former British politician Jeffrey Archer. Here, he shares some of his favourites, popular novels that went down well with readers but are sometimes still looked down on by the literary establishment.