Thriller is a genre in literature that falls under general fiction. It has numerous subgenres, such as action thriller, crime thriller, psychological thriller, sci-fi thriller, and more. Most stories in this category are dark, suspenseful, deep, and enthralling, which are some of the reasons why readers become hooked to read these novels. Every book in this genre contains three essential factors — the agreement that you are creating with the reader called the contract, the glue that holds everything together called the crucible, and the time pressure called the clock. Those factors are the ingredients why thriller novels are becoming more and more popular.
What makes thriller one of the prized possessions of general fiction is because it hooks readers by sparking emotions that they do not always get to meet. Feelings like fear, excitement, amusement, and satisfaction are not being felt commonly by people and that is what thriller has to offer. Although this genre is associated with serious and heavy issues that are basically happening in the real world, the dash of fiction and underlying messages in every text are what make this category a wonder. Thus, listed in this article are the must-read thriller books of all time.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Published in June of 2012, Gone Girl is a novel about mystery and crime. The greatest mystery in this book is the vanishing of Nick Dunne’s wife named Amy during their wedding anniversary. What sets this novel apart from others is that the writer chose to display that a woman is also capable of being dangerously intelligent and manipulative. Amy fabricated her own death to frame his husband for it, making him a criminal for a crime that he did not commit. An investigation has followed and the media has all its eyes on Nick. The search for the truth continued. This is a story that tackles marriage, misogyny, dishonesty, and manipulation.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
This book written by Stieg Larsson is inspired by his awful experience when he was a teenager and by the murder of Catrine de Costa. The character Lisbeth was taken from the author’s acquaintance that was gang raped and he did nothing to help her. The story revolves around the search for Harriet Vanger — an heir amongst one of the richest families in Sweden who vanished a long time ago, by Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. Various ugly things were uncovered during the investigation, such as corruption, murder, and violence against women. The beauty of this mystery thriller novel is that it also encourages people to never be afraid of not conforming. It reminds readers that amidst all odds, they are in control.
The Jungle Rules Trilogy by Paul Shemella
The Jungle Rules Trilogy is authored by a retired navy captain Paul Shemella. The story centers on a mercenary named Carl Malinowski and his fight for justice, midlife crisis, and love. Being in love with a lot of secrets to conceal is not as easy for the protagonist to handle as it seems. Tackling about catching drug lords, jungle kidnapping, living a double life, and hostage-saving, this will surely make the readers in awe of the story and be more enthusiastic turning its pages.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Paula Hawkins successfully depicted the both strength and weakness of a woman in this novel. The protagonist Rachel Watson who is a divorced woman uncovered a murder and did not give up on being heard. Riding the same train every single day, Rachel developed a hobby of observing the houses that the train passes by. Among all of the homes, there was one she liked the most. It was where Megan and Scott lived. One day, as she was travelling, she saw Megan kissing someone who is not her husband. Later on, news about a missing Megan reached Rachel where she immediately contacted the police and Scott and told her what she saw. The story progresses until the protagonist discovered that Megan was having an affair with his ex-husband and that she was killed by him. The novel portrayed divorce, infidelity, abuse, murder, and mystery.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
The novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown became popular not just because its story but also because of some controversial topics that it contained. The story unfolded because of the murder of a curator of Louvre Museum named Jacques Sauniere. Robert Langdon, the protagonist, is a well-known professor of Harvard University who teaches religious iconology and symbology. The authorities came to him for help regarding the death of the curator. Langdon was helped with a woman that is smart and knowledgeable regarding historical facts. As their investigation continues, numerous events and discoveries followed that hooks the readers and left them in amazement.
The vastness and diversity of the genre thriller in literature are what make it remarkable. The wide array of emotions that it successfully stirs from the readers is truly a one of a kind attribute. Thriller, is indeed, amongst the many categories that produces page turner and must read books.
Oliver’s Twist 