5 Authors Churning Out Suspenseful Thrillers

Edited by Ezvid Wiki Editorial on 7 April 2020

If you're looking for an exciting read that will keep you engaged from start to finish, then the thriller genre is worth checking out. From spy stories to works of romantic suspense, these books are full of action and intrigue. The authors listed here have written suspenseful thrillers that are sure to capture your attention. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.

Authors Who Write Gripping Thrillers

Name Notable Works
Iris Johansen The Face of Deception The Perfect Witness
Barry Lancet Japantown Tokyo Kill
R.G. Belsky Yesterday's News The Kennedy Connection
Jeffrey Siger Murder in Mykonos Assassins of Athens
Jeremy Duns Free Agent The Moscow Option

The History of the Thriller

Some of the world's oldest known stories used the same elements that make modern thrillers so enticing. Homer's famous epic poem The Odyssey is something of a prototype of the genre. The hero's life is in constant danger as he uses his cunning to overcome his enemies. But the genre isn't exclusive to Western culture. One of the stories in One Thousand and One Nights (commonly known as Arabian Nights) is considered to be the oldest known murder mystery. This tale, The Three Apples, is full of plot twists and revolves around a mysterious death. Centuries later, the 1844 novel The Count of Monte Cristo popularized the action thriller with it's swashbuckling revenge plot. Eventually, of course, the genre made its way from the pages of books to the big screen. Some of the most famous of these movies were directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who worked on several classics throughout his career, including Psycho, Vertigo, and Rear Window.

8 Great Thriller Films

  1. Munich (2005)
  2. The Departed (2006)
  3. The Bourne Identity (2002)
  4. Heat (1995)
  5. Spy Game (2001)
  6. Black Swan (2010)
  7. Se7en (1995)
  8. Taken (2008)

How to Make Writing Suspenseful

In Depth

There are times when you just want a nice book to relax with, but there are other times when you might crave something a little more pulse-pounding. When you're seeking that kind of thrill, a suspenseful read filled with murder and intrigue can offer great satisfaction. In no particular order, here are some authors penning titles that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Showing up at #1 is Iris Johansen, who first found success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, she began penning suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of "The Wind Dancer," and later transitioned to crime fiction. Among her many achievements, she has had seventeen consecutive New York Times bestsellers.

Johansen is the author of the "Eve Trilogies," which follow bereaved forensic sculptor Eve Duncan as she tries to bring closure to parents who've lost their children. The character also appears in novels outside the trilogies, such as "Shattered Mirror" and "Dark Tribute." Some of Johansen's other works are "The Perfect Witness," "Your Next Breath," and "Hindsight." Additionally, she's co-authored books with her son Roy, including "Shadow Zone" and "Sight Unseen."

For #2 we get Barry Lancet, author of the award-winning international suspense series featuring Jim Brodie. Lancet's literary career was sparked after he took an exploratory trip from California to Tokyo. After landing a position at one of Japan's top publishing houses, he went on to develop numerous books on the country's culture. Later, he was subjected to an intense police interrogation that came to significantly influence his writing.

The ordeal Lancet endured ultimately led to "Japantown," the first book in the Jim Brodie series. In it, transnational antique dealer Brodie is enlisted by the San Francisco Police Department to decipher the lone clue left at a crime scene: a single printed Japanese character drenched in blood. The book won the Barry Award for Best First Novel, and was followed by "Tokyo Kill," "Pacific Burn," and "The Spy Across the Table."

Arriving at #3 is R.G. Belsky. Based in New York City, Belsky is a former managing editor whose writing draws from an extensive background in newspapers, magazines, and TV and digital media. This experience informs the "Gil Malloy" series, about a disgraced reporter at the New York Daily News. The series comprises "The Kennedy Connection," "Shooting for the Stars," and "Blonde Ice," plus the novella "The Midnight Hour."

Based in New York City, Belsky is a former managing editor whose writing draws from an extensive background in newspapers, magazines, and TV and digital media.

Belsky's subsequent series centers on superstar TV news director Clare Carlson. Its first installment, "Yesterday's News," won the David Award for Best Mystery of 2018, and spawned the sequels "Below the Fold" and "The Last Scoop." Belsky has also written under the pseudonym Dana Perry, including on the book "The Silent Victim," about a woman haunted by an attack she suffered years ago.

For #4 we come to Jeffrey Siger. A Pittsburgh native and former Wall Street lawyer, Siger gave up his legal career to write mystery thrillers. Now living on the Aegean island of Mykonos, he pens novels that explore societal issues facing modern Greece, while also touching on its ancient past. The Greek government has selected him as one of six authors writing mysteries that serve as a guide to the nation.

In 2009, Siger made his debut with "Murder in Mykonos," which became Greece's top-selling English-language novel. It follows hotshot Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis, who must track down a serial killer on the island. Siger turned the adventures of Kaldis into a prolific series, whisking the character around the country from Athens to the cliffsides of Santorini. Other novels in the series include "Target: Tinos," "Sons of Sparta," and "An Aegean April."

It follows hotshot Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis, who must track down a serial killer on the island.

Finally, at #5 is Jeremy Duns, who writes both fiction and nonfiction about spies. His fiction output includes the "Paul Dark" series, which focuses on the globetrotting, Cold War-era exploits of the titular MI6 agent. The first novel in the series, "Free Agent," was named one of the Thrillers of the Year by The Daily Telegraph. It was followed by "Song of Treason," "The Moscow Option," and "Spy Out the Land."

Among Duns' nonfiction works is "Dead Drop," which investigates the circumstances surrounding Soviet colonel Oleg Penkovsky and the Cold War's most dangerous spy operation. There's also "Agent of Influence," about journalist and Nazi-hunter Antony Terry, as well as a series of books that examine the history of James Bond. Duns' writing has appeared in The Times, The Daily Beast, and The Guardian, among other places.