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Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads

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Sparking an argument isn't the best thing about today's "listmania" - you know, the penchant for putting out a rundown of the top this or that. It's discovering those dusty gems that you didn't even know existed.

Morrell and Wagner offer up scores of books and authors likely to delight fans of the thriller genre. They have enlisted top thriller writers to polish those gems by discussing what makes them work and why they may have pushed the genre in a new direction.

My advice: Enjoy reading the essays about the books you have already read and make a list of those books you will want to read; return to those essays later. But don't make the mistake of skipping books that have been made into movies or TV shows you've already seen. You might be surprised to find them a delight not only for their prose but also for their plots.

Case in point is Morrell's own "First Blood." I know that movie so well ("He could eat things that would make a billygoat puke") that I was reluctant last year to read the novel, which Morrell published a good 10 years before Rambo first hit the screen in the 1980s. Turns out, the novel is different from the film in so many ways that it was exciting on an entirely unexpected level. (By the way, "First Blood" holds up quite well as a thriller that also says something about human beings, a Morrell specialty.) I suspect that other thrillers recommended in this book offer similar unexpected delights.

The essays collected here err at times by telling a little too much about the story, and some are a bit superficial. Those are minor flaws for such a collection. At its best, which is far more often than not, "Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads" is like having coffee with a good friend who tells you, "Hey, you gotta read this!"

The title of this indispensable volume, grand as it is, only hints at the wonders therein. What is presented here, under the careful editorship of author David Morrell and literary critic Hank Wagner, is a collection of essays by a veritable Who's Who of thriller authors and reviewers. Each essay concerns a classic work of the thriller genre, arranged in chronological order by publication. So it is that the book begins with a thoughtful discourse upon THESUS AND THE MINOTAUR, from 1500 B.C., written by Lee Child, and ends with Steve Berry's tribute to THE DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown, published in 2003.

Both of these contributions, as well as the other 98 essays that comprise THRILLERS: 100 MUST-READS, are relatively short (a few pages each) and do exactly what needs to be done, which is to send the reader to new and, in some cases, unexpected places. There is a touch of continuity that flows from essay to essay: each includes some biographical information about the subject, backstory on the creation of the book, a summary and commentary concerning the book (and establishing its bona fides for listing), and some personal comments about what the book has meant to the author of the essay. The selection of titles is excellent, while the pairing of each book with each essayist is in all cases thoughtful and, in some, the stuff of genius. Think of J. A. Konrath writing about THE GREEN RIPPER by John MacDonald, or COMA examined by C.J. Lyons, or Lee Child's KILLING FLOOR discussed by Marcus Sakey, and you'll get the idea.

Those of us who have enjoyed a steady diet of the genre will find some of the books included here familiar, either by acquaintance or reputation. There are also titles on the list of which you may never have heard. All the better. Think of being at a party with the most interesting people you know, some of whom have brought new friends for you to meet, others of whom you haven't seen in ages. That is what THRILLERS is at its core.

I never considered THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS by James Fenimore Cooper to be a thriller novel. I confess I have even made jokes in the past regarding the way in which Cooper's books for generations have created future ex-readers. Yet Rick Wilber's essay gave me pause. Wilber goes so far as to call Natty Bumppo, the protagonist of MOHICANS, the first great fictional hero in American literature. And he is right, of course. Then there is P.G. Wodehouse. One would hardly think of Wodehouse as an author of thrillers, yet R. L. Stine's commentary concerning SUMMER LIGHTNING demonstrates conclusively that there was a darkness to Wodehouse's comedic bent.

That is not to say that all of the selections come from a thoughtful left field. The work of Stephen King is represented, as one might expect. Yet Christopher Mooney --- a noteworthy author of the genre in his own right --- reaches to King's groaning shelves of works and selects MISERY, and for all the right reasons. Though King is primarily associated with the supernatural --- on the strength of his early work and his Dark Tower volumes --- it is this novel that demonstrates that the most frightening of our demons dwell right on this plane. MISERY has long been my favorite work of King's, and so I was delighted to find it --- and Mooney's essay --- included here. The presence of Eric Ambler's A COFFIN FOR DIMITRIOS, with comments by Ali Karim, is another wonderful find. Ambler was one of the first writers of spy novels that it was my pleasure to encounter, and Karim, who is a tireless and insightful booster of the thriller genre, is the perfect choice to present Ambler's work.

There is a true embarrassment of riches here, a term that applies not only to the quality of the books listed but also to the commentary provided for each and every one of them. Whether you are seeking to introduce yourself to the rich and wide range of thriller novels, or to fill in the gaps in your collection --- and every bibliophile has at least one --- THRILLERS: 100 MUST-READS is the final word on the subject.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Thrillers: 100 Must Reads presents as a summer reading list on steroids. Chosen for the impact each book had on the thriller genre, various authors were invited to write essays analyzing the importance of the work.

From Homer's The Illiad and the Odyssey and standard classics like Beowulf and Robinson Crusoe, Thrillers: 100 Must Reads takes you from Lee Child's Theseus and the Minotaur circa 1500 B.C. to Dan Brown's 2003 mega-hit The Da Vinci Code.

The essays highlight the essence of each book in regards to such matters as: influence, ground-breaking subject matter and enduring appeal--such as Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, which is just as relevant now as it was in 1938.

Most of the essays were well-done, succeeding in extolling the virtues of the represented works. However, a few didn't quite manage to capture the spirit of the book, nor pique my interest enough to read it--in theory.

Although I shamefully admit to only reading 12 of the 100 chosen titles (so far), the Thriller collection is the perfect opportunity to re-visit some old favorites, remember ones you forgot and perhaps make a few new discoveries.

This book delivers value in many ways. I enjoyed it for its main purpose of introducing or re-introducing great works. Each contribution or review provides a biography of the author, a short essay on their selected book's impact, and suggested additional reads from that author. Further, the authors who did these reviews are given some airtime enticing the reader to give them a try as well.

So, in short, this is a catalogue or brochure that has helped me set up a fairly long "must read" list as I have only read 24 of the 100 included. Given that many have been made into movies (many more than once), you may have tricked yourself like me into believing you read the actual book.

Thrillers covers some classics like Beowulf, MacBeth, Robinson Crusoe, and The Last of the Mohicans ("Replace the tomahawk, bow and arrow, and the muskets with sniper rifles, Uzis, and Glocks, and the plot could have been conjured up by any of today's most successful thriller writers"). It is organized chronologically moving from Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White, credited with inventing the modern thriller to Conrad's Heart of Darkness to Fearing's The Big Clock and ending with Brown's The Da Vinci Code.

There are great stories and facts in each contribution including Douglas Preston copping to the purloining of Count Fosco for his and Lincoln Child's Brimstone (I love their whole Pendergast series), learning that Jules Verne imagined the Fax machine, aerial warfare, walking on the moon, camera phones, and text messaging long in advance of their actual introductions, and given my day job on Madison Avenue it was interesting to know that King Solomon's Mines benefited from a modern-style advertising and marketing campaign using billboards and posters.

I was most blown away by the biographies of many of the authors - so many having actual military and espionage backgrounds. A sampling of these rich lives includes John Buchan who spent time in British Army Intelligence and was later Governor General of Canada, Mickey Spillane wrote Captain America and Submariner comics prior to writing books, and Richard Condon worked as a movie publicist for Disney.

It is entertaining, informative, quick and makes you want to read much, much more.

It's been my habit to point out reviews of books I've worked on by folks who really seem to get what I and my co-authors were doing. For THRILLERS: 100 MUST READS, I'd like to cite Michael Dirda's wonderful piece that appeared recently in the Washington Post. Do a search on the Post's website to find the complete text of that review, it's well worth your time.

In that piece, Dirda closes with three observations about THRILLERS: 100 MUST READS that I'd like to emphasize. One, the essays sometimes contain spoilers. Be forewarned. If you're the type who can't stand that, read the subject matter first, then the essay. That said, I think the essays will still make you want to read the book, in spite of the spoilers. Two, he makes a good point about our essayists (whom I'd like to thank again for their hard work and enthusiasm)--many have written entertaining and engaging thrillers themselves, you'd be doing yourself a favor if you looked at their bios and sampled some of the titles mentioned there. Finally, he asks, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, how could we have left out some of his favorites? Well, there were only one hundred spots, so we were bound to disappoint someone! But, I am interested in what our readers think, so feel free to write me an e-mail and let me know which books you think we may have missed.

This book gave me great insight to whom our great thriller authors think were their motivation. I learned a great deal about authors I never heard of and am already reading some. Other books I only saw the movies and these stimulated me to read. Also learned a great deal about thes authors who wrote the sections. Overall great book.

"The Thriller is the oldest kind of story - rooted in our deepest hopes and fears, for ourselves, those we love, and the world around us."

Whether you are an aspiring author, a seasoned veteran of the New York Times Best Seller lists, whether your books have been turned into multi 100 million dollar movies or you are just an avid reader, creative writing major, history student or just want to know more about what makes a thriller popular and good, this book is indispensible and should set on your bookshelf next to the dictionary, thesaurus and book of quotations. If you occupy any of the above categories, or many more, then this book is a Must Have not just a must read. There are few "writers books" that stand the test of time but "Thrillers: 100 Must Reads" not only will stand the test, it is the test as it spans the history of the Thriller from "Beowulf to The Bourne Identity, Dracula to Deliverance and The Heart of Darkness to The Hunt for Red October".

Writing a review on this wonderful book is akin to writing a book report on a book report. It's a daunting task as the authors who wrote these essays are amongst the best in the world in any genre and the giants and grand masters of the Thriller. When the publishers, Oceanview Publishing first provided me with an ARC of this book I almost took a pass. These guys are an impossible act to follow. And if I think it is daunting for me, the authors of the essays found it daunting as well. Any "Best of..." list is hard for one person to agree on, let alone a large number of people. David Morrell states in the preface, the authors collectively had a hard time deciding how far back in history to go in compiling the list. And these esteemed authors didn't just draw titles out of a hat and write quick little blurbs. It quickly becomes apparent that not only did they struggle with the selections and nominations, but each and everyone of them wrote what amounts to a synopsis for a thesis in a masters class in creative writing.

And the stories, ah the stories. You could just print out the table of contents, use it as a shopping list and go to the bookstore. Stack these titles on your coffee table, arrange them nicely on your office book case or devote a few shelves in your library to them and anybody In the world would think you are a serious reader and book lover.

If you think thrillers are limited to such works as "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold," "Day of the Jackal", "The Borne Identity," "Red Dragon" or "Eye of the Needle" (all titles included in this volume), be prepared for a new set of thrillers!

Covering the period from 1500 BC to 2001 AD, from "Theseus and the Mintaur" to "The DaVinci Code," this volume will open your eyes to the unexpected and broad definition of "thriller." Would you have considered the following as belonging to the genre: "Robinson Crusoe", "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", "The Woman in White," or Kipling's "Kim"? How about "Summer LIghtening!" by P.G. Wodehouse?

Each entry begins with a short biography of the thriller's author. This in itself was enlightening -and will certainly lead me to read more by the same author. The majortiy of entries by the 100 contributors give us, besides a synopsis of the book, the reason behind his/her choice for inclusion in this volume and how the chosen author influenced the contributor's own interest and style in writing thrillers. A few have chosen to use the entry for self-promotion, but nonetheless share a dedication to the genre.

The third feature of each entry is a short biography of the contributor. The editors again peak our interest in pursuing works by some names we might never have considered when choosing reading material. Some entries are written tongue in cheek which makes me wonder how much input the contributor had in his or her bio at the end of the entry.

Get out a pen and paper or your iPad when picking up this volume - you will want to make note of works and authors you never considered as "thriller" material.

This book presents an interesting concept: pick history's biggest thrillers and let today's biggest thrill writers tell you about them. Edited by David Morrell (of Rambo fame) and Hank Wagner, Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads takes a look at some of the most suspenseful and exciting writing of all time through short essays (generally just a couple of pages) written by today's top writers like: David Baldacci, Lee Child, Jeffery Deaver, Tess Gerritsen, Michael Palmer, James Rollins and many, many more.

Books examined include works hundreds of years old, like: The Illiad and the Odyssey, Beowulf, and Shakespeare's Macbeth. Works over a century ago include: Robinson Crusoe, Frankenstein, The Last of the Mohicans, Dracula, and The War of the Worlds. More modern novels include such best sellers as: The Postman Always Rings Twice, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, From Russia with Love, The Andromeda Strain, Deliverance, and The Day of the Jackal.

Finally, familiar blockbusters of the last few decades include: First Blood, Jaws, Marathon Man, Raise the Titantic!, The Hunt for Red October, Misery, The Firm, Absolute Power, The Da Vinci Code, and many others.

No matter what your taste in reading, this compilation of the best thrillers of all time will expand your reading sources by introducing you to new books and different authors. It's sure to give you hours and hours of entertainment. Who knows, it may even prompt you to grab that long-forgotten best seller and once again delight in the power of a top-notch writer to transport you to a world of the author's imagination.

Enjoy the ride.

As a passionate reader and collector of thriller novels for over 40 years, I found this survey of thriller fiction to be highly informative and well- edited. The selection of the 100 "must-reads" was astutely done and the comments given on each book by the various authors were succinct and to the point. Having read over half of these books over the years, I enjoyed being reminded why these thrillers gave me so much pleasure to read in the first place.