Thrillers by Steven M. Moore

The Write Way Café welcomes Steven M. Moore, who discusses the appeal of thrillers versus mysteries.

In the book world, the thriller genre is popular and populated by many excellent novels, so many that it has many subgenres—legal thriller, psychological thriller, romantic thriller, and so forth—and it’s often combined with other genres—sci-fi thriller, for example. It’s also a genre that has more in common with movie classifications than other genres, although romance now competes with it—Hollywood action thriller and Hollywood romcom, for example. And some great non-fiction books are written in the thriller style. Just what is this book genre and why is it so popular?

First, some personal history: When I was junior-high age (also called middle school for people living east of the Mississippi), I read under the covers at night with my flashlight. My parents didn’t like that; it also annoyed the family cat who often slept there. Among my reading material were books from Dame Agatha and H. Rider Haggard. Christie’s books were mysteries. Haggard’s were thrillers, but back then they were called adventure stories. Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot were heroes; so was Allan Quatermain.

The thriller tag has become ubiquitous in recent popular literature, so much so that International Thriller Writers has become one of the largest writers’ organizations. Many well-known publishers and writers belong. (I’m a member who’s not so well known!) The fact that this organization is so large is evidence for a large readership that’s entertained by thriller writing.

People often ask me, “What’s the difference between a mystery and a thriller?” Perhaps I’ve helped to create some of that confusion because I often label my books both mysteries and thrillers and I write in both genres. (For example, I call my Penmore Press book Rembrandt’s Angel a mystery/thriller. It’s a modern bow to Dame Agatha and her two famous sleuths, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. A sequel will be published any day now.) While many entertaining books combine elements of both, to purists these genres are different.

In the classic mystery, a crime has been committed and the main characters(s) must figure out who did the foul deed (sometimes before it happens again, adding a bit of urgency). Usually the reader doesn’t know who the culprit is and processes the clues along with the sleuth(s). Many readers love to guess who the culprit might be among the different possibilities, and the author often misdirects both the sleuth(s) and readers to make that guessing more fun. While the mystery can unravel at a slow pace, modern mysteries often alternate some action with the slower sleuthing to speed things up a bit.

In a thriller, the reader often learns upfront who the villain or what the conspiracy is and what their evil plans are. The protagonist(s) must then try top stop them, or keep it from happening again.
Usually action is more intense in a thriller than in a mystery. The pace is far from sedate, although quiet moments of introspection for protagonists and antagonists alike often interrupt the intense action so that readers can catch their breath and learn more about the characters. Villains are often more important in a thriller; sometimes they’re even the main character (Forsyth’s Jackal comes to mind).

A mystery is often written in first person in order to allow the reader to identify with the sleuth(s), discovering the clues and where they lead along with the protagonists. A thriller is often written in third person and multiple points-of-view—minimally the protagonist(s) and villain’s. This isn’t always the case, though.

A thriller can also be written in first person, especially when the story is about the adventures of that one protagonist and villains are mostly replaced by circumstances—adverse weather events, a dark conspiracy, a plethora of personal and challenging situations, and so forth. (My post-apocalyptic thriller The Last Humans from Black Opal Books is an example. Its sequel will be in third person and use multiple points of view, which is more standard.)

And a mystery can also be written in multiple points-of-view if the characters and their thoughts need to be emphasized. That can be used effectively when there are many suspects and clues for the reader (as well as misdirects) can be found in each character’s internal dialogue. (Saralyn Richard’s interesting Murder in the One Percent is a good example, as is P.D. Halt’s When Murder Imitates Art—both books are also from Black Opal.)

Good thrillers are so popular because they’re extreme examples of books that the reader doesn’t want to put down. Arguably a thriller fails if it doesn’t grab a reader that way. It should make most readers race to the finish line as the author puts the protagonist(s) in many seemingly impossible situations, leaving readers breathless at the end of the marathon. (Believe me, that also happens to writers!) Readers’ pulses should quicken and their hands perspire as they turn the print book or ebook’s pages. And when they finish, they should be exhausted but still want more, which is why so many thriller series exist. (Howard Levine’s Last Gasp and Zari Reede’s Sins of the Sister are good examples of entertaining marathon runs, although the latter could also be classified as a mystery.)

I grew up reading many good authors and good books, but the thrillers were the books I more often read into the wee hours of the night. Now I write them as well as read them, and hopefully some of my novels will entertain other readers. And writing them is a lot of fun too! “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it.”—Toni Morrison. Although this inimitable writer wrote literary fiction that went far beyond mere reading entertainment, this quote defines my reading and writing life.

Rembrandt’s Angel. Esther Brookstone, ex-MI6 agent and current Scotland Yard Inspector working in the Art and Antiques Division, becomes obsessed with recovering a Rembrandt painting stolen by the Nazis in World War II. Interpol agent and paramour Bastiann van Coevorden tries to control her obsession and keep her safe. Their quest to recover the painting leads them to an international conspiracy that threatens Europe. (A sequel is coming.)

Amazon

The Last Humans. Penny Castro, ex-USN Search and Rescue and current forensics diver, goes on a forensics dive for the LA County Sheriff’s Department off SoCal shores and surfaces to find herself in a post-apocalyptic world. A bioengineered and airborne contagion has been delivered to the West Coast. It will be carried around the world, killing billions. Her adventures trying to survive in this new and dangerous world will make you ask, “Could this really happen?” (A sequel has been submitted.)

Amazon


About Steven:  Born in California, Steven M. Moore is now a full-time writer of many thriller, mystery, and sci-fi novels, short fiction, blog articles, and book and movie reviews. His stories reflect his keen interest in the diversity of human nature that he has observed in his different abodes across the U.S. and in South America as well as in his Latin and European travels for work and pleasure. After spending more than two decades in scientific R&D in the Boston area, he and his wife now make their home just outside New York City, where he devotes most of his time to storytelling.  For more details, visit him at his website https://stevenmmoore.com. He can also be found on Facebook  and @StevenMMoore4.