Thrillers

May 3, 2010
Working with a frustratingly broad definition drawn from John Buchan—that a thriller “create excitement and quicken the reader’s heartbeat”—Morrell and Wagner’s collection disappoints. Morrell’s First Blood was the basis for the Rambo films, and Wagner is a regular contributor to Mystery Scene magazine; they have selected 100 examples of supposedly trendsetting thrillers, each introduced by a contemporary writer of the genre. Beginning with the ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and ending with Dan Brown’s 2003 bestseller, The Da Vinci Code, the list includes both obvious and puzzling selections. The introductions are also of varying quality, with the more interesting examples coming from writers who explore their personal connection to the work in question, such as the ingenious parallels Lee Child drew as a boy between the Theseus myth and Ian Fleming’s Dr. No, or Duane Swierczynski discovering Donald Westlake’s (writing as Richard Stark) Parker series and realizing “it’s fun to read about sons of bitches.” But the collection lacks cohesion, and too much space is devoted to minibiographies of the writers (which can be easily gleaned elsewhere). Thriller aficionados may find new titles to add to their reading lists; casual fans will be overwhelmed by the broad-stroke approach.

Starred review from May 15, 2010
The top names in the thriller genre today reflect on and examine suspense classics in 100 riveting essays. Created by the International Thriller Writers organization and edited by "First Blood"author Morrell and critic Wagner, this anthology starts far into the past with Lee Child's examination of the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and proceeds up to the modern publishing game changer, Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code". The other titles mentioned include a variety of obvious choices, like Michael Crichton's "The Andromeda Strain" and John le Carr's "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold", but some are head scratchers, like Daniel Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe" and Jules Verne's "Mysterious Island". Each essay persuades the reader to understand why a particular title deserves to be featured, including the not so obvious choices. The debate to define a thriller and separate it from the mystery genre will intensify even further thanks to the various selections here. VERDICT This is an essential reference book for readers' advisory; suspense fans will also enjoy browsing to find new titles and authors to savor. [See Q&A with Morrell on p. 74.Ed.]Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

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