I saw this tag video from Griff Reads on YouTube and thought I'd answer the questions. Sam said she took questions and inspiration from two other tags - get to know the romance reader and get to know the fantasy reader.
What is your thriller origin story? i.e. How did you come to read your first thriller.
I remember finding Lois Duncan in the YA section of my local library when I was in 6th (I think?) grade and up until then I was reading mostly contemporary and some fantasy. I didn't know books like that really existed and I was instantly hooked and read through the entire collection in a few weeks. I then asked my mom if she knew of other books like that and she mentioned Stephen King and the rest is history.
What are your favorite thriller tropes?
Small town secrets is #1 by far. Other top options are: maybe something supernatural is going on, serial killers, isolation locations (cabin in the woods, island, etc), and unreliable narrators.
What is a thriller you've read in the past year that you would recommend?
The Dark Bones by Loreth Anne White
This is the description from Goodreads:
When Detective Rebecca North left her rural hometown, she vowed never to return. Her father’s apparent suicide has changed that. The official report is that retired cop Noah North shot himself, knocked over a lantern, and set his isolated cabin ablaze. But Rebecca cannot believe he killed himself.
To prove it, she needs the help of Ash Haugen, the man she left behind. But Rebecca and Ash share more than broken hearts. Something darker lies between them, and the investigation is stirring it back to life. Clues lead them to the home of Olivia West and her deeply troubled twelve-year-old daughter, Tori. The child knows more about the murder than anyone can imagine, but she’s too terrified to say a word.
And as a cold-blooded killer resurfaces from the past, Rebecca and Ash begin to fear that their own secrets may be even harder to survive.
What is your favorite thriller sub-genre?
Psychological thrillers and police procedural thrillers
Who are your auto-buy thriller authors?
Gillian Flynn, Loreth Anne White, Stephen King
How do you typically find thriller recommendations?
Usually book reviews on YouTube and the "Readers Also Enjoyed" section of Goodreads. I've recently followed a handful of Booktubers who read thrillers but I'm still trying to work out if their reading tastes and preferences are the same as mine.
What is an upcoming thriller release you're looking forward to?
I'll be honest, I'm horrible at knowing about upcoming releases. I mostly learn about them when I'm requesting books from NetGalley so The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor is one of the more intriguing ones I've requested recently.
What is one misconception about thrillers that you'd like to address?
I'd like people to know that thrillers aren't all serial killer murders and crime solving. If you don't want a super dark read, then there are plenty of other sub-genres available. I've found mystery thrillers to be more tame as well as most domestic thrillers. My mom, for example, really doesn't like the serial killer type books that I love but she really liked Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.
Are there any content creators (BookTubers/bookstagrammers) that you follow for thriller recommendations?
The one that seems to most align with my personal tastes and preferences is BooksandLala although she doesn't really like the crime procedural books like I do and she reads a ton of genres. I'm still feeling out a few other Booktubers to see how their tastes line up with mine.
If someone had never read a thriller before, what 3 books would you recommend?
Misery by Stephen King
I think this is a really good example of what I love most about Stephen King - his character work. We're in an isolated setting with just two characters and things get crazy from there. King often has some supernatural or horror elements in his stories, but I find this one more a straight forward thriller (and the movie adaptation is also really solid).
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This was the first thriller where I remember getting to the twist and it completely blowing my mind. Like I did a double take while reading the page and had to re-read the last section just to make sure I understood it correctly. I liked Gillian Flynn's other books as well, but I think this one is the most generally commercial of them so I think it would appeal to the widest array of readers. This one also has a movie adaptation but I've never seen it and I've heard some pretty meh reviews about it so I'm not sure I'd recommend it.
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
This would be for anyone who wanted to jump into the darker side of thrillers. Police investigation and serial killers? Yes please. I feel like you'd be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't at least heard of Hannibal the Cannibal at least as a pop culture reference. I personally think the Hannibal book series should be more beloved than it is. The film adaptation is iconic (and I re-watch it at least once a year) but I find the books just as tightly paced and disturbingly fascinating as the movies.
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