Thursday, May 1, 2014

An Introduction To Crime Thriller Novels

By Eloise Hewitt


While crime is often depicted on television and the movies the novel remains an endearing source of entertainment in this genre. One of the big reasons is that it allows the reader to imagine that character and to create the world in their mind for themselves. This is very much the case with crime thriller novels and there are a wide array of titles to choose from that are likely to suit your personal taste.

There is some debate as to what was the first detective story. Many people believe the roots of the genre can be traced to Edgar Allen Poe with short stories such as the tell tale heart. While the Victorian Gothic genre may have been dark and feature crimes, murders and so forth this was the first type of story that focused on the detective.

However it is not just the physical appearance. People also associate the character with a kind of world weariness. Inevitably the detective is someone who wants to fight the good fight but has become cynical. Usually the next case is the one that gives them a shot at hope and redemption.

There is also the classic noir genre. These detective novels are often about a wider conspiracy as opposed to a simple murder or set of murders. They tend to feature a world weary detective who has fallen on hard times and inevitably this case is their shot at redemption. While this is often associated with classic writers like Raymond Chandler there have been modern variations such as LA Confidential, a novel that seemed to embody a lot of the complexity and moral ambiguity that people love about the classic noir detective stories.

In recent times there have been twists on this kind of story. An excellent example is the Hannibal Lecter series of novels. In these stories a detective needs Lecter for information. The twist is that Lecter himself is a killer and there is a fascinating power struggle between the detective and the prisoner.

Of course when talking about detectives it is hard to ignore classics such as Sherlock Holmes. In many ways his stories are the quintessential crime thrillers. There are also the roots of the buddy genre with Sherlock Holmes and his sidekicks Doctor Watson while his conflict with the villain Moriaty and their battle of wills can be seen across a number of stories.

It should be said that there are plenty of more lighthearted stories as well in this genre such as the work of Alexander McCall Smith. In these stories the main character tends to be more charming and there is more of a sense of a warmer character despite investigating the murder. This is the literary equivalent of TV shows such as Columbo.

You can find numerous titles online. It is worth looking for reviews from fellow readers and crime thriller enthusiasts who can guide you through the various titles. Remember to check a broad range of views as this will make it easier to find something that will be best suited to your personal taste.




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