Thriller literature tends to have a bad reputation, and it’s unclear why that stigma exists. The majority of best-selling books today fall into this genre, and the writing, layout, characters, and plot can be at least as complex as in other genre fiction. Some might consider it escapism, but with insights into secretive worlds and key facts blended into the settings, thrillers can serve as much more than mere distraction.

If genres were cars, thrillers would not only have to run well, they would have to accelerate from the outset and move at blindingly fast speed. Some stories are character studies, while others inspire particular emotions or moods. A thriller has to have strong characters, but the plot must introduce high stakes and conflict mixed with an emotional resonance.

An abundance of big-name authors such as James Patterson and Lee Child dominate the genre, and how you feel about those names might color your judgment of the field as a whole. Although the big names represent a mere fraction of thrillers, they can offer a useful bridge to less-well-known authors. For example, readers loved or loathed Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, but many sought similar story lines and discovered Fiona Barton and David Bell. The following subgenres represent some of the most common types of thrillers, and both big-name and emerging authors are suggested.

Covert Action

Some of the best thrillers written today take readers into the clandestine worlds of the CIA and Special Ops. The big names in this subgenre are Brad Thor, John le Carré, and the late Vince Flynn, whose “Mitch Rapp” series is so popular that author Kyle Mills has written the past couple of entries, with more to follow. For patrons looking for espionage and military thrillers, recommend Ben Coes’s “Dewey Andreas” series, Brad Taylor’s “Taskforce,” Gregg Hurwitz’s “Orphan X,” and novels by ­Patrick Lee, Matthew Betley, Gary Hardwick, and John ­Gilstrap.

Behind the Picket Fence

Another subgenre is the X-ray into the underbelly of ­suburbia, brought to prominence by Harlan Coben. What goes on behind the scenes and lives of the neighbors we all think we know so well? Authors to seek out include Daniel Palmer, Lisa Unger, and Linwood Barclay. Stephen L. Carter writes thrillers across numerous subgenres, but his fiction ­debut, The Emperor of Ocean Park, is a great starting point.

Good Cop, Bad Cop

Some readers love watching law enforcement find the bad guy and bring them to justice. Michael Connelly is the master when it comes to gripping crime stories. Thrillers differ from mysteries here in that mysteries tend to have an unknown perp and the whodunit element, while thrillers have a known villain and the story line targets more the whydunit. Some of the best works drop readers into the hidden world of law enforcement (FBI, police, Texas Rangers) and include Alan Jacobson’s “Karen Vail” books, Stefanie Pintoff’s tales about Eve Rossi, Robert Dugoni’s “Tracy Crosswhite” series, and Paula L. Woods’s “Charlotte Justice” novels. Fans should also check out series offerings by J.T. Ellison, Steven James, and Jon Land.

For those who enjoy the legal shenanigans of John Grisham or Scott Turow, there are some excellent alternatives: Anthony Franze, Steve Martini, Christopher Darden, and Paul Levine.

Secret Societies & Conspiracy Theories

With the popularity of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, the mix of history and science tinged with conspiracy has grown in the world of thriller literature. In addition to recommending Brown and the late Michael Crichton, librarians should suggest James Rollins’s “Sigma Force” titles, Steve Berry’s “Cotton Malone” books, Matthew Reilly’s “Jack West, Jr.” series, and the novels of Andy McDermott.

Mind Games

Many readers enjoy the twists and turns of a good psychological thriller, which often feature elements from mystery and horror novels. Paula Hawkins’s The Girl on the Train, S.J. Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep, and the spine-tingling novels of Ruth Ware and Tana French all fall into this category.

Claudia Piñeiro’s A Crack in the Wall explores the dark side of Buenos Aires, Tess Gerritsen’s medical thrillers will raise heart rates, and Thomas Harris’s now-classic series about erudite serial killer Hannibal the Cannibal is goosebump-inducing. (See Jordan Foster’s “Psychological Suspense” sidebar in “Novel Crime Scenes,” LJ 4/15/17, p. 30.)

The Motley Crew

Finally, some thrillers skillfully blend multiple genres. Here are a few to recommended to any thriller reader: Brad Parks’s Say Nothing (suburban/legal), K.J. Howe’s The Freedom Broker (Special Ops/family drama/international intrigue), James Rollins’s The Seventh Plague (science/history/Special Ops), Joseph Finder’s Guilty Minds (spies/corporations/legal), and David Lynn Golemon’s The Traveler (sf/history/Special Ops).

With this deep field of well-written and diverse books, don’t hesitate to guide your readers to the wonderful world of thrillers. Once they get started, they won’t be able to stop.

Jeff Ayers works for the Seattle Public Library and is a freelance reviewer of suspense/thrillers for LJ, Booklist, and the Associated Press. He cohosts a podcast for Suspense Magazine and has written several books in the worlds of both nonfiction and fiction