Tag - Thriller

My third novel, Symbiosis, is about identical twin girls called Talulah and Taliah. Symbiosis (released Jan 21st 2016) is a Psychological Thriller. This week’s post is dedicated to the Psychological Thriller literary genre.

Definition: A Psychological Thriller is a thriller story, which emphasises the psychology of its characters and their unstable emotional states… (More)

Characteristics:

• Psychological & emotional stress are primary themes.
• The conflict between the characters is predominantly
  psychological/mental.
• Deception is a key factor.
• Tension and suspense are ever-present.
• There is often an overlap with other genres, including Mystery,
  Transgressive Fiction and Horror (particularly psychological horror).
• Psychological Thrillers focus on both the hero and the villain.
• The nature of the protagonist is often questioned.
• Psychological Thrillers play with both the characters’ and reader’s
  mind.

History:

1697 ­– Little Red Riding Hood – the story is about a manipulative, stalking wolf versus an innocent girl.

1844 – The Count of Monte Cristo – betrayal and revenge are themes in this action-packed novel.

1903 – Heart of Darkness – the human soul is the central theme in this first person account of a man traveling up the Congo River. Click here to read my review.

1959 – The Manchurian Candidate – this Cold War classic is about a squad of American soldiers who are left paranoid after being brainwashed by Communists.

1980 – The Bourne Identity – a man suffering from amnesia finds a trail of deceit when he sets out to discover his past. Most of us have probably seen the film it inspired.

My Favourite Psychological Thriller Author: Thomas Harris (Red Dragon/Silence of the Lambs).

My Most Disturbing Psychological Thriller: The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson. Click here to read my review.

Psychological Thriller of the Decade so far: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (2012) – 939,000 sales in 2014 alone.

Amazon’s Current No.1 Best Selling Psychological Thriller: The Girl With No Past by Kathryn Croft.

Most Famous Contemporary Psychological Thriller Author: Lee Child.

The Psychological Thriller I Want to Read Next: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

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I have written 3 novels. My latest is the psychological thriller, Symbiosis.