# Recommend a good psychological thriller **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 31, 2007, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880 "2007-07-31T22:36:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2007, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/1 "2007-07-31T22:36:28Z")
One of the people on my XMas list enjoys psychological thrillers, so that is what I get him every year. (Yeah, I know, it is August. This is when I shop.) I’ve given him several over the years but some recent ones that he enjoyed was the first Dexter novel (he didn’t like the second one) and [Shadow Man](http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Man-Cody-Mcfadyen/dp/0553589938/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4071462-4793634?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185921268&sr=1-1). He also enjoyed the sequel to Shadow Man, but I can’t recall what it is. (Of course he has read the Red Dragon and the others.) So, can you recommend some good Psy Thrillers? ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/2 "2007-08-01T01:43:25Z")
Not exactly sure what a “psychological thriller” is but “Wait until dark” is great whether it is or isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/3 "2007-08-01T02:56:34Z")
I can’t define “psychological thriller” either, but if you really like this guy, give him the Blue Rose Trilogy by Peter Straub. The titles are Koko, Mystery, and The Throat. I think they’d qualify as psychological thrillers. John Connolly would be another good author to check out. Does your friend know that Dexter was filmed for Showtime? The DVD is probably available. I think it comprises the first two books. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/4 "2007-08-01T03:55:02Z")
_Secret Smile_ by Nikki French. Came out a couple of years ago, has been made into a TV movie (British). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/5 "2007-08-01T03:57:56Z")
Anything by Thomas Harris, who wrote _Silence of the Lambs_. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/6 "2007-08-01T04:02:37Z")
Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley novels. ---
**Author:** ![valleyofthedolls](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a4c791/32.png) [@valleyofthedolls](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/valleyofthedolls)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/7 "2007-08-01T04:40:11Z")
You could try Peter Spiegelman’s books: Death’s Little Helper Black Maps Red Cat ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/8 "2007-08-01T04:59:30Z")
Would someone care to take a stab at defining “psychological thriller”? What’s the difference between a psychological thriller and an ordinary thriller? Heck, what’s a thriller? ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/9 "2007-08-01T06:29:44Z")
[Cube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwy7vFQHnRs). Five strangers are trapped in a labyrinth of cube rooms. Paranoia. Claustrophobia. Definitely a psychological thriller. One of the best of its kind. Don’t bother with the sequels. This is the original cult classic. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/10 "2007-08-01T12:08:56Z")
Since I don’t feel up to taking a stab at the definition, I’m just going to recommend a couple of things I think your friend would really like based on his other choices. Both by Scott Smith: [The Ruins](http://www.amazon.com/Ruins-Scott-Smith/dp/030727828X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-8519744-2072742?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185969467&sr=1-1) From the review by Stephen King: > [@](#): > > It’s hard to say much about the book without giving away everything, because the thing is as simple and deadly as a leg-hold trap concealed in a drift of leaves…or, in this case, a mass of vines. You’ve got four young American tourists–Eric, Jeff, Amy, and Stacy–in Cancun. They make friends with a German named Mathias whose brother has gone off into the jungle with some archeologists. These five, plus a cheerful Greek with no English (but a plentiful supply of tequila), head up a jungle trail to find Mathias’s brother…the archaeologists…and the ruins. Well, two out of three ain’t bad, according to the old saying, and in this case; what’s waiting in the jungle isn’t just bad, it’s horrible. [A Simple Plan](http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Plan-Scott-Smith/dp/0307278271/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/104-8519744-2072742?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185969467&sr=1-3) > [@](#): > > On an afternoon jaunt, Hank, his brother, and a friend accidentally discover a wrecked plane. Inside they find the dead pilot and a sack containing four million dollars. The men know that they should notify the authorities, but instead they devise a foolproof scheme for keeping the money. They will hide it for one year, tell no one, live normally, and then divide the loot into three equal portions. Nothing can go wrong with such a simple plan-or can it? I prefer A Simple Plan over The Ruins; however, your friend may have seen the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/11 "2007-08-01T12:54:59Z")
From WIKI > [@](#): > > ``` > * Psychological – Elements that are related to the mind or processes of the mind; they are mental rather than physical in nature. > > * Thriller – A genre of fiction that attempts to “thrill” its audience by placing characters at great risk. This constant unease throughout the story makes the narrative suspenseful to the reader by creating a tense atmosphere. > > * Psychological + Thriller – By combining these two terms, the definition changes to a narrative that makes the characters exposed to danger on a mental level rather than a physical one. Characters are no longer reliant on physical strength to overcome their brutish enemies (which is often the case in typical action-thrillers), but rather are reliant on their mental resources, whether it be by battling wits with a formidable opponent or by battling for equilibrium in the character’s own mind. An excellent example of a psychological thriller is the writings of Robert Banfelder who has written a series of ten novels on serial killings. > > ``` More from WIKI > [@](#): > > Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the wide-ranging thriller genre. However, this genre often incorporates elements from the mystery genre in addition to the typical traits of the thriller genre. > > Generally, thrillers focus on plot over characters, and thus emphasize intense, physical action over the character’s psyche. Psychological thrillers tend to reverse this formula to a certain degree, emphasizing the characters just as much, if not more so, than the plot. > > The suspense created by psychological thrillers often comes from two or more characters preying upon one another’s minds, either by playing deceptive games with the other or by merely trying to demolish the other’s mental state. _The Red Dragon_ is a perfect example of this. Thomas Harris focuses on the characters of Francis Dolarhyde and Will Graham and the way their minds work as much as on the plot. The one that I linked to in the OP The Shadow Man is another good example (although someone lesser in quality, in my mind.) The Dexter books pit one insane killer against another. In some ways it is a little lighter or if you prefer, offbeat. It is an amazingly common term, with some books even putting it in the title: _The Disappearance of Lyndsey Barratt: A Psychological Thriller by John Wilson_ _The Yeare’s Midnight: A Psychological Thriller by Ed O’Connor_ _Deadly Visions: A Shocking Psychological Thriller Based on Actual Events by Richard Baron_ _Transfers: A Psychological Thriller by erna Olinger_ _Find Courtney: A Psychological Thriller by Melissa Clark_ Heck, I could find dozens more. ---
**Author:** ![denquixote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@denquixote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/denquixote)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/12 "2007-08-01T13:30:24Z")
[QUOTE=denquixote] Not exactly sure what a “psychological thriller” is but “Wait until dark” is great whether it is or isn’t. [/QUOTE] Why did I think you weere talking about movies? I guess I think of Hannibal Lecter as a move character first, sorry. But “Wait Until Dark” is still a great movie. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/13 "2007-08-01T13:48:27Z")
[QUOTE=denquixote] Why did I think you weere talking about movies? I guess I think of Hannibal Lecter as a move character first, sorry. But “Wait Until Dark” is still a great movie. [/QUOTE] I can see where the text didn’t call it out specifically and only hinted at the fact that I was looking for book recommendations. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/14 "2007-08-01T21:28:51Z")
[QUOTE=denquixote] Why did I think you weere talking about movies? I guess I think of Hannibal Lecter as a move character first, sorry. But “Wait Until Dark” is still a great movie. [/QUOTE] But _Silence of the lambs_, the book, is so much better than the movie, and focuses on the mental gamesmanship between Clarisse, her boss Jack, and Hannibal. Likewise Red Dragon focuses on the tortured soul of Will, who can empathize with serial killers to the point that he is physically sickened by examining crime scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/15 "2007-08-01T21:32:00Z")
John Connolly’s a great recommendation. His [Charlie Parker novels](http://amazon.com/Read-Charlie-Parker-novels-order/lm/RQZQIZD6SLD4H/ref=cm_lmt_srch_f_1_rsrsrs0/105-5705469-3142819) start out as pretty good thrillers, then take a turn towards the fantastic. Start with _Every Dead Thing_ and proceed from there. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/16 "2007-08-01T21:34:09Z")
Almost any of Ruth Rendell’s books, particularly the one’s she writes under the name of Barbara Vine. > **[Ruth Rendell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Rendell)** > > Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE (née Grasemann; 17 February 1930 – 2 May 2015) was an English author of thrillers and psychological murder mysteries. > Rendell is best known for creating Chief Inspector Wexford. A second string of works was a series of unrelated crime novels that explored the psychological background of criminals and their victims. This theme was developed further in a third series of novels, published under the pseudonym Barbara Vine. > Rendell was born a... ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2007, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/17 "2007-08-02T12:35:51Z")
**Interrobang!?** , John Connelly sounds familiar, but when I read the synopsis on Amazon I couldn’t recall having read any them before. I would be bummed if I gave him one that I had already given him (that would show just how sad my old memory has become) so I have to look more closely. But it looks like a good prospect. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2007, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/18 "2007-08-02T12:56:16Z")
Find a copy of Bob Randall’s The Fan. Avoid the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/19 "2007-08-02T17:35:16Z")
John Fowles’ “The Collector” pretty much fills the bill. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880/20 "2007-08-02T18:55:40Z")
[QUOTE=Evil Captor] John Fowles’ “The Collector” pretty much fills the bill. [/QUOTE] And toss in the 2nd & 3rd season DVDs of “Criminal Minds” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-psychological-thriller/413880.md?page=2)