My Top 10 Thrillers

This past week, I was having drinks with a writer I admire enormously - William Landry, author of The Strangler and his new bestselling book, Defending Jacob.  We got to talking about books we admire, as all writers do, and it got me thinking to one of the questions I'm often asked: What are your favorite books?

I've decided to stick to thrillers, as (a) they're what I write, and (b) the goods ones - the really, really good ones - are few and far between.  Defending Jacob made my list, and I'm not saying that because Bill's a friend.  His book, which has been riding the bestseller's list for weeks, is that rare combination of an amazing story with amazing writing, characters and an ending that I'm still thinking about days later.  It really is that good, and you should read it.  If you don't, you're missing out.

Here's my top 10 thrillers, in no particular order.  Each one of these books share a single distinction: I couldn't put them down.  Everything else in my life - my family, my own writing, sleep - fell by the wayside in order to finish reading.  Do yourself a favor and read them.

• The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris.
• Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
• Pale Horse Coming by Stephen Hunter
• The Killing Kind by John Connolly
• The Standoff by Chuck Hogan
• You're Next and The Kill Clause by Gregg Hurwitz
• The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow
• Defending Jacob by William Landry
• Misery by Stephen King
• Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane