From “Slow Horses” to “Big Little Lies,” our list of great psychological thrillers, spy novels and crime fiction have inspired a heap of great adaptations.
AI:The 21st century has seen a massive surge in the cinematic and televised translation of psychological thrillers, spy novels, and crime fiction. From the gritty espionage of *Slow Horses* to the domestic tension of *Big Little Lies*, these high-stakes narratives are dominating the adaptation landscape. While Hollywood frequently retreats into safe, repetitive franchises—as seen with the endless cycle of superhero reboots—this trend highlights a growing appetite for complex, character-driven suspense that successfully bridges the gap between page and screen.Open
Can our Book Review editor, Tina Jordan, guess thrillers from their first sentence? In this game we explore a few of the books from The New York Times’s “50 Best Thrillers of the 21st Century” list; and learn a bit more about why opening sentences are so important to get people reading.
AI:The New York Times editorial staff engaged in a lighthearted exercise where book editors attempted to identify specific suspense novels from their "50 Best Thrillers of the 21st Century" list using only their opening sentences. This feature explores the narrative importance of introductory lines in driving reader engagement and hook-driven storytelling within the thriller genre.Open