Random Quotes on Crime & Thriller Writing

If you’ve been searching for the greatest psychological crime and thriller quotes ever, you’ve come to the right place. The Plotlens review team has curated the best quotes to perfectly articulate the field of crime and thriller writing.

‘The way to write a thriller is to ask a question at the beginning, and answer it at the end.’ Lee Child

‘Place the body near the beginning of your book—preferably on the first page, perhaps the first sentence.’ Louise Penny

‘I’m interested in starting stories at the moment of some crisis to see how the character deals with it.’ Paul Auster

‘Figure out what exactly is at stake, and how to establish it quickly. That’s your conflict.’ Katia Lief

‘I’m always pretending that I’m sitting across from somebody. I’m telling a story, and I don’t want them to get up until I’m finished.’ James Patterson

‘Life is about working out who the bad guy is.’ Sophie Hannah

‘An initial crisis may produce a question, one that takes the form of a challenge to the reader: Can they solve the puzzle before the answer is revealed? In its simplest form the crisis is a murder and the question is whodunit?’

‘I can’t start writing until I have a closing line.’ Joseph Heller

‘I often know how the book will end and have imagined a number of major scenes throughout, but not always how I will get there. When I’m about two-thirds done I reoutline the whole book so I know that I’m delivering on all I promised.’ Jeff Abbott

‘Crime stories are rarely about crime they’re a study of its aftermath.’

‘The only writers who survive the ages are those who understand the need for action in a novel.’ Dean Koontz

‘People don’t read books to get to the middle. They read to get to the end.’ Mickey Spillane

‘I do extensive outlines before I write a single word.’ Jeffrey Deaver

If you love anything thriller related, then check out the great psychological content at Plotlens today.

Thrilling and Suspenseful Books That Are Well Worth the Read

Here are three great books to consider when looking for your next thrilling read.

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson. Suffering from anterograde amnesia, a disease that causes her to lose all her memories after she goes to bed, Christine Lucas wakes up every morning with more questions than answers. Not recognizing the bedroom she wakes up in every morning or the man sleeping beside her who identifies herself as he husband Ben, Christine keeps a personal diary in which one day she finds three words written in her own handwriting: “Don’t trust Ben.”

Bird Box by Josh Malerman. An apocalyptic attack leaves survivors struggling as a creature stalks them, leading them to violence and fatal madness with a mere glimpse. Malorie, one of the few survivors, leads her two small children on a dangerous voyage down the river while blindfolded, in an attempt to find sanctuary. Now a Netflix motion picture starring Sandra Bullock, Bird Box is nothing short of edge-of-your-seat suspense both in novel form and on the screen.

Sphere by Michael Crichton. When an alien spacecraft is discovered on the ocean floor, US Navy psychologist Norman Johnson joins a team of scientists assembled to examine it and quickly finds himself with far more to deal with than he bargained for. Adapted into a major motion picture in 1998, and the type of non-stop thriller we’ve come to expect from Crichton.

Looking for some thrilling reads? Visit our online library at www.plotlens.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from all your favorite devices, and sure to leave you in suspense!