Definitional Disagreements

Earlier this week, The Washington Post released its “10 best mystery novels of 2024” list. It follows that up now with critic Stephanie Merry’s choices of “the 10 best thrillers of 2024”:

• All the Colors of the Dark, by Chris Whitaker (Crown)
• The Hunter, by Tana French (Viking)
• Exposure, by Ramona Emerson (Soho Crime)
• Farewell, Amethystine, by Walter Mosley (Mulholland)
• First Lie Wins, by Ashley Elston (Pamela Dorman)
• The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore (Riverhead)
• Guide Me Home, by Attica Locke (Mulholland)
• Hunted, by Abir Mukherjee (Mulholland)
• Listen for the Lie, by Amy Tintera (Celadon)
• The Winner, by Teddy Wayne (Harper)

Deadly Pleasures editor George Easter, who pointed me toward Merry’s selections, calls this “a good list,” but says “it also points out how loosely the term ‘thriller’ is used these days. I’ve read five of the books listed and I wouldn’t call any of those a ‘thriller,’ with the possible exception of Hunted. To me the term ‘thriller’ means action, deadline and danger as one would find in a Mark Greaney novel. But, of late, many people have begun to use that term in describing psychological suspense and mystery/detective fiction. It has become a meaningless term. I blame it on publishing houses’ marketing departments.” I can’t argue with those insights.