Five of the best thrillers that resist easy fixes

Jeff Somers is the author of the Avery Cates series, The Ustari Cycle, Lifers, and Chum (among many other books) and numerous short stories.

At the B&N Reads blog he tagged five thrillers that resist easy fixes, including:

The Day of the Jackal, by Frederick Forsyth

The attention to detail and real-life roots of Forsyth’s 1971 novel are legendary. He was working as a journalist in Paris when he wrote the story about an assassin hired to kill the President of France, and drew on actual events he witnessed or heard about through firsthand accounts, setting many of the novel’s scenes in well-researched places. In fact, rumor has it the assassin’s sniping spot can still be located—with the precise view described in the text. When you can physically visit the settings of the story and inspect them for accuracy, it’s safe to say nothing was handwaved.

Read about another entry on the list.

The Day of the Jackal is among Sam Bourne's five favorite classic thrillers and Christopher Timothy's six best books.

--Marshal Zeringue