Honey Brown is an award-winning author of five (standalone) thrillers, and most recently a collection of short stories. Her quote about pacing in writing brings to mind the fast pace of an action scene, which should give you an idea of what to expect in the thrillers she writes.
It also brings to mind two thrillers I’ve read — one, and this is a bit of a cheat — is a YA thriller that follows a continental bike race, and the winner meets Hitler — yes, it’s an alternate universe where Germany won WW2. But, this is why it’s a cheat: by it’s very nature, a long race is a matter of fast-paced action and tension, followed by downtime while the racers rest. It illustrates, I think, what Honey means in her quote — stretches of action, with downtime that is filled with potential or as she puts it much more eloquently: sly, unsettling downtime.
I’m going to be reviewing a book next week, or later this week in which readers are introduced to a wonderfully manipulative, conniving woman as she pursues her desire for money and murder, and sex. She likes getting laid. While she’s a breath of fresh air in some respects, the author’s desire to break up the book with interlude of crude, unexciting and decidedly not-good sex slows down the pace of the book to the point of boredom. The downtime in this book is decidedly not sly and not unsettling.
What thriller have you read that excelled at pacing?
Definitely good advice. RE the sex addictive protagonist, this sounds like a mixing of genres. The last time that worked for me was Cruel Intentions – so most stories cannot pull it off!
It is a mixing of genres, Annette and it annoys me a little bc I think the sex is why the book is shocking. Am putting the review together for next week and I’m all over the place about it.
PS: They’re doing a Cruel Intentions TV show! With SMG!!