Someone who has served as a member of the department of homeland security, Thor has experienced what future threats could look like in the form of terrorism. This has led to mystery-filled and espionage novels like “The Lions Of Lucerne” and “Path of the Assassin.”
As well as being a number one New York Times bestselling author, his various novels have won awards and accolades, which include the international thriller writers association.
Thor discusses how his stories of international intrigue parallel real-world threats. If you find you’re all tuckered out from Thor’s incredible stories, there are many authors who write in this genre and are just as compelling and suspenseful.
If you’ve been awestruck by Thor’s Scot Harvath series, there is much more out there for you to sink into, with examples like Barry Eisler, Daniel Silva, William Tyree, and James Patterson. Find out where you can experience your next unforgettable story here.
In part two of this iconic series, you have Scot Harvath, who, just from rescuing the president from kidnappers, looks to enact his energies to capture or kill those responsible for the plot. As he reaches the end, one man remains, who is the world’s most dangerous terrorist.
While this man can’t be identified, the team is forced to recruit a civilian who has survived a brutal hijacking and is the only one who can identify the terrorist. Expect a lot of devastation and bloodshed in an action-filled story.
In part twenty-one of this classic series, we find the distinctive Scot Harvath once again looking down on democracy’s most powerful enemy. This all springs into action when a covert American diplomat is killed, and once again, Harvath is led into an unfamiliar culture.
From the moment he lands in India, he faces opposition and hostility. With many competing forces and deadly agendas, it is nearly impossible to identify an ally or predator. You also see a democracy hanging in the balance in this explosive plot.
Common Themes
Espionage
You have individuals like Scot Harvath who have to sneak into enemy territory and use their experience and intelligence to locate dangerous individuals who are in, amongst others, conflicts with many competing factions.
Thriller
Famous for its page-turning curiosity, you have many books in Thor’s series that are simply unputdownable. These stories and events go down to the wire, and you have yet to determine if the protagonist will survive.
Authors Similar To Brad Thor
Barry Eisler
An author who has had jobs such as a covert position within the CIA, an attorney, and an executive in a technology start-up. His background has allowed him to share insights on accurate governmental procedures.
Our first pick, Amok, looks at a restless man called Dox who is offered a five-figure payday, but the big question is who does he have to kill, and how will this secret war unfold? In Fault Line, we see a conspiracy that has leaked from the shadows and onto the streets of America.
Pros
If you love characters who spring from the page, Ben Treven is a perfect example of one thrown into the thick of business firms and battlegrounds.
You also find unusual stories, so if you’re tired of thriller troupes, this look into the assassination and espionage plotlines can feel very refreshing.
Cons
If you’ve read other of his other series, you may notice some of these later works take on a slightly different approach to telling rather than showing, which will be different from everyone’s taste.
Themes: Murder, thriller, suspense, assassination
Daniel Silva
An author with many bestsellers under him, these novels have been described as haunting, passionate, and compelling, with war and the involvement of the CIA being potent involvements, which are made ever-present by his work as a journalist.
An example of this can be found in The Mark Of The Assassin, which has a master assassin named October who is being pursued and begins a plot involving special interests and corrupt governments.
In Portrait Of An Unknown Woman, Gabriel has severed ties with Israeli intelligence, and his expertise is needed again when a centuries-old painting is rediscovered.
Pros
Silva is at his best when taking the reader to different countries and coming up against those with vested interests, so you’re likely going to get lost in these stories.
Not only are you entrenched in these worlds, but they are also informative about how these security services work, which shows they have been researched to a high level.
Cons
Some readers of the Gabriel Allon series have noted that political references are littered throughout the novels. For those who want an escape, this may be a bit off-putting.
Not only a writer but a former newspaper reporter who has also delved into the non-fiction book world on many topics, but his true insights and knowledge can be attributed to his various spy novels that are against threats that are ever-growing and dangerous.
This is evident in The Midnight House, part four of the magnificent John Wells series, which starts with an American interrogation squad who are murdered. However, many revelations are uncovered during the search.
In The Prisoner, John Wells is needed again to go on his most dangerous mission yet, as he has to infiltrate a terrorist organization.
Pros
Thrillers with a heightened tension that doesn’t diminish throughout the story, as there is a rush to find these terrorists and predict where they’ll strike next.
Readers may be equally surprised by the amount of detail that looks at the backgrounds of these organizations and how much of a threat they have become throughout the series.
Cons
With this detail, other aspects of individual characters have a habit of falling into the background, which may frustrate some readers.
This author needs no introduction, as his novels are recognized worldwide, with 375 million copies sold. While his most famous books are thrillers, he has also published stories in the romance and children’s categories.
With so many options, we’ve landed on 22 Seconds, which has sergeant Lindsay Boxer, tipped off to a weapon shipment, but before she can act, she hears of a case quite close to home.
In The President Is Missing, which has fears of cyberterror and espionage, until the president goes missing suddenly.
Pros
Patterson is so successful because of his natural ability to tell a story full of tension wrapped around an intricate plot that spans many stories in a series.
His collaborations with the likes of Bill Clinton give you a personal look into how government works, and with others, you find a world that may have felt inaccessible before.
Cons
With some of these stories that look at government or police procedures, there is a hint of internal politics, which some may find is a bit overdone and is something of a trope in this genre.
Themes: Women sleuths, suspense, detective, fiction
Closing Thoughts
You’ll find authors here that not only excite and intrigue but also give you a look into a world that is often closed off and feels unreal. These worlds also have the potential to have you question how these secret organizations are structured, which opens up many rabbit holes.
There is also the possibility that you can go on a journey, as the streets of Venice, government departments, and desolate areas in the middle east open an expanse of revelation and adventure, so these novels have plenty of scope.
Frequently Asked Questions
What If I Want A Light Thriller?
Maybe you want something that deals less with international affairs. If so, a plethora of Patterson’s novels have sleuths that investigate domestic affairs without too much fanfare.
The presence of assassins or brutal murders can be overwhelming for some people, but this doesn’t mean that you’re limited to certain authors.
What If I Don’t Want A Series?
Of course, many of these thrillers have books that can be up to 20 novels, which can be a significant investment of time. Authors like Berenson, Silva, and Patterson have standalone novels, which can give you an insight into their writing styles.
Can I Find Mystery In These Novels?
There is a degree of mystery that is a staple of the thriller genre, as some of these may not have the complexity you may find in an Agatha Christie novel, but you can find some of the plots in these more elaborate for different reasons.
If you look at the categories on book sites, these can be a good reference point when looking at what sub-genres they have, as a mystery can be one that is attributed to the novel, so it could take some diligence to land on the perfect book.
Emiko is a passionate reader of fiction books. She was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan but holds a dual-citizinship in the U.S. After graduating from the prestigious University of Tokyo with a degree in Literature, Emiko decided to pursue her love of writing and moved to New York City. She quickly established herself as a successful independently published novelist (using a pen name), with her works being praised for their unique blend of Asian and Western influences.
In addition to writing, Emiko also loves to read. She tries to read at least one book a week and often visits local bookstores to find new gems. She is currently working on her sixth novel and continues to explore the world of literature with her exclusive writing for RT Book Reviews. Emiko believes that books are the key to understanding the human experience and strives to share her love for books with other readers.
