I could tell you it's all about the action, the espionage, the underhanded political scandals and maneuverings, the weapons used, the thwarting of evil people's terror and schemes - and that would definitely be a part of why I love thrillers. The perpetual battle of good v. evil on this earth comes in unimaginable efforts which is why thriller authors need impeccable sources and must do their research to make their novels convincingly authentic. I could add that the writing must be done well to accurately capture all the above listed reasons for loving thrillers.
But . . . the primary reason I love thrillers is the hero. And everyone knows my true number one favorite is Mitch Rapp created by the late Vince Flynn and continued by Kyle Mills. He remains at the top even so many years after he appeared on the scene in Transfer of Power long before the two prequels (American Assassin and Kill Shot). He's the consummate project, discovered by Irene Kennedy, trained by an ornery spymaster Stan Hurley who challenged him at every level and never allowed him to feel like he'd achieved anything special. Irene battled Stan throughout Mitch's training and assignments, but over time Rapp won him over. That's just a small piece of Mitch Rapp. He's an exceptional hero, and in my plentiful reading of thrillers and their heroes, there have been many good ones but none that measure up to Vince's uniquely motivated, clear-minded, gut-level communicator, no-nonsense assassin with a heart. None.
And he is the reason I'm a lover of thrillers.
Father, you know Vince. You gave him his abilities and desires to write in this genre. Thank you for allowing him great success while he was here. Please continue to bless your writers and in particular Kyle Mills as he continues this amazing continuation of the iconic Mitch Rapp. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.