Tell us what you think makes a good thriller - to win a copy of crime novel The Darkness Within plus £100 voucher. Now closed!

[SorchaMumsnet]

From global bestseller Cathy Glass comes gripping new crime novel The Darkness Within, written under the name of Lisa Stone.

When critically ill Jacob Wilson is given a life-saving heart transplant, his parents are relieved that their darling son has been saved.

However, before long, his family are forced to accept that something has changed in Jacob. Their once loving son is slowly being replaced by a violent man whose mood swings leave them terrified – but is it their fault?

Jacob's girlfriend, Rosie, is convinced the man she loves is suffering from stress. But when his moods turn on her, she begins to doubt herself – and she can only hide the bruises for so long.

When a terrible crime is committed, Jacob's family are forced to confront their darkest fears. Has the boy they raised become a monster, or is someone else to blame? You know your son better than anyone... don't you?

To be in with a chance of winning a copy of The Darkness Within plus a £100 Love2Shop voucher, just tell us: what makes a good thriller? Give examples of your favourites if you like!

This discussion is sponsored by Avon and closes at midday Wednesday 9 August

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Plot twists! I love Jodi Picoult but not sure she counts as in the thriller genre.

I like an unreliable narrator or narrators. I thought gone girl did this well.

Pacing is also important. I like a sense of escalation. Each event needs to be intriguing enough to make me want to read on but not so ridiculous that even with willing suspension of disbelief it is implausible....i also want enough time to get to know the character rather than just seeing them being hurled from one situation the next.

Most of all I like ordinary people in extraordinary situations. It's tiresome when one of the protagonists is an expert in absolutely everything, can talk their way out of everything, speaks thirty different languages fluently, is adept at hacking computers and coincidentally has the exact skills necessary to get out of any given situation - skills that no normal person would realistically possess. This is a big problem I had with the eg girl with the dragon tattoo.

There's got to be a good plot twist near the end so you don't know what's going to happen. Predictable books are the worst. I love a good page-turner.

Characterisation and decent dialogue are pretty essential for me to stay engaged. And like a pp, I enjoy it when there's an "ordinary" protagonist drawn into a situation in a way that really does let me suspend disbelief.

Definitely a page turner, lots of twists, completely unpredictable, big shock ending!!!

One book that sticks in my mind is We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver.
I guess it's a drama / thriller. It certainly stayed with me for a while anyway!!

A growing sense of dread with subtle hints peppered throughout a story, that makes the feeling in your stomach churn and turn to stone as you realise the horrible nature of the story take form

Lots of local detail,and deep historical research so it seems so very plausible and close

I like it when chapters are written from different characters perspectives especially if the 'bad guy' is one of them

I am a fan of the less is more approach. I like to build pictures of people, atmosphere and tension in my mind without having everything spelled out for me. Tasters, teasers, the hint of something else not yet revealed are the kind of things that draw me in. Writers like Mark Billingham, Val McDermid, Ella Griffiths, David Baldacchi, Peter May and Ann Cleeves all of this well. Along with unexpected twists and turns, of course.

I like hints and teasers so you don't have all the details and therefore keeps me gripped as I want to find out more. It's really hard to pinpoint exactly what part of the writing makes me enjoy it, but the books that stick with me, I can still picture certain scenes in my mind, so just enough detail for me to picture it. A plot twist of course is important so you can get to the end and be shocked. I'm a fan of Jeffrey Deaver and Dean Koontz just now.

I like female characters who have characters and aren't only described physically (when their only flaw is a slight snub nose ) or by what they are wearing. Bores the absolute tits off me.

Twists are good! Obviously. Kate Atkinson's Case Histories nailed it.

a plot twist that you don't see coming but when you reread the book is sufficiently signposted. I like to be able to reread my books and still enjoy them and often with a thriller once you know the end it's not as enjoyable to read.

I love to be scared so I like suspense.

Plot twists, interesting characters, no obvious factual or continuity errors.

It's great when the author allows you to really get to know the characters, and even better if an action can suddenly change your opinion in an heart stopping moment. A twist at the end is good. For me a really good book means when I have to put it down I can imagine the life of it carrying on without me and I cannot wait to rejoin the adventure !

Should have added. Mandasue Heller,KarinSlaughter, Lin Anderson. Kelly Griffiths. I got so excited - forgot to add my favourites !

I'm not one for plot twists, but I love intelligent, interesting characters. Usually for me, less is more - Phil Rickmans understated style which builds it in my own mind for instance

Oddly enough, was talking about this with my son yesterday. Sudden, unexpected plot twists that you are not prepared for are a bit rubbish. I think a book needs to be good enough to read again, knowing the "secret". Good examples would be "Before I Go to Sleep" and "Girl on the Train". I also love the film, "The Sixth Sense" for its twist(s) and the beauty of all of these is that you can enjoy them more than once.

I also think characters need enough depth to be believable - not just good / bad but complex humans with clever motivation that is an extreme version of things we all encounter. The character I enjoyed most recently was Paul in "Lie With Me" by Sabine Durant. Loathsome, but believably so and a self-confessed liar so a clever unreliable narrator.

I love MJ Aldridge and James Patterson. I love when you think you have figured out the plot or the baddie, only to find out there's a twist and it isn't at all what you thought!!

A good pace. Slow, thoughtful and detailed in places and then frantic, heart-thumping on others!

Plot twist but not one that changes everything in the book. One I read recently was written by the point of view of one character but the twist at the end was that the character was s psychopath and a liar si everything was bullshit. I felt cheated!

For me, the best thrillers are unsettling. They have you frequently second guessing what you think you have already figured out, and create a sense of unease that is hard to shake when you put the book down.

John Le Carré The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is superb because the characterization of the spies is as important as the plot's twists and turns.

A plot twist - one that makes you stay up at night feverishly turning pages so you find out what happens.

Engaging characters - you have to care enough about the character to want to read on and see what happens to them!

An interesting, novel plot, not one that's been done to death a million times.

A book that stays in your mind after you've finished it, with a plot you can relate to and imagine happening in real life. That's scary.

Good thrillers I've read recently - See Jane Run by Joy Fielding.
The Magpies by Mark Edwards.

I like to be kept guessing- just when I think I know who it is/the deep dark secret/what's going on, something happens to make me completely rethink.

I also like a happy ending. :)