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

Books T&Cs apply

Plenty of suspense and a plot twist or three along the way

A twist that you don't see coming (very rare!)

Unpredictability & twists, I love a thriller that makes me think

Compelling but believable female characters, which is why I enjoy Laura Lippmann's books. Her PI Tess Monaghan is pretty smart and "normal" - she is not a tortured alcoholic or similar, like so many detectives.

Good believable characters, well written dialogue, and plot twists and turns ... ultimately there has to be a situation or people I can relate to in order to feel invested in the story, nothing turns me off a story more than thinking that I hate the main character and couldn't care less what happens to them.

I love a book that makes my stomach churn and I'm thinking 'just one more chapter' until I finish it.

I want characters you can relate to and care about, and not the same old storyline rehashed yet again!

a page-turning pace - I want a book which is unputdownable,
a gripping first chapter,
clues,
spectacular twists,
a sense of closure at the end

A character that you can relate to or feel some connection with. Well written, slowly building up the scenes and suspense with plot twist but not huge daft ones. I love books where you have a snippet of a bit of the book - either the end or middle - so you have some info but you can't really figure it out till later. Or, you think you've figured it out and it then turns out better!

Believable story, lots of twists and turns and characters that you can relate to

Any Stephen King book, fantasy but thrilling at the same time. Also like all Stuart Mcbride books

I don't mind the odd twist and turn in the plot, but I object to being deliberately manipulated. Don't spend the whole book making it look the the only possible outcome is one way, and then make it something else in the last chapter. Make events ambiguous, so it's up to the reader to to infer motivations etc.

Pet hate is when a character is made to loom guilty the whole way through, and then suddenly given a pure motive at the end that 'explains' all the times they were AWOL etc.

A good pace with clues and hints along the way that keep you guessing and then suddenly add up and make sense towards the end when the vital twist towards the end is revealed.

A good story that pieces together and hints on who might be the killer dotted around

Love an unexpected twist...especially in the last couple of pages.

A few red herrings and some cliff hangers

I like chapters that have cliffhangers towards the end, egging you to read on. Some good books I have read in the past have had chapters written from different character perspectives, which then means you have to read on more than just one chapter, to see what happens to the character in the chapter you have just read. I also like books where the characters are all interlinked, but you have to wait to find out how. Cloudatlas and Ghostwritten, both by DavidMitchell, did this well, though not sure they truly count as thrillers!

Oh, and when you get to the end, I hate loose ends! Everything has to be resolved, unless the sequel is on the way.....I hate not knowing and 'Grey' endings! A good series for this is 'The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency' series by Alexander McCall Smith.

A good thriller keeps is full of suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat, with lots of twists and turns in the plot, it must also allow you to be able to care about the characters

Believable characters, tension and a plot twist or two

You must have a good plot, it also has to have twists and turns and usually more than 1 suspect

A good thriller for me is relatable characters - I like to be able to relate and empathise with the characters. I also like a plot that keeps you guessing til the end - I absolutely detest picking up a new book and being able to guess the ending within the first few chapters - its so predictable and disappointing. I love books - they make me so happy and I love it when a book is a lovely fresh surprise to me.

Interesting plot, suspense, the hook and twist from a writer who writes with flow and ease. The king of this has to be Harlan Coben.

A good thriller is when you can't guess who is the culprit until it is revealed

Good characters, tension and a hint of something in every chapter to keep you turning the page! I also like a twist

It's got to have something relatable about the main character - if it feels like it's something that could happen to you that makes the tension even more emotive