What makes a literary thriller

[snowspider]

Is it a sense of a theme as well as the thriller plot, or a plot led by characters? And any recommendations especially recent but any at all really

I like old-school thrillers which are character rather than plot driven. I'm not a big fan of twist, twist, twist, ridiculous but predictable ending. I prefer a slow burner. Try A Helping Hand by Celia Dale if you want a well-written thriller with menace building throughout.

I'm guessing that 98% of whether it's considered literary is solely a matter of the quality of the writing.