Inspiring lines from crime fiction writers

Be inspired by these great lines from people who know crime fiction writing best, curated by the Emplying review team.

Crime fiction makes money. It may be harder for writers to get published, but crime is doing better than most of what we like to call CanLit. It’s elementary, plot-driven, character-rich story-telling at its best. ~Linwood Barclay

Crime fiction confirms our belief, despite some evidence to the contrary, that we live in a rational, comprehensible, and moral universe. ~P.D. James

Most crime fiction, no matter how ‘hard-boiled’ or bloodily forensic, is essentially sentimental, for most crime writers are disappointed romantics. ~John Banveiile

And there are rules for crime fiction. Or if not rules, at least expectations and you have to give the audience what it wants. ~Tod Goldberg

Crime fiction is the fiction of social history. Societies get the crimes they deserve. ~Denise Mina

One of the surprising things I hadn’t expected when I decided to write crime fiction is how much you are expected to be out in front of the public. Some writers aren’t comfortable with that. I don’t have a problem with that. ~Kathy Reichs

The mainstream has lost its way. Crime fiction is an objective, realistic genre because it’s about the real world, real bodies really being killed by somebody. And this involves the investigator in trying to understand the society that the person lived in. ~Michael Dibin

Anyone who says, ‘Books don’t change anything,’ or – more commonly – that crime fiction is the wrong genre for promoting social change – should take a closer look. ~Andrew Vachss

The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers. ~Jacques Barzun

I’ll bet you $10 right now that there are an awful lot of literary writers who started a long time ago and now they find themselves in this place where secretly they feel trapped. And you know what they really read for fun? They read crime fiction. ~Robert Crais

There is sometimes a feeling in crime fiction that good writing gets in the way of story. I have never felt that way. All you have is language. Why write beneath yourself? It’s an act of respect for the reader as much as yourself. ~John Connolly

It wasn’t a decision to become a writer. I wanted to become a writer of crime fiction. I was very specific. ~Michael Connelly

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Inspiring lines from crime fiction writers

Here are some of the most inspiring words from the most well-known crime thriller writers, curated by the Emplying review team.

The words characters use and the gestures they make should be enough for the reader to know who is talking and how they’re feeling. ~Unknown

I try to leave out the parts that people skip. ~Elmore Leonard

Writing is the flip side of sex – it’s good only when it’s over. ~Hunter S Thompson

My task, which I am trying to achieve, is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel – it is, before all, to make you see. ~Joseph Conrad

Write every day even if it is just a paragraph. ~Michael Connelly

All the information you need can be given in dialogue. ~Elmore Leonard

Have something you want to say. ~Ian Rankin

Any author, like their protagonist, must endure sacrifice, or be willing to do so,~Unknown

There are only two pieces of advice any would-be writer needs. The first is Give up. Those who heed that don’t need to hear the second, which is Don’t give up.~Mick Herron

My purpose is to entertain myself first and other people secondly. ~John D MacDonald

I never read a review of my own work. Either it was going to depress me or puff me up in ways that are useless.~Paul Auster

I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite. ~G K Chesterton

I abhor crime novels in which the main character can behave however he or she pleases, or do things that normal people do not do, without those actions having social consequences. ~Steig Larsson

The best crime novels are all based on people keeping secrets. All lying – you may think a lie is harmless, but you put them all together and there’s a calamity. ~Alafair Burke

With the crime novels, it’s delightful to have protagonists I can revisit in book after book. It’s like having a fictitious family. ~John Banville

I think the “crime novel” has replaced the sociological novel of the 1930s. I think the progenitor of that tradition is James M. Cain, who in my view is the most neglected writer in American literature. ~James Lee Burke

The most difficult part of any crime novel is the plotting. It all begins simply enough, but soon you’re dealing with a multitude of linked characters, strands, themes and red herrings – and you need to try to control these unruly elements and weave them into a pattern. ~Ian Rankin

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Thrilling quotes from great horrors

If you love a good horror read then you will love these quotes from some of the best horror thrillers ever written. Best of all, they are selected by us at the Emplying review team!

“When the lambs is lost in the mountain, he said. They is cry. Sometime come the mother. Sometime the wolf.”

—Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy

“How could you hide from a murderer who lives under your skin?”

—The Troop, Nick Cutter

“God! Whose hand was I holding?”

—The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson

“A cold hand fell on Louis’s shoulder. Rachel’s voice was grating, full of dirt. ‘Darling,’ it said.”

—Pet Sematary, Stephen King

“What was going to happen to me? There were only two possibilities—they were going to let me go at some point. Or they were going to kill me.”

—The Woman in Cabin 10, Ruth Ware

For more great horror, check out Emplying today.

Scariest Thriller Books of All Time

Reading can be a pleasurable experience, however, some like to add a touch of scariness to their reading by selecting thriller books such as those on Emplying. For those that like a scare, here are some of the scariest thriller books of all time.

Bad Dreams by Tessa Hadley

Rated in the 100 notable books of 2017 by The New York Times, this book has a thread of dread and menace running through it. A girl abducted by some Oxford students, is taken to a big house where things get even more disturbing.

The Mist by Stephen King

It was almost inevitable that a Stephen King novel would be on this list. This novel might not be one of his better-known works, but the thought of monsters lurking in the mist is one that would send a chill up many people’s spines. This and many of his other books can be found on Emplying.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

This is a ghost story like others you might have read, but the way it is written leaves you wondering if these apparitions are real or fake. The book is set at a time when the upper classes are being overtaken by the working class.

Dialogues of the Dead by Reginald Hill

Reginald Hill is one of the best thriller writers, and this novel is the 19th in his Dalziel and Pascoe series. They have to investigate a serial killer who is using a writing competition to tell people about those he has killed.

To read more of these amazing thrillers, check out the catalogue at Emplying.

15 Most Iconic Quotes From Horror Movies

One of the things that makes a classic horror movie endure for generations is its iconic quotes. Here are some of the best horror movie quotes curated by the Emplying review team.

15 "I never drink...wine." - Dracula (1931)

14 "One, Two, Freddy's coming for you..." - A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

13 "By the way, I would have voted for Obama for a third term, if I could." - Get Out (2017)

12 "He came home." - Halloween (1978)

11 "Swallow this." - Evil Dead II (1987)

10 "They're here." - Poltergeist (1982)

9 "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." - The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

8 "It's alive! It's alive!" - Frankenstein (1931)

7 "I see dead people." - The Sixth Sense (1999)

6 "You're gonna need a bigger boat." - Jaws (1975)

5 "Do you like scary movies?" - Scream (1996)

4 "We all go a little mad sometimes." - Psycho (1960)

3 "They're coming to get you, Barbara." - Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

2 "Do you want to play a game?" - Saw (2004)

1 "Here's Johnny!" - The Shining (1980)

If you love a good thrill, then you will love all the content at Emplying.

The Best Suspense Books of All Time

Emplying has the very best in suspense and thriller reviews. Why not check out these Emplying review today!

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere is domestic for sure, if not exactly a thriller. Instead, it’s a 350-page slow burn (no pun intended) following the intricacies of various relationships in Shaker Heights, Ohio in the nineties — the town and era during which the author grew up. Ng brings incisive authenticity to this gripping story of mothers and children struggling with identity and morality. This collective struggle coalesces into incredible suspense in the final portion of the book.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

More young, endangered girls feature in The Virgin Suicides, but this time they’re a danger to themselves. The Lisbon family is thrown into disarray when the youngest daughter, Cecelia, inexplicably kills herself, and her sisters Lux, Bonnie, Mary, and Therese are put on suicide watch. But of course, their parents’ restrictions only make the girls more inclined to rebel — especially Lux. The Virgin Suicides is another novel that wouldn’t usually be described as “suspense,”; yet the tension between the girls and their parents, and the aura of mystery that surrounds them in the eyes of the neighborhood boys (who narrate the novel), make for a fascinating read.

You by Caroline Kepnes

As you can probably tell from having read this far, suspense books make for excellent adaptation material, and our final entry is no exception. Before You was a Netflix thriller series, it was a book about an aspiring writer, Beck, and her ever-so-slightly overbearing boyfriend Joe. And by ever-so-slightly, we mean a lot. But in a refreshing turn of events, Beck ends up being pretty twisted herself. We won’t give away any more, but suffice to say that You is an electrifying tale of obsession and destruction that will leave you reeling.

If you are looking for more thrilling books and reviews, check out Emplying.

Enjoy a Thrilling Experience with Unlimited Collection of Thriller eBooks

Thriller eBooks are the most popular literary genre from way back. Nothing can be better than a gripping thriller eBook that leaves you in suspense of wanting to know more. Here is a list of an unlimited selection of thriller books.

People like Her - Ellery Lloyd

Ellery’s People Like Her is an eBook that focuses on exposing the dark side of social media and influence a large percentage of the community’s culture. Known as Mamabare by most of her Instagram fans, she is believed to have the powers of seeing someone out there who knows the entire truth about what happened to Emmy.

City of Vengeance - D. V. Bishop

Set in Renaissance Florence, this explosive historical thriller talks about the death of a prominent Jewish moneylender. Cesare Aksi is assigned with the task of solving this murder. During his investigation, Aldo discovers a new plot to overthrow Florence’s leadership conspiracy. He has to perform this task while protecting his secrets from spreading.

The Family - Louise Jensen

Originally published on September 25, 2019, The Family is a gripping psychological thriller with a twisted plot. The story subverts all of your expectations when a professional serial killer starts spreading body parts across Cumbria. The situation gets darker for the National Crime Agency’s known as Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw. The story plot makes a twist when the duo has to fight for their freedom in a court of law.

For those who are huge fans of thriller eBooks, we’ve got you covered. Register an account at Emplying.com.