Psychological Thrillers! by Pamela Cowan

THRILLERS!

I read them. I write them. I love them. Why? Because thrillers invade your headspace, bring drama, excitement, suspense and even fear. Emotions I don’t often experience in my day-to-day reality.

Neuroscientists believe our desire for suspense is like an addiction. They say we crave adrenaline and the release of endorphins and dopamine. Feel good chemicals that follow strong emotion and can give us a sense of euphoria.

For myself, there is something cathartic about being safe, seated in the benign glow of my reading lamp while I read (or write), about mayhem and murder.

I never get bored with thrillers. The genre is so broad, with sub-genres such as psychological, action, crime, political, mystery, spy, legal and crossover fiction, that almost anyone can find something to fit their tastes.

The novels I’ve written are considered psychological thrillers. This sub-genre delves into the psychology of the characters, who are often damaged and unstable. My tag line is: Damaged Souls. Dark Justice.

In the Storm Series I created Storm McKenzie, a probation officer, wife, mother, and vigilante. Storm was set on fire as a child and bears scars inside and out. 

Another result of that drunken incident is Storm’s ability to plan and carry out justice killings. Something most of us could not do, even if we wanted to.

My two stand-alone novels, Something In The Dark, and Cold Kill, are a mystery thriller and a suspense thriller respectively. Something In the Dark is also considered a domestic thriller. Domestics are defined as thrillers that focus on interpersonal relationships or—as I like to think of it—trouble with family!

Cold Kill, my most popular book, is a serial killer thriller. The protagonist is a former deputy and amputee intent on proving she is still capable. The antagonist is a man who believes he has every right to seek revenge and commit murder. Most of the characters are deputies, their wives, or girlfriends. Researching police procedure was one of my favorite parts of writing Cold Kill.

Which brings us to research. Most thriller writers have browser histories that would horrify law enforcement. For my own novels I’ve looked at forensic files, studied serial killers, learned how to pick a lock, downloaded plans to make C4 explosives, and learned what local plants are poisonous. Of course that’s just a partial list.

If they do their job, thriller novels are, well, thrilling. Filled with suspenseful, nail-biting moments, they keep us awake at night, worrying about what will happen next. In these times of uncertainty, thrillers offer a safe place. A place where good can triumph over evil, order can be restored, and resolution can be ours. So, pick up a thriller and see where it takes you.

 

 

 

 Pamela Cowan lives in Oregon with her husband. She has two grown children and spent 27 years working in social services. Pamela is best known for her psychological thrillers. Her short fiction has been published in Alien Skin, Argus, Space and Time, numerous anthologies, and radio. She studied writing by attending critique groups and taking classes at OIT and PSU, where she was one of a handful of students selected to attend a class taught by legendary writer, Ursula K. Le Guin. Pamela is former editor of Nanobison Speculative Fiction Magazine and founder of Just Write. She is a board member of the Northwest Independent Writers Association, and a member of Willamette Writers Assoc., Klamath Writers Assoc., Sisters In Crime, and Becoming Fiction. Learn more at: pamelacowan.com