Why We Can’t Stop Reading Thrillers
The New York Times is out with a list of the top 50 thrillers released so far this century. (iStock)
Airdate: Friday, August 14, 2026 at 10 AM
What are this century’s best thriller novels? That’s the question the New York Times posed this summer to renowned authors and critics, and now the Times is out with a list of the top 50 thrillers released since 2000. We’ll talk to the list’s editors about how it came together, what makes a great thriller, and why these books — including the number one pick, Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” — are so irresistible to readers.
Guests:
- Gilbert Cruz, Canon editor, The New York Times
- Tina Jordan, Book Review deputy editor, The New York Times