First Thrills: High-Octane Stories from the Hottest Thriller Authors

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

First Thrills: High-Octane Stories from the Hottest Thriller Authors (First Thrills complete)

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 540 ratings · 67 reviews

New York Times bestselling author Lee Child and the International Thriller Writers, Inc. present a collection of remarkable stories in First Thrills. Showcasing many of the organization'sbestselling authors as well as rising stars in the genre, here are twenty-five brand-new, never-before published, stories packed with murder, mystery, and mayhem.

*A cunning criminal thinks...more

Hardcover, 367 pages

Published June 22nd 2010 by Forge Books (first published 2010)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,591)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jun 22, 2011 Tim Knier rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This anthology contains the writings of 12 bestsellers with 13 new writers, all of whom are associated with the International Thriller Writers, Inc. organization.

Although quick reads for the most part, several of these short stories are rather pedestrian and predictable for anyone who reads widely. Unfortunately, Editor Lee Child’s “The Bodyguard” is among these: good fast-paced action with a weak ending. But balancing this assembly is Marc Paoletti’s “Chloe,” which is not a tale for the squeam...more This anthology contains the writings of 12 bestsellers with 13 new writers, all of whom are associated with the International Thriller Writers, Inc. organization.

Although quick reads for the most part, several of these short stories are rather pedestrian and predictable for anyone who reads widely. Unfortunately, Editor Lee Child’s “The Bodyguard” is among these: good fast-paced action with a weak ending. But balancing this assembly is Marc Paoletti’s “Chloe,” which is not a tale for the squeamish: the son of a wise guy thought his life as a lawyer was shitty, until he needed to help his father on the crapper.

The 25-story collection starts with a humorous bang under Greg Hurwitz’s “The Thief.” The boyish POV kept reminding me of William Faulkner’s technique in novels such as As I Lay Dying. The narrator’s thoughts and comments fit a young boy; however, the ending twist seems a bit misplaced since a true money-grubbing scoundrel would hardly forget his own wallet. Nevertheless, another first-person POV that doesn’t work as well is J.T. Ellison’s “Killing Carol Ann.” The narration and motivation for murder are muddled.

To fuel an historical interest: Heather Graham’s “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” is a twisted tale about how the South will rise again—without arms. “My Father’s Eyes” by Wendy Corsi Staub is a delicious reunion with a Massachusetts axe murderer. And, a San Francisco carnival in the 1930s jumps to life in Kelli Stanley’s rendering of “Children’s Day.”

Riding on literary coattails: A vengeful ghost á la Jacob Marley appears in Ryan Brown’s “Suspended.” Here, both the protagonist and the reader are left hanging. Rebecca Cantrell’s “On the Train” smacks of “Waiting for Godot” aboard a Nazi extermination train, although this story has a gay ending. And, the Montagues and Capulets are alive and feuding in Michigan’s UP as Swedes and Finns in Karen Dionne’s “Calling the Shots.” Very funny, ainna?

The book features short author bios and web addresses for aficionados who might find a writer particularly thrilling to pursue. On the other hand, the insertions could be the publisher suggesting that if a high-octane story runs out of gas, try another one by this writer.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 31, 2012 Mark Soone rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I gave it 3 stars, but my average was 2.76 which is about where I would rank it for me..just below 3, but certainly above 2. There are some very good stories in this collection and I guess those alone warrant a 3 star rating, but the second half of this collection really lagged on excitement IMHO. For me the first story by Hurwitz remains the highlight of the collection.

01 The Thief by Gregg Hurwitz- 5 stars
Other than reading a short story bu Hurwitz in another ITW inc. anthology, I am not famil...more

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 02, 2012 Wade rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I looked forward to this book, and was mostly happy with the short stories. I'm going to trust that the compiler/editor has a better sense of the genre that I, so I won't rate any story less than a "3". I figure 1 & 2 ratings didn't make muster with them. I obtained an average for the overall rating. Here's my rubric:

3 - not my cup of tea; never grabbed me.
4 - pretty good stuff; good story.
5 - amazing...I didn't want the story to end.

4 - The Thief, by Gregg Hurwitz
5 - Scutwork, by CJ Lyons
4...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 25, 2011 Robert Brase rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: firstreads-winner, story-collection

The following is a First Reads giveaway winner review:

As in all story collections you will have to take the good with the bad. Now the premise for the book I do like. A bunch of known thriller writers get together and write stories to be published for free. The reasoning is to sell a collection of stories that contains new writers they feel are going to be the next big thing. The part I found funny was that the big authors were the ones that I found that their stories sucked. Bill Camerons story...more

like · see review

Jul 10, 2011 Todd Russell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, short-stories

I received a complimentary review copy of First Thrills as part of the Goodreads giveaway program.

It's a nice hardcover book with the price of $25.95 US on the inside dust jacket. There are 25 stories in this collection, most of which are from thriller authors plus a couple mystery and even a little horror sprinkled in. There isn't any theme to the collection, which I think would have made it better, so if that's the only kind of collection you enjoy reading, you might want to keep looking.

It's...more I received a complimentary review copy of First Thrills as part of the Goodreads giveaway program.

It's a nice hardcover book with the price of $25.95 US on the inside dust jacket. There are 25 stories in this collection, most of which are from thriller authors plus a couple mystery and even a little horror sprinkled in. There isn't any theme to the collection, which I think would have made it better, so if that's the only kind of collection you enjoy reading, you might want to keep looking.

It's more like a thriller short story buffet. I found some stories I liked a lot, some that were good and many that didn't engage or enthrall me.

According to the intro by bestselling author Lee Child, who also doubled as the editor of the collection and contributed one of his stories, 11 of the authors in the collection contributed their work without any form of compensation. This was done to help increase interest for the "shop window."

A few stories stuck way, way out. "The Dead Club" by Michael Palmer and Daniel James Palmer is about a doctor who loves gambling a little too much. Great stuff! "Savage Planet" by Stephen Coonts deals with the discovery of a flying saucer in an interesting and unique way and has a fascinating ending. "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" by Heather Graham involves a soldier's dramatic return home, changed by more than war. This was an unsettling read.

The story "Suspended" by Ryan Brown reminded me of a movie I saw on Netflix recently about being trapped on a ski lift as night falls. In "Program with a Happy Ending" by Cynthia Robinson a man sees his final days through the television set and those who give chilling meaning to taking care of him.

These were the five stories where I was most able to get hooked reading. If the collection had only contained these stories and was priced much lower I'd rate the collection four to five stars, but there were 25 total stories and having only enjoyed (a lot) roughly 20% of them, that's not a high percentage of overall reader satisfaction.

Of the remaining 20 stories, less than half were OK to good (but not great or excellent) 3-star quality stories and the remaining ones were 1 or 2 star reads that I had to struggle in places to finish. Average all this together and it's maybe a 2-2.5 average rating but I'll round up because I like short stories and the five stories mentioned above.

I like the concept of more experienced writers donating stories to a collection to spotlight new writers. It shows that several good bestselling writers are not only talented but generous.

First Thrills could be a good fit for diehard short story thriller readers or thriller collectors looking to add to his/her author collections.(less)

like · see review

Jun 17, 2011 Tim Knier rated it 3 of 5 stars

This anthology contains the writings of 12 bestsellers with 13 new writers, all of whom are associated with the International Thriller Writers, Inc. organization. Although quick reads for the most part, several of these short stories are rather pedestrian and predictable for anyone who reads widely. Unfortunately, Editor Lee Child’s “The Bodyguard” is among these: good fast-paced action with a weak ending. But balancing this assembly is Marc Paoletti’s “Chloe,” which is not a tale for the squeam...more This anthology contains the writings of 12 bestsellers with 13 new writers, all of whom are associated with the International Thriller Writers, Inc. organization. Although quick reads for the most part, several of these short stories are rather pedestrian and predictable for anyone who reads widely. Unfortunately, Editor Lee Child’s “The Bodyguard” is among these: good fast-paced action with a weak ending. But balancing this assembly is Marc Paoletti’s “Chloe,” which is not a tale for the squeamish: the son of a wise guy thought his life as a lawyer was shitty, until he needed to help his father on the crapper.

The 25-story collection starts with a humorous bang under Greg Hurwitz’s “The Thief.” The boyish POV kept reminding me of William Faulkner’s technique in novels such as "As I Lay Dying." The narrator’s thoughts and comments fit a young boy; however, the ending twist seems a bit misplaced since a true money-grubbing scoundrel would hardly forget his own wallet. Nevertheless, another first-person POV that doesn’t work as well is J.T. Ellison’s “Killing Carol Ann.” The narration and motivation for murder are muddled.

To fuel an historical interest: Heather Graham’s “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” is a twisted tale about how the South will rise again—without arms. “My Father’s Eyes” by Wendy Corsi Staub is a delicious reunion with a Massachusetts axe murderer. And, a San Francisco carnival in the 1930s jumps to life in Kelli Stanley’s rendering of “Children’s Day.”

Riding on literary coattails: A vengeful ghost á la Jacob Marley appears in Ryan Brown’s “Suspended.” Here, both the protagonist and the reader are left hanging. Rebecca Cantrell’s “On the Train” smacks of “Waiting for Godot” aboard a Nazi extermination train, although this story has a gay ending. And, the Montagues and Capulets are alive and feuding in Michigan’s UP as Swedes and Finns in Karen Dionne’s “Calling the Shots.” Very funny, ainna?

The book features short author bios and web addresses for aficionados who might find a writer particularly thrilling to pursue. On the other hand, the insertions could be the publisher suggesting that if a high-octane story runs out of gas, try another one by this writer.(less)

like · see review

Jul 22, 2011 Patty Marvel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Run, do not walk, to your nearest library or book store or computer with Amazon.com fired up AND GET THIS!!!! This is a collection of twenty-five short stories in the "thriller" genre, about eleven of which are by well-established writers you've heard of and the remaining fourteen are by relative newcomers. That's the point according to Lee Child, who acts as editor and contributor - to have just enough goodies by people you know so you buy the book and read stuff by the new kids. Added bonus if...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 25, 2012 Jill Manske rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a Whitman's Sampler book - some really delicious short stories written by some of my favorite thriller writers punctuated by a few really strange stories that were like biting into what you thought was a caramel and finding out it's that nasty nougat. Overall, a good read. Some of the stories were surprising, with interesting plot twists. Even the ones that weren't so good were over quickly. This would be an excellent airplane book.

like · see review

May 11, 2012 Tony Latham rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The reason I picked this up is that I'm a big fan of Lee Child and his Reacher series. This collection of stories is good, and or course some are better than others –but don't get the wrong idea, there are some really good stories in here. Admittedly I'm about 3/4 done with it and will save the rest of the works when I feel the need for a short story on my Kindle.

like · see review

Feb 05, 2013 Tim rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While there are a FEW good stories, the majority leave something to be desired to this reader. Frankly, I thought most stories would be better than they turned out. Overall, definately NOT the hottest thrillers. For the few excellent stories, 5 of 10 stars

like · see review

Jun 17, 2012 Saritha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While they were all good stories, I didn't particularly care for the UFO one or the zombie one. I particularly loved Rebecca Cantrell's On the Train and Grant McKenzie's Underbelly.

The book has achieved its purpose of introducing through a story, authors that a reader may not ever come across. I will look out for McKenzie and Cantrell now.

1 like · like · see review

Feb 16, 2013 Shane is currently reading it · review of another edition

The Thief, by Gregg Hurwitz - 4
Scutwork, by CJ Lyons - 3
The Bodyguard, by Lee Child - 4
Last Supper, by Rip Gerber - 3
After Dark, by Alexa Kava & Deb Carlin - 2
Wednesday's Child, by Ken Bruen - 3
Eddy May, by Theo Gangi

like · see review

Sep 14, 2012 Midnight Blue rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a great anthology; in content, and in the very purpose of it. Lee Child has collected stories by well-known and successful writers and writers who are just getting started in the Thriller genre. The stories were all good, some were great, and there was even a Civil War era zombie story (every anthology should have a zombie story). I highly recommend this book!

1 like · like · see review

Aug 05, 2011 Craig S. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It’s hard to build a “thriller” in just a few pages without going overboard or getting too quickly into the action. To their credit, all the authors in this collection do it. Highly recommended.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 27, 2011 Carla Herbert rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received this book in a GoodReads contest.
I am currently working my way through the various short stories contained in the novel. Some were quite entertaining while others were not quite as riveting.

like · see review

May 15, 2012 Jezebel Jorge rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: psychological-thriller

Great stories from some of my favorite writers and lots of new creepy brilliance to check out. JT Ellison's story was my favorite, but they were all entertaining and well written.

1 like · like · see review

Jul 31, 2011 Linda Munro rated it 4 of 5 stars

I normally stray from anthologies, but suddenly I am finding that this is the way to introduce myself to new writers. I find myself in a less likely mode to purchase anthologies simply due to the fact that short stories lack detail and without detail, they mainly fall flat. Most of the stories in this anthology did not fall flat, yet each of them can easily be expanded upon to make either a novel or novella. This anthology contains twenty-five short stories, each will make the reader eager to le...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 30, 2011 Tom Hicks added it · review of another edition

Mostly good short stories. I recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery/thriller short stories.

like · see review

Sep 18, 2012 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wasn't too impressed with most. I did like one of the authors but I forget which one,,,,sorry.

like · see review

Aug 06, 2011 shinfu marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I have just won this book from First Reads. I look forward to reading it soon. Thanks.

like · see review

Oct 04, 2012 Chele rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A nice mixture of new and veteran thriller writers in short-story mode.

like · see review

Aug 05, 2011 T. M. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A great selection of short stories by some old favorites and some new ones.

like · see review

Apr 20, 2012 Any Length rated it 3 of 5 stars

An interesting collection of thriller short stories. Something for everyone's taste among it. I enoyed it.

like · see review

Aug 09, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fun, quick stories to pass the time.....Great authors!

like · see review

Dec 23, 2012 Don Weidinger rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

first ones are less, latter ones better.

like · see review

Sep 22, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-book, series, favorite-series

I just wanted to read the Jack Reacher story.

like · see review

Aug 25, 2011 Judy marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I received this book as a GoodReads giveaway!!

like · see review

Apr 03, 2013 James rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

25 stories of mixed quality. Some really grip the imagination some unfortunately telegraph the ending. A good book to read if you wish to try new authors as you get a taste for what they write.

like · see review

Jan 13, 2013 Sandy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, audio, thriller, mystery, sci-fi

I put this book on hold at the library and waited 11 1/2 months for it. I almost bought it several times but decided to wait it out. I'm glad I didn't buy it. There were 3 very good stories, 3 good stories and the rest were run of the mill or just down right blah. Maybe I don't know what a thriller is but I didn't sit on the edge of my seat while I was listening to this book.

The concept of established authors helping unknown authors along is admirable but the established authors should put forth...more

like · see review

Dec 03, 2012 Oscar Alfaro is currently reading it · review of another edition

wat

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 53 54 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (16)

More editions...

Genres

Thriller

21 users

Mystery

10 users

Short Stories

8 users

Suspense

4 users

Anthologies

4 users

Mystery > Crime

4 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Thriller 2: Stories You Just Can't Put Down
by Clive Cussler (Editor)
Like A Charm
by Karin Slaughter (Editor / Author)
Give Me Your Heart: Tales of Mystery and Suspense
by Joyce Carol Oates
In Session
by M.J. Rose
Disturbed
by Kevin O'Brien

About Lee Child

Lee Child was born in 1954 in Coventry, England, but spent his formative years in the nearby city of Birmingham. By coincidence he won a scholarship to the same high school that JRR Tolkien had attended. He went to law school in Sheffield, England, and after part-time work in the theater he joined Granada Television in Manchester for what turned out to be an eighteen-year career as a presentation...more

More about Lee Child...

Books by Lee Child

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About First Thrills: Hi...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from First Thrills

“were under the very erroneous impression that we had money. Of” — 2 people liked it

“veterans and remarkable rookies. International Thriller Writers, Inc. (ITW) cofounder, David” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: First Thrills: High-Octane Stories from the Hottest Thriller Authors
avg rating	preview: First Thrills: High-Octane Stories from the Hottest Thriller Authors Goodreads rating: 3.62 (540 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7326852-first-thrills?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317064543l/7326852.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7326852-first-thrills?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]First Thrills: High-Octane Stories from the Hottest Thriller Authors by Lee Child[/url]

First Thrills: High-Octane Stories from the Hottest Thriller Authors (First Thrills complete)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website