Thriller is a genre of fiction with numerous, often overlapping,
subgenres, including crime, horror, and detective fiction. Thrillers are
characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving their
audiences heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise,
anticipation and anxiety.
A thriller generally keeps its audience on the "edge of their seats" as
the plot builds towards a climax. The cover-up of important information
is a common element.Literary devices such as red herrings, plot twists,
unreliable narrators, and cliffhangers are used extensively. A thriller
is often a villain-driven plot, whereby they present obstacles that the
protagonist or hero must overcome.