Read FBI Books For The Best In Thrills And Suspense

By Marla Mills


If it's cold and miserable outside, one of the best ways to treat yourself is to curl up with a good book. It will transport you to another world and help you to escape from the drudgery of daily life. If you're not really into romance but would rather read something action-filled that will get your adrenalin pumping, FBI books may be just the thing for you.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is, as its name suggests, an American governmental organization that operates on federal level. Its main function is to investigate crimes and to help local law-enforcement agencies. It also has jurisdiction in Native American reservations. The Bureau mainly works with serious crimes like murder, kidnapping, the sexual abuse of children and crimes that take place across state borders but also plays an important role in combating terrorism.

The prevention and investigation of crimes make for gripping stories and crime thriller authors often use the work of the FBI as the main plot for their novels. Some of these works of fiction have been made into popular films. Among the most famous was 'The Silence of the Lambs', a multi-award winning movie based on a book by Thomas Harris. This was only one of several works in a series by Harris which featured the brilliant but seriously disturbed psychiatrist Dr Hannibal Lecter.

Catherine Coulter is a very popular writer in the genre too. She is actually better known for her historical romances but in 1995 she published 'The Cove', a suspense thriller. This was to become the first in a series of FBI thrillers created by Coulter.

Several authors have created series of FBI-based thrillers. Lisa Gardner created a profiler named Pierce Quincy and in later books Quincy's daughter Kimberley becomes an agent with the crime-fighting organization. CJ Lyons is known for his character Lucy Guardino, a feisty agent. Julie James has written several romance novels about the sparks that can fly when agents work with attorneys in bringing criminals to justice. Some authors don't create series but produce stand-alone works featuring the Bureau. Among them are Tami Hoag.

Some writers are former agents themselves. Many of these authors write about their time with the Bureau and the cases they investigated. For example, John E Douglas interviewed many notorious killers during his career and also helped to capture some, including the Green River Killer. He was even the inspiration for one of the recurring characters in the novels by Thomas Harris. While authors like Douglas wrote works of non-fiction about their cases, other former agents use their real-life experiences as inspiration for works of fiction.

Former agents have the advantage that they know how the FBI really operates and can use this knowledge to be factually accurate in their writing. However, there is a Bureau division that specifically assists authors and also people working in the film and television industry in portraying the organization's inner workings. The Investigative Publicity and Public Affairs Unit can explain details like procedures and equipment used during investigations and will also check manuscripts for accuracy.

If you're interested in buying FBI books, you'll easily find some with a quick online search. You may also want to visit your local library or bookstore. These gripping works will usually be in the suspense or crime section or, if they're about real-life cases, among the non-fiction.




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