Why Do We Exist?

During the start of Covid, a small group of men and women of wide-ranging age, who live from Portland to Dubai, unexpectedly came together via Twitter.

Chris, Derek, Kashif, Sarah, Steve, Stuart and Todd.

“I’ve never been around a group like this,” said Chris. “They care about you, but bust your chops like an older brother.”

These people were not family. In fact, they had never met.

They would message daily about life, food and books; helping keep each other’s sanity in a less-than-sane time.

The group decided to try to make their book talk into something more.

The Covid-coping mechanism drove the development of a website focused on the thriller book industry, Best Thriller Books (BTB).

“Best Thriller Books has quickly become a go-to source for Thriller fans for reviews, giveaways and content,” said David Brown, deputy director of Publicity at Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster.

BTB wanted to do more than just post reviews of bestselling authors, they wanted to impact the entire thriller-book ecosystem. 

On the site you’ll find profiles of independent bookstores, links to indie stores included in every review and a list to help visitors discover their local shops.

"When Covid started, we didn't know what would happen," said Sandi Cararo, owner of The Book Dragon Shop. "Then, we started to get support from unexpected places, such as Best Thriller Books. They promote independent bookstores like I've never seen before. They sure helped us."

BTB also realized independent authors could benefit from similar support, which is why if you browse their site you will find a review of an upcoming thriller from a New York Times bestselling author right next to one from a first-time author.

“Best Thriller Books is like another family,” said Angela R. Watts, independent author. “Their support is killer.”

After their first year of posting reviews, author profiles and offering giveaways, BTB has big plans for 2022.

“Best Thriller Books makes the thriller world more fun,” said Brad Taylor, New York Times bestselling author. “They help authors reach a broader audience.”

The BTB team has a lot planned. Including...meeting each other. Recently, two members of the group, Chris and Todd, met for the first time.

“I’d never want to go through the last year again, but if I had to I’d want the Best Thriller Books group to help me through it and I know they would,” said Chris.