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Literally Thrilling Trivia Quiz

This quiz explores the machinations of the most creative literary minds in modern-day thriller composition. See how much you know.

A multiple-choice quiz by nickdrew55. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
nickdrew55

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
344,371

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
951

Last 3 plays: Guest 223 (4/10), Guest 136 (9/10), Guest 92 (6/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Can you name the American author who created quadriplegic forensic criminalist Lincoln Rhyme, who first appeared in the 1997 thriller "The Bone Collector"? Hint

Ridley Pearson

Jeffery Deaver

Kyle Mills

Clive Cussler

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Can you name the British novelist, formerly a journalist, whose works include "Messiah" (1999), "Storm" (2000), and "Vodka" (2004)? Hint

Boris Starling

Colin Dexter

Charles Cumming

Jack Higgins

3. Can you name the 2001 novel by Dennis Lehane that revolves around the early life, and transgressions of three young boys, and opens with a street abduction in Boston? The 2003 movie adaptation was directed by Clint Eastwood and featured Tim Robbins, Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon. Hint

Prayers for Rain

Shutter Island

Mystic River

A Drink Before the War

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Question 4 of 10

4. Who created private detective Elvis Cole and his longtime sidekick, former marine Joe Pike? They first appeared in 1987 in the award winning "The Monkey's Raincoat". Hint

Russel Andrews

Justin Scott

Robert Crais

David Ramus

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Question 5 of 10

5. Can you name John Grisham's first published novel, set, as are many of Grisham's works, in the fictional town of Clanton, Mississippi? The story centres on a racist attack on a ten-year-old girl and the subsequent retribution and court case. Hint

The Runaway Jury

The Street Lawyer

The Partner

A Time to Kill

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Question 6 of 10

6. In which country are Henning Mankell's Inspector Kurt Wallender novels generally set? Hint

Sweden

Scotland

Denmark

Estonia

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Question 7 of 10

7. What is the name of the book by John Sandford, the fourth in the "Virgil Flowers" series, that received the 2011 Best Hardcover Novel award from The International Thriller Writers? Hint

Rules of Prey

Bad Blood

The Night Crew

Eye of the Needle

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Who is the author of a series of books largely set in Edinburgh, Scotland, featuring the ever popular, rock music loving, flawed Detective Inspector who made his debut in "Knots and Crosses" in 1987, and his final appearance in "Exit Music" in 2007? Hint

Jonathan Raban

Linwood Barclay

Ian Rankin

Richard North Patterson

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. What was the former profession of English author Lee Child's perennial drifter, hard man and everyday good guy Jack Reacher, who has appeared in a series of escapades for close on 15 years? Hint

Bank Robber

Basketball Player

Military Police Major

Around the World Yachtsman

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. What is the name of the thriller writer whose works are set largely in Bangkok, and revolve around Thai Buddhist police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep? Hint

John Burdett

Robert Wilson

Stephen Leather

Harlan Coben

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 17 2024 : Guest 223: 4/10
Nov 09 2024 : Guest 136: 9/10
Oct 31 2024 : Guest 92: 6/10
Oct 27 2024 : Guest 174: 10/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Can you name the American author who created quadriplegic forensic criminalist Lincoln Rhyme, who first appeared in the 1997 thriller "The Bone Collector"?

Answer: Jeffery Deaver

Jeffery Deaver hails from Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He has written over thirty successful novels to date. The Lincoln Rhyme series are probably the most popular. "The Bone Collector" was turned into a 1999 blockbuster movie starring Denzel Washington as Rhyme.

2. Can you name the British novelist, formerly a journalist, whose works include "Messiah" (1999), "Storm" (2000), and "Vodka" (2004)?

Answer: Boris Starling

Boris Starling worked as a reporter for the British newspapers "The Sunday Telegraph" and "The Sun". "Messiah", his first offering, was televised by the BBC and starred Ken Stott. "Storm" tells the story of a cross channel ferry disaster, and "Vodka", probably Starling's most ambitious novel, is about a society on the brink of chaos and anarchy.

Answer: Mystic River

"Mystic River" is a gripping tale, told initially when the protagonists are boys, and one is abducted by paedophiles while the other two look on. The action then moves on 25 years, and we learn the ramifications of how that incident has shaped their lives.

4. Who created private detective Elvis Cole and his longtime sidekick, former marine Joe Pike? They first appeared in 1987 in the award winning "The Monkey's Raincoat".

Answer: Robert Crais

Robert Crais began his career as a TV screenwriter - his credits include "Miami Vice" and "L.A. Law". "The Monkey's Raincoat" finds Cole and Pike in search of a missing husband and son amidst a backdrop of colorful gangland characters.

Answer: A Time to Kill

Initially rejected by a host of publishers, "A Time to Kill" became a bestseller only after the publication of three other Grisham works. It is loosely based on a true case of a Mississippi rape victim, with the author dwelling on the girl's father and the 'what if' aspects of the case.

6. In which country are Henning Mankell's Inspector Kurt Wallender novels generally set?

Answer: Sweden

Swedish born Henning Mankell is married to the daughter of the noted director Ingmar Bergman. Mankell first exposed his slightly slobbish hero Kurt Wallander in the 1997 bestseller "Faceless Killers". More recently, "The Troubled Man" became the 11th appearance of the lugubrious detective.

7. What is the name of the book by John Sandford, the fourth in the "Virgil Flowers" series, that received the 2011 Best Hardcover Novel award from The International Thriller Writers?

Answer: Bad Blood

John Sandford is the pseudonym of the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Camp. "Bad Blood", set in rural Minnesota, finds Virgil Flowers investigating the hanging of a murder suspect in a prison cell. That discovery leads to the uncovering of a multigeneration, multifamily conspiracy of shocking proportions.

Answer: Ian Rankin

Ian Rankin was born in Fife, Scotland in 1960. He taught literature at the University of Edinburgh after a spell of working as a grape picker in France.
Rankin foisted his troubled, hard-drinking former SAS creation, John Rebus, on the public in "Knots and Crosses" in 1987, and through a series of 17 dour adventures, until finally Rebus retired in "Exit Music".

9. What was the former profession of English author Lee Child's perennial drifter, hard man and everyday good guy Jack Reacher, who has appeared in a series of escapades for close on 15 years?

Answer: Military Police Major

The fictional Reacher, as he likes to introduce himself, is a former United States Army Military Police Major. Saying little, he moves from state to state with a malignant stoicism, displaying coolness under pressure and the uncanny knack of finding trouble. Reacher is a fighter of immense skill and feels little pleasure and even less remorse in killing the enemy to ensure his own personal brand of justice has been served. "The Affair", the 16th Reacher story, is a prequel to "Killing Floor", the first book published in the series.

10. What is the name of the thriller writer whose works are set largely in Bangkok, and revolve around Thai Buddhist police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep?

Answer: John Burdett

John Patrick Burdett is an English born former lawyer who lived in Hong Kong for a number of years. His series of crime novels about detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep are set in and around the Thai capital. They include "Bangkok 8", "Bangkok Tattoo" and "Bangkok Haunts". These works are usually set amidst the highly charged atmosphere of Thailand's notorious sex industry.

Source: Author nickdrew55

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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