An exploration of the authors and literary works that identify with the American thriller, this volume examines the prominent themes and stories. It presents a variety of new essays on this genre in which “ordinary” heroes are faced with an enemy set on destroying them or something treasured such as freedom or democracy. Rounding out the volume is a list of related thrillers not discussed in the book as well as a bibliography of critical sources for readers seeking to study this theme in greater depth. Salem's Critical Insights series distils the best of both classic and current literary criticism of the world's most-studied literature. The series focuses on an individual author's entire body of work, on single works of literature or on a literary theme. Edited and written by some of academe's most distinguished literary scholars, Critical Insights provide authoritative, in-depth scholarship suitable for students and teachers alike.