Sunday, August 11, 2013

The Affair by Lee Child

Today I finished reading The Affair by Lee Child.

This is the 16th Jack Reacher novel and certainly one of the best.

This is the first Reacher novel where Child describes the sexual moments in detail.  All of Reacher's previous encounters were basically of the an embrace, they walk to the bedroom, the door closes variety.

I like a mix of sex and violence.  Recently, my wife asked, "You read more dirty books than I do. What does it meant when . . . ?"  I'm not sure if the quantity is accurate but I do enjoy a 'dirty' book.  So, if I write what I like to read, my WIP will contain both.  However, I've noticed that most thrillers are not very explicit.  And that has cautioned me from being too explicit.

Dean Koontz when writing about how to write a best selling novel advised to include sex.  The question to include sex or not is still unanswered for me.

When considering the market for a thriller the question is will the addition of sex increase the pleasure of reading for more readers than the number of readers who will be turned off.

I may have thought I knew the answer several years ago but in light of  the 50 Shades of Grey phenomenon I know I don't know anymore.

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