Subgenres of Thrillers

Conspiracy thriller is a sub-genre with a secret. Usually the hero becomes a threat to the conspirators, and must escape their response. An example is the novel 'The Chancellor Manuscript.'

Ecothriller tales, involve some threat to the environment, either globally or locally. The Green Rain is an example.

Historical Thriller
Thrillers set in the past, usually combined with other subgenres. This particular subgenre is rather uncommon.

Legal thriller often includes legal figures like lawyers who put their lives at stake in order to solve the mystery. It mostly takes place around the courthouse/room. An example is 'The Firm'.

Medical thriller often involves medical people such as doctors. They have their own lives at risk again, either by a mysterious disease being broken out, or their life is threatened by a patient etc. An example is 'Death on Call'.

Disaster Thriller
Any kind of disaster that can affect lots of people--a dam bursting, a tornado, earthquake etc.

Psychological thriller build up slowly until the action/violence takes place later on. It normally is on emotional or mental conflict between the characters. The conflicts may not even be possible in real life. For example 'The ring' is not something that would happen.

Serial Killer Thriller
Really popular subgenre of thriller. In this subgenre, a serial killer is terrorizing a group of people with horrific violence. The detective's goal is to stop the killer before he takes his next victim.

Religious thrillers usually have an artifact or historic secret that centres up the plot.
'The DaVinci Code' is an example of this.

Action thrillers usually involve violence, aggression etc. It includes weapons and guns, explosions etc. An example would be 'The Bourne Identity' & its following films.

Techno Thriller
In techno-thrillers, the technology drives the plot, like some military technology.