Crafting Will They or Won’t They Tension in Thrillers

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I started my writing career in romantic suspense — twelve books where readers knew that the two main characters would fall in love and be together by the end of the book, even with all the danger and violence in their lives. I love the genre because bad things happen … and we all want to believe that even when your life falls apart, there is a happily ever after at the end. The mystery and the romance are entwined, and the resolution of each storyline provides readers with satisfaction.

Romantic entanglements also work well in all genres, because readers like characters who are human. D.D. Warren from Lisa Gardner’s series is better with her husband Alex to bounce ideas around. In fact, one of my favorite Lisa Gardner books, When You See Me, brings D.D., FBI Agent Kimberly Quincy, and consultant Flora Dane together to solve a case, and highlights how the men in their lives provide support — both at home and emotionally — so they can do their jobs.

In a crime series, relationships are a subplot. Not just romantic relationships, but family (parents, siblings), best friends, colleagues, enemies. Relationships of all kinds deepen the story. But because we are human, we seek that one Right Person for our favorite characters.

Of course, we don’t want it to be easy getting there. Remember the television series Castle? Rick Castle, writer, and Kate Beckett, detective, had plenty of sexual tension and “almost” moments, and for the first couple of seasons they had other love interests. But viewers knew that they belonged together … even if the characters didn’t! But keeping the tension high while also moving the relationship forward and providing authentic conflict isn’t easy.

Case in point: at the end of season three when Kate learns that Castle violated her trust by looking into her mother’s murder, that ended their budding relationship. He had to earn her trust back … and it took time. This was an authentic, real conflict that tugged at our heartstrings because we could see both viewpoints, and we didn’t know how they could get through it. Perfectly developed. But at the end of season five when they’re about to get married and have the happily-ever-after we’ve been waiting for … Castle disappears. Worse, the opening of season six felt fake, as if the writers didn’t even know what they were going to do with his disappearance. Poor conflict.

The key in any long-running suspense series is to ensure that conflicts are authentic and true to the characters. Contrived conflict where “if only they talked” or throwing in a spontaneous disappearance with no lead-up and definitely no satisfying conclusion will disappoint readers.

J.D. Robb in her long-running Eve Dallas series has perfected the role of conflict between Eve and her husband, Roarke. They don’t have to have conflict in every book. Sometimes, the focus is solely on the murder Eve is solving, and Roarke supports her efforts. Sometimes one or both of them are in danger, but the danger is true to the characters and they’re not just put in danger because the author didn’t know what to do next. And sometimes, they have genuine, real conflict that is organic to who each of them are as well-drawn fictional characters. Conflict that makes you fear for their relationship (or their lives!)

Trust me, two characters who fight in every book and then get back together at the end is exhausting. Readers will wonder why they’re even together at all!

Keeping the sexual tension high — especially in a series where the focus is on the crime, not the relationship — can be challenging. In my long-running Lucy Kincaid series, there were only two books where I threw Lucy and Sean’s relationship into such turmoil that there was doubt that they’d be together at the end.

There are a couple plot devices that work for mystery series with a romantic subplot.

• They’re already married (or almost married.) In both Robb’s Eve Dallas series and my Lucy Kincaid series, the characters meet in the first book and readers know that they are destined to be together — there are no other love interests. How they get there is half the fun. Each book focuses on the crime story, but the romance is important to character growth.
• A character has two love interests, a la Stephanie Plum. She goes back and forth and eventually makes up her mind (I don’t know if Stephanie has made up her mind yet — I’m about a dozen books behind.) My advice? Five books. The character should know who’s Mr. (or Ms.) Right by book five. But that’s just me.
• In Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series, Evan is (sort of) involved with Mia, a deputy district attorney. But because of his dangerous and illegal life and her career, there’s natural conflict between them. This plot device works well in crime fiction because many crime fiction characters lead dangerous lives or have backgrounds making them super-cautious about serious relationships — especially with someone who can put them in prison!

For my Quinn & Costa series, the focus on the books is definitely on the crime, but when FBI Agent Matt Costa first meets LAPD detective Kara Quinn, there is ample sexual tension. I play with that. Book one, they never expect to work together again, so when they have sex they don’t think about long-term consequences. Surprise! Kara ends up being put on Matt’s task force and now they have to face their attraction. Books two and three they avoid it — until they can’t. The tension they face is authentic to two professional cops forced to work together — can they be personally involved? If they can’t, can they work together? Not to mention they both have backstory and baggage.

Seven Girls Gone brings Matt, Kara and the team to the bayou where they are immersed in the middle of an investigation into seven dead or missing young women. There’s little time to fret about their relationship, but at some point, they will be forced to address it.

To keep readers engaged, characters who are involved should either be treading water or moving forward. We never want characters to go backwards. Keeping the question of “Will they … or won’t they?” at the forefront, providing authentic, real conflict, will make the conclusion that much more satisfying for the characters … and the readers.

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