In the world of thrillers, tension is everything. It’s what keeps readers up at night, flipping pages with heart-pounding urgency. Without tension, a thriller isn’t thrilling—it’s just a series of events. The good news? Tension can be built deliberately. It’s a craft, not just a lucky accident—and understanding the structure of the story to create suspense is one of the most effective ways to do it.
In this guide, we’ll explore how to build tension in a thriller novel using key storytelling tools—and we’ll use The Boss by Jack Allen as a prime example of how to do it right. Jack Allen’s gripping novel transforms a high-stakes business drama into a psychological and physical battlefield, where danger lurks behind boardroom doors and personal trauma haunts every decision.
If you’re writing a thriller or just want to deepen your storytelling skills, this breakdown is your go-to toolkit.
1. Start with High Emotional Stakes
Thrillers don’t have to start with a car chase. They need to start with something that matters. In The Boss, the opening chapters drop us into Tom Kelly’s childhood—a violent, abusive home where survival is uncertain. The emotional tension hits hard and fast.
This early trauma creates a foundation of internal tension. Readers aren’t just wondering what happens next—they’re worried about how Tom’s past will shape his future.
Tip:
Start your novel with a moment of personal risk or emotional vulnerability. It doesn’t have to be explosive—it just needs to matter deeply to your protagonist.
2. Use Unresolved Trauma to Fuel Every Scene
Tom’s violent upbringing isn’t just backstory—it’s a living, breathing part of who he is. As an adult, he’s a successful Wall Street lawyer with a military past. But under the polished surface is a man constantly battling self-doubt, trust issues, and a barely contained anger.
This duality builds inner tension that spills into every interaction, especially with characters like Carla Romanov—a seductive, powerful woman with a hidden agenda.
Tip:
Make your protagonist’s past a source of unresolved conflict. Let that emotional edge bleed into every decision, every relationship, every risk.
3. Introduce Powerful Characters with Unclear Motives
Enter Carla Romanov and her father, Cesar Romanov—titans of wealth and secrecy. When Tom is invited into their world, the reader knows one thing: this won’t be a clean deal.
Carla’s charm is magnetic, but her intentions are never fully clear. Is she in love? Manipulating Tom? Testing him for her father’s empire?
The tension builds because the reader, like Tom, is never quite sure who to trust.
Tip:
Introduce allies who might be enemies—and enemies who act like friends. Suspicion drives reader engagement.
4. Blend Psychological Suspense with Physical Danger
In The Boss, danger isn’t just emotional—it’s literal. From brutal childhood scenes to skydiving stunts to billion-dollar business schemes, Jack Allen layers psychological stakes with physical action.
One minute, Tom’s making a high-risk legal decision. The next, he’s jumping out of a plane with someone who may or may not care if the parachute opens.
Tip:
Alternate between quiet psychological tension and physical danger. Keep readers guessing what form the next threat will take.
5. Control Pacing Like a Conductor
Allen masterfully controls pacing. He doesn’t rush into chaos—he builds toward it. Conversations stretch with double meaning. Deals are made in whispers. The calm before the storm stretches just long enough to make readers twitch.
Then, just as you’re settling in, everything explodes.
Tip:
Use pacing intentionally. Slow scenes can heighten tension if readers sense something is about to go wrong. Don’t be afraid to linger—just make sure you’re tightening the emotional screws.
6. Create Moral Dilemmas that Leave No Easy Way Out
Tom’s choices are never simple. Join a morally questionable empire or lose the power he’s worked so hard for. Trust a woman who might destroy him or push her away and lose everything. The tension comes from knowing there is no safe path forward.
Tip:
Put your protagonist in situations where every option has consequences. Let the reader feel that moral weight.
7. Let the Setting Do Some of the Work
From luxury penthouses to private hangars and tense boardrooms, The Boss uses setting to reflect and amplify tension. A lavish dinner feels less romantic when you’re not sure if the person across from you is lying. A quiet office feels claustrophobic when secrets are hiding behind the doors.
Tip:
Use the environment to mirror the character’s internal state. Closed spaces, flickering lights, cold lobbies—all of these create atmosphere and pressure.
8. Layer Secrets, Then Peel Them Back Slowly
One of the most compelling tension-building tools is secrecy. In The Boss, there are layers of secrets—about Tom’s past, Carla’s real plans, Cesar’s empire, and even the motivations of minor characters.
Allen never dumps information. He teases it out. Each chapter offers just enough new detail to raise more questions than it answers, showing a clear grasp of what suspense is in a story and how to stretch it to keep readers hooked.
Tip:
Feed your readers clues, not answers. Make every reveal a twist that deepens the mystery rather than solving it outright.
9. Use Dialogue as a Weapon
Tension doesn’t come from what’s said—it comes from what’s not said. In Allen’s novel, even casual banter is filled with subtext. Characters test each other with every line, hiding their real intentions beneath layers of wit, sarcasm, or flirtation.
A conversation between Tom and Carla might seem playful, but it’s really about control, power, and testing boundaries.
Tip:
Write dialogue that works on multiple levels. Give readers the surface meaning—but hint at the dangerous subtext beneath.
10. End Every Chapter with a Hook
Allen’s chapter endings are a lesson in tension. Whether it’s a threat, a revelation, or a subtle shift in power, he never lets the reader breathe easy. You don’t finish a chapter—you have to turn the page.
This relentless momentum is what keeps readers locked in.
Tip:
Never let a chapter end on a note of comfort. End with uncertainty, danger, or a pressing question. Leave something unresolved.
Mastering the Art of Tension
Building tension in a thriller novel isn’t about writing faster or adding more explosions. It’s about constructing a world where stakes are high, people are unpredictable, and danger feels just a breath away.
The Boss by Jack Allen offers a masterclass in this craft. With emotionally complex characters, layered secrets, and a relentless sense of unease, it shows how high-tension storytelling is built scene by scene.
If you’re writing a thriller, study this book. Not just for what happens, but for how it feels. The tension isn’t always in the action—it’s in the anticipation.
