I love reading psycho-thrillers even more during this time of year because, let's be honest, I can put my head between the pages of a good suspense book all year long! If you need a page-turning book that you cannot put down while giving you the right amount of chills, then check out my top thriller book recommendations list (in no particular order) below!
1. The Silent Patient by Alex Michalides: This book has such an original, intriguing concept; Theo, a psychologist, takes on a case involving a woman who is taken into a psych ward for killing her husband. He has to figure out why the accused, Alicia, has been sent to the institution and what has possessed her to do such a thing. There's one catch though - Alicia has not spoken since the night her husband died. How can Theo get to the bottom of this when Alicia barely mutters a word? Her silence only entices Theo to unravel this mystery that ultimately becomes his newest obsession.
I was instantly hooked with this author's writing in his gripping, best-seller! I was curious to see how this storyline could play out and it left me with a reading hangover that a good book usually does to me, in the best way of course! It did not disappoint! The plot twist and the ending I actually did not see coming. It's fun coming up with theories while reading these specific stories and that ending came straight out of left field, haha! It makes sense after reading the entire book and it was a job well done of how everything tied together in a jaw-dropping way.
2. The Push by Ashley Audrain: This author's debut novel is intense, suspenseful, and utterly shocking. A story about motherhood, generations of women and families, "pushing" (pun totally intended), someone to their edge and limits. Although it can all be in that person's head, specifically the main character, Blythe Connor, that everything isn't what it seems, having the perfect child is her only concern. After giving birth to her first-born daughter, Violet, Blythe strives to be the best mother she can be, something Blythe was not lucky to have herself. The struggles of motherhood in the early days of caring for her baby eventually get to Blythe, lack of sleep, and mood swings for example, which results in Blythe convincing herself there may be something wrong with Violet simply because she doesn't act like other children do the older she gets. Did Blythe convince herself this due to her unfortunate upbringing with the lack of love she experienced from her own mother and is history repeating itself right before her eyes? Or can she overcome her paranoid thoughts and convince herself instead that everything is okay?
This. Book. Wow! The year I read it, it was my favorite book of the year and it still holds true. The visualization this author captured emotionally is such a roller coaster, the kind of ride you wish you could ride again for the first time. It's a heavy story that includes a few trigger warnings (I suggest looking them up before reading) as it does mention children frequently. Besides that element of the story, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time while reading. I want to give the author's newest book, The Whispers, a chance because I love her writing and The Push is one of my favorite books ever! The dots Audrain connects is so well done and everything ties together beautifully for a wild story.
3. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell: This novel is the first Lisa Jewell book I read and I feel like this book is not talked about enough! Then She Was Gone is an insane psycho-thriller ride! It is a story about Laurel Mack who lost her daughter, Ellie, after she went missing one day from not coming back from the library. The story goes back and forth between the day leading up to Ellie's disappearance and present-day ten years later after hopes of finding her. Attempting to move on, Laurel meets someone new and starts a romantic relationship. When meeting her lover's daughter, Laurel discovers that she looks exactly like Ellie. Now, Laurel is determined to uncover the truth about what really happened to Ellie that day and answer all unanswered questions from her past and confusing present.
I thought I was not going to like this book at first while reading it. The beginning felt a little slow, I was confused by her writing and couldn't figure out what was going on. After deciding to give this book a chance, I am so glad I finished it! The pace picked up, the plot twist made me drop my jaw; this book left me shocked and speechless. This is probably the first book to exceed my expectations and did not disappoint me after doubting its potential.
Lisa Jewell has other popular novels, such as The Family Upstairs and the sequel to that book, as well as her newest release, None of This is True, which are all on my TBR list. I did read Invisible Girl too, however, that book fell flat for me. Then She Was Gone is definitely the first book from this author I highly recommend!
4. The Whisper Man by Alex North: If you are looking for a book that is similar to It by Stephen King, and The Silence Of The Lambs by Thomas Hariss, I recommend this spooky novel. In a small town, there are tales of a whispering man lurking late in the evening, entering young boys' bedroom window and kidnapping them. This scary event happened years ago and it seems that history has repeated itself years later. Tom Kennedy lost his wife and decided that he and his son, Jake, needed a fresh start. Unaware of the town's haunting past, they move where these incidents take place. It's a multi-generational story involving father and son relationships handling these recent events happening in their town.
This novel is a dark, suspenseful thriller that left me chills every night. I read chapters before going to bed at least every night and I don't regret reading that late at night, however, I was extremely terrified going to bed, haha! I wanted to get in the cozy, Halloween mood and this book did just that! I love how the author writes; he did a great job unraveling a thrilling story with pieces connecting together. Although it was a tad predictable, I was still shocked at some plot twists that were revealed. The ending fell flat for me but this book was enjoyable as a whole to get into spooky season! I have his other book, The Shadows, on my radar to read this year and perhaps it will leave me just as shaken up as this one did!
5. Verity by Colleen Hoover: Well-known for writing heart-breaking romance novels, Hoover takes a different approach with this romance thriller. This story follows Lowen, an author who takes over Verity Crawford's series to finish writing Verity's thrillers for her dedicated fans. As part of Lowen's research, she stays in Verity's home and finds another piece of Verity's writing - her autobiography. Assuming this can be used for her research, Lowen reads it and that is where this psycho-romance-thriller begins.
This book is the biggest mind-f***k I have ever read! What a whirlwind, what a page-turning ride! It's the kind of story that you can't tell what is real or make-believe anyway and it's so captivatingly confusing in the best way possible. The whole time while reading, I just kept thinking, "What could possibly happen from here or next?" I was on the edge of my seat every time and the ending made me want to physically throw the book to the wall, again, in a good way. If you need an aching book hangover, I recommend this book. It is a book I wish I could read for the first time again because of the feelings of anticipation and exhilaration. It's also one of those books that I cannot stop thinking about as a whole but even more so because of the ending. When recommending this author to other readers, I suggest It Ends With Us, November 9, and Verity all the time!
There you have it! My top thriller book recommendations! I absolutely devoured these books and have such an appreciation for them . I hope you enjoy them all as much as I did!
Happy Reading!
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