I have always been a fan of thriller and horror movies. This led to an interest in fictional thriller books. I discovered that I love books with a steady build up that leads to a surprise twist at the end. There is nothing better than picking up a book that you just can’t put down and these thriller books have that exact effect on me. I hope that you will feel the same way about them!
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Since I saw the Gone Girl film (and loved it) without reading the book by Gillian Flynn, I decided to read her first novel, Sharp Objects, instead. Boy am I glad that I did. Sharp Objects is my favourite thriller book that I’ve read to date. Although it thoroughly creeped me out and even made me feel a little nauseous, I could not put it down. The book was turned into a successful HBO miniseries. If you have yet to watch the miniseries, read the book first!
Reporter Camille Preaker returns to her hometown to investigate the murders of two young girls. Her homecoming brings up many of her personal and family troubles that get in the way of her investigation.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
I’m sure that you’ve heard of this thriller book that was turned into a successful film. The Girl on the Train deserves all the hype, I finished it within days. I am so happy that I read the book before seeing the movie and I suggest that you do to!
Rachel takes the same train to and from work every day and has become a little obsessed with a couple that lives by the tracks. One day on the train, she sees something shocking at the couple’s home and from that day forward, her life as just the girl on the train will never be the same.
I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
The ending to this book will truly blow your mind. It’s one of my favourite twists! I can’t even give a synopsis without giving too much away, so you’ll just have to trust me on this one.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Another book that I really recommend reading before watching the star-studded HBO series. Big Little Lies is filled with great characters, suspense, and shocking twists.
The novel revolves around three women whose children go to the same school. The women become close and start to reveal their personal issues to each other. The story comes together at the school’s Trivia Night, where the shocking twists are revealed.
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
Reconstructing Amelia reminds me of the TV series, 13 Reasons Why. This book was so different from any other thriller that I’ve read and I often recommend it to my friends.
Kate receives a phone call from her fifteen-year-old daughter’s private school, notifying her that Amelia has been caught cheating and is suspended immediately. When she arrives at the school, her whole world changes as she finds out that Amelia has just committed suicide by jumping off the school building. During Kate’s grieving she receives a text: She didn’t jump. Kate immediately tries to figure out what really happened to Amelia by piecing together her daughter’s texts and Facebook posts.
That Night by Chevy Stevens
One summer night, Toni’s younger sister, Nicole, was murdered. Toni and her boyfriend, Ryan, were convicted of the murder and sent to prison, although they have always pleaded their innocence. Fifteen years later, Toni is out on parole and needs to stay away from trouble, and especially from Ryan. As hard as she tries, she can’t help but want to figure out what really happened to her sister that night and to prove her own innocence.
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
Riley Sager rose to fame due to his successful first thriller novel, Final Girls. Although I have read Final Girls and enjoyed it, I prefer his second novel, The Last Time I Lied.
Emma Davis finally gets to spend her summer at the infamous Camp Nightingale. She’s placed in a cabin with three older girls who think they run the place. One night, Emma wakes up to find the three girls sneaking out of the cabin. They’re never seen again and the camp shuts down. Now a successful artist, Emma is called upon by the owner of Camp Nightingale and asked to return to the newly reopened camp as an art instructor. Emma agrees to return and secretly tries to find out what happened to the three girls from her cabin all those years ago.
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
The Good Daughter starts with a terrifying scene. Intruders enter the Quinn family home where Mrs. Quinn and her young daughters, Charlotte and Samantha, are waiting for Mr. Quinn, the town’s notorious defense attorney, to come home. That night leaves the family devastated and torn apart. Twenty-eight years later, Charlotte becomes a lawyer herself. In the wrong place at the wrong time, she is witness to another tragedy in her hometown. The incident unleashes the terrible memories she has suppressed from that night twenty-eight years ago and the shocking truth about the crime that destroyed her family won’t stay buried forever.
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
Ellie is your typical fifteen-year-old and her mother’s golden girl. One tragic day, Ellie mysteriously disappears. Ten years later, Ellie’s mom Laurel still hasn’t given up hope that she’ll find her daughter. Laurel meets a charismatic stranger named Floyd. After dating for a short time, she is introduced to his nine-year-old daughter, Poppy. Laurel can hardly catch her breath – Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age and all of the questions about Ellie’s disappearance come flooding back.
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
A Spring Break trip gone wrong. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and some other friends head to Aruba for Spring Break of their senior year. When Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna is trapped in the country and those around her think she is guilty of the crime. Anna is determined to find out who killed her best friend and to prove that she is innocent. The truth is shocking and will send your mind reeling.
I hope you get a chance to read my favourite thriller books!
