Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell was the first book that captured my fascination with psychological thrillers. I loved how Jewell made the chapters concise because it was able to push the plot along. I also loved the parallels between the two different time periods that the story was taking place in; they made me even more intrigued about what the outcome of the story would be.
Brooke, a single mother, gets a job as a nurse in an all male prison. One of the inmates, Shane, Brooke sent to prison many years ago. This book has a past and present timeline which creates many doubts in the reader's brain. Brooke is not supposed to share any details about her life with the inmates. But, when Shane discovers he is the father of her child, he must know more. Back at home Brooke is starting to connect with her childhood best friend, Tim, again. Although she likes him at first she starts to become suspicious of him.
The Secret History is a captivating novel that blends elements of psychological thriller, school drama, and Greek tragedy. The novel begins with Richard Papen, a working-class student from California, who transfers to Hampden College in Vermont. There, he becomes fascinated by an exclusive group of five Classics students led by their professor, Julian Morrow. Richard manages to join this tight-knit circle, which includes the twins Charles and Camilla, the smart Francis, the reserved Henry, and the angry Bunny.
“Female psychopaths, researchers eventually realized, don't present like the males. To which I respond: No shit. We women have an emotional wiliness that shellacs us in glossy patina of caring. We have been raised to take interest in promoting healthy interior lives of other humans; preparation, I suppose, for taking on the emotional labor of motherhood - or marriage; either way, really. Few women come into maturity unscathed by the suffocating pink press of girlhood, and even psychopaths are touched by the long, frilly arm of feminine expectations.
The Stranger by Albert Camus follows the story of a man named Meursault who is indifferent to everything around him. He is only really controlled by his basic primal needs, like hunger, thirst, sleep, etc. Throughout the story, he doesn't show any deeper connection to anything and only describes things at face value. This makes sense considering his personality is so indifferent, but it creates a dull story where that is very slowly paced.
Summary: Forget Me by Kim Harrington is a gripping young adult mystery novel that revolves around the life of Morgan, a teenager with the unique ability to witness memories by touching objects. When Morgan touches a blood-stained scarf, she becomes entangled in a dangerous mystery involving a missing girl and a potential murder. As she navigates through the twists and turns of the investigation, Morgan must confront her own past and the secrets surrounding her abilities.
Verity by Colleen Hoover is a gripping romantic thriller that follows Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who is asked to complete a popular author's series after the author, Verity Crawford, is injured. Lowen discovers Verity's hidden autobiographical manuscript and stumbles upon disturbing, dark secrets within it, leading to a thrilling and increasingly suspenseful narrative.
The Silent Patient follows the story of Alicia Berenson, a woman that was charged for the murder of her husband. Shortly after, Alicia stops speaking and earns her famous title as “the silent patient’. Theo Faber, a psychotherapist, is intrigued by Alicia’s case and decides to take it and attempt to explore the reason behind her silence and ease her pain. He lets her express her emotions through art, reduces her medication, and exhibits patience with her.
Look for Me is an absorbing and complex crime story that keeps readers interested til the very end. It is told from the perspective of a detective and a survivor. Roxy, a teenager, loses her family due to a fatal shooting in her home while walking her dogs. She never comes back. Police are looking for her, desperate to find answers to what happened that night. But this isn’t a normal family. Roxy’s family was broken in many ways and Roxy still had to pick up all of her pieces and start over.
Lock Every Door is an exceptionally written horror/thriller novel. Riley Sager is very well known for writing thriller books, and this might just be one of the best written books by Riley. The storyline of the book is very interesting since it gives you insight on multiple characters’ perspectives. You not only get to feel what all the characters are feeling, but you also get an insight into their lives and how each character is so vastly different than the other.
