Tuesday 3 July 2018

My Favourite Thriller Books

My Favourite Thriller Books  psychological crime murder mystery death spooky scary

If you know me, you will know one of my favourite genres to read are thrillers. Whether that be mystery thrillers, crime thrillers or psychological thrillers. I love any book that keeps me on the edge of my seat and kept guessing till the very end. 

For today's blog post, I thought I would round up some of my favourite thrillers. Although these are my favourites at the moment, I have an unprecedented amount of other thrillers on my TBR, like an unthinkable amount so this list may be changing very soon. 

I've included a bit of everything on this list from crime to psychological thrillers, some more well-known books and some that aren't even out yet. If you like thrillers, just as much as me or are hoping to branch into the genre soon, I hope you find something on this list that takes your fancy. 



CLOSE TO HOME- CARA HUNTER

This book has to be one of my favourites, I have read so far this year. I picked it up on a complete whim and was absolutely hooked from the first page. Close to home is a crime thriller which follows DI Adam Fawley and his team, find out who took eight-year-old Daisy Mason from a family party at her own home. Set in Oxford, on a quiet suburban street (which isn't too far from where I live) no one claims to have seen anything. Expect, it is a fact that nine times out of 10, it is someone who the victim knows, which means someone is lying.

Cara's debut novel took me by surprise, I wasn't expecting anything amazing from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised, as right from the first chapter I was hooked. Lot's of thrillers are slow burners, they take a while to get going, but close to home, strikes a punch from the first chapter. Although the plot was gripping, a complete page turner and I did not see any of the twists or ending coming, what I loved about this book, was the development of DI Adam Fawley. In a lot of detective books, the police and inspectors are very 2D, but in close to home, DI Adam Fawley was so well done, you really feel like you get to know him and his own troubles. Couldn't recommend this enough. 

IN THE DARK- CARA HUNTER* 

This carries me on nicely to my next favourite, the sequel to Close to Home; In the Dark. Although it is a sequel, as it follows the same characters as Close to Home, you can still read it as a stand-alone. DI Adam Fawley and the team work to find out how a woman and child, became locked in the basement alone barely alive. The house is owned by an elderly man, yet he has no idea who they are or how they came to be locked in his cellar. The mystery unfolds, and dark truths are discovered from the past. No one is as innocent as they seem.

Another page turner, from Cara Hunter, that I did not guess the ending to, at all. Cara has an incredible ability to create dynamic and believable characters, which you feel sorry for, detest or find yourself willing them on. In the Dark is full of red herrings and plot twists which make the story so gripping but equally does not get too confusing, which many other crime thrillers fall foul of. If you love crime mysteries, you need to get your hands on In the Dark, which comes out 12th July. 

My Favourite Thriller Books scary psychological crime murder death spooky

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN- PAULA HAWKINS

Although this is one of the most hyped psychological thrillers of all time, it is still one of my favourites. If you have been living under a rock and don't know what this is about, it follows Rachel who catches the same train every day, who watches the same row of gardens on her commute. Rachael thinks their lives are perfect, but one day she sees something shocking, and it changes everything forever.

This book includes one of my favourite tropes of all time, the unreliable narrator. I know some people think this is overdone but I love it as it adds to the suspense element of the story. I could not put this down when reading. Told from three perspectives you really don't know who to trust. Although it is a global bestseller and probably one of the most well-known books of all time, I really do believe it lives up to the hype and really recommend you give it a try, if the hype has put you off before. 

THE CHILD- FIONA BARTON 

The child is a really enjoyable mystery thriller. Although I have to be honest and say that it didn't grip me throughout as it was quite a slow burner, I can see, now having finished the book and read the WOW ending, why the book was set out like it was. One day, an article in the newspaper is published, saying a baby's body has been discovered, buried in the ground. The child is told from three perspectives; a journalist, a woman who it is a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her and a woman, who fears her darkest secret is going to be revealed. 

This book is very clever and compelling, although I wasn't gripped, you may be wondering how has it made its way on to this list. Well, that's because the ending was shocking and so clever, it made this book go from an average 3 star straight to a solid 4 star read. I obviously can't say anything about what happens because spoilers but please if you choose to pick it up, don't DNF it because the ending is worth waiting for.  

IN A COTTAGE IN A WOOD- CASS GREEN

Last and by no means least, probably my favourite psychological thriller I have ever read. This story follows Neve, who just so happens to stumble across a woman on Waterloo bridge late at night. In those few fleeting moments of interactions, the mystery woman hands Neve a package and throws herself into the Thames. The package contains keys and deeds to a cottage. Neve's troubled home life leads to her checking this cottage out, it seems a blessing. When she arrives and discovers it has bars on the windows and looks like nothing she was expecting from a Cornwall cottage, Neve soon realises her dream home has become her worst nightmare. 

What I loved most about In a cottage in a wood was how even halfway through this book, I didn't know how it was going to unfold, what was going to be the big ending? You follow Neve discovering the dark history and truth behind the cottage and the mystery woman she met on the bridge. There are so many creepy and disturbing events that happen throughout the story, which kept me hooked till the very end. Could not put this down, 100% recommend if you are in need of a suspenseful read. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog post! Let me know in the comments down below if you have read any of these or what are your favourite thrillers. I am always on the lookout for new recommendations. 

Thanks for reading, as always X 

* This post contains an item that was sent to me for free. However, all opinions are my own, and I am not being paid to write this blog post. 
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