My list of 10 Thrilling Books You Might Have Missed tries to lure you in with FOMO, but really it’s an opportunity to highlight some backlist titles that I enjoyed.
10 Thrilling Books You Might Have Missed
We all focus on the latest and the newest books to read, but sometimes really great books slip through the cracks. Maybe they didn’t get promoted enough, maybe they came out at a competitive time, or maybe there was a pandemic.
Here are ten books I really enjoyed that you might not have read! BONUS: since most of these are backlist, you can probably grab them from the library and save some cash.
The Taken Ones by Jess Lourey (2023)
This police procedural (first in a series) has the highest Goodreads rating on my list and I really enjoyed it. Jess Lourey has been writing cozies and then some true-crime inspired standalones for years. But I’m excited about this series. The second book comes out in September 2024, which makes this a perfect time to read book one and be ready!
Read my review of The Taken Ones to get all the details!
On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass (2022)
I totally missed this one and then a friend recommended it to me as a favorite of her book club. Now I’m a huge fan of this author, and have also read her latest, The Vacancy in Room 10.
In any case, this is a classic Neighborhood Suspense Story that follows multiple neighbors and their interlocking secrets and lies, Big Little Lies style.
The Collective by Alison Gaylin (2021)
This was a pandemic book for me. It made a bit of a splash in my social media feeds when it came out, but the world was also opening up again and maybe people got distracted.
The Collective is for you if you like an INTENSE book that’s a little out there, but that you can’t put down. It is a little similar to Kill for Me Kill For You, as book books have Strangers on a Train murder-swap premises. Try them both!
Check out my Review of the Collective and join my Spoiler Discussion for the Collective.
Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothschild (2022)
Books about homicidal women are on the rise – I did a whole list that I’m always adding to. This was a voice-y, fun book about a woman who admits she’s a bit of a killer, then gets framed for the murder of her husband. An unusual main character, but one I enjoyed.
Check out my Review of Blood Sugar!
Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez (2023)
I love a good female-forward thriller and have been disappointed that shows like Orphan Black (2013) and Killing Eve (2018) haven’t produced more of them!
For me, Before She Finds Me is a classic thriller with high stakes and escalating suspense. It pits a protective mom (is she really who everyone thinks?) against a female assassin.
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin (2022)
I still haven’t read Megan Goldin’s breakthrough book, Escape Room, but I did read Night Swim and its sequel, Dark Corners.
I loved Stay Awake because it reminded me so much of Memento, one of my favorite psychological thriller movies. As in the film, the main character in Stay Awake has amnesia (her memory goes blank as she sleeps) and is trying to piece together some terrifying incidents in her life. As she tries, the reader tries.
Here’s my Review of Stay Awake and also my Spoiler Discussion of Stay Awake, if you need help (or want to help me) puzzle it all out.
I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto (2023)
Jesse Q. Sutanto is a writing machine. She has a comic cozy series, she wrote a mystery novel featuring a nosy, crime-solving empty nester, and she’s written Young Adult books.
This is an adult psychological suspense book that does have a YA crossover feel. It’s about two rival writers who also have a toxic friendship.
I’m Not Done With You Yet, feels a little like Yellowface, which came out at a similar date and got more splash, as a Reese’s Book Club pick.
Check out my Review of I’m Not Done With You Yet!
Jackal by Erin Adams (2022)
If you are a fan of Horror Noire (think Get Out) and are fine reading a psychological suspense book that veers into horror and the paranormal, check Jackal out.
The book starts out with that (cough * overused* cough) trope of the woman returning to her hometown to face various personal demons. But in this book they are more literal demons. Loved that twist on it.
Zero Days by Ruth Ware (2023)
Yes, another female-forward thriller, this one with a tech-y twist.
I prefer Ruth Ware’s more traditional books, like Turn of the Key (modern Gothic) and The It Girl (Agatha Christie Dark Academia). But Zero Days was a whole lot of fun to read!
Check out my Review of Zero Days and if you want to discuss, head over to my Spoiler Discussion of Zero Days.
The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard (2023)
I’ve read many of Catherine Ryan Howard’s books, including 56 Days and Run Time. But this one was SO chilling I am still thinking about it.
I have a Review of The Trap and also a Spoiler Discussion for the Trap.
White Ivy by Susie Yang (2020)
This is THE pick if your book club has people who want a “serious” book and other people who want something dark and thrilling.
I love an author who takes chances and does something different. I think this suffered a bit from being marketed as a thriller (according to its Goodreads listing, People magazine called it a “twisty, unputdownable, psychological thriller.”) Uh …. that’s not really accurate and (I think) set readers up to be disappointed.
The first half of White Ivy actually reads more like a immigrant story/family drama. Then suddenly it turns dark. Think American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. It’s about a woman who wants the American Dream at any cost.
I have a spoiler-free Review of White Ivy and a very interesting Spoiler Discussion of White Ivy with a LOT of insightful comments from my website readers.
How many of these have you read… or not? Tell me in comments!