Are you looking for New Books Like Gone Girl? There are many ways to break this book down, which I’ll discuss, but this posts will consider the Husband Always Did It theory of True Crime. I’ll also recommend my favorite Psychological Thrillers if that’s what you’re after.
New Books Like Gone Girl
My review of Gone Girl explains the tremendous influence the book had on suspense and crime fiction. I’d love you to read the post, but in a nutshell:
- Gone Girl made unreliable narrators popular for years
- It sparked a lot of domestic thrillers with big twists, books like The Wife Between Us, The Wife Stalker, Behind Closed Doors, The Housemaid, and The Last Mrs. Parrish.
- It also sparked a huge trend of books with titles like “girl” and “woman” titles, to the point that Netflix made a movie spoofing them.
It also looked at the idea that in the case of a missing woman, the culprit is most likely her husband or boyfriend. That’s the angle I’m looking at here in a bunch of new titles, and a few older ones:
NEW Books to Read if You Like Gone Girl
Lady Killer by Katherine Wood (2024)
Lady Killer was a fun twist on The Talented Mr. Ripley. In Lady Killer, the rich person being swindled by grifters was a woman. But as in Gone Girl, the twists and turns in this book will make you doubt everything you think you know. Check out my review of Lady Killer!
On the Surface by Rachel McGuire (2024)
A couple of yachting influencers is trying to make a living with YouTube and crypto. But when one of the pair goes missing, the obvious suspect is the partner. This one has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Check out my Review of On The Surface!
If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay (2024)
In this page-turner, a law student is finally getting out of the shadow of his high school girl friend’s mysterious abduction. The years since have been hard since many people suspected him. But then there’s a new development in her case and he’s back in the spotlight again. Check out my Review of If Something Happens to Me!
Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda (2024)
A woman heads back to her home town after the death of her stepfather. She’s reluctant to return as she’s still grieving being abandoned by her mother years ago. But then a shocking discovery turns everything she thought she knew on its head. Could something have happened to her mother? Check out my Review of Daughter of Mine!
Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight (2024)
Cleo and her mom have been at odds over Cleo’s boyfriend, but she agrees to come for dinner. When she arrives, there’s food on the stove but her mother is gone. Cleo decides to get to the bottom of things. Could her own father be to blame? Or someone from her mother’s past? My Review of Like Mother Like Daughter will be up August 6!
Older Books to Read if You Liked Gone Girl
Here are some other psychological thrillers with big twists that you might enjoy! Also check out my post on what makes a psychological suspense story and some of my favorites!
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney (2017)
Sometimes I Lie is about a woman in a coma who admits to being a liar. It is a fascinating (and frustrating) story to try to piece together. You will need my Sometimes I Lie Spoiler Discussion when you’re done!
The Silent Patient by Alex Michalides (2019)
Maybe you’ve already read this already, but it’s a bit of a gender flipped Gone Girl situation in which a woman is in a psychiatric hospital after presumably killing her husband. But she won’t speak at all. Can her new psychiatrist get to the truth? Check out My Review of The Silent Patient, my Silent Patient Spoiler Discussion and my post on the connections between Alex Michalides’s books!
The Girl on the Train (2015)
The most compared book to Gone Girl, this is the story of an alcoholic who is convinced she witnessed a murder. (I think it’s a bit more like Rear Window, but whatever.) Check out my Review of The Girl on the Train!
Do you have any other recommendations for my NEW Books Like Gone Girls List? Let me know in comments!
hi Jen, I always look forward to your newsletters and reviews. Thank you for this list.
I would most definitely love to read that list of your most influential suspense and thriller books in the 2000s.
Keep on reading … and reviewing!
Aw, thanks Lori. Hope you are having a good summer. I’ll put that list on my to-do list!