10 Thriller/Mystery Books on My TBR

Hey everyone,

One of my favourite genres is thriller/mystery, but I don’t read it often because it takes a lot out of me! Sometimes they make me stay up at night, or make me wonder continuously what the outcome will be so that I just must finish the book. Therefore, I often take breaks from this genre. In fact, I haven’t read one for at least three months and I have a lot on my TBR. I decided to make a list of my top 10, and I am hoping to read them in the order that they are placed in this list. As I have chosen so many books I will just include a two-sentence synopsis of the book and my brief thoughts about it.

1. The Breakdown by B. A. Paris

Short Synopsis: Cass is left feeling guilty after she witnesses a woman who later turns up dead. She then starts forgetting things, while receiving strange calls, and cannot understand why.

My Thoughts: I have been saying I will read this for a few months and kept forgetting to order it online. Well, I finally have and should be reading it soon! I loved the author’s debut book, so I hope I love this one too.

2. The Secret Place by Tana French

Short Synopsis: A year after a boy’s death, a photograph of him is found with the caption ‘I KNOW WHO KILLED HIM’. A young girl brings detective Stephen Moran the photo, which was found at school on a board where girls can pin up their secrets anonymously.

My Thoughts: Reading a book by Tana French has been on my mind for a while now because I have heard she is an excellent writer. I have ordered this book and really look forward to reading it!

3. Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Short Synopsis: Catherine and Lee were once in love, but when Lee turns aggressive and controlling, Catherine realises she must escape their relationship. Three years later, Catherine now goes by Cathy and starts a friendship with Stuart, who helps her to confront her fears of the past.

My Thoughts: This book sounds intriguing and I really want to read it now. I love thrillers, but I love psychological thrillers even more. This one is high on my list, and I cannot wait to read it.

4. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Short Synopsis: Libby Day was seven-years-old when her brother murdered her family, and has since lived off the proceeds of the ‘Libby Day Fund’, but is struggling after 20 years. When she is offered $500 to do an appearance for The Kill Club group, she learns that perhaps her brother Ben is innocent.

My Thoughts: I am very intrigued by this premise. It sounds very fascinating and I want to know whether Ben is innocent or not! I am even tempted right now to check on Wikipedia, but that’s what I did for Gone Girl, so I should learn from my mistakes.

5. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Short Synopsis: A husband and wife are persuaded to leave their six-month old baby at home while they go to a party, and it shouldn’t matter, because they live next door to the party and have a baby monitor. But when the mother goes to check on the baby in an eerily quiet house, she finds that her baby has been kidnapped.

My Thoughts: This is a synopsis that really grabs your attention. This book was only published last year, and it sounds like something I would read.

6. You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott

Short Synopsis: Katie and Eric Knox are parents to their daughter Devon, who is a gymnastics star training for the Olympics. But when a death changes the atmosphere of the gymnastics community, everything the Knox’s have worked hard for comes under fire.

My Thoughts: I have heard good things about Megan Abbott and this seems like a good book to read from her. There seems like there could be a few mysteries in this book, and I am very interested in reading more.

7. Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

Short Synopsis: After Heidi sees a lonely woman clutching a baby on a train platform, she cannot get the image out of her head. Heidi’s husband and daughter are horrified when one day she brings the woman and baby to her house, hoping to make their lives better.

My Thoughts: This does not sound so much like a thriller, but nonetheless I am sure it will be. The idea of someone perhaps taking advantage of another’s kindness is something that makes me deeply concerned, so I hope this won’t take a lot out of me. Otherwise, I cannot wait to read this in the near future.

8. Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson

Short Synopsis: Christine wakes up every day not remembering who she is. Is the one person she trusts really telling her the truth?

My Thoughts: This synopsis does not tell me much at all, but I love the idea of Christine not knowing things. This gives so much room to create crazy plot twists and lies, and I hope it delivers!

9. Misery by Stephen King

Short Synopsis: Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has recently become bedridden because of a car accident. His biggest fan, Annie Wilkes, is his nurse, taking care of him in her house, while also keeping him captive.

My Thoughts: I felt I should include a Stephen King novel on this list because I have never read anything from him before. Out of all of his books, this one sparks my interest the most. I have been wanting to read it (or see the film) for a few years now, and hope to do so soon.

10. I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

Short Synopsis: Jenna Gray’s life turns into a nightmare in a split second. She decides to escape to a remote cottage, but is still haunted by what happened on one November night.

My Thoughts: This is a very ambiguous synopsis, but I really like it. It reminds of me of Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks, and I enjoyed that book. Hopefully I will like this one too.

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This was a really great way of organising my thriller/mystery TBR! I think I’ll aim to read them all by the end of 2017, and I might do the same for young adult soon.

• What is your favourite thriller/mystery book?
• Out of interest, do you prefer crime to thriller/mystery? Why?
• Have you read any of these?