Here’s the thing about thrillers: the surprise twists force readers to break their previous versions of “reality” and face a whole new version of the story. The best thriller writers build a world for you, and just as you’re getting comfortable, they flip it upside down—and maybe smash it too, for good measure. In life, these kinds of plot twists are difficult. Earth-shattering; life-shattering. But move them into thrillers? Pure fun. Writing Made for You, my debut novel, enabled me to take the horrific plot twist I had to walk through in real life, and put it on the page in a way that felt fun—fun to write and, I hope, fun to read.
The plot twist I never wanted was the death of my sister Heidi to cancer. It’s a wicked turn to the story of my life, as well as the lives of her children, husband, friends, and the rest of our family, that we are all still feeling the shock of, nearly two years later.
My novel came together when I was watching Love is Blind, the Netflix reality TV dating show, and I had just finished reading the extraordinary YA sci-fi novel The Ones We’re Meant to Find, which is about sisters and grief—and AI. Somehow, all of these elements fused in my brain and I thought—“What if I write a reality TV dating thriller, and the main character on her journey toward love is a synthetic woman?” That spark was all it took; my brain was off in a million directions. My main character, newly awake to the world, would have to learn not just about love, but about suffering, and how it’s inextricably entwined with love. She would have to confront the stark difference between the vision of ‘pretty’ love on reality TV and real-life heartbreak. She would experience the connection that shared suffering can bring–and the devastating loneliness of hitting rock bottom. She would build an entire vision of what life was–and then it would break. And there would be murder because—of course.
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
Meet Lucy, who was found wandering the streets of her small Texas hometown covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood.
The hook for this twisty, darkly hilarious thriller is one of those concepts that burrows into your brain immediately and just won’t leave you alone: “What if you thought you murdered your best friend?”
Fast forward a few years, and she’s back, this time with (inconveniently attractive) true crime podcaster Ben Owens sniffing around the unsolved mystery of Savvy’s death. To everyone’s surprise, Lucy decides to cooperate with Ben. Believe it or not, she wants to find the truth just as much as anyone else–even if the truth is that she killed Savvy.
The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb
May Cobb’s newest book is an impeccably plotted thriller that twists again and again, drawing you deeper with each turn into the layers of obsession and manipulation that writhe under the dazzling surface of Hollywood glamor.
Cassie Foster, insecure and strapped for cash, can’t believe her luck when she lands a job as a personal assistant for Hollywood power couple Nate and Marisol Sterling. It’s a dream job with a more-than generous paycheck, but Cassie doesn’t just get access to the luxuries of the pool or Marisol’s closet; she also gets access to the couples’ secrets. Their dreams. Their fights. Private moments, never meant to be witnessed.
Then, a murder investigation de-rails Cassie’s life. Worse, she becomes the prime suspect. Desperate to clear her name, Cassie has to figure out: why exactly was she hired in the first place?
The Act of Disappearing by Nathan Gower
This elegantly written debut novel weaves through multiple generations of women, examining what it means to be a woman and a mother, all with a compelling mystery at its center.
Julia White’s life is no piece of cake; her first book hasn’t sold well, and her bartending job is barely paying the bills. So when a famous photographer, Johnathan Aster, offers her a huge amount of money to investigate the mystery of a photograph taken in the 1960s, how can she refuse?
The picture is a never-before-seen image of a woman with a baby in her arms, jumping to her death off a train bridge. Who is the woman? What happened to the baby? And what kind of mother would take her own child to a watery grave? Julia dives deep into the story, and the answer is not what you expect. I promise that the hopeful yet devastating twist will leave you breathless.
The Resort by Sarah Ochs
Welcome to paradise. We hope you survive your stay…
Who doesn’t want to escape regular life and jet off to an idyllic, remote island in Thailand?
Well, ‘escape’ is exactly what the members of the expat community known as “the Permanents” are doing at the Koh Sang Resort. Except, they’re not escaping for fun. Each of the Permanents has a secret to hide and a past to flee from, including Cass, a local dive instructor who has found her own perfect escape and fresh start, not to mention, an amazing boyfriend and the promise of love in paradise.
When a dive student is found dead, suddenly the secrets that everyone has buried are swimming to the top, and Cass can’t help but realize–someone has figured out who she really is.
A Step Past Darkness by Vera Kurian
Brilliant, deep and chilling, this new slow-burn thriller from Vera Kurian is “The Breakfast Club” meets Kiersten White’s Hide, but with creepy mines and a cultish church.
Six high school students in the small mining town of Wesley Falls have to form an unlikely alliance for their capstone project. The six could not be more different: a bookworm, a purity culture Christian, a cynical burnout, a football player, a straight-A student, and a psychic. Then, during a wild party in the abandoned mine, they witness a horrifying crime and barely escape with their lives. After their investigations take a dangerous turn, the six agree never to speak of it again, and go their separate ways.
Twenty years later, one of them turns up dead under mysterious circumstances. The remaining five members of the Capstone Six return to Wesley Falls, now adults–but still scarred and shaped by what happened so long ago. They know they have to get to the bottom of their friend’s death, but to do that, they must return to the coal mine one more time…
Thicker than Water by Megan Collins
Yes, there is murder. Yes, there are twists. But I really can’t think of another book that shows the dimensionality and loveliness of a “soulmate friends” relationship between women like this.
Julia Larkin’s husband, Jason, is in a coma. But amidst her fear, devastation, and the long hours at the hospital, at least she has Sienna to lean on, her sister-in-law and best friend.
When Jason’s boss is found brutally murdered with his lips stitched together, Julia is of course shocked and saddened. But her shock turns to something darker when the police find evidence connecting the murder to Jason–her amazing husband who would never kill someone… right?
With Jason unconscious and unable to explain or defend himself, it’s up to Julia and Sienna to prove his innocence. Until Julia starts to realize that all the clues really do point to her husband…
Come for the satisfying murder mystery, but stay for the soulmate friends.
Watch It Burn by Kristen Bird
The small Texas town of Edenburg is practically ruled by personal development company Genetive, Inc, a cultish company that uses unorthodox methods to ‘coach’ its members.
When the founder’s wife Beverly is found in the Guadalupe River, drowned in two inches of water, three women must work together to uncover the secrets, lies and scandals that are simmering just under Genetive’s perfectly manicured appearance.
At its heart, this book is about the dangers of power, the need for truth, and the ways we cope with tragedy. Lots of potential discussion for book clubs here!
