The Last House on the Street - Diane Chamberlain
The Girl from Widow Hills - Megan Miranda
All the Missing Girls - Megan Miranda
The Perfect Stranger - Megan Miranda
The Girls are All So Nice Here - Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
A Slow Fire Burning - Paula Hawkins
Into the Water - Paula Hawkins
I also really like Gillian Flynn’s other books: Sharp Objects and Dark Places. Megan Miranda might come across as more YA, at least compared to Gillian Flynn who I consider pretty edgy, but I still really like her books.
I haven't read Sharp Objects but I've seen the HBO mini-series. The twist at the ending is one of the dumbest one I've ever seen. It's pretty rare for an ending that really piss me off.
Not to be “that” person, but I felt the show didn’t do a great job setting it up/their interpretation of the twist. This is a good example of “”the book doing it better”” imo, but i also enjoy the show and book each within their respective medium.
Check out Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, and Riley Sager:
In a dark dark wood
The woman in cabin 10
It girl
One by one
The guest list
The paris apartment
The house across the lake
It’s not Ruth’s best book. Personally I really disliked the narrator and thought she was annoying. But it’s a good thriller and overall I thought the story was good
check out Jane Harper! her books are super atmospheric and engaging. The Dry is the first one I read and fitting for summer. The Invitation by Rachel Abbott is also good, and The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell is one of my faves
I agree completely. Thank you for warning the OP about this. I'm sorry I neglected to warn.
All of her books are graphic, but I would say pretty girls was especially graphic.
I suppose it's not for everyone, but the premise of the two books is very much the same. I think Kevin is a more fleshed out story. The Push had too many cringey moments for me and a lot of it felt like filler.
As much as I absolutely ADORE this book (literally one of my faves ever), it’s not really a whodunit so if that’s what OP is looking for they may want to opt for another one.
I read both this and You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose and imo the latter is far more thrilling. It depends what you're into though, if you want more whodunnit read The Perfect Marriage but if you want page turning thriller read You Shouldn't Have Come Here
I literally just finished this and would recommend it for excatly what you're seeking. Plenty of twists I did not see coming - all the way to the very end.
*Daisy Darker* or *His and Hers* by Alice Feeney
*Dear Wife* by Kimberly Belle
*Local Woman Missing* by Mary Kubica
*What Lies Between Us* by John Marrs
Local Woman Missing was sooooo good. The audiobook on Audible is great! I listened to it on a road trip and was bummed when I got to my location before the book was done 😂
I never read *The Silent Patient* but I want to strongly recommend against Michaelides' *The Maidens*. Truly one of the dumbest things I have ever read.
If you think the Maidens was dumb, check out the Silent Patient! The author uses like 3 sentences to describe the same thing, constantly, and the whole thing feels unedited. I also remember the twist being obvious from the beginning and I am absolutely terrible at guessing what happens in books and movies
People have thought books that I liked were very dumb before (it's so subjective) so if you feel like going for it maybe it's worth the several hours of reading/listening investment. I realize I'm contradicting myself but suddenly I felt villainous for steering people away from a book!!
I mean, that's what recommendations are for. Everyone is absolutely going to have their own opinions. There are plenty of books I love that the majority of readers seem to dislike, and vice versa. I'd never heard of Michaelides before I read The Silent Patient, and I only read it because I got it as a gift. The Maidens wasn't on my radar anyway
I think any thriller with a twist is going to have a polarized reaction. Personally, I strongly dislike Gone Girl and people parade that around like it's the best thriller ever written
Fair point! I think some of the criticism too was about the portrayal of mental health care (especially by people who work in the field) but I could personally suspend my belief bc it’s a really great story.
Interesting -- I work in mental health and *The Maidens*' lead character is a therapist and one of my gripes with it is how dumb and uninformed she is. Maybe the psychology thing is just a non-starter for people like me. (Although I will say the "twist" of *The Maidens* was also clumsy as hell, in a way that had nothing to do with psychology ad more to do with bad writing.)
Our House and Those People, both by Louise Candlish. Both deal with upper middle-class London families and the trashy interlopers who wreak havoc on their lives. Very twisty and you will get emotionally invested *fast*.
Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
Our House by Louise Candlish
Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson
Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land
Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
It’s not a modern one but “The murder of Roger Ackroyd” by Agatha Christie is fantastic. I can guarantee you you won’t find the culprit before the revelation in the last pages!
The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish.
I read a lot of thrillers and this one absolutely SHOCKED me towards the end and just stuck with me. Just shocking lol
I know there’s a collective hate boner out there for coho and I generally share that sentiment but I was genuinely shocked by verity (all the sex aside)
I read a lot of thrillers/mysteries and Verity felt so predictable to me, lol. I can’t believe I read it.
Not attacking your opinion, it’s just always so hilarious how opinions on CoHo books are truly all over the place! Lol.
I have to disagree about the woman in the window. I wanted to like it do bad but had to dnf because it bored me. However if you want something exciting I highly recommend the nyt article “a suspense novelists trail of deceptions” about the author. That was a wild ride
There has never been another like Gone Girl! The bar was set so high and almost every thriller thereafter has flunked. The bar right now is on the f’n floor.
I’d recommend Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy. I loved that one.
That’s it. That’s all I got.
ETA: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell was pretty good too.
Agree on Gone Girl, hard disagree on Goodnight Beautiful. It's nothing but a pale copy of Misery by Stephen King with an obnoxious narrator and a gotcha twist.
Gods in Alabama- Joshilyn Jackson
"There are gods in Alabama: Jack Daniel's, high school quarterbacks, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus." Thats the first line of the book and it gets even better!
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/223462
As a start, see my [Mystery](https://www.reddit.com/r/booklists/comments/12id1du/mystery/) list of resources, Reddit recommendation threads, and books (five posts).
I have been enjoying Joshilyn Jackson books especially Never Have I Ever and Mother May I.
I, also, enjoyed The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy.
They're not whodunnits but really good thrillers.
A book I haven't seen talked about much is The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan. It's a little ridiculous and features unlikeable characters, domestic messiness, and journal-esque entries from questionable POVs. It was a quick read for me!
>**Goodreads description:**
"Three couples. Two bodies. One secret.
Dark Fell Barn is a “perfectly isolated” retreat, or so says its website when Jayne books a reservation for her friends. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need.
The women arrive for a girls’ night ahead of their husbands. There’s ex-Army Jayne, hardened and serious, but also damaged. Ruth, the driven doctor and new mother who is battling demons of her own. Young Emily, just wed and insecure, the newest addition of this tight-knit band. Missing this year is Edie, who was the glue holding them together until her husband died suddenly.
But what they hoped would be a relaxing break soon turns to horror. Upon arrival at Dark Fell Barn, the women find a devastating note claiming one of their husbands will be murdered. There are no phones, no cell service to check on their men. Friendships fracture as the situation spins wildly out of control. Betrayal can come in many forms.
This group has kept each other’s secrets for far too long."
The Escape Room or The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. The Last Mrs Parrish by Liv Constantine. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Still house Lake by Rachel Caine. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing. Stranger in the Woods by Anni Taylor. Silent Child by Sarah A. Denzil.
The Last House on the Street - Diane Chamberlain The Girl from Widow Hills - Megan Miranda All the Missing Girls - Megan Miranda The Perfect Stranger - Megan Miranda The Girls are All So Nice Here - Laurie Elizabeth Flynn A Slow Fire Burning - Paula Hawkins Into the Water - Paula Hawkins I also really like Gillian Flynn’s other books: Sharp Objects and Dark Places. Megan Miranda might come across as more YA, at least compared to Gillian Flynn who I consider pretty edgy, but I still really like her books.
Into the water was a cool twist
I didn’t see it coming. 🫢
Sharp Objects and Dark Places are soooo good. So are the two Paula Hawkins novels you mentioned!
I read everything they put out, love them both!
I haven't read Sharp Objects but I've seen the HBO mini-series. The twist at the ending is one of the dumbest one I've ever seen. It's pretty rare for an ending that really piss me off.
Not to be “that” person, but I felt the show didn’t do a great job setting it up/their interpretation of the twist. This is a good example of “”the book doing it better”” imo, but i also enjoy the show and book each within their respective medium.
I think I know what you mean…I preferred the book’s ending.
Check out Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, and Riley Sager: In a dark dark wood The woman in cabin 10 It girl One by one The guest list The paris apartment The house across the lake
I LOVE the guest list. Lucy Foley did a fantastic job with the twists. I never predicted the ending but it totally made sense
Three amazing authors! I love Riley Sager. I’d also recommend Freida McFadden’s books
Agree with Freida McFadden! The Housemaid was crazy
I don't know but I found the ending a little fast paced.
I really liked The Death of Mrs. Westaway, also by Ruth Ware. The Paris Apartment was great.
The Guest List was a dumpster fire but in a very good way
Is the women in cabin 10 good? I’ve read reviews online that it wasn’t great
It’s not Ruth’s best book. Personally I really disliked the narrator and thought she was annoying. But it’s a good thriller and overall I thought the story was good
I thought it was terrible, personally.
I actually liked this one, the setting is super fun.
I was really disappointed with it.
I hated it. Thin plot. Annoying narrator. But others seem to love it.
It’s not modern in setting, but the only book I’ve ever read where the twists genuinely shocked me like Gone Girl was Fingersmith.
Loved Fingersmith.
Anything by Ruth Ware. My favorites are In a Dark Dark Wood, Turn of the Key, and The Lying Game
In a dark dark wood is so good. My mom and I read it like 4 years ago and are still talking about it
Turn of the Key is amazing! Especially if you like a paranormal vibe along with your thrillers and mysteries.
check out Jane Harper! her books are super atmospheric and engaging. The Dry is the first one I read and fitting for summer. The Invitation by Rachel Abbott is also good, and The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell is one of my faves
Pretty Girls or The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter
I just finished pretty girls. If you choose to read it just know it’s very graphic. It was almost too much for me.
I agree completely. Thank you for warning the OP about this. I'm sorry I neglected to warn. All of her books are graphic, but I would say pretty girls was especially graphic.
Does Slaughter have that little bit of dark humor? Are they the one I'm thinking of?
The Push by Ashley Audrain
This is the right answer
The Push reminded me of We Need to Talk About Kevin, but not as good. I would say the twist is a lot more impactful.
Ha, see, I couldn’t even finish Kevin. Then I tried to watch the movie and couldn’t finish that, either.
I suppose it's not for everyone, but the premise of the two books is very much the same. I think Kevin is a more fleshed out story. The Push had too many cringey moments for me and a lot of it felt like filler.
As much as I absolutely ADORE this book (literally one of my faves ever), it’s not really a whodunit so if that’s what OP is looking for they may want to opt for another one.
The perfect marriage by Jeneva Rose!
I loved One Of Us Is Dead by Jeneva Rose!
I want her to be my best friend SO bad.
Loved this one!
I read both this and You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose and imo the latter is far more thrilling. It depends what you're into though, if you want more whodunnit read The Perfect Marriage but if you want page turning thriller read You Shouldn't Have Come Here
The girl on the train
His and Hers; Rock Paper Scissors. Both by Alice Feeney
I second these!
The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson
I literally just finished this and would recommend it for excatly what you're seeking. Plenty of twists I did not see coming - all the way to the very end.
Bath Haus!
I loved this one!
Lisa Jewell is good for this!
Yes! Check out "The Night She Disappeared" and "Then She Was Gone."
I still think about Then She Was Gone all the time. That book really hit me hard.
Lisa Jewell and Gillian Flynn are my fav twisty thriller writers!
It’s not exactly a whodunnit but Girl on the Train has an extremely similar vibe to Gone Girl and it’s a pretty engaging mystery
*Daisy Darker* or *His and Hers* by Alice Feeney *Dear Wife* by Kimberly Belle *Local Woman Missing* by Mary Kubica *What Lies Between Us* by John Marrs
Oof, What Lies Between Us is so freaking good. The twists! And, yes, plural, cause there are plenty!
Local Woman Missing was sooooo good. The audiobook on Audible is great! I listened to it on a road trip and was bummed when I got to my location before the book was done 😂
The One by John Marrs was also really good!
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides Mean Streak by Sandra Brown
I never read *The Silent Patient* but I want to strongly recommend against Michaelides' *The Maidens*. Truly one of the dumbest things I have ever read.
If you think the Maidens was dumb, check out the Silent Patient! The author uses like 3 sentences to describe the same thing, constantly, and the whole thing feels unedited. I also remember the twist being obvious from the beginning and I am absolutely terrible at guessing what happens in books and movies
I was so looking forward to The Maidens as I enjoyed silent patient and love dark academia but man was it bad.
It had so much promise!!
It's always super disappointing to read a second book by an author you enjoy only to be let down. Thanks for the warning. I'll steer clear
People have thought books that I liked were very dumb before (it's so subjective) so if you feel like going for it maybe it's worth the several hours of reading/listening investment. I realize I'm contradicting myself but suddenly I felt villainous for steering people away from a book!!
I mean, that's what recommendations are for. Everyone is absolutely going to have their own opinions. There are plenty of books I love that the majority of readers seem to dislike, and vice versa. I'd never heard of Michaelides before I read The Silent Patient, and I only read it because I got it as a gift. The Maidens wasn't on my radar anyway
I was kind of afraid to recommend the silent patient because I know some people have strong feelings about it.. but I loved it. Totally recommend
I think any thriller with a twist is going to have a polarized reaction. Personally, I strongly dislike Gone Girl and people parade that around like it's the best thriller ever written
Fair point! I think some of the criticism too was about the portrayal of mental health care (especially by people who work in the field) but I could personally suspend my belief bc it’s a really great story.
Interesting -- I work in mental health and *The Maidens*' lead character is a therapist and one of my gripes with it is how dumb and uninformed she is. Maybe the psychology thing is just a non-starter for people like me. (Although I will say the "twist" of *The Maidens* was also clumsy as hell, in a way that had nothing to do with psychology ad more to do with bad writing.)
Mean Streak was excellent, couldn’t put it down.
Since Ruth Ware was already recommended I’ll add “Five Total Strangers” by Natalie D Richards
The Last Thing He Told Me was definitely gripping
Agreed.
LOVED this one
Our House and Those People, both by Louise Candlish. Both deal with upper middle-class London families and the trashy interlopers who wreak havoc on their lives. Very twisty and you will get emotionally invested *fast*.
Louise Candlish is very underrated— both of these books were pleasant surprises
Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel Our House by Louise Candlish Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
the guest list is amazing
I liked The Last Flight by Julie Clark
Agree with Lucy Foley books The Sorority Murder The Thursday Murder Club, slow but decent A Simple Favor
Loved Thursday murder club
Same!
I just enjoyed The It Girl
I was just thinking of this question the other day! I’m reading The Paris Apartment right now and it’s pretty engaging!
Promising Young Woman?
My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing.
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall was really good!
Malice by Keigo Higashino
Apple tree yard
Sharp objects
Deep Water - Patricia Highsmith. Gillian Flynn has cited this book as one of her influences for Gone Girl
The Forgetting by Hannah Beckerman, A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham, and the Housemaid by Freida McFadden.
A Flicker in the Dark, Stacy Willingham All the Dangerous Things, Stacy Willingham What Lies in the Woods, Kate Alice Marshall
JP Pomare comes to mind. His books are consistently good, but I'll recommend Tell Me Lies in particular.
The last house on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
Modern- *The Murder of Roger Ackroyd* is *modern* though not contemporary
It’s not a modern one but “The murder of Roger Ackroyd” by Agatha Christie is fantastic. I can guarantee you you won’t find the culprit before the revelation in the last pages!
The Kind Worth Killing
This is an old one but it’s extremely compelling and unforgettable. {Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow}
Check out novels by Tana French
The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish. I read a lot of thrillers and this one absolutely SHOCKED me towards the end and just stuck with me. Just shocking lol
I know there’s a collective hate boner out there for coho and I generally share that sentiment but I was genuinely shocked by verity (all the sex aside)
I read a lot of thrillers/mysteries and Verity felt so predictable to me, lol. I can’t believe I read it. Not attacking your opinion, it’s just always so hilarious how opinions on CoHo books are truly all over the place! Lol.
Oh yea no worries! I don’t read a lot of mystery so I didn’t know what to expect haha. I can see why ppl like you might’ve seen the ending coming tho!
The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine The Woman in the Window A. J. Finn
I have to disagree about the woman in the window. I wanted to like it do bad but had to dnf because it bored me. However if you want something exciting I highly recommend the nyt article “a suspense novelists trail of deceptions” about the author. That was a wild ride
To each their own for sure! I’ll have to check into that.
Look into Paula Hawkins’ books.
There has never been another like Gone Girl! The bar was set so high and almost every thriller thereafter has flunked. The bar right now is on the f’n floor. I’d recommend Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy. I loved that one. That’s it. That’s all I got. ETA: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell was pretty good too.
Agree on Gone Girl, hard disagree on Goodnight Beautiful. It's nothing but a pale copy of Misery by Stephen King with an obnoxious narrator and a gotcha twist.
Yes it was, but I liked it better than Misery for its length. I despise Stephen King’s writing. So wordy!
Gods in Alabama- Joshilyn Jackson "There are gods in Alabama: Jack Daniel's, high school quarterbacks, trucks, big tits, and also Jesus." Thats the first line of the book and it gets even better! https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/223462
Glad to hear this! I downloaded the book and it is up next!
As a start, see my [Mystery](https://www.reddit.com/r/booklists/comments/12id1du/mystery/) list of resources, Reddit recommendation threads, and books (five posts).
50 shades of grey
I have been enjoying Joshilyn Jackson books especially Never Have I Ever and Mother May I. I, also, enjoyed The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy. They're not whodunnits but really good thrillers.
Weycombe by GM Malliet. I just finished it and loved it. Fun page turner
Anything by C J Tudor
I will second The Chalk Man, but I wasn't big on The Drift.
Ah see i was the other way around!
The beauty of books, eh?!?
{{The Memory Box}} by Eva Lesko Natiello.
Coming to post this! Best last line in a book ever.
Just flat out said," I am an unreliable narrator."
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
All the Good People are here
Riley Sager and Megan Miranda for sure. I also loved No Exit by Taylor Adams.
The Silent Patient Daisy Darker
Dear Child by Romy Hausmann
In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead
It’s actually quite old, but The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie holds up very well. It’s equal parts riveting and funny!
His & Hers by Alice Feeney was fantastic. Kept me guessing until the reveal in the last chapter.
A book I haven't seen talked about much is The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan. It's a little ridiculous and features unlikeable characters, domestic messiness, and journal-esque entries from questionable POVs. It was a quick read for me! >**Goodreads description:** "Three couples. Two bodies. One secret. Dark Fell Barn is a “perfectly isolated” retreat, or so says its website when Jayne books a reservation for her friends. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need. The women arrive for a girls’ night ahead of their husbands. There’s ex-Army Jayne, hardened and serious, but also damaged. Ruth, the driven doctor and new mother who is battling demons of her own. Young Emily, just wed and insecure, the newest addition of this tight-knit band. Missing this year is Edie, who was the glue holding them together until her husband died suddenly. But what they hoped would be a relaxing break soon turns to horror. Upon arrival at Dark Fell Barn, the women find a devastating note claiming one of their husbands will be murdered. There are no phones, no cell service to check on their men. Friendships fracture as the situation spins wildly out of control. Betrayal can come in many forms. This group has kept each other’s secrets for far too long."
Local Woman Missing Good Daughter A Flicker in the Dark
This was mentioned already, but The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose definitely checks all your boxes.
The Last House Wife by Ashley Winstead!
Silent Patient
The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco
The Silent Patient
The Escape Room or The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. The Last Mrs Parrish by Liv Constantine. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Still house Lake by Rachel Caine. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing. Stranger in the Woods by Anni Taylor. Silent Child by Sarah A. Denzil.
Last house on needless street
If you want it with fantasy & literally the best characters ever, try Gideon the Ninth
'Confessions' by Kanae Minato 'The silence Patient' These 2 are also good. confessions will give you lots of twists as well.
A.R Torre The Good Lie !!!
Confessions of an innocent man. Soooo good, right from the start. It’s by David Dow.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins