Psychological Thrillers

Thrilling adult fiction just in time for Halloween.

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Before I go to sleep : a novel

Before I go to sleep : a novel

Watson, S. J. (Steven J.)
2011

Christine wakes up every morning with an unfamiliar man. She looks in the mirror and sees an unfamiliar, middle-aged face. And every morning, the man she wakes up to must explain that he is Ben, he is her husband, and a terrible accident two decades earlier decimated her ability to form new memories.

But it's the phone call from a Dr. Nash--a neurologist who claims to be working with Christine, without her husband's knowledge--that directs her to her journal, hidden in the back of her closet. For the past few weeks, Christine has been recording her daily activities and rereading past entries, relearning the facts of her life as retold by the husband upon whom she has become completely dependent. As the entries accumulate, inconsistencies in Ben's account jump off the page. What was life like before the accident? Do they have a child? And what exactly was the horrific accident that caused such a profound loss of memory?

The closer Christine gets to the truth, the more unbelievable it seems.

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Behind closed doors

Behind closed doors

Paris, B. A., author
2016

THE NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING DEBUT PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER YOU CAN'T MISS!

The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?

"A hair-raising debut, both unsettling and addictive...A chilling thriller that will keep you reading long into the night." --Mary Kubica, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Good Girl

" This is one readers won't be able to put down. " -- Booklist (starred review)

"This debut is guaranteed to haunt you... Warning: brace yourself. " -- Bustle (10 New Thrillers to Read This Summer)

" The sense of believably and terror that engulfs Behind Closed Doors doesn't waver. " --The Associated Press, picked up by The Washington Post

" This was one of the best and most terrifying psychological thrillers I have ever read. " -- San Francisco Book Review


Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He's a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You're hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You'd like to get to know Grace better.

But it's difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are inseparable.

Some might call this true love. Others might wonder why Grace never answers the phone. Or why she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn't work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. Or why she never seems to take anything with her when she leaves the house, not even a pen. Or why there are such high-security metal shutters on all the downstairs windows.

Some might wonder what's really going on once the dinner party is over, and the front door has closed.

From bestselling author B. A. Paris comes the gripping thriller and international phenomenon Behind Closed Doors .

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Doctor Sleep : a novel

Doctor Sleep : a novel

King, Stephen, 1947- author
2013

Stephen King returns to the character and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining , in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called the True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless-mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, the True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the steam that children with the shining produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel, where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father's legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant shining power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes "Doctor Sleep."

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan's own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra's soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to this icon in the King canon.

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The girl on the train

The girl on the train

Hawkins, Paula, author
2016

The #1 New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Book of the Year, now a major motion picture starring Emily Blunt.

The debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives, from the author of Into the Water .

"Nothing is more addicting than The Girl on the Train. "-- Vanity Fair

" The Girl on the Train has more fun with unreliable narration than any chiller since Gone Girl . . . . [It] is liable to draw a large, bedazzled readership."-- The New York Times

"Marries movie noir with novelistic trickery. . . hang on tight. You'll be surprised by what horrors lurk around the bend."-- USA Today

"Like its train, the story blasts through the stagnation of these lives in suburban London and the reader cannot help but turn pages."-- The Boston Globe

" Gone Girl fans will devour this psychological thriller."-- People

EVERY DAY THE SAME
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She's even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life--as she sees it--is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

UNTIL TODAY
And then she sees something shocking. It's only a minute until the train moves on, but it's enough. Now everything's changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

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The girl with the dragon tattoo

The girl with the dragon tattoo

Larsson, Stieg, 1954-2004
2008


Gone girl : a novel

Gone girl : a novel

Flynn, Gillian, 1971-, author
2012

Marriage can be a real killer. One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work "draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction." Gone Girl's toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn. On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer? As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet? With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

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The husband's secret

The husband's secret

Moriarty, Liane, author
2013

The #1 New York Times Bestseller

One of the Best Books of the Year  -- Entertainment Weekly

One of the Top Ten Books of the Year  -- People  magazine

"It's a knowing, touching, and entertaining page-turner. What a wonderful writer--smart, wise, funny." --Anne Lamott

" The Husband's Secret is so good, you won't be able to keep it to yourself." -- USA Today

"Shocking, complex and thought-provoking, this is a story reading groups will devour.  A knockout!" --Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author

"Emotionally astute, immensely smart, and as cinematically plotted as any Tom Perrotta Novel destined for critical accolades and a big-screen adaptation." -- Entertainment Weekly

"A novel that's perfect for vacation reading." -- People

"Brilliant." --Sophia Hannah, international bestselling author of The Wrong Mother 


At the heart of The Husband's Secret is a letter that's not meant to be read

My darling Cecilia, if you're reading this, then I've died. . .

Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret--something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . .
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all--she's an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia--or each other--but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband's secret.

Acclaimed author Liane Moriarty has written a gripping, thought-provoking novel about how well it is really possible to know our spouses--and, ultimately, ourselves. 

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The silent patient

The silent patient

Michaelides, Alex, 1977- author
2019

The instant #1 New York Times bestseller

"An unforgettable--and Hollywood-bound--new thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy."
-- Entertainment Weekly

The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman's act of violence against her husband--and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.

Alicia Berenson's life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London's most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia's refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations--a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

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Stillhouse Lake

Stillhouse Lake

Caine, Rachel, author
2017

An Amazon Charts and USA Today bestseller.

Gina Royal is the definition of average--a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband's secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor--the ultimate warrior mom.

With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband's crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace.

But just when she's starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake--and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. Gwen Proctor must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed--or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her. One thing is certain: she's learned how to fight evil. And she'll never stop.

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An untamed state : a novel

An untamed state : a novel

Gay, Roxane, author.
2014

"Once you start this book, you will not be able to put it down. An Untamed State is a novel of hope intermingled with fear, a book about possibilities mixed with horror and despair. It is written at a pace that will match your racing heart, and while you find yourself shocked, amazed, devastated, you also dare to hope for the best, for all involved."--Edwidge Danticat, author of Breath, Eyes, Memory and The Dew Breaker

Roxane Gay is a powerful new literary voice whose short stories and essays have already earned her an enthusiastic audience. In An Untamed State , she delivers an assured debut about a woman kidnapped for ransom, her captivity as her father refuses to pay and her husband fights for her release over thirteen days, and her struggle to come to terms with the ordeal in its aftermath.

Mireille Duval Jameson is living a fairy tale. The strong-willed youngest daughter of one of Haiti's richest sons, she has an adoring husband, a precocious infant son, by all appearances a perfect life. The fairy tale ends one day when Mireille is kidnapped in broad daylight by a gang of heavily armed men, in front of her father's Port au Prince estate. Held captive by a man who calls himself The Commander, Mireille waits for her father to pay her ransom. As it becomes clear herfather intends to resist the kidnappers, Mireille must endure the torments of a man who resents everything she represents.

An Untamed State is a novel of privilege in the face of crushing poverty, and of the lawless anger that corrupt governments produce. It is the story of a willful woman attempting to find her way back to the person she once was, and of how redemption is found in the most unexpected of places. An Untamed State establishes Roxane Gay as a writer of prodigious, arresting talent.

"From the astonishing first line to the final scene, An Untamed State is magical and dangerous. I could not put it down. Pay attention to Roxane Gay; she's here to stay."--Tayari Jones, author of Silver Sparrow and Leaving Atlanta

"[Haiti's] better scribes, among them Edwidge Danticat, Franketienne, Madison Smartt Bell, Lyonel Trouillot, and Marie Vieux Chavet, have produced some of the best literature in the world. . . . Add to their ranks Roxane Gay, a bright and shining star."--Kyle Minor, author of In the Devil's Territory , on Ayiti

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The wife between us

The wife between us

Hendricks, Greer, author
2018

The instant New York Times Bestseller (January 2018)!

"A fiendishly smart cat-and-mouse thriller" -- New York Times Book Review

"Buckle up, because you won't be able to put this one down." -- Glamour

"Jaw dropping. Unforgettable. Shocking." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The best domestic suspense novel since Gone Girl ." -- In Touch Weekly

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement - a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.

Twisted and deliciously chilling, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's The Wife Between Us exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage - and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.

Read between the lies.

A 2018 Indie Next Pick | One of Glamour Magazine's Best Books of 2018 | One of Hello Giggles' 19 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2018

Praise for The Wife Between Us:

"Fiendishly clever ...in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. This one will keep you guessing. " --Anita Shreve, New York Times bestselling author of The Stars are Fire

"A clever thriller with masterful twists. " - Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of The Kept Woman

" The Wife Between Us delivers a whip smart, twisty plot in a taut, pacy narrative. It's terrific and troubling. This is one scary love triangle where you won't know who to trust. I loved it." -Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of What She Knew

"A twisty, mind-bending novel about marriage and betrayal. A gripping plot and fascinating characters ; this book will keep you turning the pages and guessing until the very end. A must-read!" -Lauren Weisberger, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada

"This amazing story gallops along at breakneck speed, with an ending that smacks you between the eyes and takes your breath away. These authors are destined to become trail blazers in the field of psychological suspense books that explode in your hands!" --Nancy Simpson-Brice, Book Vault

"Like a house of mirrors, The Wife Between Us kept me guessing around every corner, delving into the complexities of marriage, friendship, and obsession. " --Javier Ramirez, The Book Table

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The woman in the window

The woman in the window

Finn, A. J., author
2018

Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller!

"Astounding. Thrilling. Amazing." --Gillian Flynn

"Unputdownable." --Stephen King

"A dark, twisty confection." --Ruth Ware

"Absolutely gripping." --Louise Penny

For readers of Gillian Flynn and Tana French comes one of the decade's most anticipated debuts, to be published in thirty-six languages around the world and already in development as a major film from Fox: a twisty, powerful Hitchcockian thriller about an agoraphobic woman who believes she witnessed a crime in a neighboring house.

It isn't paranoia if it's really happening . . .

Anna Fox lives alone--a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn't, her world begins to crumble--and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one--and nothing--is what it seems.

Twisty and powerful, ingenious and moving, The Woman in the Window is a smart, sophisticated novel of psychological suspense that recalls the best of Hitchcock.

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