Picture this: a quiet night with nothing but the cold breeze and cicadas to keep her company. She’s walking down the lonely winding trail of a park that would cut her travel time down by half. She wouldn’t normally take this route home after work, but she needed to rush back because her neighbour called with an emergency. As she walks down the lonely road, she can’t help but feel like she’s being followed. She quickens her pace as she reaches in her bag for that can of pepper spray, chiding herself for not cleaning her handbag like she promised she would. And as she struggles to find that can, a hand wraps around her face, covering her nose and mouth with chloroform. The last thing she sees before falling unconscious is a black ski mask and a sinister smile…
Every good thriller starts on a dark note. And what makes the spine-chilling image that much more menacing? Your imagination. Which is why, anybody who’s ever preferred a book to its film adaptation will tell you that that’s exactly why the book is better. And while that’s a debate for another occasion, if you have a penchant for the morbid, mysteries and thrillers are right up your alley. And given that we’re not going to see too many new releases this year, books are perhaps the next best way to embark on a chilling adventure. So on that note, we recommend these five must-read thrillers:
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The story follows protagonist—famous painter, Alicia Berenson, and her seemingly perfect life. Berenson is married to an equally famous photographer and the couple are living in a beautiful home in the city of London. However, after she shoots her husband in the face five times, she refuses to speak. What follows are the attempts of criminal psychotherapist Theo Faber, a man on a mission who is consumed with just one purpose—getting Alicia to speak and tell the story of what drove her to brutally murder her husband.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
What would you do if you found out you were adopted? For Libby, it was a bittersweet experience. When she learns who her birth parents are, she also discovers that she has inherited an abandoned mansion that is worth millions. But everybody has secrets and what Libby doesn’t know is that the fortune she’s stumbled upon has a dark history. The mansion she’s inherited was the scene of a massacre that left three dead and four missing. The book follow’s Libby’s journey as she slowly learns about the house and its terrifying past.
Those People by Louise Candlish
When couple Darren and Jodie move into the corner house on the quiet suburban street of Lowland Way, the strict rules that once governed the neighbourhood and kept it running smoothly, are disrupted. Whether it’s blaring their music, running a used car business from their front yard, or renovating their home, the couple are pariahs to their prudish neighbours. But when someone dies and the police look for witnesses, they’ll soon discover that this seemingly harmless street is filled with secrets that everyone’s desperately trying to hide.
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Ayoola is considered a liability so when she interrupts her older sister and nurse, Korede’s dinner, with a distress call, it can only mean one thing—Korede needs to get Ayoola some bleach, rubber gloves, and have a strong stomach. Apparently, Ayoola has killed a third boyfriend in “self-defence”, creating another mess for her to clear away. While she knows she should probably go to the police, for Korede, family always comes first. That’s until, Ayoola starts dating the doctor Korede's long since been in love with. So what does she do? She doesn’t want to see the love of her life end up with a knife in his back. But to save him, it would mean sacrificing her sister.
Saving Meghan by D.J. Palmer
How far would you go to save someone you love? For Becky Gerard, it would mean doing anything to make sure her daughter is well. Becky pays a regular visits to the hospital to get to the bottom of her daughter’s mysterious illness. But the doctors are suspicious that she might just have a hand in her daughter’s illness. Now Becky is torn between proving her innocence to her family and the medical team. This determined mother is willing to risk everything to protect her daughter and reveal that there may truly be other malicious factors at play.