Tag: Psychological Thriller

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The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith is a diabolically twisty psychological thriller

Mandy Webster

What if your sister disappeared one summer night—and then walked back into your life sixteen years later? The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith takes this premise and spins it into one of the most anxiety-inducing psychological thrillers I’ve read this year.

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The story follows Caitlin, whose older sister Olivia was abducted when they were children. When a woman claiming to be Olivia suddenly reappears, Caitlin should feel joy. Instead, her carefully rebuilt world begins to unravel piece by piece. The tension comes not only from the mystery of whether this is truly Olivia, but also from the way she manipulates every situation to Caitlin’s detriment.

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Other People’s Houses by Clare Mackintosh is a layered thriller of secrets, lies, and murder

Mandy Webster

When break-ins on a luxury English estate collide with a body discovered in a Welsh lake, Clare Mackintosh’s Other People’s Houses unravels into a gripping web of crime, corruption, and personal drama.

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The story begins with two separate investigations: in Cheshire, DS Leo Brady looks into a string of break-ins on The Hill, a posh community where people pay a premium for safety and exclusivity. Across the Welsh border, DC Ffion Morgan pulls the body of an estate agent from a lake. Neither case seems connected—until they are, and then things get complicated fast.

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The Empty Cradle by Lisa Rookes is folklore-infused horror at its finest

Mandy Webster

What happens when the dream of a family turns into something dark and uncanny? The Empty Cradle by Lisa Rookes blends psychological suspense, folklore, and magical realism into a story that unsettles you in the best possible way.

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The novel follows Amy, who has been going along with her husband Joel’s dream of starting a family—even though she’s never been completely sure motherhood is what she wants. Joel, more than Amy, is the one determined to have a child. But when she discovers he’s having an affair with her best friend, Amy flees to a dilapidated cottage in a Yorkshire village. Originally, she had bought the cottage with plans to flip it as a short-term rental, not to make it a home. Yet once she’s there, she begins to imagine that maybe she could create a life for herself in the village—if only the unsettling occurrences around her would stop.

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Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney: A thriller that keeps you guessing

Mandy Webster

Some thrillers keep you hooked with breakneck pacing, while others lure you in with a slow burn that seeps under your skin. Alice Feeney’s Beautiful Ugly does both. This is the kind of novel where you tell yourself, “Just one more chapter,” only to find yourself still turning pages deep into the night. With a mix of tension, unreliable narration, and a chilling atmosphere, Beautiful Ugly cements Feeney’s reputation as the Queen of Twists.

The cover of Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
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The novel follows Grady Green, an author whose life falls apart when his wife, Abby, disappears without a trace. One moment, he’s on the phone with her, listening as she pulls over her car. The next, she’s gone—her car abandoned by a cliff, her phone still inside. A year later, Grady is drowning in grief and writer’s block when he flees to a remote Scottish island in hopes of rebuilding his life. But his fragile reality shatters when he sees a woman who looks exactly like Abby. From there, the novel spirals into a tangled web of memory, identity, and revenge.

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Author Interview

Author interview with Amy L. Sauder, teller of introspective psychological stories

Mandy Webster

If introspective psychological stories are your thing, then author Amy L. Sauder has your next read! Sauder is a creative and author of such works as the Unfixed series and I Know You Like a Murder. She lives on the edge of an enchanted wood with her husband Josh and her mannequin Delilah. Read on to learn more!

Q: When did you first catch the writing bug? What drove you to persist?
A: I’ve dabbled in writing since I was a kid, but staunchly insisted and believed during my college years that I did NOT want to be a writer; I just wanted to study literature. [I know, insert sarcastic “Suuuure” here.] Finally in my last semester, I became honest with myself and others, that I wanted to be an author and was just terrified I wasn’t good enough. And that wasn’t a reason to stop, it was a reason to hunker down and get better. So I did, and here I am!

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The thriller that blew me away: A review of One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole

Mandy Webster

I am not easily impressed, so don’t take it lightly when I say that Alyssa Cole’s One of Us Knows is arguably one of the best thrillers I have ever read.

The opening of this novel is nothing short of electrifying. Imagine coming to consciousness on a wooden dock with no memory of how you got there. Your primary personality has been dormant for six years, and in that time, your headmates have taken over your life. The world around you has changed dramatically—having endured a global pandemic and political upheaval—and now, you’re being whisked away to a job on an isolated island, where things immediately feel… off. And then, as you begin to settle in, you realize that the house you’re supposed to care for is an exact replica of the castle that exists within your inner world. How could anyone *not* be hooked after reading that?

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There are thrillers that grip you, thrillers that surprise you, and then there are thrillers that completely redefine your expectations of the genre. Alyssa Cole’s One of Us Knows is that kind of book. Fresh, utterly compelling, and impossible to put down, this novel takes every tired trope and reinvents it into something wholly original. I don’t say this lightly: this is literally one of the best thrillers I have ever read, if not the best!

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Author Interview

Author interview with thriller writer L.A. Brink

Mandy Webster

This week we welcome psychological thriller author, L.A. Brink to the website! I’m a HUGE thriller fan myself, so I’m definitely adding her novel, Unstable, to my to-be-read (TBR) pile!

L.A. Brink is a writer from Illinois with a Bachelor’s degree in photography from Illinois State University, but she has always had a passion for writing. Brink lives with her husband and two sons. She writes any chance she can get.

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Book Review: This Girl’s a Killer by Emma C. Wells

Mandy Webster

Do you just love watching bad things happen to bad dudes? The big guys like Harvey Weinstein, Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari, Andrew M. Cuomo, (and hopefully someday Donald Trump) are toppled publicly for all to see. But what about the everyday bad guys—the nobodies who use and abuse those who don’t have the power or the platforms to make their voices heard? In This Girl’s a Killer, Emma C. Wells introduces readers to Cordelia Black, a pharmaceutical rep by day and an unapologetic dispenser of justice by night. Set against the sultry, morally gray backdrop of South Louisiana, the novel delivers a character-driven thriller that’s as sharp and polished as its protagonist’s designer wardrobe.

This Girl’s a Killer by Emma C. Wells

Cordelia Black isn’t your typical serial killer. Or, as she would vehemently argue, she’s not a serial killer at all. To her, “Karma” isn’t just a concept; it’s her calling. Her targets are meticulously chosen—men who have evaded justice for their heinous crimes. And though the evening news might paint her as a monster, Cordelia’s actions feel like a balm for those who crave retribution in an unjust world.

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Book Review: Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda

Mandy Webster

Megan Miranda’s Such a Quiet Place unfolds with an eerie precision that turns the familiar suburban landscape into a pressure cooker of secrets and lies. Hollow’s Edge, the quintessential quiet neighborhood, becomes a vivid character in its own right—a place where the veneer of idyllic community is paper-thin and ready to crack under the weight of a murder that’s left everyone raw and mistrustful.

Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda

This novel is set in a tightly-knit neighborhood where most of the residents also work together at the college across the lake. Everyone’s lives seem to revolve around one another’s in this insulated community. Keys to each house are scattered among the neighbors, and everyone is always listening in on everyone else. It’s an environment rife with tension and secrets—an unfortunate combination when the neighborhood is already grappling with a horrific crime. I couldn’t imagine being this immersed in the lives of my own neighbors. This setup creates intriguing dynamics, especially between the protagonist, Harper, and her boss—one of the murder victims. Living in close quarters with coworkers would be challenging enough, but add a murder into the mix, and it’s downright suffocating.

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Book Review: What Have You Done by Shari Lapena

Mandy Webster

Shari Lapena has done it again with What Have You Done, a chilling and twisty tale set in the seemingly idyllic town of Fairhill, Vermont. Known for her talent in crafting domestic suspense, Lapena expertly transforms Fairhill from a sleepy, trusting community into a landscape of fear and suspicion after a young girl, Diana Brewer, is found dead in a hayfield. With vultures circling overhead and an air of menace settling over the town, Lapena dives deep into the darkness lurking behind closed doors.

What Have You Done by Shari Lapena

At its heart, What Have You Done is more than just a murder mystery—it’s a sharp commentary on the societal dynamics that enable violence against young women. Lapena skillfully portrays how quickly suspicion can spread, as the police draw up their list of suspects: the jealous boyfriend, the male teacher accused of inappropriate behavior, and the creepy customer who harassed Diana at her job. These characters feel all too familiar, not just in fiction but in the real world, where stories of young women harmed by those around them are all too common.

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