Do you love a good thriller? I sure do! I do try to alternate genres because this keeps reading interesting and fun, but I will throw in a thriller when I need a pick-me-up.
I have several to highly recommend to you this month!
Not too long ago I found myself reading several thrillers in a row and I took a break to read a chick book. Then I read a memoir and realized that I do this without thinking. I like to mix genres and I often have a non-fiction book, a thriller, and a romance book all going at the same time. You can’t do that with three of the same genre. At least, I can’t! I get the characters mixed up.
Anyway, I kept a list of the thrillers and the ones mentioned below are terrific! You will love them all!
The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian
Meet Cassie. She’s an alcoholic with a very promiscuous character and the perfect job for it. She is a flight attendant- taking off on jaunts across the world and spending nights with men she picks up in bars. Or from the airplane.
All is well with her (so to speak) until she meets Alex on a plane and then ends up in his hotel room in Dubai. Her evening involves a very drunken state and she passes out.
The next morning she awakes and discovers Alex is dead. He has been murdered. Did she do it? What does she do next?
Cassie leaves the hotel and attempts to lie to everyone, including the FBI, to cover up her involvement with Alex, as short as it was.
What follows is a fast-paced convoluted few weeks as Cassie tries to dodge the drama of the murder and also invent enough stories to keep from being caught and blamed.
Several things to note about this book:
- It has been on my Book List for a long time, but I have resisted buying it due to the reviews. The reviews have been mixed. Either people love it or they really hate it. I finally purchased the book just to see…
- I didn’t hate it. It was a page-turner for me. The twists and turns of how Cassie gets in and out of trouble were fun. I was kept entertained by it and isn’t that one reason we read?
- Was it improbable? Yes, it likely was- especially as you get closer to the end.
- Cassie is not a likable character, but I still wanted her to find out who killed the man and I wanted her to get her life straightened out.
- The ending is a little off. I would say the last chapter slowed down and introduced some solutions that were a little different than expected. However, I do think it was a perfect way to end the book.
Should you read it? I say you should. It is well written, despite having a horrible lead character. It is fast-paced and a fairly quick read. 4.5 stars from me!
The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy
Another thriller! If you like these twisty-turny books you will love this one.
The May Mothers meet in the park with their new babies and talk about all things motherhood. This includes Winnie, Francie, Nell, Collette, and Token. Token is the nickname they have given to Daniel who is the token male of the group. There are a few other mothers that are in the group occasionally.
Then they decide to meet for a grown-up time at a local bar. Add a little too much drinking to this fateful meeting and you know a tragedy is going to happen. The crime is the disappearance of one of the babies.
Winnie’s baby, Midas, is taken from his crib at the babysitter’s home and the book takes off. This is another fast-paced drama that takes directions you don’t see coming. The backgrounds of each of the mothers are explored as you try to determine who knows enough information to solve this kidnapping.
I enjoyed these characters and their interactions. To be honest it was hard at the beginning to keep all the names straight. The author goes back and forth in telling the story about each woman, but I liked her style.
I give this one 4.5 stars. (My only complaint is the last chapter or two happened very quickly and seemed rushed.)
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Speaking of thrillers! This one will keep you turning the pages, and, I promise, there will be a moment when you sit up straight and yell, “What?!”
Alicia is a famous painter married to a fashion photographer named Gabriel. It looks like the perfect marriage – until the police are called and discover Gabriel is dead. He’s been shot in the face five times and nearby sits Alicia covered in blood and mute.
Alicia will not speak. At all. She is moved to a home for the care of mentally disturbed people and there she resides. She still won’t speak.
Enter Theo. He is a criminal psychotherapist who has wanted to meet Alicia and treat her. He is able to get a job at the Grove facility and begins therapy sessions with her. His backstory involves his wife and her job. She is an actress that seems to be spending a little too much time at the theatre.
There are a few details that I questioned. First of all, Theo applies for this job at the Grove and easily gets the job. He immediately expresses interest in treating the very famous (or is it infamous) patient, Alicia. The director doesn’t seem to wonder about Theo’s enthusiasm or his unorthodox ways of treating her. It seems a little contrived. I also was a little put off by the way Theo spoke to her in treatments. Of course, this conversation was always a little weird, since Alicia doesn’t speak.
The writing in this thriller will keep you glued to the book! To be honest, I was getting a little bored with the details, but the pace picked up about three-quarters of the way through and then the twist happens. 4.5 stars for this one!
The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
I really enjoyed this book. It has been in my next read basket for a while – which makes me mad! I should have picked it up long ago! And it is not a typical Elin Hilderbrand book. This one is a fast-paced thriller!
Since I was expecting a typical chick-lit book this was a great surprise! I hope this author has more books coming like this one!
On the morning of Celeste’s wedding to Benji she finds her maid of honor floating in the ocean. Merritt is dead and an investigation into what happened begins.
Celeste is supposed to be married on Nantucket with a lavish wedding being thrown by Benji’s rather wealthy parents. Her parents arrive at the seaside mansion and you find out that Karen has cancer and doesn’t expect to live much longer. The two are on Nantucket to be at their daughter’s wedding. Also entering the picture is Shooter Uxley, Benji’s best man and a woman named Featherleigh.
There are many possibilities for what happened to Merritt and over a few days of investigating, many secrets are revealed. Chapters alternate with the story of how Benji and Celeste met and what the police officers are discovering as they interview all the wedding guests and the families.
I loved this book! It was a great departure from Ms. Hilderbrand’s romance style- a real who-dun-it that you will not be able to figure out! 5 stars!
The River by Peter Heller
What a fabulous book! I loved this one and you will, too.
It is the story of two close friends, Wynn and Jack, that set out on a well-planned canoeing trip in Canada. They have every possible supply they will need and are just in for a great adventure. The first sign of ensuing problems is when they discover they can see a wildfire ahead of them and they must make some decisions about continuing the trip.
They realize that traveling on the river can be very dangerous as the fire rages across the water.
In the meantime, they approach a camp with two men in it and decide to warn them about the fire. The men are not very friendly and Wynn and Jack leave them alone- figuring they at least tried to warn them.
Further down the river they come upon another camp and overhear a loud argument between a man and woman and decide to move on by without bothering them. This is just the beginning of their troubles! Eventually, they must rescue someone and alter their course as they flee the fire.
This is a short book, but it is jam-packed with page-turning action. The descriptions of the fire and the animals is profound. You will feel like you are right in the middle of the forest. I highly recommend this one! 5 Stars!
Which thriller will you try! Whatever you pick you can count on these books to keep you on the edge of your seat!
I read the Flight Attendant and agree with much that you stated but still didn't like the book. I only read it because it is supposed to be a movie/tv series soon? The Perfect Couple sounds great!
Yes! It's always better to read the book before the movie! I can't say it was my favorite, but it did keep me turning the pages. I really disliked the main character. The Perfect Couple was my fav! You can't go wrong with a Hilderbrand book!