Can't wait for The Girl on the Train's release? Check out these books to read before the movie premieres, from our friends at BookSparks [1].
We all had our affairs with this fan-favorite thriller — most of them involving sleepless nights until the last page was devoured. Since then, most of us have suffered from drama withdrawals and are on a manic hunt for more reads that similarly captivate our imaginations. Here are 13 insanely compelling and sweat-inducing books like The Girl on the Train [2] that will appease your adrenaline-loving literary appetite until the film is released.
All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker
All Is Not Forgotten [6] by Wendy Walker
What happens when you combine darkly rich family drama with a small affluent town in Connecticut? Thriller gold. Tom and Charlotte Kramer are on the hunt for the person who attacked and drugged their beloved daughter Jenny – there is just one catch: that person lurks horrifically close to home. A vibrant portrait of the fragilities of families and the rippling effects of mental catastrophe, this addictively powerful thriller (and most recent Reese Witherspoon [7] book pick) transcends suspense and will leave you in a suspenseful sweat until the last word is devoured.
Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale
Everything We Keep [8] by Kerry Lonsdale
A celebrated sous chef, a doting fiancé named James, and a budding business in her hands, Aimee Tierney’s life is the definition of picture perfect — that is, until her fiancé vanishes in a freak boating accident. As she struggles to pick up the pieces of her life and begin anew, there is one problem: she uncovers shocking secrets about her life with James that change her future forever. This glowingly magnificent debut is the ultimate dose of thriller satisfaction and will leave you itching for the film adaption (please Hollywood, do it).
Found by Emily Brett
Found [9] by Emily Brett
Natalie Ulster is embarking on her Eat, Pray, Love journey as a 27-year-old ICU nurse who ventures out to Belize, Australia, and Arizona in the hopes of saving lives and finding herself. She falls in love with the people and places around her, but an unexpected twist leaves readers in suspense as Ulster’s life is on the line now that someone is out for blood.
Provectus: A Thriller by M.L. Stover
Provectus: A Thriller [10] by M.L. Stover
One might think the life of a doctor in Beverly Hills, CA, is a slice of Californian paradise — endless sunshine, morning surf sessions, superfluous luxury. But Dr. David Mariani has only thrill in store for him, even if he doesn’t know it. His West Coast dream is turned upside down when he suspects a pharmaceutical conspiracy related to his patients and simultaneously becomes captivated by a gorgeous woman. Abandoning the typical LA life, David finds himself entangled in government conspiracies and dangers which threaten the future of the entire human race. This furiously paced literary treat will leave readers devouring every adventure-saturated sentence until the last page is consumed (probably all in one reading session, because you won’t be able to put it down).
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
The Couple Next Door [11] by Shari Lapena
Deception, infidelity, and duplicity ripple through a community when an unthinkable tragedy strikes on the night of a dinner party. All suspicion lands on Anne and Marco Conti, panicked young parents who seem to be hiding something sinister — especially from each other. This suspense-filled, pulsating domestic thriller centering on the dangerous lies kept between neighbors and partners will leave readers breathless this Autumn.
The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood
The Darkest Secret [12] by Alex Marwood
When one child disappears from a ritzy house party in the affluent world, it creates a haunting media frenzy and forever changes the lives of everyone involved — especially the child’s identical twin, Ruby. When the twins’ father Sean Jackson dies, everyone present at the horrific party reunites for the funeral, which will cause unthinkable turbulence and unleash devastating waves of long-hidden secrets. This is the psychological thriller you won’t be able to put down – not even to eat another cinnamon bun or slice of apple pie.
The Jealous Kind by James Lee Burke
The Jealous Kind [13] by James Lee Burke
This gorgeous novel doubles as a delectable thriller and vibrant throwback to 1952 life in Houston — but trust us, it isn’t all jukeboxes and drive-in diners. An epic romance unfolds in the middle of a class war involving the most affluent families in Texas, the mob and the struggling middle class. This novel by New York Times-bestselling author James Lee Burke is a thrilling ode to just how far we go for true love and what we’ll sacrifice — life included — in order to protect it.
The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter
The Kept Woman [14] by Karin Slaughter
When detective Will Trent discovers a murder at an abandoned construction site, there is one factor that makes it exhilaratingly dangerous: the dead man is an ex-cop. The investigation takes a sinister turn when the blood on the scene doesn’t belong to the victim, and Will’s troubled past is linked to the case, forever changing his fate and jeopardizing the safety of everyone around him. Dripping with psychological thrill, The Kept Woman is a risqué dive into the fallacies of police procedures and the story of one man's electrifying race to hold on tightly to love and justice.
The Next by Stephanie Gangi
The Next [15] by Stephanie Gangi
When the day you die is looming around the corner, how do you make the most of it? Don’t ask Joanna DeAngelis — she is using her limited time to concoct a dazzlingly dark cocktail of pure revenge. Consumed with cyberstalking her ex and his new love, she creates a dangerous wedge in between herself and her daughters and then suddenly . . . she’s on the other side. The only way to escape the dark infinity and make amends is by embarking on a deeply spiritual odyssey that makes her fiercer than ever — and closer to revenge. Dripping in psychological genius, this otherworldly novel will leave you mesmerized and entranced under Gangi’s ghostly spell.
The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan
The Perfect Girl [16] by Gilly Macmillan
Musical prodigy and certified genius Zoe Maisey is only 17 years old but has already experienced the darkest shadows of life. Involved in a tragic incident that left three classmates dead, Zoe served time for her mistakes and is determined to start anew — then her mother mysteriously dies. Zoe’s electrifying race to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death is the finest form of addictive literary suspense that every fan of The Girl on the Train will devour.
The Trespasser by Tana French
The Trespasser [17] by Tana French
Dubbed “mesmerizing” by Gillian Flynn herself, this is the novel you won’t want to miss this Fall. Detective Antoinette Conway achieved her dream of making the Murder Squad, but her success is met by vicious harassment and relentless sexism. Nearly succumbing to her colleagues’ attempts to sabotage her career, a new lovers’ quarrel case changes her life forever: Antoinette recognizes the victim. Propelled into a dangerous current of of paranoia, suspense, sexism, and undiscovered truths, The Trespasser will leave you rooting for Antoinette all Fall long.
Tracing the Bones by Elise A. Miller
Tracing the Bones [18] by Elise A. Miller
Pessimistic housewife and struggling writer Eve Myer’s world is catastrophically turned upside down when a new couple moves in next door — especially when she develops an obsessive lust for the husband, Billy — and then his wife, Anna, mysteriously dies. Her own marriage begins to unravel, and her rendezvous with the man next door escalates to a shocking — perhaps even criminal — new level. This stunning novel will have you losing track of time as you get sucked into this dark and enchanting suburban story.
We Are Unprepared by Meg Little Reilly
We Are Unprepared [19] Meg Little Reilly
When Ash and Pia ditch their hipster-fantasy neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, for the rustically rural life in Vermont, they didn’t expect much action. Then Mother Nature laughed hysterically. A cataclysmic storm not only threatens to destroy the charming small town forever but every life and relationship within it. A pulsating glimpse into the fragilities and intricacies of small-town life, We Are Unprepared is an entertainingly delicious read that doubles as a sociology class.