Best Thriller Books of 2018

Compared to last year, I don’t have that many favourites and haven’t read that many books either but nevertheless I found some great picks. If you’re into suspense, mystery, crime and thriller then this post is for you! If you want to find out my favourite books of the year then keep on reading!

Par rapport à l’année dernière, je n’ai pas beaucoup de favoris et je n’ai pas lu autant de livres, mais j’ai néanmoins trouvé d’excellents choix. Si vous aimez le suspense, le mystère, le crime et le thriller, cet article est pour vous! Si vous voulez découvrir mes livres préférés de l’année, continuez à lire!

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BLOOD SISTERS BY JANE CORRY

Three little girls set off to school one sunny morning. Within an hour, one of them is dead.

Fifteen years later, Kitty lives in an institution. She can’t speak, and has no memory of the accident that put her there, or her life before it.

Nearby, Alison, a local artisan, struggles to make ends meet and to forget her past. When a job opens up in a prison as an art teacher, she takes it. Soon, though, she starts to receive alarming notes–followed by a frightening prisoner-on-prisoner assault while her back is turned. When an impressive new student arrives in Alison’s class, things seem to settle down. But not for long.

For someone is watching both Kitty and Alison. Someone who wants revenge for what happened that day. And only another life will do…

I wouldn’t really class this book as a thriller, there are a number of twists but it’s nothing thrilling and gripping. I really loved how the plot and characters evolved at the beginning of the story which is the reason why I’ve included this book in my yearly favourites. The characters and relationships between the half sisters were something that I found interesting to read.

This novel shows how rivalry and jealousy can turn into something toxic. Each chapter was narrated by each sister so it alternates between the two of them which I loved. As the story goes, it becomes a bit far-fetched which is the only negative thing I have to say. There isn’t any big twists, the story is somehow predictable but it was a good read.

 

CLOSE TO HOME BY CARA HUNTER

Last night, eight-year-old Daisy Mason disappeared from a family party. No one in the quiet suburban street saw anything – or at least that’s what they’re saying.

DI Adam Fawley is trying to keep an open mind. But he knows the nine times out of ten, it’s someone the victim knew.

That means someone is lying…
And that Daisy’s time is running out.

For a debut novel, this is definitely way too good! The plot, characters, sub-plots and the twists were everything you could imagine in a crime thriller. The story kept me guessing until the end, as soon as the read the last few pages I knew what was coming  (I’ve read way too many thriller books lol) and I really enjoyed reading this book.

In addition, I loved the writing style, the point of view and narration of the story which was alternated between different characters, as well as social media posts which I found very interesting and engaging.

 

THEN SHE WAS GONE BY LISA JEWELL

She was fifteen, her mother’s golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.

Ten years on, Laurel has never given up hope of finding her. And then she meets a charming and charismatic stranger who sweeps her off her feet. But what really takes Laurel’s breath away is when she meets his nine-year-old daughter.

Because his daughter is the image of Ellie. Now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back. What really happened to Ellie? And who still has secrets to hide?

This is one of the novels that I got very emotional and I was nearly in tears when reading the last page. I got so attached to the characters of this book especially to Ellie’s and Laurel’s. The plot is just brilliant, it’s very well written and plotted. The story line is predictable, as you read the book you can guess where the story is heading but it’s the way the characters unveil the truth that makes the story way more gripping and thrilling.

 

KILL THE FATHER BY SANDRONE DAZIERI

When a woman is beheaded in a park outside Rome and her six-year-old son goes missing, the police unit assigned to the case sees an easy solution: they arrest the woman’s husband and await his confession. But the Chief of Rome’s Major Crimes unit doubts things are so simple.

Secretly, he lures to the case two of Italy’s top analytical minds: Deputy Captain Colomba Caselli, a fierce, warrior-like detective still reeling from having survived a bloody catastrophe, and Dante Torre, a man who spent his childhood trapped inside a concrete silo. Fed through the gloved hand of a masked kidnapper who called himself ‘The Father’, Dante emerged from his ordeal with crippling claustrophobia but, also, with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and hyper-observant capacities.

All evidence suggests that ‘The Father’ is back and active after being dormant for decades. But when Colomba and Dante begin following the ever-more-bizarre trail of clues, they grasp that what’s really going on is darker than they ever imagined.

This novel is everything that I expect from a dark crime thriller. The characters are well-written and as you read the book, you definitely get attached to them. I love when there is an international setting when reading a book, in this case the story is set in Italy. I loved the twists as well. I’d definitely recommend to check this out if you’re into crime thrillers.

 

KEEP YOU SAFE BY MELISSA HILL

Widowed nurse Kate and mum of two Madeleine couldn’t be more different in their approaches to parenting.

Kate knows her husband’s death has made her more protective of her daughter, but she’s not going to apologise for it.

Madeleine feels there’s no such thing as a perfect mother and while her parenting style may be controversial it works for her children and that’s all that matters.

But when Madeleine makes a fateful decision that upends her own family, and has devastating consequences for Kate, suddenly the world is lining up to vilify her and she must defend every parental choice she’s ever made…

Why is she accused of being a terrible mother when all she did was try to keep her children safe?

I was literally hooked to this novel as it involves one of the most controversial issues in our society. You can see two families which are completely different to one another and the roller coaster they go through.

While reading this book, I realised the pressure every parent goes through and that other people shouldn’t assume or criticise another parent’s decision based on whatever situation or thing because there might be a reason behind it. Anyway this was such a good and easy read!

 

THE FOURTH MONKEY BY J. D. BARKER

For over five years, the Four Monkey Killer has terrorised the residents of Chicago. When his body is found, the police quickly realise he was on his way to deliver one final message, one which proves he has taken another victim who may still be alive.

As the lead investigator on the 4MK task force, Detective Sam Porter knows even in death, the killer is far from finished. When he discovers a personal diary in the jacket pocket of the body, Porter finds himself caught up in the mind of a psychopath, unravelling a twisted history in hopes of finding one last girl, all while struggling with personal demons of his own.

I feel like I’m repeating myself but this book was so good! The story was cleverly written, it’s very dark and twisted but not over the top twisted if you know what I mean. Some parts/details can be gruesome to read since it involves a serial killer and horrible murders so if you are a little bit sensitive then I’d say to watch out a bit before reading. I didn’t expect some of the twists in this book which is very rare because I can easily guess and predict what’s going to happen so I loved that!

 

THE THIRST BY JO NESBO

THERE’S A NEW KILLER ON THE STREETS…
A woman is found murdered after an internet date. The marks left on her body show the police that they are dealing with a particularly vicious killer.

HE’S IN YOUR HOUSE… HE’S IN YOUR ROOM
Under pressure from the media to find the murderer, the force know there’s only one man for the job. But Harry Hole is reluctant to return to the place that almost took everything from him. Until he starts to suspect a connection between this killing and his one failed case.

HE’S OUT FOR BLOOD
When another victim is found, Harry realises he will need to put everything on the line if he’s to finally catch the one who got away.

If you’ve watched the film ‘The Snowman’ then you’ll know this book is from the same author. I wish this novel was turned into a film because this story is much more complex and darker than The Snowman. The twists were really good and they didn’t disappoint me at all. I love novels that are translated, I find international books are much more thrilling and gripping.

 

BRING ME BACK BY B A PARIS

Finn and Layla: young and in love, their whole lives ahead of them. Driving back from a holiday in France one night, Finn pulls in to a service station, leaving Layla alone in the car. When he returns, minutes later, Layla has vanished, never to be seen again. That’s the story Finn tells the police. It’s the truth – but not the whole truth.

Twelve years later, Finn has built a new life with Ellen, Layla’s sister, when he receives a phone call. Someone has seen Layla. But is it her – or someone pretending to be her? If it is her, what does she want? And what does she know about the night she disappeared?

If you’ve read my best books of 2017 then you would know that I loved ‘Behind Closed Doors’ (from the same author) so I really wanted to read this one and it didn’t disappoint me! One of the twists was a bit far fetched and unbelievable, you would understand why if you’ve read the book apart from that I loved the story.

 

THE CHALK MAN BY C. J. TUDOR

You can feel it in the woods, in the school and in the playground; you can feel it in the houses and at the fairground. You can feel it in most places in the small town of Anderbury… the fear that something or someone is watching you.

It began back in 1986, at the fair, on the day of the accident. That was when twelve-year-old Eddie met Mr Halloran – the Chalk Man. He gave Eddie the idea for the drawings: a way to leave secret messages for his friends and it was fun, until the chalk men led them to a body.

Thirty years later, Ed believes the past is far behind him, until an envelope slips through the letterbox. It contains a stick of chalk, and a drawing of a figure.

Is history going to repeat itself? Was it ever really over? Will this game only end in the same way?

I loved this book and specifically the story, it kind of gave me Stephen King’s vibes at the beginning but the story took a completely unexpected turn. To be honest, I didn’t expect the plot to turn out this way, I had envisioned completely something else which I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing. The story wasn’t thrilling or gripping and the ending was rushed in a way but I’d recommend to check this novel if you want to get into the thriller genre.

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!

xo N

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