Hello Coco and Mainers!
As we head into fall, we get closer and closer to one of the best holidays of the year: Halloween. What perfect way to get into the Halloween spirit than reading some short but exhilarating and suspenseful books? Just think of these selections as spooky beach reads, perfect to relax in a true-crime podcast kind of way. Below are 7 books to read for prepare you for the spooky season!
*Note: These books contain stories regarding (fictional, yet disturbing) crimes. Some of them may contain descriptions that are vivid and disturbing, so we advise you to read with discretion and caution!
*Images do not belong to us!
1. Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
Image from Amazon
I could not put this down from the moment I started it! This amazing book follows the New York City dream of a very likeable (and tough), female heroine named Jules with a tragic backstory: her older sister disappeared without a trace and has never been found. Desperate for cash in NYC (who isn't?) she answers an intriguing ad for apartment sitters in a glamorous apartment building. Sure there are strict and weird rules, they pay insane amounts of money under the table, and her fellow apartment sitters are starting to disappear, but the apartment right off Central Park! It's probably nothing, right? ...right?
Overall, there is not much to complain about in this book. Spooky, unique, and filled with likeable protagonists, this book is sure to hold your attention from cover to cover!
2. No Exit by Taylor Adams
Picture from Good Reads
Action lovers, this book is for you! Full of twists and turns, this book follows a women driving from Colorado to Utah in the dead of winter to visit her dying mother. As the snow intensifies, she finds herself stuck at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere, along with 4 other strangers. Yeah, there is some hot chocolate and coffee available, its a warm and decently comfortable shelter, but who knows what kind of strangers you will run into in the dead of night?
This book reads like a movie! While action is not always my preference, I enjoyed the story and how immersed I got into the story. The writing was so good, I felt like I was trapped in the snow in the middle of nowhere too.
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Picture from Amazon
You probably have already read this amazing novel (or seen the pretty decent movie adaptation), but if not, what have you been doing for the past 7 ish years? Just kidding, but know that we consider this book the Queen Mother of modern, 21st century thriller reads. The story follows the love story of Amy and Nick, two charming people who form a seemingly perfect union together, full of passion and excitement. But once Amy goes missing, suspicion falls on Nick, and the façade of their perfect marriage crumbles to dust, leaving the shocking truth exposed.
Not too much criticism about this book -- It's full of complex characters and multiple character viewpoints, and an exciting storyline. It will keep you on your toes, and will keep you up at night wondering if you really know your partner.
4. The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman
Picture from Amazon
Not only is the author, Catherine Steadman, a talented writer, she is also a successful actress, which makes her the ideal creator for the content of this novel. Based in Hollywood, we learn about the strange tale of fresh new British actress, Mia, as she tries to secure the ideal role by auditioning in La La Land. Heading to different auditions, she makes a quick new friend, Emily, who asks Mia to watch her stuff for just a second while Emily runs off and deals with who knows what. Emily doesn't come back, leaving Mia puzzled. Later, Emily shows up to Mia's hotel to apologize and pick up her stuff, except... the woman isn't Emily.
Listen, I love Los Angeles. I know many people say that it's where you go to have your soul die, but I love the glitz, glamour, and history. But the themes explored in this story are disturbing to say the least, exposing dirty underbelly of the sparkling city and just how much someone will do to make it big.
5. Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
Picture from Amazon
This novel is centered around a group of diagnosed psychopaths studying at the same college while participating in a study about psychopaths being functioning members of society. One of the participants, Chloe, may also have some... nefarious reasons for being at that particular university. She is shocked, however, when members of the study are starting to be killed off one by one by an unknown person. Can they figure it out before they are all killed?
I literally just finished this book last night, and I have a lot of thoughts. First off, it captures your interest immediately; this book is fast paced and intense. The author frequently switches points of view, which is super fun and interesting. I will say that the ending was not what I was expecting (take from that what you will), and there are times when you want to side with the main characters... except it can be a bit difficult at times because, well, they are psychopaths. This book is complex and may produce conflicting feelings about the plot, so you should for sure pick up a copy!
6. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
Picture from Amazon
An agoraphobic woman named Anna with a mysterious and traumatic past relies on medication, alcohol, and spying on her neighbors to spend the time. One day, she meets the neighbors next door, and grows fond of the matriarch of the family, Jane Russel. Jane reveals that her married life is a bit dismal, even calling her husband, "unforgiving". A friendship ensues, and Anna sometimes finds herself watching their house through her windows, catching glimpses of the family. One day, she sees something horrible happen to Jane, but to her amazement, a woman insisting that she is Jane shows up, completely fine. Can Anna uncover the truth and get the police to believe her before losing her sense of sanity?
One thing I love about some suspenseful books is the presence of an unreliable narrator (which, FYI, you will better understand if you read this book). Full of twists and turns, this book is full of surprises and themes beyond the thriller genre.
7. Final Girls by Riley Sager
Picture from Amazon
A final girl is a term created by horror enthusiasts to describe the (inevitably female) final survivors of a horror movie. Quincy, Sam, and Lisa are real life final girls, each one having survived a horrifying trauma. All go on to live their lives in their own way, but Quincy is surprised to find out that cheerful and optimistic Lisa has died by mysterious circumstances. How did Lisa really die? Where is Sam? And can Quincy finally unlock the details of her own horror trauma?
Full disclosure: this book starts out pretty slow. The details of the book are important to read, but the excitement takes a bit to get rolling. However, the ending is GREAT. The book is full of complicated relationships, feelings, and deals with the idea of trauma and crime. Riley Sager is a talented writer (he has another book on this list!) so this book is likely to give you the same feelings as Lock Every Door. What are you waiting for?
We hope you liked this list! What other books would you like us to write about? Thanks for reading! XOXO