Emma in the Night

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Thoughts: For a thriller this has everything you could ask for. A story you get swept up in, enough twists that you don’t know what to believe, and the ending ties up every loose end perfectly so you have no questions. I would call it a Gone Girl jr as it’s a little lighter but still just as much manipulation and turns. 

Summary: One night three years ago, the Tanner sisters disappeared: fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma. Three years later, Cass returns, without her sister Emma. Her story is one of kidnapping and betrayal, of a mysterious island where the two were held. But to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, something doesn’t add up. Looking deep within this dysfunctional family Dr. Winter uncovers a life where boundaries were violated and a narcissistic parent held sway. And where one sister’s return might just be the beginning of the crime.

Something In The Water

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Pairs well with: A seltzer on the beach

I read Something In The Water at the beginning of quarantine and have found myself repetitively recommending it to people who are looking for a great beach thriller. It has a good balance of twists and turns without getting too dark.

The book actually starts at the ending but there are enough twists throughout that it’s hard to figure out how it will even get there. We then go back and see Erin and Mark on their honeymoon where they find a mystery in the water. Their decisions after the discovery will give you the same feeling as when you watch someone in a horror movie go into a dark basement alone. *Disclaimer: you may scream WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT while reading.* If you’re looking for a thriller but nothing too crazy on the gone girl scale this is a great choice.

Verity

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Pairs well with: All the caffeine, you’ll need to read this in one sitting

I will no longer be comparing things on the crazy meter to Gone Girl, I will be comparing them to Verity.

I finished this about a week ago and still don’t know what I believe. This book starts with someone getting hit by a car in front of them, and it’s the calmest part of the story. This is also a formal apology to Lisa who recommended this to me for just continuously texting you ‘wtf am I reading’ all day.

If you’re the type who can fall asleep to true crime docs or runs while listening to My Favorite Murderer, this book is for you. Buy it and block off the rest of your day because you won’t be able to put it down. If you read it and have theories please text me because I have so many questions and as mentioned above, I’m one text away from Lisa blocking my number.

The Last Mrs. Parrish

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Pairs well with: Pinot Grigio and a New England lobster roll

Essentially an East Coast version of Big Little Lies, I couldn’t put it down. I’ve come to trust most Reese’s Book Club recommendations, but this was one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. The narrator POV bugged me at first because I wanted to understand every side of the story and all my questions answered right away but in the end the narration ended up being perfect for the unfolding of the story.

As part of my completely normal addictive personality, I needed to look up every detail of the authors life after reading. I was surprised that Liv Constantine is actually a pen name for two sisters who write together. There were so many small details that all perfectly came together in the end I cannot imagine how two people wrote it together.

They’ve written two other books that I’d definitely read in the future.