Looking for a gripping read that will mess with your mind in all the best ways? KDL librarians have rounded up their favorite psychological thrillers that are guaranteed to keep you on edge and guessing until the very last page.
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
If you like thrillers that keep you guessing and questioning everyone’s truth, Beautiful Ugly is a must-read. When Grady’s wife vanishes, he ends up on a lonely Scottish island where someone who looks just like her suddenly appears. It’s eerie, twisty and full of those moments that make you want to read just one more chapter.
-Hatka, Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch
Intensity by Dean Koontz
There is intentionally no slowing of the action in this novel, so the entire thing is an adrenaline rush. The perspectives bounce between characters, including that of the killer. Koontz is a true master of thrills and chills.
-Brittany, Walker Branch
The Push by Ashley Audrain
Blythe Connor is determined to be the warm, comforting, supportive mother that she never had to her infant, Violet. But in the thick of motherhood's exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter. Violet rejects her mother, screams uncontrollably and is a disturbing presence at her preschool. Or is the chaos all in Blythe's head? Her husband, Fox, says she's imagining things. What he sees is an overwhelmed wife who can't cope with the day-to-day grind. The more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity, and the more we begin to question what Blythe is telling us about her life as well. The unspooling of this story is fantastic and will keep you guessing until the very. last. page.
-Nanette, Cascade Twp. Branch
Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu
When 11-year-old Violet can't shake an illness, she spends time in her attic bedroom resting. However, there's someone in the room with her, desperate for help. This book is definitely psychologically creepy, with the added frustration of an invisible (but real) sickness, and a narrator who isn't sure what's real and what's not.
-Liz, Amy Van Andel Branch
The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie by Freida McFadden
If you enjoy poking fun at the things you love, The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie is a great book for you. This novella plays on many tropes commonly found in psychological thrillers, and the result is a hilarious read that had me cackling out loud! If you are looking for a quick, humorous read, I highly recommend this book.
-Shelby, Caledonia Twp. Branch
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize Finalist, Rebecca Makkai, blends elements of literary fiction with this page-turner thriller, making you question the nature of True Crime podcasts and culture, especially as it relates to sexism. It's a slow-burn, well-written, engrossing story of a woman coming to terms with her past and a high school classmate's murder at her elite boarding school in the nineties.
-Jenny, Service Center
The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle
This book is fantastic for readers who also love The Last Mrs. Parrish, as it has twisty, dark vibes and an intricate plotline. Two mirror twins compete to inherit their grandfather's vast fortune. The twins are identical in every way except where it matters most, according to the will of their grandfather and this will prove their undoing.
-Emily, Caledonia Twp. Branch
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