Summer is winding down but there are still some great summer thrillers to pick up. If you have an end-of-summer vacation planned, these engaging reads are perfect for a relaxing weekend getaway or a week lounging on the beach.
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How Like a God by Rex Stout
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| June 2024; Hard Case Crime; 978-1803364865 ebook, print (320 pages); psychological thriller |
William Sidney climbs the stairs of a New York City brownstone, with a loaded revolver. At the top of the stairs, a woman he intends to kill. But who…?
Rex Stout is known for his detective Nero Wolfe. Written in the 1930s, this novel is a psychological thriller told mostly in the second person. It may take the reader some time to get used to it since the style meanders a lot more than what we get in psychological thrillers written today. I heard of Nero Wolfe but hadn't read those novels, so I jumped at the chance to read this one.
We see parts of Bill's life as well as the women in his life that had impacted it. His sister, his first tryst, his first love, his wife. Throughout most of his life, he is pushed this way and that, not truly making decisions for himself but letting things happen and following along with what others did. It landed him his job, his hefty bank account, and even his marriage. With everything laid out for him to follow, he was always distinctly unhappy and drifting through life. Interspersed with this are snippets of his thoughts as he climbs the stairs to kill her, but no name is given, leading the reader to try to guess who he's going to kill.
Bill might be the protagonist, but he's largely a forgettable character, moving through the story like a leaf on the wind. He doesn't soar but gets bogged down more and more over time. There isn't necessarily a clear motive, other than he feels terrible and blames others for it. As the novel progresses and we see more of his past, who the woman is changes until we get to the very end and the murder itself. It's a very different style of murder mystery than we're used to, with a very sudden crash at the end. For those who really enjoy mysteries and thrillers from the turn of the century, this book is for you.
Buy How Life a God at Amazon
Ladykiller by Katherine Wood
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| July 2024; Bantam; 978-0593726440 audio, ebook, print (368 pages); psychological thriller |
Gia and Abby have been friends since childhood, and bonded over the tragedy that occurred in Greece when they were eighteen. Now thirty, heiress Gia is back in Greece with her new husband, and Abby is working fourteen-hour days as an attorney. Gia invites Abby to Sweden to celebrate her birthday, and Abby’s thrilled to reconnect. Abby receives an odd email, and both she and Gia's brother Ben discover that Gia isn't in Sweden. They fly to Greece and find her estate deserted. The only thing there is a manuscript full of dirty secrets leading up to her disappearance. How much of it is true?
The story dovetails between Gia's manuscript and Abby's life, both starting with Gia's father's funeral. Gia had been the poor little rich girl, with wild behavior and escapades but no direct parental supervision. Abby was their family cook's daughter and Gia's best friend, going to the same schools due to Gia's father's largesse. Their lives diverged when Abby went to college and then law school, and Gia continued to party and spend like no tomorrow. Abby continued to work hard with little time off, and Gia got married; the manuscript outlined the way her quick marriage deteriorated and how the money started running out.
Once Abby and Benny arrive in Greece, the tension ratchets up. They try to find Gia and discover the truth; the manuscript has different names and details, and no one can identify what happened. It's especially engaging because no one is a reliable narrator,so even when we have an answer, we don't know if it's true. The question lingers, and is definitely open to interpretation, making this thriller stick in your mind long after you finish it.
Buy Ladykiller at Amazon
The Perfect Sister by Stephanie DeCarolis
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| July 2024; Bantam; 978-0593726013 audio, ebook, print (368 pages); psychological thriller |
Alex's older sister Maddie has always been successful and polished, someone she looked up to. The two sisters spend one week together every summer, but now Maddie is missing. Alex follows her sister’s footsteps to the Hamptons and the Blackwell family, the last people to have seen Maddie. The Blackwells have wealth and privilege, everything Alex had grown up without. But looks can be deceiving, and that life of luxury always comes at a cost.
Maddie has gone missing, and after losing the rest of her family, Alex is determined to track her down. Lily Blackwell is anxious and the first to admit she knows who Maddie is, and her mother Katherine is the glamorous wife and mother in the family who is suspicious of Alex from the start. With multiple POV's and back and forth timelines, we see the relationship that Maddie and Alex had, as well as the friends she made in the Hamptons before she met Lily Blackwell and was invited to their manor home. Maddie became involved with the business, and their family, and then disappeared. Alex tries to track down her last few days, finding her friends, the places she had gone to, and the people that she had talked to. It's a fascinating look into the lives of the Blackwells and their friends; anything that potentially goes wrong is completely erased due to money and influence. It's a world Alex isn't part of, and one that makes her very uncomfortable.
The early chapters build up the suspense, because each of the Blackwells knows more than they are telling, and wants to keep their status quo in place. Theirs is a charmed, rich life, and they're willing to do just about anything to keep it that way. I had to race to finish this book because I had to know what happened next. The clues along the way and the glimpses into different characters' perceptions heightened the tension and made for a very thrilling conclusion. This is definitely a great summer thriller.
Buy The Perfect Sister at Amazon
Look In the Mirror by Catherine Steadman
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| July 2024; Ballantine Books; 978-0593725764 audio, ebook, print (320 pages); psychological thriller |
Nina is grieving the loss of her father when she discovers that she has inherited property in the British Virgin Islands. It's an extraordinary home she had no idea even existed, bringing up more questions than answers. Maria is a former medical student turned nanny for the super-rich. When her wards never show, Maria begins to make herself at home at the vacation house, enjoying the space. There’s just one rule: Don’t go in the basement. When curiosity wins out, she’ll wish her only worry was not getting paid.
We start with Nina's POV, with her grief and discovering there was even more to her father than she knew. Her job in England is on pause anyway as she processes her grief, so she's able to see the high-tech house for herself and discovers the locked door in the basement and the fact that someone doesn't want her there. With Maria's POV, she enjoys several days of time relaxing in a house awaiting two children who don't show up. Curiosity killed the cat, however, and soon enough, she's in the basement room anyway. Whoever set it up knows her real name and likely her history before she left medical school, an unnerving thought.
The two main POV threads each have a compelling mystery for the reader to figure out. In one, we want to figure out who Nina's father was as much as she does, especially when things about the house don't quite add up. In Maria's, we want to know why she was chosen for the locked room, and what her past is really like. The tension in the story threads keeps us turning pages, racing to know what happens next. They come together and we find out exactly what the house is for, and why these women were chosen. In the final third, everything becomes far more dire, and the intensity continues to ratchet up. Cameras, automated rooms, and armed security guards are everywhere, and only a slim chance of survival. I kept racing through the pages, rooting for these ladies to win, and to find out the truth. This is such a compelling story and a great summer thriller.
Buy Look in the Mirror at Amazon
Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.
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