I have a newfound appreciation for thrillers. Lately, I have really been enjoying thriller stories. I’m talking of course about some of my recent reviews: The Chemist, The Silkworm, Coraline, and The Cuckoo’s Calling. So I thought, that on this fourth Wednesday of the month, it would be the perfect time to look for some new thrillers to add to my to-read list. So, I’m dissecting (yes, I know, bad pun) the Mystery & Thriller genre today! Other new releases of March can be found right here on Goodreads.
(How bad is it though, that most of these covers already scare me?)
- Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
Publication date: March 13th, 2018
My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me: 1. I’m in a coma. 2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore. 3. Sometimes I lie. Amber wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move. She can’t speak. She can’t open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it. Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, this brilliant psychological thriller asks: Is something really a lie if you believe it’s the truth? - The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian
Publication date: March 13th, 2018
Cassandra Bowden is no stranger to hungover mornings. She’s a binge drinker, her job with the airline making it easy to find adventure, and the occasional blackouts seem to be inevitable. She lives with them, and the accompanying self-loathing. When she awakes in a Dubai hotel room, she tries to piece the previous night back together, already counting the minutes until she has to catch her crew shuttle to the airport. She quietly slides out of bed, careful not to aggravate her already pounding head, and looks at the man she spent the night with. She sees his dark hair. His utter stillness. And blood, a slick, still wet pool on the crisp white sheets. Afraid to call the police–she’s a single woman alone in a hotel room far from home–Cassie begins to lie. She lies as she joins the other flight attendants and pilots in the van. She lies on the way to Paris as she works the first class cabin. She lies to the FBI agents in New York who meet her at the gate. Soon it’s too late to come clean–or face the truth about what really happened back in Dubai. Could she have killed him? If not, who did? - Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh
Publication date: March 8th, 2018
The police say it was suicide. Anna says it was murder. They’re both wrong. One year ago, Caroline Johnson chose to end her life brutally: a shocking suicide planned to match that of her husband just months before. Their daughter, Anna, has struggled to come to terms with their loss ever since. Now with a young baby of her own, Anna misses her mother more than ever and starts to question her parents’ deaths. But by digging up their past, she’ll put her future in danger. Sometimes it’s safer to let things lie… - The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
Publication date: March 20th, 2018
Vermont, 1950. There’s a place for the girls whom no one wants–the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It’s called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it’s located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming–until one of them mysteriously disappears… Vermont, 2014. As much as she’s tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister’s death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister’s boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can’t shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case. When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past–and a voice that won’t be silenced… - Tangerine by Christine Mangan
Publication date: March 27th, 2018
The last person Alice Shipley expected to see since arriving in Tangier with her new husband was Lucy Mason. After the accident at Bennington, the two friends—once inseparable roommates—haven’t spoken in over a year. But there Lucy was, trying to make things right and return to their old rhythms. Perhaps Alice should be happy. She has not adjusted to life in Morocco, too afraid to venture out into the bustling medinas and oppressive heat. Lucy—always fearless and independent—helps Alice emerge from her flat and explore the country. But soon a familiar feeling starts to overtake Alice—she feels controlled and stifled by Lucy at every turn. Then Alice’s husband, John, goes missing, and Alice starts to question everything around her: her relationship with her enigmatic friend, her decision to ever come to Tangier, and her very own state of mind. Tangerine is a sharp dagger of a book—a debut so tightly wound, so replete with exotic imagery and charm, so full of precise details and extraordinary craftsmanship, it will leave you absolutely breathless.
So, mostly psychological thrillers coming out this month apparently. I’m not too fond of psychological thrillers actually. After reading Amélie Nothomb, I’ve opted out of that particular subgenre. I don’t like books messing with my head, especially those where you know what’s going on but misunderstandings keep on happening – which is what I’m guessing is what’s going on in the first two books about the lying. Then two stories about a past that can threaten your future – it’s not really something I identify with. And the fifth book also sounds very manipulative, and that can really wind me up as well. So unfortunately (or fortunately for my sleeptime?), no new thrillers on the to be read list!
Happy reading,
Loes M.