Give Me All The Thrills

Happy Sunday, friends! What a gorgeous day. I have five thrillers to recommend for you that were absolute page-turners.

1. Wall of Silence by Tracy Buchanan.

I have to be honest here- I had extremely low expectations for this book, as it was one of the first Amazon First Reads I received. (If you have not heard of Amazon First Reads please refer to my most recent blog post for info on free books.) This is a story of a charming family residing in an affluent neighborhood in the UK. The story grips you within the first few pages as it begins with Melissa Byatt walking into the aftermath of the stabbing of her husband and suspicion is immediately on one of her three children. As the investigation takes place, secrets slowly unfold. Conversations between neighbors escalate and become public on Facebook posts, affairs are revealed, and speculation is getting out of hand. How far will Melissa have to go to protect her children- innocent or not?

2. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Ok- so I’m pretty sure I came across this book at a random grocery trip to Sam’s Club and THANK GOD I did. This book was the beginning to my love for these two mind twistingly wonderful authors. When I decide that a book is blog-worthy I usually begin writing notes in my “blog notebook” to help when sitting down to write these posts- BUT GOSH it was really hard to write about this book without giving anything away. So- what I can tell you is this- The story begins with Vanessa Thompson- a recently separated woman who was married to an extremely handsome and successful hedge funder who has obviously not wasted any time moving on to his blonde secretary. The aftermath of her separation has resulted in her resorting to living with her elderly aunt Charlotte and inconspicuously drinking wine until she blacks out, stalking her ex-husbands new love interest, and barely making it to her shifts at Saks Fifth Avenue on time. (Oh but this book is SO much more then a jealous ex-wife.) This story will give you chills and boil your blood at the same time with the twists of this love triangle. You’ll assume you have the entire plot figured out and then you’ll find yourself re-reading an entire chapter to make sure you were reading correctly. YEP- I did that. These authors are wild and they know how to write a thriller!

3. An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

So- I had not planned on including two books by the same authors but I could not leave this one out after finishing it in TWO DAYS!

When I tell you this book is un-put-down-able I am serious as a heart attack. Greer and Sarah have this way of threading in little pieces of the plot that have you turning pages as fast as you can to taste what they’re serving next.

Jessica Farris is a struggling make-up artist living in New York City and wondering where the money for her next months rent is going to come from when she happens upon this psychological study that actually pays. The advertisement is for women ages 18-32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality with guaranteed payment. Jessica doesn’t hesitate. She figured it would be a few questions on a computer survey and she would be paid and on her way. Jessica soon discovers the payments become higher if she obeys all the demands of the survey- including what to wear, where to go, and which men to pursue. Soon – Jess wonders if she can get out of this arrangement and at what cost? Who is watching her and how much do they know?

I’m telling you – this book is one of those I urge you to seek out at your local bookstore, add to your amazon cart, purchase on kindle or libby, or even add to your next target pick up. It is WORTH IT.

4. Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier

I discovered this book through an online Bookstagram/Instagram account and I am so glad that I did. It was just recently released on April 21,2020. Marin and Derek are the ideal couple- married just after college and self-made millionaires. Marin made her way to the top by opening several top beauty salons utilized by celebrities and Derek owns a successful and thriving company. All is well until they are out Christmas shopping when their five-year-old son- Sebastian is literally ripped from their arms. Sebastian has been missing for a year when a private investigator reveals a truth that will flip Marin’s world around. I won’t go into too much more detail because this story has so much to tell. I can tell you this is a story full of affairs, scandal, money, cheating, murder, lies, and so many juicy secrets. This was a page-turner to the nth degree- I finished it in one day. I can’t recommend this one enough!

5. If You Tell: a True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen

I just finished this book this morning and I will be honest with you – the story line has not left my mind all day. This is not necessarily a thriller but a "true crime" story of a family in Washington State that is incredibly infuriating. Three sisters- Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek come together and tell their horrifying story to author Gregg Olsen.

For years- their mother, Shelly Knotek, laid incredibly disturbing abuse on her daughters and everyone who lived in their house. Shelly ended up committing two murders with the assistance of her husband Dave Knotek over a span of several years. The three sisters were bound by an undeniable fear of their mother and the retribution they would face if they sought help through outside family members or law enforcement. If you are a fan of true crime this is definitely a book for you.

I will be honest this is a tough read- it is infuriating that a mother could put her children through the incredible torment, humiliation, and abuse that she inflicted on her three girls and even their own cousin. This is an eye-opening story and hard to believe at times. I would love to know your thoughts on this one so please reach out to me on Instagram or Facebook if you happen to read this story!