Feeling like you need a thriller or two on your bedside table in these dreary months leading up to summer? I’ve recently read two psychological thrillers that are going to leave you with the chills, guessing at plot twists, and in suspense; unless of course you’re like me and can’t put them down and you finish them in a night or two! The following thrillers are the best two I’ve read all year! If thrillers aren’t your thing, check out my post on A Few Fun Reads.
My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
“If we do this right,” she says, “the police will never even think to look for a couple. We’ll be free to do whatever we want.” Millicent, My Lovely Wife
To outsiders, Millicent and her husband look like the perfect couple. Good jobs, great friends, two children, and a beautiful home in the suburbs-what more could they want, right? Well, how about a little murder to spice up their boring, suburban life. I’ll let that sit with you for a bit.
My Lovely Wife begins when a deaf man named Tobias goes into a bar and picks up a woman named Petra. He eventually goes back to her place and sleeps with her. Only thing is, he is not named Tobias, and he is not deaf. When he finally returns to his lovely home in suburbia, he tells his wife, “she isn’t right.” The truth is that they are looking for someone to murder. And, this wouldn’t be a first. What they do pleases her, and he likes to please his controlling wife.
In My Lovely Wife, there’s a little sex, a little violence, and some serial killing thrown in for good measure. This dark and twisty thriller is just enough for those of us who like this genre, without being too graphic. There are some plot elements that are a bit predictable, but some that will leave you in awe. When you pick up this book, or listen on Audible, make sure you have quite a bit of time on your hands. You will not be able to put it down!
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
“Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.” Sigmund Freud
Alicia’s life seems almost perfect. Well, at first anyway. She is an up and coming painter. She has a loving, successful husband. Until he is brutally murdered and Alicia is convicted and sent to a center for the criminally insane, that is. Enter Theo, a psychotherapist interested, or obsessed maybe, in Alicia’s case and determined to save the day. In the psych ward, Alicia refuses to speak and we learn details of her months leading up to the murder through her diary and also through Theo’s determined investigations.
The Silent Patient is a debut novel by Michaelides and is chock-full of suspense, unforgettable characters, creepy settings, and amazing plot details that you’ll find yourself thinking, “just one more chapter” over and over again. The narrators are Theo and Alice and they both had me guessing at truths and lies throughout the entire book, but funnily enough, was never led astray.
The biggest plot twist comes at the end of the book and left me thinking, “wait, whaaat???” This dark tale of love and betrayal left me thinking about Theo and Alicia well after I closed the final pages. I carried the hard cover around and having heard rave reviews about the Audible version, I am tempted to give that a go; this book was that good! If this is Alex Michaelides first novel, I cannot wait to see how he tops it!
One last tip-if you’re thinking of giving audible a go, click this link and get two audiobooks FREE! If you do, I suggest these two psychological thrillers. You won’t regret it. X, Nicole
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