If you’re a fan of the ingenious denouement at the climax of Murder on the Orient Express, this list is for you. Who doesn’t love a book where the victim was so universally hated that anyone could have done it, and all we want as the reader is to congratulate the so-called baddie? (Or, ya know, baddies. Have I said too much?) If you crave stories where the villain is the victim, read on for a few satisfying reads to add to your TBR.
The Murder of Mr. Wickham, by Claudia Gray
If you are a Jane Austen fan, you detest Mr. Wickham, the infamous rogue from Pride and Prejudice who flirts with Lizzie Bennet and then ruins the reputation of her younger sister Lydia, forcing Mr. Darcy to step in and fix everything like the romantic hero he is. Claudia Gray’s brilliant novel brings together all your favorite Austen protagonists from her various novels—and some new characters—for a house party, and just when everyone seems to be getting along, Wickham crashes and the secrets start to come out. When Wickham ends up dead, literally every major Austen character is a suspect, and if you’re an Austen fan like me, you’ll die when you find out who did it. This is one of three so far in this mystery series and I highly recommend all of them.
The Maid, by Nita Prose
I adore The Maid by Nita Prose, which takes place in a posh hotel and gives an inside look at the work and life of the staff through the POV of Molly the Maid. The voice is so unique and Molly is so perfectly drawn, I just can’t get enough. In this first book in what I hope will be a long series (there are two so far), the victim is one of those nasty rich dudes who verbally abuses everyone from the hotel staff to his own wife, and the list of suspects is quite long. Molly keeps trusting the wrong people, which kind of makes you wonder if you can trust Molly. Just wait for the twist at the end.
Black Cake, by Charmaine Wilkerson
This is one of those books that sucks you in from the very beginning with the complex family dynamics, the detailed backstory and the incredible, lush settings. We know from the beginning that the matriarch of the family was keeping a deep, dark, secret, which Wilkerson teases out in a delectable, twisty way. The victim of the murder is so powerful in his world the reader wonders if anyone can ever possibly take him down, and then the way he dies is so satisfying it makes you want to stand up and cheer. (Sorry, not sorry.) It’s this murder that allows the central family of this incredible story to even exist, so the murderer really did do everyone a solid in this one.
Big Little Lies, by Liane Moriarty
If you’ve only watched the TV version of this story, please run—don’t walk—to your nearest bookstore or library and grab the book. I read Big Little Lies years before the series was announced, and upon said announcement was immediately terrified Hollywood would ruin one of the best books I’d ever read. The characters are somewhat different in the book, and they’re so layered and flawed, but also well-meaning, you just root for every last one of them. The police interviews Moriarty includes are at once so satisfying and so funny and so misleading, they just make the book. And if you don’t know who dies, dear God does this person deserve it.
Such a Quiet Place, by Megan Miranda
In Such a Quiet Place, Megan Miranda does an incredible job of creating a secluded, cloistered, ominous neighborhood—you almost feel like the place itself is a suspect. As the book opens, one crime has been committed, and the denizens of the neighborhood are pretty sure they know who done it. When that person returns after a long absence, everyone quietly turns on her, while pretending nothing’s wrong. But when the suspect ends up dead herself, the neighbors are left wondering—was it revenge for what she’d done? Or was it to keep her from telling the truth—that someone else was the original criminal? You can just feel the eyes that are everywhere in this book and it’s definitely one you can’t put down.
The Paris Apartment, by Lucy Foley
This psychological thriller is my favorite Lucy Foley novel (so far). As the book opens, you know something is very wrong at this apartment building. Ben is missing, and you think he’s a great guy, so you can’t imagine anyone would ever want to harm him. But as the story unfolds you learn more and more about Ben and start to wonder why someone didn’t off him sooner. What’s really brilliant about this book are the depictions of the apartment building’s inhabitants, each of whom is damaged in their own special way, and any of whom could have done the deed. It’s a super interesting and twisty read with plenty of unexpected surprises and a . . . possibly unlikable protagonist? You tell me once you’ve read it.
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