Stories of obsession create a deliciously dangerous world where the stakes are high and the character’s fixation keeps us flipping the pages to see how far they’ll go to get what they want. Whether it’s revenge or unrequited love, who doesn’t love a juicy tale of infatuation especially in a thriller where you know these high risk situations will escalate in unsettling ways to an inevitable disturbing climax. After all, isn’t “disturbing” what we signed up for when we opted to escape into a thriller?
Everyone can relate to longing, but most of us don’t let that lead to murder or extreme vengeance, so if a little perverse satisfaction is what you’re looking for, here are seven books that don’t disappoint.
The Perfect Widow by A.M. Castle
Holy character development. There is no shortage of stories where the protagonist will stop at nothing to make the object of their affection love them back. We will even route for them as the ruin lives and manipulate everyone around them to get what they want, but A.M Castle takes a quieter approach with the heroine of this story, Louise Bridges.
She’s already widowed in chapter one, so if her love obsession is dead, what’s the story? Castle masterfully weaves a Then and Now structure to reveal Louise’s laser focused plan to land her husband, but what’s lovely about her writing style is that she does so, not by creating a character that overtly manipulates and schemes, but who quietly waits and adapts…and the reader has to wait to see how deep and dark the obsession is. We get to know Louise and the traumatic past that drives her desires in a very intimate way which makes us almost understand why she does what she does. Almost. This literary feel this book has is what boosts this to the top of my list.
The Last Mrs. Parish by Liv Constantine
It’s no wonder this story of relentless stalking and home-wrecking was an instant success. Amber Patterson unapologetically befriends Daphne, the wife of the man she wants for herself. She’s a master manipulator who gets closer and closer to this family under the guise that she’s Daphne’s BFF. The lengths she’ll go to earn the family’s trust while secretly setting traps to get Daphne out of the picture are shocking and anxiety-inducing.
The reason I think this book is such an accomplishment, is because yes, you can have a flawed or somewhat unlikable character and people can still relate and connect, but here you have a protagonist who’s the bad guy and so unabashedly remorseless that you don’t understand why you’re rooting for her, but you ARE. The author has made us want Amber to succeed in destroying a family and stealing a man, but simultaneously, of course, we don’t want her to. Poor Daphne. How could we be rooting for Amber? And that’s why it’s a gem.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Lo Blacklock’s obsession, in the Woman in Cabin 10, is neither love nor revenge, it’s in uncovering the truth about a murder and these are my favorite kind of stories. As a Ruth Ware fanatic, I cannot say enough good things about her Agatha Christie-esque style of weaving a mystery. When Lo takes a journalism assignment on a posh cruise ship, she’s excited for the opportunity, but it quickly turns nightmarish when she’s certain she sees a woman being thrown overboard. When all the passengers are present and accounted for, nobody takes her claims seriously. Lo knows what she saw and is determined to find the truth, but someone wants to shut her up. This twisty, run-for-your life story ticks all the boxes for what a thriller should be. And if you like to listen to your thrillers, Imogen Church’s narration is award-worthy in my book.
The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton
Now this is a ballsy protagonist. Juliette takes stalking to a next level in Hamilton’s debut novel. In the vein of The Last Mrs. Parish, she’s a character you love to hate–a sociopath you root for. It’s no easy feat making a character who is this flawed, compelling, but Hamilton accomplishes this and you find yourself wanting to know what totally over-the-top thing Juliette will do next to get the man she’s obsessed with. In most thrillers, the protagonist is the voice of reason, reacting to things happening to them. In this story, the protagonist is the one causing all the problems, and she’s so unhinged and unpredictable, it’s like watching a trainwreck. This book is something a little different and that’s why it works.
Watching You by Lisa Jewell
This was my first Lisa Jewell novel. I recently finished it, and it’s like Christmas knowing there are eight others by this author I still get to dive into. There is no way to articulate the obsession factor in this novel without giving away the wonderful twists and surprise ending, and I think that’s what I like about it. I never saw the ending coming which is exceedingly rare. When a woman’s obsession with her neighbor spirals out of control, bad decisions are made by many, but in this multi-character narration style, you’ll have no idea who you should be suspecting. Sometimes multiple narrators can be jarring, but this one is all smooth transitions and seamless story-telling with red herrings galore.
When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole
Cole is known for romance, but don’t let that fool you into thinking she can’t genre-jump with ease. Her first thriller, When No One is Watching, is a triumph. Sydney Green is a well-crafted protagonist and her paranoia is justified in this poignant story, which has a lot to say about racism and gentrification in America. Even though Cole is careful to educate the reader, this story still clips along the way a good fast-paced thriller should. It’s page-turning and engrossing all the while giving a history lesson on racial disparities and inequality. A timely read, and an incredibly smart writer. I look forward to reading more of her work.
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
I always love an atmospheric novel where the rich setting draws you into the world of the story even before the characters do. This literary thriller shines in its ability to weave its gothic, claustrophobic setting and with its sci fi elements and incredibly poetic writing style in a unique way that leaves no question about the raw talent of this debut author.
In trade for an elite education, the students are locked inside the gates for three years, cut off from the outside world. The school is its own little cult, and its brightest students are drawn with an obsessive pull to the study of “plasm” in the book. For the students who study it, it takes over their whole lives and they can never be the same afterwards—some in a very sinister way. Catherine House is a slow, sensual, moody read that will leave you obsessed with wanting more from the mind of this young writer.
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