This month’s batch of psychological thrillers features an eclectic bunch of authors and a wide variety of plots, yet a surprisingly unified theme emerges: stay off the internet! Stay off social media! And don’t believe anything you read in the marketing copy (that is, except for the quotes that shall inevitably be taken from the blurbs below and placed upon front and back covers of future editions). This is also a rather fun list. Nothing too dour in these titles (with the exception of the Abigail Dean book, which is soooooo good but truly a depressing outlier here). Thanks, as always, for reading my humble column.
Anna-Marie McLemore, The Influencers
(Dial Press)
In this razor-sharp dissection of the pitfalls of internet fame, a family of influencers comes under a different kind of scrutiny when the matriarch’s boy toy is found dead in her mansion, and suspicion falls upon her five daughters, each with her own grudge against the family business. While the reveal for the murder comes at the tail end of the novel, one simple fact is never in doubt: a childhood lived in front of a camera cannot possibly be a happy one. Anna-Marie McLemore has crafting a vicious send-off of a hated part of our metaverse, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.
Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau, The French Honeymoon
(Sourcebooks Landmark)
As someone who’s often felt that Paris is rather overrated, I’m happy to recommend a novel with the tagline “Sometimes, Paris is a terrible idea.” The French Honeymoon is centered on three Americans wreaking havoc abroad—two honeymooning newlyweds, and one very committed stalker of said newlyweds. A playful thriller, Jouhanneau’s should please even the pickiest fan of psychologicals.
Liann Zhang, Julie Chan Is Dead
(Atria)
Julie Chan was separated from her twin sister Chloe after a horrendous car crash left them orphaned; Chloe’s adoption by a wealthy white family gave her the in to become a hugely successful influencer, while Julie, raised by a cantankerous and cruel aunt, has a terrible job and few prospects for the future. That is, until she finds her sister’s corpse and decides to take over Chloe’s life with the glitterati. Julie is, of course, signing up for something much darker—hilariously so, in a way that would transfer quite well to the big (or small) screen. Like others on this list, Zhang’s debut makes for perfect inspiration for a social media cleanse.
Hayley Krischer, You Belong to Me
(Putnam)
Hayley Krischer’s YA psychological thriller explores the dark underside of the beauty industry, a common enough theme in the crime world but underexplored in young adult writing, despite the insidious creep of “wellness culture” into every part of modern life. Krischer’s breezy pace belies the complexity of her themes and the compelling nature of her characters, and You Belong to Me is a mighty addition to the YA psychological oeuvre (and a great read for adults too!).
Abigail Dean, The Death of Us
(Viking)
Abigail Dean has already proven to be a skilled observer of ordinary humans in extraordinary circumstances, and her latest is her most affecting study yet. A once-happy couple reunites after decades of estrangement when the man who once broke into their home and tortured them finally goes to trial. The love they shared wasn’t enough to keep them together after their ordeal, but perhaps the act of seeing their tormentor brought to justice will finally bring the two of them back together.
