The CrimeReads editors make their picks for the best psychological thrillers of the month.
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Lisa Jewell, It Could Have Been Her
(Atria)
Lisa Jewell’s books have become some of my go-to recommendations in recent years, with their suspenseful plotting, thoughtful characterizations, and deep respect for both the chaos and kindness of humanity. In Jewell’s newest, a woman finds a stray dog, and finds herself at the site of a traumatic incident from her youth when returning the lost animal. What happened at that house, all those years before? Why had the dog gone missing, and why was he found so far from home? And what secrets are the current residents hiding? While Jewell’s recent oeuvre is hardly light-hearted, It Could Have Been Her is the darkest in a while; the novel includes some truly toxic family dynamics, although I can promise that the dog turns out perfectly fine. Also, if you’re scared of clowns, this is not the book for you. –MO
Caroline Kepnes, You First
(Random House)
We already know a fair amount about Joe Goldberg’s backstory, but Caroline Kepnes’ latest, a prequel, should fill in the blanks when it comes to his earliest romances; how they began, how they influenced (and were influenced by) his growing delusions, and most especially, how they ended. An excellent addition to an already-legendary series, this one is sure to please long-time readers and those looking for an easy entry point to the character’s exploits. –MO
Abir Mukherjee, The Pinnacle
(Little Brown)
Mukherjee has been rising in the ranks of international thrillers in recent years, and The Pinnacle will surely win him droves of new readers, as he spins out a propulsive mystery around a vanished Bollywood darling, her washed up American actor husband, and the many lives that intersect with theirs in the underbelly of the Indian film industry. Mukherjee is a top-notch thriller talent. –DM
Lauren Wilson, Tell Your Friends
(Flatiron: Pine and Cedar)
Lauren Wilson’s latest is a perfectly plotted cat-and-mouse thriller set against a backdrop of growing concern over child influencers and exploitative parents, a context well-represented in the psychological thriller realm. Tell Your Friends showcases two vastly different perspectives: Budding journalist Crystal, set on exposing her influencer parents’ darkest secrets, and parasocial superfan Alyssa, determined to protect her favorite online family’s wholesome reputation. –MO
Hannah Selinger, Valley of the Moms
(Mulholland)
Hannah Selinger, known for her food writing, sets her sights on a world even more vicious, competitive, and high-stakes: suburban motherhood. In Valley of the Moms, a parent is incensed to learn that her daughter’s public school does not provide equal access to all events, but instead has a paid tier system that privileges wealthier attendees. One year later, that parent is dead, her partner faces accusations of murder, and the school’s PTA seems more in charge than ever. How did Selinger’s fiercely protective heroine end up dead over an issue both widely publicized and unbearably mundane? That’s for me to know and you to find out (by reading the book). Read it! It’s great! –MO
Catherine Kurtz, Feast
(Berkley)
In this deeply researched historical thriller, a poison taster believes she’s found the perfect position—until her new employers show her otherwise, despite their extreme reliance on her talents. Betrayal, vengeance, and a long-awaited reckoning ensue. –MO
Caitlin Mullen, Heather
(Celadon)
Mullen’s new novel has tension and atmosphere to burn, unfolding a dark family mystery against the utter eeriness of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens region.–DM
Leah Rowan, Marion
(St. Martin’s Press)
What if Marion had fought off Norman Bates when he attacked her in that shower, then started her own rampage? That’s the premise of Rowan’s furious rewrite of Hitchcock’s Psycho, and I cannot wait to see how it all plays out. –MO
Kimberly McCreight, Someone Else’s Husband
(Knopf)
Kimberly McCreight has quickly become a favorite, with her twisty plots, wry sense of humor, and fully realized characterizations, and her new novel is simply a joy to read. McCreight is an avid mountain-climber, and takes readers to the top of Kilimanjaro in her latest, featuring a newly divorced adventurer surrounded by, you guessed it, other people’s husbands. Not all of whom will make it down the mountain alive. –MO
Catherine Steadman, Nine Lives
(Bantam)
Steadman’s latest has a fabulous conceit: imagine Rear Window, but with a cat camera! When Steadman’s heroine first arrives to her newly purchased abode in a tony London neighborhood, she expects quiet, safety, and most of all, no surprises. But when her cat returns from a nighttime expedition with a plea for help scratched into her caller, she digs out her old cat camera and discovers a horrifying secret, just down the street, one which only she seems prepared to address. –MO
Ruthy Mason, Death Do Us
(Union Square)
Mason’s debut takes on the wedding industry in this gothic thriller. In Death Do Us, a newly engaged woman begins to physically deteriorate, and the cause may be an heirloom from her fiance’s wealthy clan. Will she make it to the wedding? Or will the cursed thing growing inside her fully take possession of its earthly host? Only time (and a few more pages) will tell. –MO
