A murderous reunion, a bachelorette disaster, a gender reveal turned tragic . . . what is it about life’s milestone moments gone awry that makes for such great stories? From the popularity of Elin Hilderbrand’s The Perfect Couple to the iconic mysteries like Nita Prose’s The Mistletoe Mystery, there’s something about the alchemy of special events and catastrophe that keeps readers turning pages.
Maybe it’s the glamorous locales or all those emotions charging through those exotic venues, but for much the same reason we love True Crime, psychology always plays a part. For many people, it’s that combined desire for control and new experiences that event-gone-wrong books satisfy. Readers get to be amateur sleuths and investigators while also empathizing with the characters from the safety of their Kindles.
And even when we know it’s coming, it doesn’t dilute the excitement. Somehow it’s the buildup, that creeping itch that makes the trainwreck that much sweeter. The biggest thrill of all is when we’re sure we’ve figured it out, only to find out we were wrong again.
In the end, it is always about the storytelling. Whether it’s a rehearsal dinner gone wrong like my novel, The Good Bride, or a funeral that sets off a chain of events, this list of psychological thrillers and suspense books has something for every kind of reader and every kind of hallmark event.
The Engagement Party, Finley Turner
Kass Baptiste is newly engaged to her fiancé Murray Sedgemont. Before they even get to share the news, an invitation arrives via messenger – to an engagement party hosted by Murray’s parents. But their glittering engagement soiree goes horribly wrong when Kass’s own dark past gets intertwined with murder.
After the Funeral, Agatha Christie
This work of detective fiction chronicles the investigation of Hercule Poirot as he uncovers dark family secrets after the death of Cora Lansquenet. A woman’s whose extraordinary remark at her brother Richard’s funeral the day before sets off a firestorm that ultimately ends in murder.
In My Dreams I Hold A Knife, Ashley Winstead
At a college reunion at Duquette University, Jessica Miller is ready to flaunt her achievements and forget about her questionable past. But not everyone is living in the present at this event. Someone still remembers the tragedy from their college days and is determined to make the guilty pay no matter what the price.
The Hunting Party, Lucy Foley
Foley is the queen of event-gone-wrong, and this novel details a New Year’s Eve gone deadly for a group of old college friends. Set at a remote estate in the Scottish Highlands, when a historic blizzard cuts the group off from the rest of the world, they discover a killer among them.
Her Dark Lies, J.T. Ellison
Clare Hunter is thrilled to be marrying Jack Compton at his family estate in Isle Isola off the stunning italian coast. . . that is until a literal skeleton in his closet becomes just the first sinister occurrence to plague their nuptials. From a decimated wedding dress to a raging storm, Claire must untangle the mystery of Jack’s first wife before it catches up to them all.
Eight Very Bad Nights: A Collection of Hanukkah Noir, Tod Goldberg
This collection contains old-school slapstick comedy, hardboiled noir, gritty procedurals, and poignant reminders of the meaning of Hanukkah, offering something for almost every reader willing to take the journey through these twisted tales.
The Christmas Guest, Peter Swanson
Ashley was planning on spending Christmas alone but a last-minute invitation from fellow student Emma Chapman brings her to Starvewood Hall, the country residence of the Chapman family. Upon arrival, she discovers Emma’s beguiling brother is being investigated by the police for a brutal murder and nothing is as it seems. What began in 1989 reaches its ghostly conclusion many Christmas seasons later in this page turning holiday-gone-wrong story.
The Deadly Reveal, Diane Weiner
It’s a boy! It’s a girl! It’s a murder? No list would be complete without the unexpected twists and turns of a gender reveal gone wrong. Diane Weiner, award-winning author of The Susan Wiles Schoolhouse Mysteries delivers a cozy twist on this beloved tradition turned trainwreck.
The Good Bride, Jen Marie Wiggins
One year after a devastating hurricane, bride-to-be Ruth Bancroft is marrying her perfect groom in a quaint fishing village on the Gulf Coast. The weekend is carefully curated, with the displays of pomp and social media magic meant to promote an area still struggling to rebuild as well as bring Ruth’s estranged family back together. Yet as good intentions often go, this road to wed is hell and paved with a high profile missing person.
