Books
When it's too hot to move, a good book can help pass the day away. But while most summer reading lists will firmly stick to light and fluffy chick lit — not that there's anything wrong with that — a new genre is taking over this year. Full of suspense and a degree of terror that might make you want to leave the light on at night, psychological thrillers written by women are what you need to invest in right now.
Female authors have turned the genre on its head. Instead of sticking to the tried and tested method of serial killers, detectives, and a race to the finish line, recently published books are catering for young women who want more from a thriller (and who aren't afraid to admit to spending too much time on social media).
Some reflect most millennial lives, examining what it would be like to really step into someone else's shoes and escape a dead-end existence. Others take society's obsession with reality TV and the dating phenomenon that is ghosting to entirely new heights.
Don't get me wrong, there are a few murder-orientated novels but these go much deeper than simple blood and guts. Celebrate female writers with the following new thriller picks.
1'Social Creature' By Tara Isabella Burton
I love a book that really speaks to me. And the plot of Tara Isabella Burton's Social Creature hits the nail on the head in so many aspects. The central character, Louise, is living in a big city with big dreams, but is struggling to afford her rent, and falls into the trap of wanting to become someone else. When someone named Lavinia offers her the chance to become involved in a brand new life, she jumps at it but takes it a little too far.
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2'Ghosted' By Rosie Walsh
The title of this was enough to draw me in. Many people have experienced the modern dating phenomenon that is ghosting. And the book's character, Sarah, is no different. But when her new love interest disappears without even a text, she doesn't go back to swiping. Instead, she goes on a hunt for the truth, making me wonder whether ghosting is always what it seems. (Note: It's not out until July 24 but you can pre-order it now.)
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3'The Favourite Sister' By Jessica Knoll
With the nation fully obsessed with Love Island, a book about a reality TV show that follows the lives of five successful women should be right up most people's street. However, unlike Love Island, this fictional programme (which includes the usual rowing and backstabbing) ends in murder.
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4'A Double Life' By Flynn Berry
A thriller with a family-based storyline is always a real page-turner. A Double Life follows the story of Claire; a woman who experiences her dad becoming the prime suspect in a murder investigation and struggles to come to terms with his disappearance for the next 30 years. It's a tale of power and privilege and how the two can only protect a person for so long. Available from August 9.
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5'The Good Son' By You-Jeong Jeong
Another riveting family-based read comes from South Korean author You-Jeong Jeong. The first of her books to be translated for an English audience, The Good Son follows 26-year-old Yu-jin, who wakes up one morning to find his mother's murdered body right in front of him. But the memory problems that have plagued him his entire life stand in the way of the truth. You'll have to read the entire thing to see whether a son could really kill his own mum or whether there's something else going on entirely.
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6'The Book Of M' By Peng Shepherd
Memory is a funny thing. Sometimes, your own mind can play tricks on you, leading you to believe something that never happened. But how would you feel if your memory was snatched away from you? That's exactly what happens in Peng Shepherd's brand new book. The dystopian tale takes place in a world where people lose their shadows and subsequently their memories. One couple has managed to escape the forgetting but it eventually catches up with them, forcing a search for a cure that combines pure suspense with the power of magic.
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7'Snap' By Belinda Bauer
A crime thriller centred on children is a rare thing. And that's exactly what makes Belinda Bauer's Snap a must-read. After the mother of three children vanishes into thin air, the eldest son (who is only 11 at the time) vows to look after his siblings the best way he can. Entering a life of crime, he unwittingly comes across the person responsible for his mother's disappearance, starting a race that can only end one way. While most books follow a protagonist from childhood to adulthood, Snap never leaves the tumultuous teenage years.
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8'Her Name Was Rose' By Claire Allan
I can't get enough of books about people manipulating their way into the lives of others. Her Name Was Rose is that with a twist. Rather than writing a story that follows a woman trying to oust another woman from her own life, Claire Allan's first thriller is a little different. The main character, Emily, attempts to take over the position that Rose has left in her family. Strangely enough, Rose is the person Emily let walk in front of her. The person that was killed in a tragic car accident.
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9'Watching You' By Lisa Jewell
It's not too often that you come across a book that is both thrilling and touching in equal measures. Lisa Jewell's Watching You scrutinises how a simple affection can quickly turn into an all-encompassing obsession. And how easy it is to become so preoccupied with something (or someone) that you forget to see the danger staring you straight in the face. I refuse to give away anything more than that.
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My shopping cart is full and I am totally ready to soak all of these up over the next couple of months. Who's with me?
