Thrillers and Suspense
by Julia Dahl
What it is: a haunting and thought-provoking psychological thriller that follows NYU student Claudia Castro as she survives and recovers from a sexual assault, and later begins to plot her revenge.
Read it for: the exploration of topics like trauma, recovery, inequality, and social media misinformation.
About the author: Journalist Julia Dahl's work has appeared in the New York Post and Marie Claire. Her previous novels include Invisible City, Run You Down, and Conviction.
by Catherine Dang
What it's about: After being kicked out of Cornell, college senior Mary is forced to return to the small Minnesota town where she never fit in. While rebuilding her life, she becomes obsessed with the disappearance of her former best friend and her possible connection to another missing person case that's being ignored by the police.
Reviewers say: Nice Girls is "a page-turning, multifaceted mystery with emotional depth and a thrilling conclusion" (School Library Journal).
by Barry Eisler
What it is: the fast-paced, action-packed latest entry in Barry Eisler's series of spy thrillers featuring an all-star team of covert operatives and assassins who work outside the system to accomplish their assignments.
Starring: former U.S. Marine sniper Dox; Mossad agent and honey-trap expert Delilah; Seattle sex-crimes investigator Livia; ex-CIA agent John Rain.
For fans of: Mark Greaney’s Gray Man novels or Andrew Vachss’s Burke series.
by Melanie Gideon
The premise: Shortly after the failure of her tutoring business, single mom Gemma Howard unexpectedly reconnects with her old friend Ruth Thorne, who she met when their daughters became friends in kindergarten.
The problem: The much wealthier Ruth's attempts to help Gemma with money cause a dangerous power imbalance in their relationship, and the spread of wild rumors about the two women and their teen daughters begin to bring out the worst in everyone.
Read it for: the authentically written characters, brisk pace, and intricately plotted storyline.
by Amanda Jayatissa
What it is: a gritty, fast-paced, and occasionally creepy story of immigrant life, hypocrisy, and the secrets we try to leave behind.
Why you might like it: Readers are given a panoramic view of narrator Paloma's story, which she tells in chapters that alternate between her life as a Sri Lankan orphan and her messy, complex life as a Bay Area 30-something and burgeoning alcoholic.
For fans of: unreliable narrators and suspense that comes with a side of social commentary.
by Vera Kurian
What it's about: Student and psychopath Chloe Sevre gets a free ride to college in exchange for taking part in a clinical study of people who share her diagnosis, but after the murder of another participant Chloe begins to wonder if the presumed predators are about to become prey.
Is it for you? Chloe is a disarming mix of the charm often associated with her personality disorder and impulsive, antisocial behavior that might not appeal to all readers.
Try this next:Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone.
by Sean Parnell
What it is: an action-packed techno-thriller and the 4th entry in Sean Parnell's series of novels starring black ops agent Eric Steele.
This time: Steele must race against the clock to find and destroy a stolen bioweapon after it falls into the hands of a radical paramilitary group.
Reviewers say:Left for Dead "expertly balances tense, believable action with poignant quiet moments" (Publishers Weekly).
by Hank Phillippi Ryan
The setup: Award-winning television reporter Lily Atwood's new anonymous source has recently connected her with some career-making stories, but lately their "tips" have all been about Lily's personal life.
What now? Lily must navigate the tangled web of her high public profile, her ambitious producer's career aspirations, the complicated past she would prefer to keep buried, and the increasingly invasive (and threatening) calls from the anonymous source who could bring her life crashing down.
by Jonathan Santlofer
What it is: a compelling and descriptive portrayal of the real-life 1911 art heist where the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre.
You might like it if: you enjoy high-stakes heists and/or richly evoked historical settings.
Reviewers say: "A must for fans of Dan Brown and Arturo Pérez-Reverte" (Kirkus Reviews).
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