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Original poster

A good read, please. Modern thriller for preference, limited gore and DEFINITELY no dead, dying, lost or murdered children. Ta.

40 replies

sparkysparkysparky · 19/02/2015 19:15

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OP posts:
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BitterChocolate · 01/03/2015 21:36

I like Dana Stabenow (not exactly sure about spelling). She has a series about female ex cop (Kate Shugak) and another series about a pilot (Liam Campbell) which are both good. There is also a series set in space (Star Svensdottir) which is dire, avoid that one.

I also like the 3am series by Nick Pirog, they are very short and a bit weird in the background plot, but fast moving and clever.

whatwoulddexterdo · 01/03/2015 21:22

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica is excellent, much better than Gone Girl and with a brilliant twist. Surprised it hasn't had more press.
Also recently enjoyed A Kind Of Intimacy by Jenn Ashworth, bit of a fatal attraction but very darkly funny.

MollyMaDurga · 01/03/2015 15:58

Room by Emma Donahue is about children and scaring women, I'd stay away from that one!
I'm a Rebus fan, would have to investigate about children, there's one he did write about missing children but mostly not, also not so much gore or scaring women kind of books.

Original poster
sparkysparkysparky · 01/03/2015 15:30

Thanks soo much. At a bookshop today and had a read of the blurb on the latest Louise Doughty (loved Apple Tree Yard). Very disappointed - seems to be about dead or missing child. I'll be giving it a miss although it's probably well written. I expect more from next one.

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Datahub · 01/03/2015 14:14

the black house is ace - the others not as good

Datahub · 01/03/2015 14:14

LOVE the Seraillier things
SO hideously middle class and the author adores that priggish self righteous doctor

Datahub · 01/03/2015 14:13

not ' i let you go' as its crap and kids thing

girl on a train is ok but silly eneding

i really liked the kind worth killing - was silly and readable

AliceLidl · 01/03/2015 14:07

Second Life is currently £1.88 on Kindle by the way, for those who want to read it. When I added it to my wish list it was £9.49.

AliceLidl · 01/03/2015 14:04

On kindle I read Who Is Sarah Lawson by KJ Rabane and that was very good. A woman goes home and finds a strange family living in her house, claiming it is theirs and that she is not who she believes herself to be.

Have you read any Nicci French books? The current ones all seem to be the Frieda Klein series (all with a day of the week in the title, Blue Monday etc, currently on Thursday) but some of her earlier stand alone ones are quite good as well.

They usually involve a woman who is the victim of or linked to a crime or an odd event, trying to work out what's happening, often with nobody believing her or helping her, including the police.

I recently read Precious Things by Collette McBeth and that was quite good.

Copycat by Gillian White was alright, about two women who live next door to each other and one is obsessed and possessive about the other.

I read a couple of kindle books by a MNer as well that I enjoyed. My Time, Your Time and The Lonely Cool Before Dawn, both by Mary Torjussen.

wiltingfast · 28/02/2015 22:00

ooo and the Hunt for Red October is only 99p if you have a kindle!

www.amazon.co.uk/Hunt-October-Jack-Ryan-Book-ebook/dp/B003ZDO2FI/ref=zg_bs_4363389031_11

wiltingfast · 28/02/2015 21:52

Ah, came to say Day of the Jackal is the best thriller I have ever read!

If you like it, have you tried Tom Clancy? My personal favourites (though I've not read all of his books) are The Sum of All Fears and Without Remorse.

Original poster
sparkysparkysparky · 24/02/2015 09:16

By the way, Cornishblue, Day of the Jackal is one of my "go to" books when I just don't know what I fancy. Robert Harris, Alistair McLean stuff too. I love D o J.

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Flugelpip · 23/02/2015 18:50

All of the above especially Erin Kelly and Ann Cleeves. Highly recommend Elizabeth Haynes and Jane Casey for crime novels that aren't all about dead children. I read a lot of crime and I am so fed up with reading about children going missing or being horribly tortured. It's almost pornographic at times.

Original poster
sparkysparkysparky · 23/02/2015 15:17

Enjoyed both Gone Girl and Apple Tree Yard. Many thanks for suggestions.

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OneFootIn1999 · 23/02/2015 14:14

Gone Girl

Provencalroseparadox · 23/02/2015 14:12

Also The Book of You isn't bad.

Provencalroseparadox · 23/02/2015 14:11

Under Your Skin by Sabine Durrant and Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty both v good.

Original poster
sparkysparkysparky · 23/02/2015 13:17

Thanks very much. There just seems to be a trend for novels with some sort of child peril or child peril aftermath. I don't enjoy a book that plays on my worst fears. At best, it feels like clumsy manipulation; at worst it gives me nightmares. I'm the same about what I call "women scaring" novels or films - the book/film is driven by a plot to terrorise a woman because she is physically weaker. Which is why I love VI Warshawski novels. She's not afraid to be scared but she can face down most threats.

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serengelly · 22/02/2015 17:24

The Murder Bag by Tony Parsons........though victim is a teenager...but you could skip that bit!

coolaschmoola · 22/02/2015 17:19

Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson had me on the edge of my seat, Room by Lucy Donahue was excellent, The Little House by Phillipa Gregory is far better than the TV series and a different ending. I'm currently reading Gone Girl by Gillian Clark and loving it.

APlaceInTheWinter · 22/02/2015 17:18

Oops and I forgot to add, I like Lisa Gardner. She has very occasional gore but I can't remember any featuring children.

APlaceInTheWinter · 22/02/2015 17:15

Some of the Roy Grace ones are quite gory imo. There are a couple of images that I can still remember - I always think he deliberately tries to have one creatively memorable gory incident in each book. Admittedly it doesn't stop me enjoying them!

Denise Mina is good I enjoy trying to guess if any journalists we both know have inspired any of her characters but Field of Blood is about children.

I liked Rosamund Lupton's Sister.

DuchessofMalfi · 22/02/2015 17:03

Several of the Serrailler books have disappearance of children at the heart of them. Book 8 is about a paedophile ring. It's a nasty brutal story and one to avoid if that sort of thing upsets you. I like the novels as audio books but couldn't watch them if they were ever to be televised.

DH read The Secrets of Crickley Hall but said that wouldn't be one for me.

Nerf · 22/02/2015 16:58

Don't forget - wasn't it? Just really really poor mixed up plot lines, unrealistic characters and no real conclusions as to the links or motives of any of them, or who had actually been with one of the characters for part of it. Really really awful badly written book and so obvious who the baddie was.

Clawdy · 22/02/2015 16:34

Serailler no. 8 has a very disturbing theme involving children. Try Erin Kelly's books.