Please recommend me a gripping, enthralling book ..

[SageSeymour]

Not fantasy or sci-fi. I also don't like the Scandinavian stuff or anything about old men climbing out of windows/ Heft etc

I would like something instantly grabby and easy to read. I disliked 'The Goldfinch' as couldn't get into it.

Please and thank you!

I might name change to griggsgirl

On the subject of books, I read reconstructing Amelia recently, and really enjoyed that. I'm currently reading the latest Bridget Jones and just can't get into it.

I loved Dominion by CJ Sansom - it's what-if fiction which I like but my mum hates!

If you're at all into biographies and autobiographies I would really recommend Nile Rogers' one, it's really fascinating and a great picture of music, the scene in the 60s and 70s and songwriting, and his life has been extraordinary.

Burial Rites
A tale for the time being

Another vote for I Am Pilgrim (a bit gory in places tho )

The Pursuit of Happiness
A Special Relationship
State of the Union

All by Douglas Kennedy

Just finished 'Never Coming Back' by Tim Weaver. I thought it was really really gripping and I ended up reading until god knows what time in bed because I couldn't put it down.

Scary in places and ended up dreaming about it! Thoroughly enjoyed it. I mourned the end of it, was so disappointed when I finished it!

Before I go to sleep.
The end of the wasp season.
Rebecca.
The Ice House.
Tokyo.
Case Histories.
The Secret History.

Where did you go Bernadette by Maria Semple was a clever, funny, heartwarming book which I couldn't put down.

Gone Baby Gone.
The Collector.
Jane Eyre.

Wowser - Sadly, The Crimson Petal And The White doesn't get any better. It's all downhill after the first (interesting) chapter.

In The Woods didn't do it for me, at all.

I Am Pilgrim is indeed gripping. It might be what you are looking for, OP.

11.22.63
The Circle
Americanah
The Martian
The Woman Upstairs
American Wife
Wild
One Night In Winter

I've read a lot this year, these were the ones that had me gripped from the start.

I am Pilgrim - totally absorbing.

Ooh interesting, i really found crimson petal gripping from start to finish. But i thought i am pilgrim was dreadful and gave up after the first couple of chapters!

Now I am Pilgrim was great, but Crimson Petal was goodish, but just sort of ... stopped - it didn't really finish off, which I found annoying!

The circle by dave eggers

The Crimson Petal and The White was fascinating at the start but soon fizzled out and the only thing about it I found amazing at the end was that how a story about an intellectual prostitute in Victorian-era London could be so dull and uninspired.

Maybe the point of the book was that even the most interesting woman becomes dull and boring once she starts doing housework & taking care of children. If so, that point was very well made

The girl with all the gifts - M R Carey
Bird Box - Josh Malerman
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves - Karen Joy Fowler