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Original poster

Anyone recommend a great book with an unexpected twist please?

138 replies

TangoShoes · 10/02/2023 19:45

Thanks 😊

OP posts:
countrypunk · 13/02/2023 21:03

Not so much a twist, but the revelation at the end of Dark Places by Gillian Flynn is really satisfying.

autienotnaughty · 13/02/2023 21:40

Harriet Tyce The lies you told
Kia Abdulah Next of kin
Mark edwards follow you home
Ruth ware the death of Mrs westerway

autienotnaughty · 13/02/2023 21:41

Jane fallon best friends

BreadInCaptivity · 13/02/2023 21:44

Just finished reading The Cloisters by Katy Hays after the author was interviewed on Radio 4.

Dark academia genre. Really enjoyed it and did not expect the ending at all.

Usually I'm pretty good at guessing so called plot twits but didn't see this one coming at all.

Rogue1001MNer · 13/02/2023 21:46

Scandal.

Can't remember who wrote it. There's a not very good film with Judy Dench and cate blanchette

Agree about fingersmith and Kevin

Crikeyalmighty · 13/02/2023 21:47

I also thought Lisa Jewels - and then she was gone was very good ,

Kate Atkinsons - behind the scenes at the museum kind of fits too and is a terrific book

Kissedbyfire1 · 13/02/2023 21:47

Girl A, Abigail Dean
A God in Ruins, Kate Atkinson
Big Brother, Lionel Shriver

Rogue1001MNer · 13/02/2023 21:48

Sorry, its notes on a scandal.

Zoe heller

Kissedbyfire1 · 13/02/2023 21:48

Also agree with pp, We need to talk about Kevin, also by Lionel Shriver

Crikeyalmighty · 13/02/2023 21:49

@countrypunk I totally agree.

Kissedbyfire1 · 13/02/2023 21:52

PuppyMonkey · 13/02/2023 19:04

I think if you’re watching or reading something you KNOW has a twist coming, it’s not actually an “unexpected twist.”

Reminds me of when The Sixth Sense came out and my sister said I should go and see it, it has a great twist at the end. So I watched the first five minutes knowing there was going to be a big twist at the end and wondering what it could be… bloody worked the whole thing out. Before the opening credits had even finished from what I remember.Grin

Ha, about 5 mins from the end of the Sixth Sense I said to DH -“ Oh!”. He gave me a look and said that he’d figured it out 5 mins from the start and had sat there waiting for me to catch up 🤣.

Kissedbyfire1 · 13/02/2023 21:54

Spanielsarepainless · 13/02/2023 18:40

The Breakers by Claudie Gallay
The Way the Crow Flies by Laura Hill
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Absolutely love Owen Meany and pretty much anything by John Irving. He’s the writer that Stephen King could be if he didn’t insist on writing gut-churning commercial trash.

AltitudeCheck · 13/02/2023 21:55

I do wish Sarah Waters would write another book! Fingersmith was excellent!

What I loved by Siri HustVedt, it has some beautiful parts (and some tedious parts) but I've never had such a physical, punched in the stomach, feeling as I did reading that.

doodlyfiddly · 13/02/2023 22:19

The Dr David Hunter novels, especially the first three (Chemistry of death, Written in bone, Whispers of the dead) by Simon Beckett. If you like tense thrillers, these are amazing! I've read them over & over.

BigMadAdrian · 14/02/2023 11:21

Sophie's World!

Notmybloodymonkeys · 14/02/2023 11:28

Atethehalloweenchocs · 11/02/2023 22:04

I just read a lovely book called The Reading List which had a few unexpected things happen - really nice read.

I came here to say The Reading List although it absolutely broke me and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days after I’d finished it.

MarkWithaC · 15/02/2023 14:55

I agree with Golden Hill by Francis Spufford. It's so good, so original, funny, amazing evocation of early New York. It'd make a terrific film for sure.

I'm not sure what the 'twist' is in Klara and the Sun?

MyKitchenRules · 15/02/2023 15:32

BigMadAdrian · 14/02/2023 11:21

Sophie's World!

Yes!!!! I shut the book and was like WTF?!?!

Aposterhasnoname · 15/02/2023 15:37

PamDoovesHat · 11/02/2023 21:38

Is that the one with the chimp? I'd so it was ridiculous 🙄

Show quote history

Welp, I guess I’ll not bother reading that now I’ve just bought it. Thanks for that.

FrancescaContini · 15/02/2023 15:46

AltitudeCheck · 13/02/2023 21:55

I do wish Sarah Waters would write another book! Fingersmith was excellent!

What I loved by Siri HustVedt, it has some beautiful parts (and some tedious parts) but I've never had such a physical, punched in the stomach, feeling as I did reading that.

I also love Sarah Waters!

Haven’t RTFT but Our House by Louise Candlish has a 😮 twist in the final paragraph.

Sadlifter · 15/02/2023 15:51

Kissedbyfire1 · 13/02/2023 21:52

Ha, about 5 mins from the end of the Sixth Sense I said to DH -“ Oh!”. He gave me a look and said that he’d figured it out 5 mins from the start and had sat there waiting for me to catch up 🤣.

Show quote history

Yep, I leant over and said to then dp (now dh!), "he's ". As soon as you see him sitting on the bench

IBelieveInAThingCalledScience · 15/02/2023 15:57

As PP I'm currently reading Burning Air, by Erin Kelly and also gasped audibly at one of the twists.

Also, it's objectively well written.

MargotMoon · 15/02/2023 15:58

Fingersmith again!

OneFrenchEgg · 15/02/2023 16:02

Welp, I guess I’ll not bother reading that now I’ve just bought it. Thanks for that.

My mum does that ALL the time. If I mention I'm reading something -'oh have you got to the bit with <insert massive spoiler> yet?' Then insists that's not the twist and pretends there's more.

Ursuladevinia82 · 15/02/2023 16:03

What makes a “twisty” book good is when you aren’t expecting the twist.

if you follow up a recommendation for a book with a twist, all you will be doing is waiting for the twist!