Recommend me a specific thriller!

[TheBookSlug]

Having recently listened to First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston and very much enjoying it I am looking for another thriller to read.

In Particular I would prefer it if:

• It has strong female characters
• It is not ‘cosy crime’
• I prefer thrillers which are cerebral and domestic

Off the top of my head I liked (and have recently read or reread):

Shiver by Allie Reynolds
Degrees Of Guilt by H S Chandler
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce - though I have not liked any of her other novels
Kiss Marry Kill by Laura Marshall
The Widow by John Grisham

As I use Audible I have listened to over 200 books every day for more than a decade, please don’t be offended if I have read your suggestions.

Please can you recommend me some good thrillers, especially with strong female characters?

I’m sorry I didn’t reply to the people who posted last week.
The truth is that I have listened to most of them and enjoyed them.
Also I have listened to other books by the same author, or they are in my TBR (in my case tbl) pile.
It felt churlish and rude to effectively reply to everyone’s comments saying yeah thanks, listened to it and the sequel.

Some of them are quite heavy/gory. Although I really enjoyed them at the time I currently am looking for something lighter.

@Blackcountryexile I have listened to Not Quite Dead Yet and enjoyed it. Though I did find one Holly Jackson that I haven’t listened to, it went straight into the TBL pile.

What appealed to me about Ashley Elston was that they were thrillers but without gore.

Just to be difficult: I have found that I don’t enjoy ‘cosy’ crime e.g. Richard Osman with apologies to everyone who loves them.
OTOH I love Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes.

@pompomtiddly I have not listened to anything by Susie Dent.
That’s in my tbl now.

Haven’t listened to The Hide @Silverbirchleafso I will buy that one as well.

I’m sorry, the baby in a hot car story is definitely not for me.
Trigger warning
One of our babies was stillborn many years ago and I still cannot cope with stories, or news stories, about babies and young children passing away.
He was not our first, or final, baby so we have our fair share. Even so, I will never forget him.

Given the information above Three Hours is, probably inexplicably, one of my favourite books.

@Newgirls I love Bella Mackie. I will try the others.

This is not a thriller as such but the new Jane Fallon novel Welcome To The Neighbourhood is twisty enough to draw you in.
It is about someone who moves to a new neighbourhood and some weird things happening.
A similar genre to Marian Keyes’ This Charming Man. Intelligent, funny, while also having a serious and twisty storyline.

To anyone I haven’t name checked, if I haven’t listened to the novels you suggested I have devoured most of them! I am grateful you posted and yours are in my Audible wish list for the time I am in a better head space for them.

Please keep any recommendations coming, I am lurking - and purchasing!

Caroline Graham wrote the books that went on to become the Midsummer Murders TV series. I love the TV series but the books are even better (and grittier). I think there's only 5 or 6. You've probably read them but thought I'd add it just in case!

@Trallersthank you, no I haven’t listened to the Midsomer Murders novels, it has been enough time since I watched them to listen to the stories now.

@k1233 I can’t find The Descent or 362 Belisle Street.
Do you have a link for either of them please?

Beneath the Skin or Secret Smile by Nicky French

I know what you mean. I don’t like gore either or murder of kids and women. Especially reading at night.

Have you tried the Detective Kim Stones series by Angela Marsons? Strong female lead, humour, and twisty plots. Plus there are loads of them!

I second the Nicci French suggestions - love all their work but especially the Frida Klein series, which focuses on a London psychoanalyst. I felt bereft when it ended

If you like supernatural thrillers, The Apparition Phase is brilliant.

Delurking to say huge thanks to the OP for starting this thread!
My favourite genre covered and I now have enough potential books to read to last me through to my dotage!

Thanks also to all the PP who have contributed the suggestions. 😊

Yes I'm going to save this thread so I can dip into some of the suggested titles.
So yes, thanks to OP, and to all the pp.

The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean.

I read about one third of Three Hours and gave up, I found it very slow. Does it get better as it goes on?

Val McDermid books, particularly the Karen Pirie series.

Elly Griffiths books, particularly the Ruth Galloway ones.

It’s completely left field, but I just read Death of Anton by Alan Melville. First published in 1935; it’s a beautifully written and darkly funny crime novel set in a circus. It’s from the British Library series. I read a lot, but this is extraordinary. Im obsessed, even though the subplot is kind of clunky. Female characters are minor, but fully realised. I wish I worked in film or television so I could pitch for it. Don’t know if it’s available on Audible.

Anything by Maria Frankland or Daniel Hurst

I always enjoy Jane Casey’s books, especially the Maeve Kerrigan series

My Husband’s Wife - Alice Feeney.

Good. I was hoping someone would say that!
I am saving it too, even for the ones I have already read!
I’m not sure whether anyone else does this; sometimes I want the comfort of a book I have listened to previously. Often though I find I can’t remember the titles.
I’m going to save this thread as it is full of dead certs.

Me too!
I know I have listened to all of them, some at least once, because I checked before I started this thread.

Fatherland by Robert Harris

Before I go to Sleep - S J Watson
Into the labyrinth - Donato Carrisi

Nice thread. The midsummer murder series is good AND Funny, lovely dry humour

nine perfect strangers was fun

How about

The Cliff House by Chris Brookmyre
An Expert in Murder by Nicola Upson
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McCallister
The Daughter by T M Logan

?

I wouldn’t say they were exactly cerebral but entertaining and I chose them because of the female character part of your request.

I've really enjoyed the Gillian McAllister books I've read.