By Charlotte Hudson
SHAYNA / softtpapillon.tumblr.com
If you’re not a fan of scary movies but don’t want to miss out on all the Halloween thrills, cozy up with one of these unforgettable novels. Full of twists, turns and chilling endings, these four books are essential for the fall and all of its haunts.
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
Any book written by Riley Sager is a guaranteed page-turner, but The Last Time I Lied is one that will leave you with chills from the very first page to the last. Set across summers fifteen years apart, painter Emma Davis confronts her haunting past and returns to the same spot where her three friends vanished into thin air, yet no one knows what happened to them, including Emma. This murder mystery, phsycologial thriller and novel full of deep secrets and manipulation will have you questioning the truth about each character, and the ending is unbelievably unexpected. The Last Time I Lied is a novel you can’t miss out on reading.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The debut novel from author Alex Michaelides is the essential fall thriller. Narrated through the lens of a criminal psychotherapist, Theo Faber works to uncover the truth about Alicia Berenson, a woman unable to speak after being convicted for a gruesome crime and sent to a psychiatric ward. Throughout the novel, Theo becomes obsessed with Alicia’s case, about why she’s silent, about why she did what she did. This novel delivers a mind-blowing twist readers won’t be able to see coming with thrills perfect for the Halloween season.
The Fever by Megan Abbott
You will not be able to put this book down. Megan Abbott delivers a chilling story about a sinister illness consuming a small town, and no one knows where it came from or how to end it. The Fever is told through the perspective of high school teenager Deenie Nash, and while she uncovers the truth about her town as the “fever” spreads, she also uncovers deep secrets about the people she thought she once knew. The Fever is an unforgettable read that will leave you thinking about the novel long after you’ve read it.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
While it might seem like a cliche to include, it is definitely worth the read. There’s a reason why it’s popular; it’s a contemporary classic thriller. Gone Girl tells the story about the beginning of the end of a marriage as a husband grapples with his wife’s unexpected and unusual disappearance; and then becomes the prime suspect. Alternating between the husband’s words and the wife’s, you won’t know who to believe. Gone Girl hooks readers in from the very first page and delivers a fast-paced thriller until the very end.
Alex Michaelides also wrote a dark academia book called The Maidens! Perfect for fall 🦇 🍂