A Good Thriller discussion

What is a psychological thriller?
Psychological thrillers delve into the intricate psychological effects of unfolding events.

Key characteristics of a psychological thriller:
Mind games or manipulation
Moral ambiguity
Twisted family or social dynamics
Unreliable narrators
Deep dive into the human psyche
Famous psychological thriller examples:

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – A wife goes missing, and her husband becomes the prime suspect.
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane – A U.S. Marshal investigates a mental institution and questions his sanity.
Movie: “Black Swan” – A ballet dancer’s mind unravels as she prepares for a role.

Really Outstanding and Unknown Reads

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite: A dark, satirical thriller following a Nigerian nurse whose life is constantly disrupted by her sociopathic younger sister's habit of killing her boyfriends.

The Push by Ashley Audrain: A gripping, intense novel exploring the dark side of motherhood and the fear that a mother's worst nightmare about her child might be true.

The Girl in 6E by Alessandra Torre: A creepy thriller about a character with a dangerous urge to kill, who locks herself in a room to control her desires.

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris: A chilling domestic thriller exploring the terrifying, controlling reality behind a seemingly perfect, wealthy couple.

The Night of the Storm by Nishita Parekh: A locked-room mystery centered on a family trapped in a house during a hurricane, dealing with intense emotional and physical danger.

The Cleaner by Brandi Wells: A suspenseful story that keeps readers guessing, focusing on a unique, unsettling protagonist.

The Hand That Feeds You by A.J. Rich: A wild story starting with a woman finding her fiancé mauled to death by her own dog, leading to a much deeper, twisted mystery.

These selections offer intense, character-driven narratives that go beyond typical, well-known, fast-paced thrillers.

One of the great authors in this genre

Mark Edwards