The best books for a roller coaster, binge read

Why am I passionate about this?

As a published author, Debra’s passion for fast-paced, unputdownable novels is unquenchable. She can be ruthless in her criticism, applying the rule, “three strikes and you’re out!”  A firm believer that life is too short to read mediocre books, if she isn’t grabbed by chapter 3, she puts the book down and moves on. She wants a book to make her life better, she wants to feel excitement at picking it back up again, and burying herself in the characters and moods, twists and turns, of a great story. Her writing reflects this same trait, if her words won’t keep the reader totally engrossed, then she won’t write them.


I wrote...

What Goes Around

By Debra Hinkley,

Book cover of What Goes Around

What is my book about?

Sarah is beautiful, virtuous, and talented but, as a teenager, she loses her mother in sudden and tragic circumstances. Determined not to let the loss define her, she leaves everything behind in search of something better. Befriended by sexy and exuberant Lori, she believes she’s on the right track but Lori has problems of her own and when the two girls are introduced to rich, spoilt Harry and his troubled cousin James, they become led by lust and jealousy. 

Four lives brought together by chance; changed by desire and controlled by a dangerous secret. How far will they go to get what they want and who will be left to pick up the pieces? What Goes Around is a powerful story of love, violence, and shattered dreams.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Relentless

Debra Hinkley Why did I love this book?

Simon Kernick is a master at keeping the reader engaged. His books have an amazing pace, and you will 100% commit to the story. Relentless moves you seamlessly through an array of emotions, as you read. You feel desperately for the protagonist, willing him to escape his torment and tormentors. This book twists and turns and gallops you from the first page, right to the last. Prepare to feel exhausted!  

By Simon Kernick,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Relentless as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

John Meron, a happily married father of two who's never been in trouble, receives a phone call that will change his life for ever: his friend Jack Calley, a high-flying City lawyer, is screaming down the phone for help. As Meron listens, Calley is murdered. His last words, spoken to his killer, are the first two lines of Meron's address. Confused and terrified, Meron scoops up his children and hurries out of the house. Just in time. Within minutes, a car pulls up outside, and three men get out. It's clear that they're coming for him. He's being hunted and…


Book cover of The Silent Patient

Debra Hinkley Why did I love this book?

Alex Michaelide’s book is a wonderfully written suspense thriller with a plot which keeps the reader guessing all the way through. Read this book and find yourself pondering the outcome at every given opportunity. I dare you to try and work out who is responsible. I couldn’t! Oh, and the twist at the end is priceless.

By Alex Michaelides,

Why should I read it?

14 authors picked The Silent Patient as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**

"An unforgettable―and Hollywood-bound―new thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy."
―Entertainment Weekly

The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband―and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five…


Book cover of The Rumor

Debra Hinkley Why did I love this book?

Lesley has a beautiful way of engaging the reader, her characters are relatable, many of them will feel like people you already know, your friends, family, maybe even you. The story is captivating and imaginative, yet this book feels real. It could happen in your town; it could happen to you. This book has an intriguing, ‘girl next door’ feel to it.      

By Lesley Kara,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Rumor as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

__________

When single mum Joanna hears a rumour at the school gates, she never intends to pass it on. But one casual comment leads to another and now there's no going back . . .

Rumour has it that a notorious child killer is living under a new identity, in their sleepy little town of Flinstead-on-Sea.

Sally McGowan was just ten years old when she stabbed little Robbie Harris to death forty-eight years ago - no photos of her exist since her release as a young woman.

So who is the supposedly reformed killer who now lives among them? How…


Book cover of Whiteout

Debra Hinkley Why did I love this book?

One of my all-time favourites I’ve read this book 3 times now and, after this review, I’m sure I’ll be tempted to indulge myself for a fourth time. Follett is the master of knife-edge thrillers, if you’ve never read him, start now. Full of treachery and violence, twists and revelations. It’s a scary, but utterly brilliant read.

By Ken Follett,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Whiteout as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Everyone likes a page-turner, and Follett is the best." -The Philadelphia Inquirer

"A hell of a storyteller" (Entertainment Weekly), #1 New York Times bestselling author Ken Follett reinvents the thriller with each new novel. But nothing matches the intricate knife-edge drama of Whiteout. . . .

A missing canister of a deadly virus. A lab technician bleeding from the eyes. Toni Gallo, the security director of a Scottish medical research firm, knows she has problems, but she has no idea of the nightmare to come.

As a Christmas Eve blizzard whips out of the north, several people, Toni among them,…


Book cover of Fool Me Once

Debra Hinkley Why did I love this book?

Another great book from a consistently great writer. Coben has a knack for dragging you into a story until you almost feel responsible for the outcome. This book is a stylish read, with glossy characters and seriously nasty bad guys. The protagonist is hard to read which adds an extra dimension, can you trust her? A great book if you like to be kept guessing right to the very end.   

By Harlan Coben,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Fool Me Once as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

STOP PRESS NEWS! NOW A SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER, AND OPTIONED FOR FILM WITH JULIA ROBERTS TO STAR IN AND PRODUCE

If your husband was murdered
And you were a witness
How do you explain it when he appears on your nanny cam?
You thought you trusted him.
Now you can't even trust yourself.

Dark secrets and a terrifying hunt for the truth lie at the heart of this gripping new thriller by the 'master of the double twist', Harlan Coben.


You might also like...

Call Me Stan: A Tragedy in Three Millennia

By K.R. Wilson,

Book cover of Call Me Stan: A Tragedy in Three Millennia

K.R. Wilson Author Of Call Me Stan: A Tragedy in Three Millennia

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Novelist Reader History enthusiast Occasional composer Sometime chorister

K.R.'s 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

When King Priam's pregnant daughter was fleeing the sack of Troy, Stan was there. When Jesus of Nazareth was beaten and crucified, Stan was there - one crossover. He’s been a Hittite warrior, a Silk Road mercenary, a reluctant rebel in the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381, and an information peddler in the cabarets of post-war Berlin. Stan doesn't die, and he doesn't know why. And now he's being investigated for a horrific crime.

As Stan tells his story, from his origins as an Anatolian sheep farmer to his custody in a Toronto police interview room, he brings a wry, anachronistic…

Call Me Stan: A Tragedy in Three Millennia

By K.R. Wilson,

What is this book about?

Long-listed for the 2022 Leacock Medal for Humour

When King Priam's pregnant daughter was fleeing the sack of Troy, Stan was there. When Jesus of Nazareth was beaten and crucified, Stan was there - one cross over. Stan has been a Hittite warrior, a Roman legionnaire, a mercenary for the caravans of the Silk Road and a Great War German grunt. He’s been a toymaker in a time of plague, a reluctant rebel in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, and an information peddler in the cabarets of post-war Berlin. Stan doesn't die, and he doesn't know why. And now he's…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in revenge, single mothers, and Scotland?

11,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about revenge, single mothers, and Scotland.

Revenge Explore 116 books about revenge
Single Mothers Explore 56 books about single mothers
Scotland Explore 318 books about Scotland