The sneakiest books with thrills and twists

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a backpacker at heart, a high school English teacher, and a bestselling author with an eye on what’s really happening under the surface and what people are really thinking. My mum taught me early to "watch the quiet ones," and I’ve always been fascinated by the way people can promote a very public self while maintaining something totally different on the inside. Perhaps that’s why I love a good twist! I also think that in the current climate of extremely savvy thriller readers, it’s impressive to wrongfoot readers and stay true to the clues hidden in the pages.


I wrote...

The Offing

By Roz Nay,

Book cover of The Offing

What is my book about?

When two young American girls travel to Australia, they spot an ad for crewmembers on a small yacht heading north into tropical paradise. The boat is owned by a dad, his daughter, and a cat – totally safe – and the girls jump on board to outrun problems from home. But before long, doubts start to creep in. Are the girls simply claustrophobic on the boat, or have they stumbled into something they don’t understand?

Tensions rise as the past threatens to catch up with them, and dark secrets emerge that will change everything. A dangerous chase on land and at sea, this fast-paced, twisty thriller keeps you guessing until the very last page.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Just Another Missing Person

Roz Nay Why did I love this book?

This book took my breath away. I thought I had it all figured out and how wrong I was. Gillian McAllister is the queen of the smart, well-threaded twist, and she layers her plot with moral dilemmas that make her lead characters so relatable.

The plot centres around a policewoman and a terrible choice she must make, but for almost half of the book, I had no idea how tricked I was, and I feel like that’s hard to pull off in the thriller genre.

By Gillian McAllister,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Just Another Missing Person as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE HEART-STOPPING NOVEL OF A MISSING PERSON'S CASE WITH A TWIST FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

'A cleverly crafted, emotional and thought-provoking thriller with one of the best twists I've read. Superb' CLAIRE DOUGLAS


'Extraordinary...a plot that takes the breath away' DAILY MAIL

________

OLIVIA.
22 years old.
Last seen on CCTV, entering a dead-end alley.
And not coming back out again.
Missing for one day and counting . . .

Julia is the detective heading up the case. She knows what to expect. A desperate family, a ticking clock, and long hours away from her husband and daughter.…


Book cover of Magpie

Roz Nay Why did I love this book?

Magpie is tense, clever, and so beautifully written that I thought I was following a certain point of view, only to be whiplashed into the reveal of someone completely different.

With a story that centres around motherhood and pregnancy, the dread is a slow, subtle, terrible creep, and I loved how the characters unraveled.

By Elizabeth Day,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

For fans of The Last Mrs. Parrish comes a twisty psychological suspense about motherhood, obsession, and just how far some will go for the perfect family. “Great, plain and simple” (Stanley Tucci).

Marisa and Jake are a perfect couple. And Kate, their new lodger, is the perfect roommate—and not just because her rent payments will give them the income they need to start trying for the baby of their dreams.

Except—no one is truly perfect. Sure, Kate doesn’t seem to care much about personal boundaries and can occasionally seem overly-familiar with Jake. But Marisa doesn’t let it concern her, knowing…


Book cover of The Drowning Woman

Roz Nay Why did I love this book?

Robyn Harding is so good at outsmarting readers and knowing which way to deke in a plot. This book has a midpoint turn that literally made me gasp.

Set at the fallout of the Covid pandemic, Harding has created characters who’ve already lost everything, and the stakes could not be higher. Told in tight, lean prose, it’s a masterclass in how to puppeteer desperate people and construct a fantastic plot swerve.

By Robyn Harding,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

From the bestselling author of The Party comes a "dark and wild ride of redemption, betrayal, and friendship" following a homeless woman fleeing a dangerous past-and the wealthy society wife she saves from drowning: "As twisty and pacey as it gets" (Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push).
Most anticipated by Goodreads * Indigo? * SheReads

Lee Gulliver never thought she'd find herself living on the streets-no one ever does-but when her restaurant fails, and she falls deeper into debt, she leaves her old life behind with nothing but her clothes and her Toyota Corolla. In Seattle,…


Book cover of Who Is Maud Dixon?

Roz Nay Why did I love this book?

This literary thriller is a delicious blend of sneakiness, travel, and treachery. The story begins in New York but soon moves to the humid backdrop of Morocco, where the mysteriously pen-named “Maud” is working on her new novel.

Told in the voice of Maud’s assistant, this book drew me into the main character’s desperate need to be somebody. But who is tricking who? The twists in this book are epic.

By Alexandra Andrews,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Who Is Maud Dixon? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?


'Clever, cunning, and diabolical in the best possible way. Anyone longing for a good old-fashioned thrill need look no further' Ann Patchett

Celebrated, bestselling, elusive...who is Maud Dixon?

Florence Darrow wants to be a writer. Correction: Florence Darrow IS going to be a writer. Fired from her first job in publishing, she jumps at the chance to be assistant to the celebrated Maud Dixon, the anonymous bestselling novelist. The arrangement comes with conditions - high secrecy, living in an isolated house in the countryside . Before long, the two of them are on a research trip to Morocco, to inspire…


Book cover of One of the Girls

Roz Nay Why did I love this book?

I loved this thriller set high in the hills of a Greek villa, where all the women have secrets up their sleeves.

Told in multiple perspectives, it holds its tension so well, and I wasn’t sure which of the women in the group might turn murderous or which of the secrets might explode. The final twist, however, was so satisfying because I hadn’t spotted it, even when it had been there all along…

By Lucy Clarke,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The scorching, escapist new thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Castaways

'An addictive sun-soaked thriller'MARIE CLAIRE
'The perfect holiday read' CLAIRE DOUGLAS
'Brimming with tension' CLARE MACKINTOSH
'Talk about twists and turns' EMMA STONEX
'Utterly addictive . . . her best yet' ERIN KELLY

WE WERE DYING FOR A HOLIDAY

The six of us arrived on that beautiful Greek island dreaming of sun-drenched beaches and blood orange sunsets, ready to lose ourselves in the wild freedom of a weekend away with friends.

On the first night we swam under a blanket of stars.

On the second night…


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Lightning Strike Blues

By Gayleen Froese,

Book cover of Lightning Strike Blues

Gayleen Froese Author Of Lightning Strike Blues

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Communications officer Singer-songwriter Fan of all animals Role-playing geek Nature photographer

Gayleen's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

One summer night in a small prairie city, 18-year-old Gabriel Reece accidentally outs himself to his redneck brother Colin, flees on his motorcycle, and gets struck by lightning on his way out of town.

He’s strangely fine, walking away from his melted pile of bike without a scratch. There’s no time to consider his new inhuman durability before his brother disappears and his childhood home burns down. He’s become popular, too—local cops and a weird private eye are after him, wanting to know if his brother is behind a recent murder.

Answers might be in the ashes of the house…

Lightning Strike Blues

By Gayleen Froese,

What is this book about?

On Friday, Gabriel Reece gets struck by lightning while riding his motorcycle.

It's not the worst thing that happens to him that week.

Gabe walks away from a smoldering pile of metal without a scratch-or any clothes, which seem to have been vaporized. And that's weird, but he's more worried about the sudden disappearance of his brother, Colin, who ditched town the second Gabe accidentally outed himself as gay.

Gabe tries to sift through fragmented memories of his crummy childhood for clues to his sudden invincibility, but he barely has time to think before people around town start turning up…


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