When I was 27, I thought it would be fun to write. I have no formal training, yet I have found success through reading exposure and trial and error for 30 years. Changing my voice was hard, but reading these books helped me define the kind of story I wanted to tell in my new novel, Missed Connection. Erotic thrillers truly are a guilty pleasure for me.
Iâve written horror all my career: seven novels, 100 short stories, and two feature films (based on my books). This book by Carolyn Kepnes made me want to switch genres.
I loved reading from the perspective of the antihero, being in his thoughts, and understanding why he was making such rash moves.
*** NOW A MAJOR NETFLIX SERIES *** 'Thriller of the Year' Daily Mail 'Hypnotic and scary' Stephen King 'Examines the fine line between seduction and stalking . . . Ludicrously readable' Guardian
When aspiring writer Guinevere Beck strides into the bookstore where Joe works, he is instantly smitten.
But there's more to Joe than Beck realises and much more to Beck than her perfect facade. And the obsessive relationship quickly spirals into a whirlwind of deadly consequences...
A chilling account of unrelenting, terrifying deceit, Caroline Kepnes' You is a thriller more perversely clever and dangerously twisted than any YOU haveâŠ
I love a great tale with so many twists and turns, that it keeps you guessing from chapter to chapter, and this book by Harlan Coben is the best example of this.
Coben has the uncanny ability to create plots with so many moving parts, that youâll feel as if youâre riding the literary equivalent of a roller-coaster. I love a FAST read, and with so many twists and turns, you just HAVE to keep on reading. I love a lot of Cobenâs work, but this one is a standout.
Every year, the Doctor David Beck and his young wife, Elizabeth, meet at the same deserted lake to rediscover their love for each other, and inscribe one more year into 'their' tree. But that year was the last. Elizabeth was kidnapped and Beck knocked unconscious. By the time he woke up, his wife had been discovered dead, and horribly mutilated. For eight years he grieves. Then one afternoon, he receives an anonymous e-mail telling him to log on to a certain web-site at a certain time, using a code that only the two of them knew. The screen opens ontoâŠ
Blood of the White Bear
by
Marcia Calhoun Forecki,
Virologist Dr. Rachel Bisette sees visions of a Kachina and remembers the plane crash that killed her parents and the Dine medicine woman who saved her life. Rachel is investigating a new and lethal hantavirus spreading through the Four Corners, and believes the Kachina is calling her to join theâŠ
Witty writing is important to me both as a writer and a reader, and Palahniukâs prose is sharp, aggressive, and biting, with more wit than most writers know what to do with. Itâs a hard feat as a writer to be witty and aggressive and still maintain the flow of the story, and Palahniuk does it over and over, with this book being a stand out for me.
Not too many books can make me laugh out loud, shudder, cringe, and keep turning the pages like this one did.
Misty Wilmot has had it. Once a promising young artist, sheâs now stuck on an island ruined by tourism, drinking too much and working as a waitress in a hotel. Her husband, a contractor, is in a coma after a suicide attempt, but that doesnât stop his clients from threatening Misty with lawsuits over a series of vile messages theyâve found on the walls of houses he remodeled.
Suddenly, though, Misty finds her artistic talent returning as she begins a period of compulsive painting. Inspired but confused by this burst of creativity, she soon finds herself a pawn in aâŠ
Sarah Pinborough made the leap from horror to thrillers and has hit it big with this incredible read. This was made into a popular Netflix series, and in this rare instance, the film remains true to the story told in the book.
With twists and turns, clever fast-paced writing, and a bit of sexiness to it, this book was also very influential in my switch from horror to erotic thrillers.
Don't Trust This Book
Don't Trust These People
Don't Trust Yourself
And whatever you do, DON'T give away that ending...
Louise
Since her husband walked out, Louise has made her son her world, supporting them both with her part-time job. But all that changes when she meets...
David
Young, successful and charming - Louise cannot believe a man like him would look at her twice let alone be attracted to her. But that all comes to a grinding halt when she meets his wife...
Adele
Beautiful, elegant and sweet - Louise's new friend seems perfect in every way. As sheâŠ
Sophie Black has clawed her way up from coffee runs to project manager at a top Seattle ad agency. Sheâs laser-focused on her careerâuntil the CEOâs daughter, Ella Northwood, joins the team. Forced to work together on a high-stakes campaign, sparks fly as Sophieâs scrappy determination clashes with Ellaâs polishedâŠ
Iâm a BIG Greg Iles fanâhe (in my opinion) writes a lot like Stephen King, but instead of horror, leans more into the twisty-thriller category that I find electrifying.
For those unfamiliar with Ilesâ work, this book is a great place to start, as it has the right amount of everything that makes a great read: twists and turns, a likable protagonist in an awful situation, and page-turning goodness that will keep you glued to the couch. It explores the dark side of obsession, giving this story that "erotic" label that pushed me toward my new genre.
What if someone you loved - who you believed was murdered - came back into your life? This high-octane chiller from the No.1 New York Times bestseller 'gets under your skin, and then burrows deep' (Stephen King).
A secret from the past could destroy his future...
Mallory Gray Chandler was the quintessential Southern Belle. She loved John Waters with a seething passion that threatened to destroy them both, until he ended the relationship. She was later found raped and murdered on a New Orleans pier.
A decade later, a single word uttered by the stunning Eve Sumner turns John's worldâŠ
New York City Fashion Executive Peter Delmonico has had a rough life. Physically abused by his father as a child, and mentally abused by his wife as an adult, he sees no choice but to let his inner demons guide him through life. Obsessed with photography for as long as he can remember, he takes a detour one afternoon into NYCâs Bryant Park, where he snaps a photo of a beautiful woman who bumps into him, and then kisses him, only to vanish into the crowd as mysteriously as she appeared. Determined to bring true love into his life, Peter sets out on a journey throughout Manhattan to find her, his only real lead the photo he took of her in his camera.
Missed Connection is an intense erotic thriller filled with twists and turns, a raunchy, funny, sexy, satirical, and somewhat diabolical look at life in Manhattan through the eyes of a damaged man who only wants to love, and be loved.
6-book series set in a haunted roadside inn in 1821 Alabama!
Cassie Fairhope longs for only one thing: to escape her motherâs tyranny. Her plan? Seduce the young man, who is acting as innkeeper while her father is away on business, into marrying her. But Flint Hamilton has his ownâŠ
Fourth and Long is a novel written in the first person with dual POVs.
Ellie: When I meet Slater, an infamous quarterback trying to salvage his career, I know better than to form expectations. Our relationship starts out casual, but I canât help falling for him. The problem is, thatâŠ