The best fast-paced thriller books with romance, twists and turns, and clever writing

Why am I passionate about this?

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.


I wrote...

Missed Connection

By Michael Laimo,

Book cover of Missed Connection

What is my book about?

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 allow his inner demons to guide him through life. In NYC’s Bryant Park, he snaps a photo of a beautiful woman who bumps into him, then vanishes 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. 

My book 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.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of You

Michael Laimo Why did I love this book?

I’ve 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. 

By Caroline Kepnes,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

*** 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 have…


Book cover of Tell No One

Michael Laimo Why did I love this book?

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 you’ll feel as if you’re 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 Coben’s work, but this one is a standout.

By Harlan Coben,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Tell No One as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

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 onto…


Book cover of Diary

Michael Laimo Why did I love this book?

Witty writing is important to me both as a writer and a reader, and Palahniuk’s prose is sharp,  aggressive, and biting, with more wit than most writers know what to do with. It’s 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.

By Chuck Palahniuk,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Misty Wilmot has had it. Once a promising young artist, she’s 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 doesn’t stop his clients from threatening Misty with lawsuits over a series of vile messages they’ve 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 a…


Book cover of Behind Her Eyes

Michael Laimo Why did I love this book?

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.

By Sarah Pinborough,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Behind Her Eyes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

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 she…


Book cover of Sleep No More

Michael Laimo Why did I love this book?

I’m a BIG Greg Iles fan—he (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 Iles’ 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.

By Greg Iles,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sleep No More as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

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 world…


You might also like...

Thorn City

By Pamela Statz,

Book cover of Thorn City

Pamela Statz

New book alert!

What is my book about?

Dressed to kill and ready to make rent, best friends Lisa and Jamie work as “paid to party” girls at the Rose City Ripe for Disruption gala, a gathering of Portland's elite.

Their evening is derailed when Lisa stumbles across Ellen, a ruthless politician and Lisa’s estranged mother. And to make matters worse, Lisa’s boyfriend, Patrick, crashes the party to meet his new boss, Portland's food cart drug kingpin. Lisa makes a fateful choice that traps her, Jamie, and Patrick in Ellen’s web. In this gripping thriller, Lisa must reconcile a painful past and perilous present.

Thorn City

By Pamela Statz,

What is this book about?

Suspected murder, eclectic food trucks, and artisanal cocaine: just another day in Thorn City.

It’s the night of the Rose City Ripe for Disruption gala—a gathering of Portland’s elite. Dressed to kill in sparkling minidresses, best friends Lisa and Jamie attend as “paid to party” girls. They plan an evening of fake flirtations, karaoke playlists, and of course, grazing the catering.

Past and present collide when Lisa stumbles across Ellen, a ruthless politician who also happens to be Lisa’s estranged mother. Awkward . . . When Lisa was sixteen, Ellen had her kidnapped and taken to the Lost Lake Academy—a…


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