The best twisty novels you’ll never solve but always remember

Rebecca was the first book that made me fall off my chair. I had read so many “nice” stories that followed expected patterns, and this one seemed to start out the same way, and then BAM—everything’s upside down. One brief statement made by the hero, and the entire book, everything that has happened, means something completely different. The hero’s pain and grief, the intense feelings toward his late wife, it all means the opposite of what we think, and it ratchets up the suspense like a rollercoaster suddenly spinning you upside down. This book’s twisty plot totally thrilled me, and it gave me “permission” to break from formulaic plots and chase down every dark shadow and abandoned castle my heart longed to write about.

This was the first book I ever hugged. I desperately wished for this ill-fated romance to work out, since I adored the characters, but she was dying. And he didn’t love her. Until the twistiest of all romance twists came about—not only was the heroine not dying, but the hero had a secret identity and the heroine had managed to fall in love with him twice. Twists that catch me off guard are gold. Even better are twists that also bring a happier ending than you could have dreamed up for them. I read this during an intensely sad season in my own life, and to be caught off guard by a (twisty) happy ending did wonders for my heart.

The Woman in White is the first book whose twist made me cry out in shock. I was a newly published writer, trying to create fresh twists when everything felt overdone, obvious, and expected, but this book’s twist crept up behind me while I was waiting for something else to happen and scared the daylights out of me! Not only did the author completely divert my attention away from what was coming, but he did it in the middle of the book! You expect a twist at the end, but throw a monkey wrench right in the middle and I’m hooked until the final chapter. 

This is the first book I threw against the wall. It was so incredibly shocking, so surprising of an answer, that I almost felt duped. Almost. Except that the answer to the entire mystery was so brilliant that I could only stare at that thrown book in awe. To have the narrator—the main character of the entire book—actually be the murderer? And be helping with the investigation? I still can’t believe she pulled it off. That’s hundreds of pages of internal dialogue, reactions, and details the author had to cleverly manage to keep it a surprise. This upside-down, inside-out sort of mystery inspired me to dig deeper than expected answers and take risks I never would have.

Gone Girl is the first book that jerked me around like a rollercoaster. And I loved every minute! Most books save the big twist for the end, but Flynn cleverly inserted a giant twist pretty early on in the book—then continued adding them at every turn. It’s a breathless ride through surprises, new layers, and huge problems you never saw coming. Every chapter threw more problems on her characters, and I couldn’t wait to see how they’d overcome each issue. It also had the characters on their toes—and keeps readers at attention all the way through. The twists in Gone Girl were incredibly fresh and unexpected. Flynn would travel down a familiar path, only to yank readers in a new, unexpected direction in a few short paragraphs.