Thrilling Reads

Written By Melanie Carroll

Head of Adult Services

My Review

All Her Little Secrets opens with Ellice Littlejohn, a successful Black corporate attorney in Atlanta, discovering that her boss, with whom she has been having an affair, has been shot and killed. Instead of reporting his death, she leaves. I immediately needed to know more; Morris had me hooked.

At first, I really liked Ellice. She is intelligent and ambitious, but as the story continued, she made so many questionable decisions that I became extremely frustrated with her character. Characters who repeatedly make bad choices stress me out, in a bad way, which is the main reason I did not rate this book four or five stars.

Overall, I really liked how Morris wove elements of race and gender issues throughout the book while also creating an authentic-feeling corporate setting. Additionally, the twists and turns throughout the book kept me wanting more and made for an enjoyable thriller reading experience. I listened to this book on Hoopla and definitely recommend the audiobook.

My Review

I have been recommending this title to everyone, even people who aren’t big thriller readers. Titus is an incredibly compelling character. Cosby wrote him in a way that allowed the reader to feel connected to him while still keeping him complicated and deep.

All the Sinners Bleed was extremely dark and, at times, violent, as it centers around a serial killer whose victims are children. The subject matter made the novel genuinely tense, and Cosby did an excellent job building suspense throughout the book. There were several moments when I felt like I could not put it down because I needed to know what would happen next. Cosby also expertly delved into topics of race, religion, and social issues while keeping the reader fully enveloped in the world of the story.

My issue with the book was how underdeveloped some of the female characters were. They felt like afterthoughts and seemed to be there primarily to further develop Titus. I do not think they were totally necessary to the story, especially as they were written. I truly enjoy S.A. Cosby’s writing style and would recommend all of his books.

My Review

This is a quintessential thriller novel. It is a fun, twisty story that kept me constantly questioning who I could trust. Evie’s ability to take on different identities and personas while staying several steps ahead made the cat-and-mouse aspect of this book especially entertaining.

The pacing of First Lie Wins was its major strength. There was always something happening, which kept things moving and made it hard for me to put the book down. The more I read, the more I needed to know how everything was going to come together in the end.

My biggest issue was that some parts of the plot felt a little too convenient, and there were a few moments when the narrative became slightly over-the-top, so reading this title required a major suspension of disbelief. However, I do not find that to be much of an issue when reading domestic thrillers. I definitely recommend this book to both readers who already enjoy the thriller genre and those just starting out.

My Review:

This is my third book by Moreno-Garcia, and it is very different from the other two books I have read. Her other titles are often more horror- or supernatural-focused, whereas this book does not have those elements. I have seen it tagged as a thriller on multiple sites, which is why I read it in August in anticipation of this blog. However, as more people are reading it (it was published in July ’26), the genre labels are starting to focus more on historical fiction and mystery.

So, while I know this is a thriller list, this may not be the book for you if you are a genre purist. There is definitely suspense and adventure, but the author herself has described the genre as “noir/historical/drama,” which I find more fitting.

While I was not exactly on the “edge of my seat” throughout this book, it kept me guessing, and there were many exciting reveals and unexpected developments involving the characters. I especially enjoyed Inés. She is a brazen young woman during a time and in an environment where that was not the norm, and I found her both endearing and funny. I was also pleasantly surprised by some of the “sexier” moments in this book, which are also not her usual style.

I do recommend this book, but if you are looking for a fast-paced thriller, it might be too much of a slow burn for you.

My Review

I always recommend this novel to readers looking for their next audiobook because of its excellent production. There are portions of the book written as a podcast, and the audiobook brought those sections to life perfectly. I also appreciate an audiobook that uses multiple narrators for its characters, which worked especially well here.

Lucy is a great character. She’s blunt, smart, and the perfect anti-heroine. If she hadn’t had such a strong personality, I think I would have struggled to connect with her, since she has no memory of what happened and cannot immediately be trusted. Instead, her personality and character development allowed me to become invested in her despite her memory loss. The dark humor was also prevalent throughout the book, and I found myself laughing out loud at times.

Listen for the Lie was also fast-paced and held my attention throughout. My only issue was the ending, which felt a little too neatly wrapped up. After all the uncertainty throughout the book, I was hoping for an ending that felt a little more complicated and left me with something to think about.

My Review:

This is probably the most “unrealistic” thriller on this list. It made for an unpredictable and intriguing read, but I constantly had to remind myself that this was a work of fiction because so much of it felt implausible. The author employs a multiple-perspective technique, however and there was no real rhyme or reason to the timeline. It jumped from one day to another as the author saw fit, which could sometimes be confusing.

That being said, this was an incredibly easy read. If I finish a book within two days, I always rate it a little higher for readability. And because so much of the plot was unrealistic, I never managed to guess the twists. The reveals were shocking and, while not particularly believable, still made for some exciting discoveries.

My Review:

Trigger warning for graphic gore, violence, sexual assault, and torture.

Pretty Girls was one of the most disturbing thrillers I’ve read, but I think that is also what made it so effective. The graphic violence is definitely not for everyone, but for me, it elevated the fear and tension I felt while reading. There were several moments where I had to brace myself for what was coming next, and the brutality made the story feel much more horrifying than a typical thriller.

I also really enjoyed the family dynamics at the center of this story, which added a much-needed softness and gave the reader an emotional connection amid all the darkness. I especially liked watching Claire and Lydia’s strained relationship slowly begin to heal as they worked together to find their sister’s killer while coming to terms with what happened to them after her disappearance.

The book also has a strong true-crime appeal. The investigation, disturbing crimes, and gradual uncovering of what happened made me feel like I was piecing together a real case. Slaughter does a great job of slowly revealing more while continuing to raise the stakes. This was definitely a disturbing read, but it was also incredibly suspenseful and difficult to put down. If you enjoy true crime, extremely dark narratives, and stories where the tension continues to escalate, this is one I would recommend.

My Review:

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I struggled to fully immerse myself into the world of this novel because of the alternating narrators and shifting timeline. While the story primarily follows Chelsey and Ellie’s perspectives, other characters also get chapters, and the timeline continuously jumps from before Ellie disappeared to after she was found. This made the narrative feel less suspenseful and thrilling than I expected. Instead, it read more like a mystery, with the emphasis placed on piecing together what happened rather than building tension around what would happen next. It wasn’t until the end, when the timeline became more linear, that I felt genuinely excited to see how everything would unfold.

There were so many characters, but because little emphasis was placed on the side characters, it was difficult for me to keep track of everyone and understand the significance of certain reveals when they happened. I’m not sure if this was partly because I listened to the audiobook rather than read the physical book, but the “big twist” was lost on me.

That said, I really liked Emiko Jean’s writing style and connected with both Chelsey and Ellie as characters. I’m still glad I read this, but ultimately, it’s not one I would recommend to most thriller readers.

My Review:

I listened to this book in one straight sitting on a long drive, and it made the time fly by. The plot moves at such a fast pace, with Sydney feeling like she’s racing against the clock, that I found myself caught up in her sense of urgency. I was always on edge, wanting to know what would happen next and whether she was going to be okay. Despite Sydney being yet another protagonist who keeps making bad decisions, I found myself leaning into her paranoia and the chaos as her character developed, which was a lot of fun for me.

This book felt fresh and interesting, and I had never read a anything quite like it before. Cole weaves together the history and current state of race and gentrification in this country to create a truly terrifying narrative. It also made me realize that I love when horror is incorporated into the thriller genre. The genre blending adds another layer of suspense and fear to the reading experience.

The ending was a bit of a letdown after all the constant buildup, which is why I wasn’t able to give it a five-star rating. Overall, though, this was a memorable reading experience for me.

Currently Reading!

I’ve had this title on my TBR list all summer. It was published in July ’26, and I finally got my hands on it! I’m only about 25% of the way in, but I’m loving it so far.

It is SO unique and definitely not your typical thriller. It’s currently giving “Weird Girl Lit” vibes, which is really fun to see in a thriller. Violet “West” Shelley is also such an atypical protagonist. She’s a single, childless, middle-aged woman, which is not the usual main character for this genre, and she genuinely does not care what anyone thinks about her.

I wouldn’t call this a fast-paced thriller so far, but it is 100% holding my attention and already giving me the creeps. I’m very excited to see how this story continues to develop!