Hi friends!

Here I am with another recommendation post! Today’s recommendation post is all about creepy thrillers I loved. I really enjoy reading thrillers, but I noticed I usually don’t talk about them here on the blog – so I decided to change that!

This list was very easy to make because I’ve read some really amazing thrillers that creeped me out! But after some thought, I have put together a list of my top 5 books I would recommend to my reader friends who love a good, unsettling thriller.  So here is my crème de la crème:

Cool list, huh? Let’s see each one of the picks a little closer!

1. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

First on the list we have “The Broken Girls” by Simone St. James. This was a great book – very close to being a perfect thriller/horror book, to be honest. This story is told in two parallel timelines, one in 1950 and another one in 2014. In 1950, we are given the daily life of four friends that lived in a boarding school for “troubled girls” named Idlewild. There were rumors that the school was haunted by a ghost named Mary Hand, who knows all about the girls’ worst fears. The four girls share a room and they become close friends after sharing their fears with each other… until one of them disappears. Nobody knows what happened to the girl and the mystery was never solved… until a journalist finds out in 2014.
I loved the story, I was entertained the entire time, and I couldn’t put the book down because I was so invested in everything that was happening. Not only that, but the book was so creepy that after I put the book down I kept looking at the corners of my house afraid I might see something scary! It was an amazing experience that both intrigued me and made me anxious. I definitely loved and recommend this one!

Synopsis

“Vermont, 1950. There’s a place for the girls whom no one wants–the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It’s called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it’s located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming–until one of them mysteriously disappears…
Vermont, 2014. As much as she’s tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her older sister’s death. Twenty years ago, her body was found lying in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister’s boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can’t shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.
When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past–and a voice that won’t be silenced…”

2. The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Next we have “The Turn of the Key” by Ruth Ware! I have to be honest with you: this is not a perfect book and I have mixed feelings about it for a very specific reason.

When I first read this I was simultaneously immersed in the story; scared most of the time and intrigued to know how it was all going to end. There’s definitely something nerve racking about the house history, and the poison garden and the previous family. Even the Happy application got creepy sometimes!

The reason why I have mixed feelings is because of the ending. I personally thought it was a little weak and rushed, and for that reason I didn’t love this book from beginning to end. With that said, I still think this was a very entertaining book and is still a really good thriller/mystery that provides a great reading experience. And for that reason, I would still recommend it!

Synopsis

“When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.
What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.
Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.
It was everything.
She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.
Full of spellbinding menace and told in Ruth Ware’s signature suspenseful style, The Turn of the Key is an unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.”

3. Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

A great book that I would also like to recommend to you is the amazing “Imaginary Friend” by Stephen Chbosky. To be fair, I would identify this book as horror, but I still think it should be part of the thriller genre. I got chills reading it and I felt uncomfortable most of the time, but it’s not an in-your-face kind of horror. It’s more of a disturbing kind, like Stephen King’s horror books.
I was creeped out most of the time because of the way the story kept building up. There is almost nothing comforting about this story other than the relationship between Christopher and his mother. You just feel uncomfortable most of the time – but in a good way! What makes this book so great to me is the combination of writing, characters and overall plot.
I don’t think I ever read something like this, but I liked it a lot. It was a very interesting book, to say the least. I truly can’t recommend this one enough!

Synopsis

“Christopher is seven years old.
Christopher is the new kid in town.
Christopher has an imaginary friend.
We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.
Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with her child. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It’s as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.
At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six long days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a treehouse in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.”

4. Mexican Gothic by Sílvia Moreno-Garcia

“Mexican Gothic” was an amazing read. Just like with “Imaginary Friend”, this is mostly a horror book, but could still be part of the thriller genre.
It starts out nice and slow, and it escalates to a creepy story! This book has a very interesting and different approach to the typical “haunted house” story because of the unique main character and unique setting: Mexico. It was a very atmospheric and rich reading experience!
Still, I have to warn you that there are some disturbing scenes that happen. Not only there are some creepy gore scenes, but there is also a few sexual assault scenes that gave me goosebumps. So here’s your warning if you’re triggered by these topics.
Overall I was very happy with the book! I thought it was very creative and different.

Synopsis

“After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemí’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.”

5. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

This book wins first place being the creepiest book I have ever read.
How to describe this masterpiece? I don’t think I can describe this book other than: this was a crazy, insane roller coaster. After I finished the book I had to put it down and process for a few days what happened before I sat down and wrote a review on it.
This book provides a very immersive experience, so I guarantee you’ll feel the unsettling and creepy setting in your bones! There’s a lot of confusion from the point of view of the reader, and I can’t say a lot about what this book is about… but I promise you it’s a very cool experience.
The ratings are so polarized with this book, and I completely understand why. The truth is: you either love it or hate it. And I absolutely loved it. It was unsettling, mysterious and confusing in a really good way. Give it a go! Maybe you’ll find a new favorite.

Synopsis

“This is the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. Revenge. Death. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street.
All these things are true. And yet they are all lies…
You think you know what’s inside the last house on Needless Street. You think you’ve read this story before. That’s where you’re wrong.
In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, lies something buried. But it’s not what you think…”

And there you have it! These are some of my favorite creepy books. I hope you found this recommendation post interesting and I hope you found yourself some new books to read! As usual, I’m always looking for book recommendations so let me know if you have any for me!

Thank you for taking the time to read this post! I hope you liked what I had to share with you today. I’ll see you in the next one! 🙂