CBTB’S FAVORITE LISA UNGER THRILLERS
You know that feeling when you start reading a new-to-you author and suddenly can’t believe you never made time to read their work sooner? That was me just a few short years ago when I first began exploring the work of New York Times bestselling thriller writer Lisa Unger. Fast forward a few years, and Lisa has become a go-to psychological suspense author for me—I always know that I can count on her books to deliver major entertainment value, twisty and original plotting, and psychologically-complex characters. If you’re not reading Lisa Unger yet, consider this your official reminder that it’s time to do so! Today happens to be Lisa’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Lisa!!!), and it’s also officially Lisa Unger Day on CBTB! Over on Instagram today, I’m so honored to be revealing the cover for Lisa’s 2022 release SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX—a locked-room mystery that centers around a group of friends who rent a luxury cabin the woods for a weekend getaway…and soon discover that a killer might be in their midst. (Yes, this does in fact sound like my perfect thriller, and I simply cannot wait to read it.) Pop on over to Instagram for the inside scoop on the book, and then come back to today’s blog post for an overview of my personal favorite Lisa Unger thrillers thus far!
If you’re a newcomer to Lisa’s work, I hope this blog post will help you start your own journey exploring Lisa’s work. This blog post is just the tip of the iceberg—Lisa’s career is seriously impressive. Her books have been published in 31 languages, sold millions of copies worldwide, appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, and more. For a complete overview of Lisa’s work, and to learn more about her career, be sure to check out her website! I’ve absolutely loved exploring Lisa’s work over these past few years, and I know she’ll be an author I follow for years to come. (I’m officially counting down the days until Lisa’s 2022 release SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX as we speak!) Happy reading!
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LAST GIRL GHOSTED
Why I Loved Last Girl Ghosted:
Ever been ghosted? If so, this is the Lisa Unger book for you. LAST GIRL GHOSTED is the kind of psychological thriller that gets under your skin because it starts out feeling so very relatable…and then twists and turns into something very dark and sinister. In LAST GIRL GHOSTED, Unger unspools a deliciously complex and dark story that all begins with a woman begrudgingly joining a dating app at her friend’s urging, and, against all odds, finds herself falling in love with a handsome stranger. But just as quickly as this relationship began, it also ends. Before she knows it, our protagonist finds herself ghosted by a man she truly believed she could trust. Our protagonist isn’t just angry—she’s suspicious. Instead of brushing this one off, she digs a little bit deeper, and soon learns that the man she was falling for has ties to a number of women who have recently gone missing. Could she have fallen in love with a killer? LAST GIRL GHOSTED takes a relatable premise—being ghosted on a dating app—and uses it as the jumping off point for a wildly entertaining and intricate thriller that builds to a cinematic, white-knuckle finale. This book has major entertainment value (clear your calendars before diving in—you truly won’t want to stop reading!) Readers who love stories that explore the dark side of living life online will devour this gripping, sly thriller.
Plot Details:
Secrets, obsession and vengeance converge in this riveting thriller about an online dating match turned deadly cat-and-mouse game, from the New York Times bestselling author of Confessions on the 7:45
She met him through a dating app. An intriguing picture on a screen, a date at a downtown bar. What she thought might be just a quick hookup quickly became much more. She fell for him—hard. It happens sometimes, a powerful connection with a perfect stranger takes you by surprise. Could it be love?
But then, just as things were getting real, he stood her up. Then he disappeared—profiles deleted, phone disconnected. She was ghosted.
Maybe it was her fault. She shared too much, too fast. But isn't that always what women think—that they're the ones to blame? Soon she learns there were others. Girls who thought they were in love. Girls who later went missing. She had been looking for a connection, but now she's looking for answers. Chasing a digital trail into his dark past—and hers—she finds herself on a dangerous hunt. And she's not sure whether she's the predator—or the prey.
CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45
Why I Loved Confessions on the 7:45:
Imagine this: you’re sitting on a commuter train after a long day of work, and you’ve just found out an earth-shattering secret that threatens to destroy your life as you know it. You’re desperate to unburden yourself to someone, but you don’t know who you can trust. You catch the eye of a stranger sitting next to you, and you strike up a conversation. Without warning, this stranger begins to share with you a terrible secret she’s been keeping. Would you tell her what’s on your mind, too? In CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45, a seemingly-innocent run-in between two women on a train sets in motion a series of dark, gripping events with ties to our characters’ pasts. I loved the way this book blends a Strangers on a Train-inspired premise with a complex deep-dive into the long-buried secrets of its characters. This is a thriller that grapples with themes commonly found in domestic suspense—themes including marriage and infidelity—in fresh and genuinely surprising ways. CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 is an intricate, immersive story that gives readers multiple points of view to follow and a gripping, thoroughly satisfying revenge thriller plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Bonus: CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 is in development at Netflix, and Jessica Alba will be starring in the series! Read the book before you watch the show.
Plot Details:
From master of suspense Lisa Unger comes a riveting thriller about a chance encounter that unravels a stunning web of lies.
Selena Murphy is commuting home on the train when she strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat. The woman introduces herself as Martha and soon confesses that she’s been stuck in an affair with her boss. Selena, in turn, confesses that she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. When the train arrives at Selena’s station, the two women part ways, presumably never to meet again.
Then the nanny disappears.
As Selena is pulled into the mystery of what happened, and as the fractures in her marriage grow deeper, she begins to wonder, who was Martha really? But she is hardly prepared for what she’ll discover…
THE STRANGER INSIDE
Why I Loved The Stranger Inside:
A psychological thriller that combines a villain’s POV + a podcast element? It’s no wonder THE STRANGER INSIDE was the Lisa Unger book that first made me obsessed with Unger’s work! Lisa Unger’s books always lean heavily into the psychology of her characters, but as I’ve continued to explore Lisa’s bibliography, I still consider THE STRANGER INSIDE to be one of Unger’s most psychologically-complex and intriguing—and if this kind of psychological focus in a crime story appeals to you, I’m betting you’ll love this book, too. THE STRANGER INSIDE begins with what might seem like a familiar premise: a woman living what appears to be a picture-perfect suburban life finds her world shattered when secrets from her past threaten to resurface. Sound familiar? I can promise you, it’s not. No spoilers here, but THE STRANGER INSIDE is a thriller that turns out to be as much about its protagonist as it is about its villain. If you’re a fan of crime novels that give you an up-close-and-personal glimpse into the mind of a killer, you need to read this book. Unger excels when writing about the complex motivations of her mysterious characters, and THE STRANGER INSIDE is a prime example of exactly that.
Plot Details:
When former journalist Rain Winter was twelve years old, she narrowly escaped an abduction while walking to a friend’s house. The abductor was eventually found and sent to prison, but years later was released. Then someone delivered real justice--and killed him in cold blood.
Now Rain is living the perfect suburban life, spending her days as a stay-at-home mom. But when another criminal who escaped justice is found dead, Rain is unexpectedly drawn into the case, forced to revisit memories she’s worked hard to leave behind. Is there a vigilante at work? Who is the next target? Why can’t Rain just let it go?
Introducing one of the most compelling and original killers in crime fiction today, Lisa Unger takes readers deep inside the minds of both perpetrator and victim, blurring the lines between right and wrong, crime and justice, and showing that sometimes even good people are drawn to do evil things.
Plus: Sneak Peek of Lisa’s 2022 Release:
SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX
Available November 8, 2022
Why I’m Excited for Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six:
You know when you read the plot summary for a book and have a sneaking suspicion the author must have somehow peeked inside your brain, pulled out your personal favorite tropes, and written a book tailor-made for you? That’s exactly how I feel about Lisa Unger’s 2022 release, SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX. This thriller combines some of my favorite crime fiction ingredients: a cabin in the woods, a locked-room premise, and a sinister plot that feels like it has a bit of a relatability factor to it. (Am I going to think twice about booking another Airbnb after reading this? Very possibly!) SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX has already been compared to the work of some of my favorite authors, Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley, and given how much I’ve loved Lisa Unger’s thrillers over the years, I have no doubt I’m going to love her spin on this kind of isolated location thriller! I can’t wait to see what kind of unique elements Unger brings to the table in this story—her thrillers always manage to surprise me and entertain me in the best way possible, and I have no doubt this book will be the same. I’d be willing to bet SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX will soon become my favorite Lisa Unger thriller of all!
Plot Details:
Three couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway to die for in this chilling locked-room thriller by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger.
What could be more restful, more restorative, than a weekend getaway with family and friends? An isolated luxury cabin in the woods, complete with spectacular views, a hot tub and a personal chef. Hannah’s loving and generous tech-mogul brother found the listing online. The reviews are stellar. It’s his birthday gift to Hannah and includes their spouses and another couple. The six friends need this trip with good food, good company and lots of R & R, far from the chatter and pressures of modern life.
But the dreamy weekend is about to turn into a nightmare. A deadly storm is brewing. The rental host seems just a little too present. The personal chef reveals that their beautiful house has a spine-tingling history. And the friends have their own complicated past, with secrets that run blood deep. How well does Hannah know her brother, her own husband? Can she trust her best friend? And who is the new boyfriend, crashing their party? Meanwhile, someone is determined to ruin the weekend, looking to exact a payback for deeds long buried. Who is the stranger among them?
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INDIEBOUND | BOOKSHOP.ORG
Home ownership feel like a distant dream? Zillow listings have you convinced you’ll be renting for the rest of your life? The woman at the heart of Carissa Orlando’s debut The September House feels your pain—and she’s prepared to put up with a lot if it means she and her husband can finally have a place to call their own. In this case, that might just mean living in a house that’s haunted. Playful and irreverent, spine-tingling and spooky, The September House puts a fresh spin on the classic haunted house story, delivering an immersive tale about the secrets lurking within one building’s walls, and within the lives of its inhabitants.