Sometimes you just need to read a really fun psychological thriller—and that’s the boat I found myself in last week. After devoting my entire October to-read list to supernatural thrillers for spooky season, I was ready to get back to my psychological suspense roots this month—and ideally, I wanted something that was a little bit more lighthearted and “popcorn-y” for a change of pace. Luckily for me, I had the perfect book for the job waiting on my to-read pile: Catherine Steadman’s brand-new release, THE FAMILY GAME. THE FAMILY GAME is a page-turning suspense story about a writer, her fiancé, and her fiancé's dark family secrets. It was my first time reading a Catherine Steadman novel, and (spoiler alert!) it won’ t be my last. If you loved the movie Ready or Not or Jessica Knoll’s psychological thriller Luckiest Girl Alive, you’ll love Catherine Steadman’s THE FAMILY GAME. Page-turning, fresh, and just the right amount of weird, THE FAMILY GAME is a perfect choice for your winter to-read list. (Bonus: if you celebrate Christmas, this book takes place in the lead-up to the holiday! Plan accordingly.)
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Ranking Freida McFadden Thrillers
If you follow me on Instagram, you might remember me going down the rabbit hole last month and binge-reading a whole bunch of psychological suspense novels by an author named Freida McFadden. I dove into Freida’s buzzy suspense novel THE HOUSEMAID earlier this summer on a whim—and quickly found myself hooked on the author’s deliciously binge-worthy popcorn thrillers. My August 2022 reading list ended up being dominated by Freida McFadden books, and I realized it’s about time I documented my journey with her work so far! The next time I find myself falling into a reading slump and just need something lighter and binge-worthy to pull me out of it, I can almost guarantee I’ll be turning to a Freida McFadden book for the perfect “popcorn read” solution. Without further ado: read on for my ranking of the Freida McFadden thrillers I’ve read so far!
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CBTB'S RECOMMENDED "POPCORN THRILLERS"
We all know how much I love a dark, disturbing crime novel—but sometimes, even I need something lighter and more escapist. Enter what I like to call “popcorn thrillers.” Binge-worthy as a bowl of popcorn and brimming with as much entertainment value as your favorite movie, a “popcorn thriller” is one of those irresistible, lighter suspense novels that make for the perfect escapist, one-sitting read. This is an entirely arbitrary category of thriller, but it’s one that you’ve probably heard me refer to a lot here on CBTB—and it’s a category that (based on conversations I’ve had with folks in this community!) so many of you seem to really enjoy. Today’s blog post is exactly what its title says: a place for me to collect my recommendations for “popcorn thrillers,” and a resource for you to return to when you’re looking for your next read in this category! I’m keeping this blog post simple: there aren’t any bells & whistles here, simply a running list of “popcorn thrillers” that I personally love. Under each book’s listing, you’ll find the publisher-provided descriptive copy for the book, and a buy link so you can check it out for yourself.
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Book Review: RECKLESS GIRLS by Rachel Hawkins
Anyone else feel like they could use an escape to their own personal, private island paradise? No? Just me? If you too are feeling the urge to armchair travel somewhere idyllic right about now, allow me to introduce you to the perfect bookish escape: RECKLESS GIRLS, a wickedly entertaining thriller that blends Gothic atmosphere with an escapist, binge-worthy plot. In this seafaring suspense tale, a young woman and her boyfriend think they’ve finally found their golden ticket to embark on the sailing trip of their dreams when they’re hired by two wealthy strangers to sail the women to Meroe Island, a remote, deserted island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But this island is shrouded in dangerous mystery and lore… and the group is about to find out that these stories might not just be the stuff of legend. This juicy, addictive paradise-turned-deadly suspense novel blends the page-turning entertainment value of a “popcorn thriller” with a dash of romance and the thrill of an adventure tale where no one’s survival is guaranteed. RECKLESS GIRLS is compulsively readable, wickedly fun suspense perfect for a weekend binge-read. Pick this one up if you want a lighter thriller that packs a majorly entertaining punch.
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Book Review: THE HUNTING WIVES by May Cobb
Summer reading just got a whole lot spicier. May Cobb’s deliciously juicy and wickedly entertaining THE HUNTING WIVES might just be the most gossip-worthy suspense novel of Summer 2021. Centering around an elite clique of wealthy housewives with secrets as big as their home state of Texas, THE HUNTING WIVES invites readers into an exclusive and glamorous world with a dark side. When Sophie relocates her family from Chicago to a small East Texas town, she hopes to give them the kind of peaceful, stable upbringing that was missing from her own childhood. But Sophie’s world is turned upside down when she meets charismatic and mysterious Margot, the ringleader of a group of local affluent housewives who call themselves “The Hunting Wives.” As Sophie falls under Margot’s spell, she is drawn into a dark and dangerous world of parties and hookups. And when someone close to the group turns up dead, and suspicion falls on Sophie, her world threatens to be destroyed forever. THE HUNTING WIVES is dripping with glamour and excess, a razor-sharp thriller about the complexity of female relationships wrapped up in an irresistible, reality-TV-worthy package. Fans of Desperate Housewives and Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies will relish this irresistible story of wealthy women behaving very badly, and the (maybe not-so-) innocent woman caught in their crosshairs.
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