The Best of 2017 – Shannon’s favourite mysteries & thrillers

I definitely love a good romance, but I’m also a huge fan of mysteries and thrillers. So, since I read so many great ones in 2017, I figured I’d compile a list of the ones I loved most.

The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond

How far would you go to ensure your marriage was perfect? That’s the question the characters of The Marriage Pact grapple with, and it seems they’ll go pretty darned far. I love books about secret societies, and the idea of the existence of such a society devoted to keeping marriages perfect really caught my attention. The characters were relatable, the plot was fast-paced, and the twists were surprising without being over the top. Everyone who loves domestic thrillers should give this one a try.

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K

Copycat by Alex Lake

This one really creeped me out. I haven’t viewed social media in quite the same way since I read it. Ms. Lake deals with some very real concerns in this stunning novel of suspense and manages to craft an absolutely addictive story at the same time.

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K

Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber

Over the past few years, I’ve developed quite an interest in podcasts, so I was thrilled to pick up Are You Sleeping, a suspenseful mystery about a true crime podcast and its effect on a family in crisis. It’s not the most action-packed novel I’ve read lately, but Ms. Barber does a stellar job developing complex characters who are struggling to overcome their demons. I was hooked from the very beginning, and I can’t wait to see what Ms. Barber comes up with next.

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K

I See You by Claire Macintosh

This is Ms. Macintosh’s second novel, and it’s turned me into a devoted fan. The story is so real, so very possible, and I think that’s a big part of what made it so chilling. I read late into the night to finish it, and came away feeling utterly satisfied.

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K

Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land

This is a young adult thriller, but don’t let that put you off. It’s incredibly dark and disturbing with a heroine unlike any I’ve encountered before. She’s the daughter of a female serial killer, struggling to figure out just how similar she is to her incarcerated mother. I couldn’t put it down.

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K

The Walls by Hollie Overton

I really loved Ms. Overton’s debut novel Baby Doll, and The Walls, its follow-up is even better. The heroine manages to get herself out of an untenable situation, but her freedom doesn’t come without a price. Ms. Overton ramped up the suspense in tiny increments, and I was jumping out of my skin by the time I reached the end.

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K

Blood Sisters by Jane Corry

This was my first experience with Jane Corry’s writing, but it absolutely will not be my last. Blood Sisters is a chilling exploration of the relationship between two sisters, and it’s unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s breath-taking and frightening, and I want everyone to fall in love with it like I did.

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K

Emma In the Night by Wendy Walker

This isn’t your typical thriller about a pair of missing sisters. It takes the reader to some really dark places, and I loved every bit of it. All the characters, including the villains, are multi-faceted and practically leap off the page. Ms. Walker is an author I’ll be keeping an eye on, especially if her future releases are even half as good as this one.

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

I picked this one up on a whim, and I’m so glad I did. It’s a young adult novel of psychological suspense set in a halfway house for troubled teen girls. Our main character is an African-American girl, convicted of killing a white baby when she was only nine years old. I was utterly captivated by it, and I wish there were more novels like it out there.

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K

City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie C. Andersen

I loved everything about this book. It’s a young adult mystery set in the Congo, and our heroine is desperate to get even with the man she holds responsible for her mother’s death. It’s a tightly-plotted novel of revenge that kept me glued to my iPad from beginning to end.

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K