The Couple on the Train: An absolutely compelling psychological thriller packed with suspense by Claire Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Just when I thought I had figured out The Couple on the Train, Claire Cooper threw a twist in that I did not see coming.
Since I read so many psych thrillers, I really enjoy it when an author does that.
I was convinced that it was a run-of-the-mill, obvious who the culprit is type book. I should have had more faith in the author.
Not only was I wrong about the perpetrator, but the truth was also so slyly hinted at that I totally missed it.
The story unfolds in “Then” and “Now” chapters, and the transitions are smooth. They’re also evenly spaced out. I didn’t realize until the very end that there was a reason for where each “Then” chapter was placed.
New readers should pay attention to that.
Laura is also an unreliable narrator. It’s unclear through most of the book if she is even mentally stable. No spoilers, but that plays heavily into the resolution…which was one of the more thrilling ones I’ve read in recent memory.
Oh, and stay tuned for the very end. I mean it – read to the last word. Or you’ll miss something important.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Couple on the Train and will be looking for the next psych thriller from Claire Cooper.
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The Assistant – Trope – Psych Thriller
I was excited to read The Assistant by Nicole Trope. Not only do I love this author’s psych thrillers, but I figured I’d be able to relate to the topic/main character (as that’s pretty much my job).
I wasn’t wrong on any count.
Ava has a lot on her plate: two young girls at home, a self-centered husband who doesn’t always pick up the slack, her work is hectic with a co-worker who seems to be undermining her as they vie for an important position.
Truly too much for one person to handle efficiently.
Enter Grace – Assistant Extraordinaire.
Little by little, the reader learns that Grace used to have a different life and is now trying to rebuild. But is there more to her motivation?
While the story itself was solid, it was made stronger because the reader knows Ava is flawed as well. And as Grace’s backstory unfolds, it is easy to see the parallels between her previous life (mostly through letters) and Ava’s current situation.
I enjoyed this book immensely. It was an easy and engaging read, with realistic characters and situations. Sometimes, psych thrillers stretch the limits of believability, but this one felt like it was all legit.
I will say that I had my suspicions about a major twist, and I was right, but I think that’s because I challenge myself with books like this. That being said, I certainly didn’t see a few other twists coming.
Do yourself a favor and pick up The Assistant by Nicole Trope. If you’re a fan of psych thrillers, you will not be disappointed.
Keep Me Safe – Browne – Psych Thriller
Sheryl Browne took what could have been a run-of-the-mill psych thriller to a new level with a unique twist in Keep Me Safe.
Lily and Alex meet at a wedding. But the reader knows from the beginning – through Lily’s POV – that Lily is being less than honest about her motivations for meeting Alex. Is Alex equally deceptive?
It’s hard to tell at first, but some scenes cast doubt on his legitimacy in the relationship.
The truth slowly emerges, but just when the reader thinks it’s going to continue in a “normal psych thriller way” the author pulls a switch. And then, all of a sudden, there is a whole new set of issues with the relationship between Lily and Alex.
Who is telling the truth? Who is hiding important information? Who is causing Lily’s paranoia to go into overdrive – and is Lily rightfully concerned?
The second half of the book feels like it is on a completely different level from the introductory chapters. There are twists, mistaken (or hidden) identities, and revelations that will keep the reader in an “oh my goodness, no WAY!” frame of mind.
And, as usual with this author’s books, there are a couple of last-minute twists that make the reader question everything they believed in the story.
I love this author and Keep Me Safe is certainly one of her best. I can’t wait for her next psych thriller.
The Inheritance-Hayes-Psych Thriller-Available Now
I’ve said it repeatedly: a good psych thriller has twists and turns, lots of layers, and keeps the reader guessing until the end. The Inheritance by Samantha Hayes has all of that and more.
In fact, even the title lends itself to several interpretations. But more on that later.
The author sets the stage with a family reunion – one of the first times that three sisters and their families are together after their father’s death. Their mom, Connie, has something to tell them, but we don’t know exactly what that is.
An inheritance, presumably, right?
However, it turns out that there are secrets galore in the Hunter family. I think the only character with no secrets is the family dog. And almost nobody is who they really seem to be.
In that regard, the author does a masterful job directing and misdirecting reader attention and perceptions. For example, is Theo as devious as he appears, or is he hiding something? Is Travis an awful person – if so, what does Darby see in him? What’s going on with Darby and Adrian?
The questions go on and on and form quite a web of lies and deceit, so much so that uncovering one secret exposes more layers of deceit.
I can’t really talk about any character who stood out because it was more of an ensemble piece. I liked the way that the action switched between characters. That helped add to the “web” of connections and lies.
That being said, a couple of “reveals” felt more gratuitous than actually contributing to the plot. And one at the very end was good, but I thought it was unnecessary because it was thoroughly glossed over. However, I did like how the author allowed the reader to make their own conclusions about a few other points.
Oh, and about the actual “inheritance?” The obvious meaning is a decent reveal, but by the time the characters get around to it, the reader has (probably) already figured out what the issue is. Deeper meanings of inheritance (insanity? Family problems handed down?) abound as well.
All told, The Inheritance is exactly what I want out of a psych thriller, and I can’t wait to see what Samantha Hayes comes up with next.
The Lodge-Rijks-Psych Thriller-Available Now
I think I was predisposed to like The Lodge, a new psych thriller by Miranda Rijks. She had me hooked at “game reserve in South Africa.”
Two of the best trips of my life were to Africa. I absolutely devoured the descriptions of the animals on the reserve as they brought back memories of our safaris. A few times in the book, I found myself looking forward to those rather than the actual plot.
I think that’s because the initial setup felt a bit contrived to me. I thought the coincidences were way too “convenient.”
That was right up until the main character, Anna, voiced exactly what I was feeling. That’s when I knew the author had more planned, and I needed to go along for the ride.
I didn’t expect it to be as twisty as it was. And there were certainly a couple of “Oh no way!” moments, especially towards the book’s last third. There is one twist in particular that I never saw coming, which threw the entire story to a different level.
I thought Anna was a sympathetic character – even though her impulsiveness seemed to repeat itself with Clayton and Joel. Clayton is by far one of the creepiest antagonists I’ve ever “met.”
A couple of things didn’t quite ring true and seemed obvious, but those were minor in the bigger picture of the whole story. And the pace is a little bit off. It seemed like there was a long setup, and then once the shoe dropped, it was a race to the end.
As a result, a couple of the resolutions seemed very rushed. But I suppose those are minor gripes.
All in all, I think The Lodge is a great psych thriller and one of the better ones that Miranda Rijks has written. I’ll definitely be looking for her next one.
The Prenup-Richmonde-Psych Thriller-Available Now
I have mixed feelings about The Prenup, a new psych thriller by Arianne Richmonde. On the one hand, it is an interesting look at a relationship dynamic most people never have to consider.
On the other hand, the relating of the actual events often comes across as muddled and uneven. I still can’t decide whether or not that is purposeful to go along with Ava’s state of mind.
Frankly, we don’t get much of a backstory for her, only in little bits, so it is sometimes difficult to tell why she is the way she is…and why she does what she does.
There are parts in the first third of the book where she appears to be an absolute mess. That made it difficult for me to root for her or even relate to her. She almost seemed too pathetic to care about.
There is a point, though, (not giving it away) when it becomes apparent there is another layer to what is going on – and then the pieces start to fall into place.
I liked it when all of the points of view started to converge, and we got to find out more about that other layer. However, I wish that the author had kicked it up one notch.
The threads were there to turn it into a gleeful revenge against the villain character story, but it never quite got there. Likewise, I thought that the author was going to go in a certain direction with Ava, but unless I missed it, that never really materialized either.
At any rate, The Prenup still was a good psych thriller. I just think it could have gone to another level and been even better. I’ll still be looking for the next story from Arianne Richmonde.
The Perfect Girlfriend-Smith-Psych Thriller-Available Now
You may think you know what is happening in The Perfect Girlfriend, a new psych thriller by Hayley Smith, but really…you don’t.
Even if you think that Lauren is impetuous and everything is moving super-fast, and it’s hard to keep up with her relationship, it still won’t make sense to you. Until the author is ready for you to know what’s really going on.
I both liked that and found it challenging.
I liked that the author strung me along. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I like to try to outguess an author when it comes to plot twists.
However, the danger in this was that I found myself not liking Lauren that much. She was almost too much of a “free spirit” for me. As I read, I understood that she was written in a specific way for specific reasons. But taken at face value, I couldn’t get behind her.
That made many of the book’s early parts difficult for me to get through. I couldn’t connect, I didn’t like her or Jay, and their lifestyle annoyed me. Especially as they were supposed to be bohemian, but Lauren kept buying stuff for the house.
I mean, I get it, but there was just a disconnect in some parts.
Roughly halfway through, we start to get the backstory that shines a light on some of Lauren’s actions. But there are still more aspects that just didn’t work for me. Those mainly have to do with Lauren’s dreams (or memories, or whatever they are).
You’ll find out what they actually are when you read the book.
Add in a creepy girl with weird family dynamics, mystery people and relationships, and lots of secrets, and it makes for a whole lot of weird that I wasn’t always on board for.
That said, the author still had me turning pages to find out what was happening. While some of the resolutions seemed “too easy,” I did ultimately enjoy The Perfect Girlfriend, and I’ll look for the next psych thriller from Hayley Smith.
The Girl at the Party-Stewart-Psych Thriller-Available Now
The Girl at the Party by Danielle Stewart is a decent psych thriller that mostly delivers in a unique way.
The reader knows something bad occurred that fractured a group of college friends. Some of them appear to have dealt with it better than others. But none of them are thrilled when one of them wants to revisit the case.
Apparently, a lot happened on the last night of college, and these so-called friends have been hiding many secrets from each other…for years.
I liked the concept of a podcast being the impetus for revisiting the cold case murder. However, I wish there had been more of it instead of just talking about it. I think the story could have benefitted from being broken up by podcast episodes.
It would have also made some of the reveals more dynamic. As it was, it often seemed like a lot of exposition as the two main characters, Laura and Chris, interviewed people and then discussed the podcast.
There were also a few characters who I thought would have figured more prominently – but they appeared briefly for an interview, a few brief mentions of their past involvement, and then essentially disappeared.
Even the victim in the whole situation gets pretty short shrift in the story. We never really get to know her…mostly through recollections.
While I think it all could have been told more dynamically, the author did a good job of keeping the reader guessing. And the resolution is not as straightforward as you may think.
I enjoyed The Girl at the Party and look forward to reading the next psych thriller from Danielle Stewart.
The Bigamist-Halsall-Psych Thriller-Available Now
The Bigamist by Rona Halsall is a psych thriller that catches the reader thoroughly by surprise multiple times. And it’s one of my favorite books that I have read this year.
Initially, Emma attends a bereavement group and meets Sam. Their relationship proceeds quickly. They get married, and Emma finds herself pregnant (not necessarily in that order). But when she calls Sam about something, a woman answers, saying that SHE is Sam’s wife.
What is going on? Who is lying? Why is Emma paranoid? What does Faith have to do with anything? And what’s with the cryptic text messages she starts receiving and sending?
There is so much more than meets the eye in this psych thriller that I’m afraid this is going to be a short review because I REALLY don’t want to give anything away. You have to experience these twists for yourself.
And boy, there are a LOT of twists.
I actually guessed a couple of them, but that’s only because (as I’ve mentioned before) I like to try to think of the craziest things I can to see if the author actually “goes there.”
Trust me, Rona Halsall most definitely “goes there” in this book!
My opinion about Emma changed several times as secrets were revealed. But it wasn’t until I wrote this review that I realized how clever the author is in developing Emma’s character.
It really is a case of the reader having a few psych moments – almost more than the characters themselves. And I’m here for that kind of writing every single time!
I know this is a cagey review, but just trust me when I say that if you think you understand everything in The Bigamist, you probably don’t.
It’s a psych thriller that will keep you thinking long after you finish the book. Oh, and with that ending, I would love to see Rona Halsall write a sequel!
The Wedding Night-Boyd-Psych Thriller-Available Now
At first, it appears as if The Wedding Night is going to be a straightforward psych thriller. But Clare Boyd has much more in store for the reader.
We know from the prologue that there is a wedding gone awry and that someone has disappeared. Are the two linked? How? And whose wedding is it?
The story is told from multiple points of view. We have Amy and William, Amy’s daughter (Tess), and William’s son (Hal). A mysterious “Me” also has a few chapters here and there. That’s a lot of characters.
And there is a LOT going on between them.
Amy and Tess are moving in with William and Hal. It soon becomes clear whose wedding night is going to be a wreck. But we don’t get to that until much later in the plot. In fact, a lot of the book feels like there are several separate plotlines that have nothing to do with each other…until they do.
Eventually, they all come to a head at roughly the same time. They are not interwoven as much as separate roads that converge on the same intersection. It is a different approach from several other psych thrillers.
In fact, it often feels like there is almost too much going on. I got invested in each of the individual timelines so much that by the time the climax (the wedding night) occurs, it felt almost…meh. Not that it wasn’t a good meeting of the plot threads. But the build-up was more interesting to me.
The resolutions after the climax also seemed to go very quickly – almost as if the author was just trying to wrap it up.
There is also an underlying current of William and Hal and their alleged wealth being an issue for Amy and Tess. How Tess changes when she meets new friends in the new posh school, and things like that. But it never feels completely developed – the reader is told it is an issue more than actually seeing a lot of it.
That’s not entirely accurate, but I’m not sure how else to describe it.
That being said, The Wedding Night still had me turning pages late into the night to see what would happen next. Clare Boyd does write a complex psych thriller, and I look forward to the next one.
