Here are 100 books that The Island fans have personally recommended if you like
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I have been fascinated with peopleās minds since probably my second psychology class in college. It was when I heard a professor say that all creatives were crazy. I argued that one with her. You donāt have to be creative to be crazy; trust me on this, I was right. Yes, many gifted people are borderline, and there really are savants in this world, but I truly believe they are rare. So, I have studied and been up close and personal with people who have psychological issues. Iāve also met some fascinating people who have managed to become successful. Others, not so much.
This book didnāt start out in the usual way. That in itself grabbed my attention. Itās a thriller, so I expect the first paragraph at least to pull me in. It didnāt grab me the way most do; it slowly sucked me in until I found myself not wanting to put it down.
The two main characters seemed to be at odds. One wanting to help and one refusing to speak. I donāt understand not trying to find answers that keep me silent. It must be the curiosity that kept me reading. Because the woman could speak. At least she could at one time. Either it was something traumatic, or it was just plain stubbornness. Or was I missing the entire point? Always an option.Ā
"An unforgettableāand Hollywood-boundānew thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy." āEntertainment Weekly
The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a womanās act of violence against her husbandāand of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.
Alicia Berensonās life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of Londonās most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him fiveā¦
The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe.
The lamps must be lit, or the stars die. The clocks must be wound, or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved, or Existence crumbles.
Appointed the Steward of Evenmere, Carter Anderson must learn theā¦
Growing up in a snowy, rural mountain town of less than 500 people, I became fascinated with humanity's will to survive the elements at an early age because I often had to do so myself. Add in a mysterious force or an escaped killer wandering through the hills outside a secluded cabin, and you've got my favorite thriller subgenre: Trapped and secluded. It wasn't until my third novel, The Excursion, that I realized my longtime dream of writing a survival thriller influenced by dozens of books and movies. Today, I live in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, but the mountains are close. And so are the secluded cabins.
Many of my favorite secluded thriller novels have a high degree of complexityāmultiple point-of-view chapters, complex subplots, and morally ambiguous characters.Ā This book had all these elements and a super plus: An immersive and authentic setting in the Scottish Highlands.
I disappeared into the snowbound setting and felt like a part of the group of old friends, caught up in their personal dramas and driven to finish the book to see who did what, when, and why. It was a great escape for me, but not so much for them.
EVERYONE'S INVITED.
EVERYONE'S A SUSPECT.
AND EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT IT.
'Ripping, riveting' A. J. Finn 'Clever, twisty and sleek' Daily Mail 'Unputdownable' John Boyne 'Foley is superb' The Times 'Chilling' Adele Parks 'Terrific, riveting' Dinah Jefferies
In a remote hunting lodge, deep in the Scottish wilderness, old friends gather for New Year.
The beautiful one The golden couple The volatile one The new parents The quiet one The city boy The outsider
For years, I have been a voracious reader of dark psychological thrillers and psychological horror. I read several books every week, and Iām always overjoyed to be knocked sideways by an ingenious twist in a book. As a doctor, I am captivated by people and fascinated by the depths of the human mind. For me, humans are the scariest monsters of them all. In 2020, I decided to have a pop at writing a jaw-dropper myself, and my book was born. I only hope you donāt see that twist coming!
I loved how claustrophobic and creepy this was. This is another story where I thought I had at least some of it figured out. But nope, I was wrong every time. The ending was not only jaw-dropping and ingenious but satisfying, tooāsomething I think is tricky to achieve.
I was so wrong that I had to go back and read some of it again. I was shocked to find that all the breadcrumbs leading to the ending were indeed peppered throughout. So cleverly done.
āFeeney lives up to her reputation as the āqueen of the twistāā¦This page-turner will keep you guessing.ā āReal Simple Think you know the person you married? Think againā¦
Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He canāt recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.
Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts--paper, cotton, pottery, tin--and eachā¦
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa storiesāall reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argueā¦
I have written nine crime novels, mostly psychological thrillers, but some blend procedural and PI elements and two are gangland stories. I went to the BRIT school in the 90ās and studied Drama and English Literature at University. I always think that my Performing Arts background gave me a great tool kit for āgetting into characterā which is useful for writing. I also have an MA in journalism but I definitely prefer fiction to fact. I love the immediacy of first person prose and I am a sucker for an unreliable narrator.
This is a book told from the point of view of Mother Rob and her daughter Callie.
It deals with topics of child psychopathy and innate evil and is beautifully written. Iām a huge fan of Catriona Wardās and was torn between this book or The Last House On Needless Street but I really enjoyed the exploration of motherhood and childhood here and found myself rooting for the characters long after I turned the last page.
Like all of Wardās books, Sundial has strong horror vibes and the world we are drawn into is full of lush descriptions but it is the characters that really stand out to me. This book also has some really good twists.
āDO NOT MISS THIS BOOK. Authentically terrifying.ā āStephen King
Sharp as a snakebite, Sundial is a gripping novel about the secrets we bury from the ones we love most, from Catriona Ward, the author of The Last House on Needless Street.
You can't escape what's in your blood...
Rob has spent her life running from Sundial, the familyās ranch deep in the Mojave Desert, and her childhood memories.
But sheās worried about her daughter, Callie, who collects animal bones and whispers to imaginary friends. It reminds her of a darkness that runs in her family, and Rob knows itās timeā¦
As a professional counselor by trade, Iām fascinated by the machinations of the human mind, what drives us, and how our primeval urges can overcome our learned and acceptable behaviors. Accordingly, I enjoy both reading and writing books that expose and explore the dark side of our psyche and the dichotomy of human nature. I particularly appreciate stories that balance evil with redemption, rescue, or retribution.
What a deeply atmospheric, evocative read!Ā Iād been meaning to dive into a Jane Harper novel for some time, and Iām so pleased this is where I chose to start.Ā Iāve done what we Aussies call āThe Big Lapā a couple of times, touring aroundĀ the coast of Australia, then up through the arid center, before exploring theĀ remote reaches of Western Australia.
This book brings the vastness of thisĀ landscape to life so perfectly without overstating or overdramatizing it. ThisĀ character-driven novel is compelling, leaving me with a sense of beingĀ intimately acquainted with the families living on the isolated properties ā¦ andĀ of their fear, knowing a murderer may be in their midst.
Two brothers meet in the remote Australian outback when the third brother is found dead, in this stunning new standalone novel from Jane Harper
Brothers Nathan and Bub Bright meet for the first time in months at the remote fence line separating their cattle ranches in the lonely outback.
Their third brother, Cameron, lies dead at their feet.
In an isolated belt of Australia, their homes a three-hour drive apart, the brothers were one anotherās nearest neighbors. Cameron was the middle child, the one who ran the family homestead. But something made him head outā¦
I was born in the worldās most isolated capital city ā Perth, Western Australia. Ever since my family packed up and drove across the vast Nullarbor Plain to relocate to South Australia, Iāve been fascinated by our eerie, wide-open spaces. Thereās no doubt that family folklore fed into this. My Finnish mother arrived as a ten-year-old, recalling that when she first felt the heat, she thought: āThis is hell.ā My father and his family arrived from the Netherlands. I love my country, but this continent presents dangers in its arid isolation ā all captivating to a storyteller.
This book has a spellbinding setting and twisting plot that I adored. Itās set inside a luxury lodge in the Alps, cut off by snow. I love snow books and moviesābeing Australian, itās so foreign to me, and itās ideal for the locked room trope.
This novel is told via two POVs: one young woman who works at the ski lodge and one whoās on a tech company work retreat. I admired the way Ware crafts two sympathetic yet suspicious characters. Thereās so many puzzles to work out and scrumptious red herrings.
This instant New York Times bestseller and āclaustrophobic spine-tinglerā (People) from Ruth Ware follows a group of employees trapped on a snow-covered mountain.
Getting snowed in at a luxurious, rustic ski chalet high in the French Alps doesnāt sound like the worst problem in the world. Especially when thereās a breathtaking vista, a full-service chef and housekeeper, a cozy fire to keep you warm, and others to keep you company. Unless that company happens to be eight coworkersā¦each with something to gain, something to lose, and something to hide.
When the cofounder of Snoop, a trendy London-based tech start-up, organizesā¦
A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.
Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother hadā¦
Iām a psychologist by profession and Iām fascinated by the way personalities develop and change with life events. In novels, Iām drawn towards wounded characters who are searching for something to make them feel whole. Common issues I see in my psychotherapy work include imposter syndrome, low self-esteem, feelings of not being good enough. Many people try to hide their vulnerability behind a mask, faking confidence or bravado, or pretending to be something theyāre not. But these fictional characters take it up a level, one small step at a time, until the lies build and they end up in a web of deceit with no way out.
From the opening sentence I was hooked. Whatmight have started earlier? Why was the protagonist scratching on his forearm rather than using pen and paper? From the first page we are deep inside the head of the lead character, Paul Morris, and itās not always a pretty place. He is a cynical manipulative liar, a deeply unpleasant man, but I was intrigued by how far he would go and whether he would get caught out.
Itās a slow burn as we watch the deceit unfold. We experience the lead characterās tension as he realises the mess heās got himself into with his lies, then witness his struggle to backtrack and make things good. By the end I felt quite sorry for him. It had me gripped!
The truth is, we all tell lies... take a deep breath and dive into the book everyone's raving about.
'If you've had a hole in your literary life since finishing Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, this is the book to fill it' Grazia
It starts with a lie. The kind we've all told - to a former acquaintance we can't quite place but still, for some reason, feel the need to impress. The story of our life, embellished for the benefit of the happily married lawyer with the kids and the lovely home.
I was born in the worldās most isolated capital city ā Perth, Western Australia. Ever since my family packed up and drove across the vast Nullarbor Plain to relocate to South Australia, Iāve been fascinated by our eerie, wide-open spaces. Thereās no doubt that family folklore fed into this. My Finnish mother arrived as a ten-year-old, recalling that when she first felt the heat, she thought: āThis is hell.ā My father and his family arrived from the Netherlands. I love my country, but this continent presents dangers in its arid isolation ā all captivating to a storyteller.
From chapter one, my heart was in my throat as I prayed that old Frank and his granddaughter Allie would come out of this story aliveā¦ Frank owns a remote Australian roadhouse and heās used to living alone. I loved reading about his silent routine and the way he moves about his premises without even turning a light on. Thereās nothing outside his windows but scrub and rusted farming equipment.
While the isolated setting may seem tranquil, tension instantly oozes from the pages. Suspicious visitors soon arrive, and from then on, the action is relentless!
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide - an electrifying, heartpounding, truly unputdownable thriller - a bestselling debut from talented newcomer, Gabriel Bergmoser.
'A truly terrifying, breathlessly exciting novel. It gut punches you in the first few pages and doesn't let you recover until the final, thrilling climax. An extraordinary book.' M W Craven
'An original and high-octane read, it makes Deliverance look like Picnic at Hanging Rock.' The Times/Sunday Times Crime Club
Frank is a service station owner on a little-used highway who just wants a quiet life. His granddaughter has been sent to stay with him to fix herā¦
Growing up in a snowy, rural mountain town of less than 500 people, I became fascinated with humanity's will to survive the elements at an early age because I often had to do so myself. Add in a mysterious force or an escaped killer wandering through the hills outside a secluded cabin, and you've got my favorite thriller subgenre: Trapped and secluded. It wasn't until my third novel, The Excursion, that I realized my longtime dream of writing a survival thriller influenced by dozens of books and movies. Today, I live in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, but the mountains are close. And so are the secluded cabins.
This book has all the elements I love in a secluded thriller, masterfully done with heart-pounding suspense and a solid backstory.
For me, nothingās better than a thriller with a single setting and a heroine trapped by the weather who must cleverly unravel a mystery to escape. The author does an excellent job of combining a claustrophobic settingāa snowed-in rest stop in the mountains of Coloradoāwith a couple of super creepy characters for the heroine to contend with.
In fact, I was most impressed with the depth of this novel because the heroine, Darby, must do more than escape. She must use her cunning and fortitude to rescue someone else. Someone the creepy occupants of the rest stop want to keep hidden at all costs.Ā
āWhat a box of tricks! This full-throttle thriller, dark and driving, rivals Agatha Christie forĀ sheer ingenuity and James Patterson for flat-out speed. Swift, sharp, and relentless.āĀ āĀ A. J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
A brilliant, edgy thriller about four strangers, a blizzard, a kidnapped child, and a determined young woman desperate to unmask and outwit a vicious psychopath.
A kidnapped little girl locked in a strangerās van. No help for miles. What would you do?
On her way to Utah to see her dying mother, college student Darby Thorne getsā¦
It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.
The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to runā¦
I was born in the worldās most isolated capital city ā Perth, Western Australia. Ever since my family packed up and drove across the vast Nullarbor Plain to relocate to South Australia, Iāve been fascinated by our eerie, wide-open spaces. Thereās no doubt that family folklore fed into this. My Finnish mother arrived as a ten-year-old, recalling that when she first felt the heat, she thought: āThis is hell.ā My father and his family arrived from the Netherlands. I love my country, but this continent presents dangers in its arid isolation ā all captivating to a storyteller.
Ever since I read this haunting book, I havenāt been able to shake the memory. Its Ozark Mountain setting is incredibly well-rendered, mostly via trailer-dwelling characters scrabbling to survive. In this community, vulnerable girls have gone missing, and young Lucy Dane is trying to work out why.
There are entrancing, regular tales of hunting, gathering, and cooking (one character has a popular recipe for squirrel dumplings). This made the story feel so authentic and tangible, lending even more fear and credence to the disturbing crimes that take place.
'It is a long time since I have read a debut as impressive as Laura McHugh's The Weight of Blood. It is a chilling portrait of a small town in the Ozarks where violent men are protected and young women vanish.' Joan Smith, The Sunday Times
People still whisper about Lucy Dane's mother who vanished years ago from the town of Henbane, deep in the Ozark mountains.
When one of Lucy's friends is found murdered, Lucy feels haunted by the two lost women: by the mother she never knew, and the friend she couldn't protect.
