Like always, I’m gonna try to avoid the obvious choices (The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, Fight Club…), but you can be sure the books below rival the hall-of-famers of surprise endings:
1. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
An alcoholic agoraphobe with the habit of peeking into her neighbors’ windows sees murder of a woman who doesn’t seem to exist.
This is a thriller written in a fast-paced, pulpy style. Admittedly, the middle contains some filler, but the clear prose reminiscent of Laird Barron makes it a smooth read.
2. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
A classic gothic horror mystery about a young bride who becomes the wife of a wealthy widower. She tries to unveil the mysterious death of the man’s first wife, Rebecca.
The beautiful prose and gothic setting make this a magical read if you’re in the mood for something dark but not too dark.
3. The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse
Elin goes on a winter vacation with her boyfriend in a converted Swiss sanatorium when she finds herself entangled in a web of dark secrets and a murder investigation as guests start disappearing and the past comes back to haunt them. This one’s a creepy read with the flavor of gothic horror.
4. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Alicia’s life seems perfect. She’s a famous painter married to a successful photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening, her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face. She never speaks another word.
We follow a criminal psychotherapist Theo Faber as he tries to figure out why Alicia killed her husband.
5. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
A rich couple wants to go to a dinner party but their babysitter cancels at the last minute. The couple leaves their six-month-old baby alone, planning to check up on her every 30 minutes. But the baby disappears.
As police investigate, secrets come out left and right. Lapena’s fast-paced prose makes this a quick and easy read, and, of course, she pulls an M. Night Shyamalan at the end.
Honorable Mention: One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus
A young adult murder mystery from a high school environment. Five students walk into detention, four walk out. Who killed the boy who had more enemies than pineapple pizza? The nerd, the jock, the princess, or the criminal?
There are two big plot twists regarding the murder mystery, but, really, you can easily guess the first one within the 40 pages. I did. But the second one, I never figured that out, yet it makes sense.
The characters are likable enough, and the highlight for most readers seems to be the growing relationship between the nerd and the criminal.
I gotta say, though, the title is, ironically, a lie. They’re all lying. Some of them on multiple occasions. This isn’t a spoiler, we learn very soon that every one of our four heroes has one or more secrets.
The book itself is a quick and enjoyable read.
All right, that’s it. See you later, and have a wonderful day. 👋 🎉