Thriller

The Girl on the Train

Posted on by The Novel Girl

The Girl on the Train cover

Author: Paula Hawkins

Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Publisher: Riverhead Books

Pages: 336

 

Rachel takes the same train in to town every day. Every day she sees the same couple, and watches as their lives (as she sees them) unfold before her. Their lives that are being lived just a few houses down from the life that she so recently lost. She has made up her own story about their perfect life. In her mind, it is a wonderful life. It is wonderful, until the day that it isn’t. Rachel sees something that shatters her image of “Jess and Jason”. Not long after seeing this, “Jess” goes missing. Rachel is suddenly thrust in to the middle of, not only the investigation, but their lives and the lives of everyone around them- including her ex-husband and his new family. Will they believe what Rachel has to say?

I will start by saying that it actually took me two tries to really get in to this book and read it all the way through. I believe that was a “me” thing though. It is a book that you have to be in the mood for, and I don’t think that I was in the right frame of mind the first time. The second time, however, I really enjoyed it. It is told from different narrators, but mostly from the unreliable narrator that is Rachel. It would be easy to feel a bit lost if you aren’t paying attention to the book as you’re reading it, as the narrator is an unreliable one (a drunk), so it can be difficult to tell if you’re really getting the story or not. That being said, it is a great psychological thriller with a wonderful twist! If you enjoy books that keep you thinking and guessing, this is a good one for you!

Bad Monkey

Posted on by The Novel Girl

bad monkey cover

Author: Carl Hiaasen

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 400

 

Andrew Yancey was a detective with the Monroe County Sheriff’s office, until an altercation with his lover’s husband got a little out of hand. Now he has been reduced to an Inspector on the “roach patrol”. He also has an arm in his freezer. The detective in him doesn’t believe the story behind this arm, though, and he believes that is he can prove and solve the murder it will buy his way back in to his badge. It won’t be that simple, though. He will have to wade his way through a horde of kooky characters including the deceased’s wife and daughter, ambitious (to a fault) real estate developers, the aforementioned (now ex) lover, a crazy voodoo priestess, and of course, the bad monkey.

This was my first Hiaasen read, and was recommended and loaned to me by a friend. It will definitely not be my last! The setting/world was beautifully built and easy to imagine, and the characters were so well developed. The story was entertaining, and laugh out loud funny in many places. It had stories within the main plot that kept the mind working, and enough questions within it that I really wasn’t sure what was going to happen. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Quitters Inc.

Posted on by The Novel Girl

quitters inc cover

 

Author: Stephen King

Narrator: Eric Roberts

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Publisher: Phoenix Audio

 

Dick has an addiction problem: he eats too much, works too much, and smokes way too much. By happenstance, he runs in to an old pal at the airport who has kicked his habits, and offers him a way to quit his addictions: a place called Quitters Inc. Dick thinks that it is all probable a sham, but decides to check it out anyway. Before he knows it, Dick has signed up for a program that has severe punishment is he ever backslides on his smoking addiction. The consequences begin with mild electric shocks to his unsuspecting wife, and only get worse for his loved ones from there. Will Dick be able to quit his addictions in order to save his loved ones from to consequences of his shortcomings?

This is a wonderful short story, which was originally a part of King’s book of short stories titled Night Shift and then one of the stories in the movie Cat’s Eye. I loved this story! It wasn’t particularly creepy or scary, but it was definitely entertaining and kept me engaged while listening to it. If you enjoy King’s work, I definitely recommend this classic short story!

 

The Creeping

Posted on by The Novel Girl

Creeping cover

Author: Alexandra Sirowy

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Fantasy

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Pages: 400

 

Twelve years ago, when they were six, Stella and her friend Jeanie disappeared while picking strawberries in Jeanie’s front yard. Stella returned, Jeanie didn’t. No one knows what happened to them, and it has become what the town, and Stella, are known for. Stella has no memory of what happened that day, and she is beyond trying to figure it out. She is over everything having to do with it. That is until the body of another little red haired girl shows up. Fragments of Stella’s memories begin to resurface, and she begins to try to remember, with the help of those around her. If you hunt for monsters, you will find them…

I really enjoyed this book! It wasn’t quite what I thought that it was going to be, from simply looking at the cover and reading the blurb in the bookstore, but it turned out to be really enjoyable. The writing flows really well, and the characters are really well written. I had a very clear picture of them and the setting while I was reading. I actually became really engrossed in it and read the last 250 pages in one sitting, and I love when I can do that. It has some really great twists in it, and when I thought I had it figured out, I didn’t. I recommend it!