September is officially the unofficial start of fall, right? Humor me. I’ve already started pulling out the pumpkins and I’m planning on painting my nails dark at my next salon visit. We’re close enough.

And.. thrillers just hit better in the fall, don’t they? The leaves start changing, there’s a chill in the air, and there’s always a mysterious psychopath on the loose.

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I don’t know what it is, but I think it dates back to when I read Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney a couple years ago. I mean, honestly, I should probably be getting royalties from Ms. Feeney because I literally tell every single person I ever meet to read this book. Do you understand how many Facebook messages I’ve gotten from some of those people afterwards thanking me?! Because it’s THAT GOOD?!

Someone in a Facebook group I’m part of made a post that said, “I can’t remember who, but to the girl who told me about Sometimes I Lie..WOW. Thank you!”

That was me. You’re welcome.

But I’m getting away from my point: I’m obsessed with a good thriller. I’m always on the hunt for the next book that will give me that “Oh no she DIDN’T” feeling like I had when I turned the page to read about the ‘cool girl’ in Gone Girl. Or when I found out what I found out in Sometimes I Lie (no spoilers here! I save that for Book Chat!)

So I’ll stop blabbing and get to my next point: Here are my Top 5 Thrillers that you should add to your fall reading list. Light your fall scented candles, grab your Pumpkin Spice Latte, and report back immediately. Because, #bookclub, and you’re all now officially members. (Which, don’t forget to add your email to my list! I’m trying to organize a book club so if you’re in, sign up to find out when it’s officially live!)

5 thrillers to Read This Fall

You by CAroline Kepnes

My Goodreads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You by Caroline Kepnes is so super creepy, but like.. in a “omg I have to keep reading” kind of way. It’s even become a series on Netflix, which tells you right there it’s amazing – and season 3 will be available for streaming in fall of 2021- which makes now the perfect time to binge read so you can prep for some binge-watching.

You is a novel about a college-age girl named Beck who meets Joe. Joe is just your typical average guy.. working in a bookstore (sounds like I’d love him), who just so happens to be a complete psychopath stalker. What starts off as young love quickly turns into something more disturbing, and I promise, after reading this you probably won’t want to date anyone for awhile.

But you WILL want to watch the series. Trust me. It’s one of those rare times that the flick is just as good (if not better) as the book. (Spoiler: season two is definitely better than the book, sorry!)

Something in the Water

My Goodreads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was hooked immediately from page one. Maybe it was page two. I can’t remember because my friend is borrowing this book from me right now so I have no way to reference. But regardless, I was hooked.

“Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave?”

SO GOOD. I read this book in about a day and a half while we were on vacation; literally couldn’t put it down. I also think it’s really amazing that the author, Catherine Steadman, is a well known actress. Mad respect for putting on her writer’s hat with this as her debut.

Something in the Water is about a newlywed couple who discovers something while honeymooning and ultimately make a decision that will change their lives forever. That’s all you’re getting from me.

In being completely transparent, I have to be honest that I didn’t particularly love the ending. Like.. no offense to Mrs. Steadman, but I feel like for as WHOA as the book was, the ending should have gone in a WHOLE other direction and would have left people like “Holy Guacamole..” But, ending aside, this book kept my undivided attention and made for a really great, and quick read.

So, please go get it, read it, and then let me know how you think it should have ended. Or.. go get it, read it, and then let me tell you how I think it should have ended. Because I will gladly share my thoughts.

Then She Was Gone

My Goodreads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell upset me to my core, but I still want you to read it.

I’m not going to say a whole lot because I feel like I could run the risk of giving too much away., but this book snagged my mama heart and didn’t let it go. I only wish the ending could have been happier, which is probably ridiculous because these types of books never have happy endings.

The book is written mostly from the perspective of Laurel, the mother of Ellie who went missing when she was fifteen. Jumping back and forth between multiple narrators, it gives you a glimpse into what really happened ten years ago when Ellie disappeared, and what Laurel is on the brink of discovering during the current day.

I cried. Like, probably more than most have at reading this. But it broke my heart in all the right places and this story will definitely haunt you for awhile if you give it a read.

The Woman in the Window

My Goodreads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If I was only allowed to tell you one opinion about this book, it would be that I thought it was beautifully written. Like, I have no other way to describe it. A.J. Finn wrote the main character’s personality, flaws and all, absolutely beautifully.

The Woman in the Window is about a woman named Anna who lives alone in New York, and suffers from Agoraphobia, where she is afraid to leave her home. When a new family moves in “across the park” (which I still haven’t figured out if that means across the street or next door), she becomes fixated on something she witnesses one night through the windows.

I pride myself on being able to guess the outcome of a story right from the beginning, and honestly, this is one that I figured out pretty early on. Not ALL of the surprises, but a few of them.

I haven’t watched the film version yet, but I hope that the storyline projects as well on the big screen as it did in the book, because I fear a lot of the connection you’ll feel toward Anna could get lost.

Have you watched the movie? Let me know your thoughts and if it should move up my list of things to watch!

Shutter Island

My Goodreads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Yes, I realize this book has been out since 2003, and yes I’m also aware it was adapted for film starring an old-time favorite of mine, Leonardo DiCaprio. And no, I have not read nor seen the movie until just recently, thanks to the suggestion of a friend (shout-out, Kayce!), and a snag on a whim during a recent library visit.

I also might have gotten this confused with the movie The Beach (which I thought was called The Island), also starring Leonardo DiCaprio, so I was a little lost for the first couple chapters, but that’s neither here nor there.

The point is, holy freaking cow. This novel is a pure mind f****. (Sorry for all the language thus far in this post but I feel pretty strongly about these books).

If you can get past the first two chapters, you’re set. Because let’s be honest.. for the first two chapters I was trying to keep up with the 1950’s lingo between two men, plus I was super confused about the shipwreck that I thought was about to happen, but kept wondering why were there so many people around, because even if I hadn’t seen The Island (aka The Beach) I was pretty sure Leo wasn’t surrounded by a million people during the movie? I mean, who knows.

Regardless, I should have read this sooner in my life. What Shutter Island really is about, is two US Marshalls who travel to a remote island that houses a mental institution for the criminally insane, to investigate the disappearance of an inmate. Or is it? Cue the Twilight music.

That’s all you’re getting from me because I promise this is one ending you will NOT see coming!

SO. Those are my top 5 recommendations to add to your reading list this fall. Now it’s your turn to drop a comment and suggest a book for me to read!