Gripping Novels That Will Keep You Up All Night

No One Knows

by J.T. Ellison

If you love a good edge-of-your-seat thriller, this one's for you. Five years after Aubrey Hamilton's husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee, she glimpses someone that makes her wonder if he might be still alive, and if she ever knew him at all. Ellison flips back and forth between the past and present to slowly reveal what went wrong, and what might happen next. The real fun is in puzzling out who's lying, and why. It's not a perfect novel but it's such a good ride. A real brain bender, perfect for Mary Kubica fans. Take note: this is one of the books I wanted to give the 8-line edit treatment. Published March 22 2016.

I Let You Go

by Clare Mackintosh

In a season where every suspense novel is expected to have a "shocking plot twist!" this tightly-crafted novel makes your jaw drop time and again, without feeling gimmicky or manipulative. I was stunned as I slowly came to see that the story wasn't about what I thought it was about at all. On a dark, rainy night, a mother lets go of her son's hand for just an instant. The devastating accident sets the plot in motion. Part police procedural, part domestic suspense, with the ring of authenticity, no doubt thanks to Mackintosh's own 12 years as a police officer. This is an emotional roller coaster of a book. (Sensitive themes ahead, so mind your triggers.)

The Forgetting Time

by Sharon Guskin

Janie knows her 4-year-old son Noah is not like other children. He's terrified of water. He asks for his "other mother." And he always, always wants to go home—even when he's in his very own bed. But one night, thanks to a late-night bourbon-fueled internet session, Janie stumbles upon the work of an eccentric scientist, and begins to confront the possibility that her precious son not only lived a previous life, he'd been murdered in it. The plot resists simplistic solutions and easy answers which keeps you glued to the page. If you have a friend or loved one obsessed with reincarnation, this book is obviously for you—but you don't have to buy the premise to find this a satisfying read. Published February 2 2016.

All the Missing Girls

by Megan Miranda

This nail-biter unravels the story of two girls who disappeared from the same tiny North Carolina town a decade apart. Ten years ago Nicolette Farrell left her hometown for good after her best friend vanished without a trace. She was never going back, but when she gets the call that her dad is sick she reluctantly heads home. Shortly after her arrival another girl vanishes—right after she'd been asking too many questions about the first girl's disappearance. The real twist here is the interesting format: after a short prologue, the story is told in reverse, starting with day 15 of the mystery and workings backwards to day 1. This would feel like a cheap trick if done poorly but it wasn't, and I loved it. If you need characters you can root for, this isn't the book for you. But if you love a creepy mystery in an evocative setting that is practically a character in its own right, bump this to the top of your list. A dark kind of fun.

Before the Fall

by Noah Hawley

Hawley was a successful screenwriter (best known for Fargo long before he was a novelist, and in his fifth novel he proves again he knows how to craft a premise and build suspense. The story opens on a foggy summer night on Martha's Vineyard. Scott Burroughs is a starving artist who catches a last-minute ride on a private jet carrying ten privileged passengers back to New York City. Sixteen minutes into the flight, the plane crashes into the ocean, killing all aboard save Burroughs and a 4-year-old boy he rescues by swimming miles to safety. In alternating chapters we explore what happened before, and what happened after, as we unravel the mystery of why the plane went down. Publication date May 31 2016.

Gripping Novels That Will Keep You Up All Night

No One Knows

I Let You Go

The Forgetting Time

All the Missing Girls

Before the Fall

Find your next read with:

100 Book recommendations
for every mood

Gripping Novels That Will Keep You Up All Night

No One Knows

I Let You Go

The Forgetting Time

All the Missing Girls

Before the Fall

Find your next read with:

100 Book recommendations for every mood

100 Book recommendations
for every mood