we’re in six months YearSo I’m here to offer some fun reading escapes through thrillers. Now I know the term “summer reading” means something completely different to everyone – I’m currently loading up on nonfiction and horror for the summer – so I have three different options that still remain firmly in the “thriller” category. There’s a psychopath story with a twist where they’re the ones being killed, a missing wife thriller about what he did or didn’t do, and a domestic thriller in which the imprisoned killer is being interviewed…
Students are being killed in a secret university program
never saw me coming by Vera Kurian
A university has a secret program where they offer therapy and tutoring to psychopaths in exchange for monitoring them to study. Currently nominated are Chloe, Charles and Andre. Andre is pretending to be a psychopath after a joke goes wrong, and the scholarship to the program was too good to refuse. Charles is trying to use the program to do well in school, navigate society, and maintain his relationship with his girlfriend. Chloe is using the program to track down and kill the man who sexually assaulted her. They are not here to negotiate with each other, but that should happen when it becomes clear that someone is killing people enrolled in the program. Will Chloe succeed, and who is the killer?!
domestic thriller
last party by AR Torre
I’m going to start by saying that it’s best to read this knowing as little as possible for the full OMGWHAT effect. But I know many readers need to know more, so if you’re that reader, I’m going to first give a spoiler-free blurb and then a spoiler-ish sentence, which you’ll find out pretty early in the book, and I don’t actually say that.
No spoilers: Perla Wultz lives a beautiful life with her husband and young daughter. But we learn in the early scenes that Perla has some trouble telling the truth, which her family knows about. However, what she doesn’t know is that she has become deeply obsessed with a man convicted of murdering two girls during a birthday party more than 23 years ago. We follow Perla, her daughter, the killer, and the man who interviews the killer in prison.
Spoilery-ish: Perla reveals her absolutely terrifying plan early on, and for those readers who need a page-turning element, you’ll definitely be curious to see if she goes through with it.
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he did or didn’t
hold your breath by Linwood Barclay
When Andrew Mason goes on a fishing trip with his best friend, his wife Bree disappears from their home. Although Bree is never found, Andrew remains the number one suspect. To get away from everything related to the case, Andrew sold his house and now lives with his girlfriend and her younger brother, over whom he has custody. Six years after Bree disappeared, someone saw Bree running towards the house she shared with Andrew, before she panicked and disappeared once again.
Now all the questions about the case have resurfaced: what really happened to Brie, who is/was responsible, and what in the world is going on?!
Browse books recommended in past Unusual Suspects newsletters on this heLeftsee more 2026 Release! Until next time, come talk books with me blue sky, goodreads, litsiAnd Majority involved.
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