Expectation: A dark and twisted gay “Bonnie and Clyde.”
Reality: Despite its intriguing premise and well-written characters, "These Violent Delights" is a super slow-burning thriller with too many unresolved plot points that left me wanting more.
All tagged thriller
Age of Vice – Deepti Kapoor
Expectation: A sprawling saga about one of India’s crime families.
Reality: Less literary than anticipated, I was mostly entertained while also being annoyed by the repetitive action and predictable tropes.
Murder Road – Simone St. James
Expectation: Another twisty supernatural thriller from a rather reliable author.
Reality: St. James delivered a lazy, convoluted plot that asked more from the reader than should’ve been allowed.
Yellowface – R. F. Kuang
Expectation: A timely and highly literary story about plagiarism and diversity set against the backdrop of the publishing industry.
Reality: A dark, shocking and highly engrossing novel that dismantles so many hot button issues in less than 400-pages. Unfortunately the last third lost steam.
The Shards – Bret Easton Ellis
Expectation: A based on true events murder mystery set in the privileged world of 1980s Los Angeles teens.
Reality: A hedonistic cat and mouse story that will have you second guessing everything the narrator (a fictionalized version of the author) has told you.
Night Shift – Stephen King
Reading this collection was a damn delight and a nostalgic serotonin boost that transported me back to high school when I devoured my first classic King novels in mass market paperbacks. As my mini-reviews show, this was a mostly solid top-to-bottom collection that got better as the stories progressed. It showcased King at the top of his game - observant, reflective, emotional and downright scary.
Godspeed – Nickolas Butler
Expectation: A race around the clock thriller that taps into shared anxieties about control and opportunity from different experiences on the class spectrum.
Reality: Often ridiculous but frequently entertaining, the good outweighed the bad thanks to strong character development.
The Fisherman – John Langan
Expectation: A gory, nature-themed horror/fantasy centered around a fictional upstate New York urban legend.
Reality: An incredibly boring mishmash of genre tropes that overshadowed the few thrilling scenes and a likable main character.
A Darling Obsession – S. R. Murray
Expectation: A supernatural thriller with historical fiction elements.
Reality: The supernatural is only hinted at in this overstuffed police procedural.
The Plague Stones – James Brogden
Expectation: A fast-paced ghost story with a plot akin to “The Fog.”
Reality: At times uneven and ridiculous, the historical elements helped elevate the premise and the last third delivered.
Pearl – Josh Malerman
Expectation: High concept horror drivel, if the incredibly low user ratings on Goodreads are to be believed.
Reality: Uneven but creative, I was entertained throughout.
Hawk Mountain – Conner Habib
Expectation: A psychological thriller and modern-day revenge fantasy with queer sensibilities.
Reality: A promising first half is squandered by overstuffed plots and a last-minute reveal that is more frustrating than illuminating.
The Dark Half – Stephen King
Expectation: A King classic from his golden era.
Reality: A little long and convoluted, there’s still enough to keep you interested, but this isn’t one of the author’s best works.
The Book of Cold Cases – Simone St. James
Expectation: A fast-paced paranormal mystery with enough plot twists to give you whiplash.
Reality: At times too slow and too long, the story is entertaining enough but far from Simone St. James’ best work.
56 Days – Catherine Ryan Howard
Expectation: A whodunnit cashing in on COVID-19.
Reality: A surprisingly clever, sometimes shocking and utterly enjoyable mystery thriller that used COVID-19 as a logical plot point.
Notes on an Execution – Danya Kukafka
Expectation: A race against the clock of will they or won’t they sensibilities. But with death instead of love.
Reality: A slow-burn character study that takes a few strategic pivots from the usual serial killer narrative.
Razorblade Tears – S. A. Cosby
Expectation: A modern-day revenge tale that doesn’t solely involve rich, white and heterosexual characters.
Reality: A bit clichéd but surprisingly heartfelt and raw exploration for grief, regret and redemption.
The Last House on Needless Street – Catriona Ward
Expectation: A page-turning supernatural thriller.
Reality: A slow-burn mystery with some satisfying last act reveals.
The Troop – Nick Cutter
Expectation: Your standard gore fest.
Reality: An old school throwback gore fest with a surprising amount of heart.
The Anatomy of Desire – L.R. Dorn
Expectation: A mediocre thriller featuring social media influencers.
Reality: A mostly surface-level execution that is strongly aided by the full cast audiobook narration.