It’s official — we’re a nation of thrill-seekers. Or at least that’s the case when it comes to our reading material.
According to new figures from U.K. libraries, nine out of the 10 most borrowed books in 2014-2015 were thrillers. James Patterson was the most-borrowed author overall, but Lee Child pipped him to the top slot with his latest Jack Reacher title, Personal.
If you’re a fan of crime fiction, these 11 novels will get your heart racing.
‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn
Gillian Flynn’s tale of a darkly dysfunctional marriage, Gone Girl, was the seventh most-borrowed book in U.K. libraries in 2014-2015. The film was good. The book is even better.
‘Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier
Since its publication in 1938, Daphne du Maurier’s international bestseller Rebecca has never gone out of print. It’s a haunting story of a young girl consumed by love and the struggle to find her identity.
‘Misery’ by Stephen King
Another thriller that became a successful film, Stephen King’s Misery is the bloodcurdling tale of a writer at the mercy of his “number-one fan”.
‘Before I Go to Sleep’ by S. J. Watson
Can you imagine losing your memory every time you sleep? That’s the nightmare Christine lives in S. J. Watson’s bestselling Before I Go to Sleep.
‘The Big Sleep’ by Raymond Chandler
First published in 1939, Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep remains one of the most popular crime novels. Murder, blackmail and pornography are timeless.
‘Sleepyhead’ by Mark Billingham
“He doesn’t want you alive. He doesn’t want you dead. He wants you somewhere in between”, says the blurb on Mark Billingham’s Sleepyhead, which indicates just how disturbing this read is.
‘In Cold Blood’ by Truman Capote
Strictly speaking, Truman Capote’s 1966 work In Cold Blood, about the senseless and brutal real-life murder of a Kansas farmer, his wife and two of their children, is non-fiction. But it’s still a must-read for any thriller fan. The book made Capote’s name, and he was credited with “reinventing reportage”.
‘Relentless’ by Simon Kendrick
According to Lee Child, “Simon Kernick writes great plots, great characters, great action”, and Relentless is considered to be one of Kernick’s best books so far.
‘The Silence of the Lambs’ by Thomas Harris
Another crime novel that’s even better than its hugely successful and brilliant movie adaptation, The Silence of the Lambs is a perfectly executed thriller told from the perspective of the criminals as well as the crime-fighters.
‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker
Modern readers may be harder to shock than Dracula’s original Victorian audience, but Bram Stoker’s 1897 gothic tale remains truly creepy and gripping as it unfolds via the journals, letters and notebooks of a range of characters.
‘The Retribution’ by Val McDermid
Val McDermid’s 25th novel, The Retribution, is so disturbing it should come “with a health warning”, wrote one reviewer — which is exactly what we want from a crime novel, right?
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