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Quick answer: If you loved Behind Her Eyes, try Cross Her Heart, 13 Minutes, The Silent Patient, Gone Girl, Verity and The Wife Between Us. They share twisty plots and shocking endings.
Sarah Pinborough's 2017 thriller follows Louise, a single mother who begins an affair with her boss while befriending his wife, and the novel builds to a famous twist. Readers who finish it want more thrillers with big reveals. These 15 books are built around surprises. They include psychological suspense and domestic thrillers. Avoid spoilers as you read.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Her Heart | Sarah Pinborough | Adult | more by the same author |
| 13 Minutes | Sarah Pinborough | Adult | Pinborough fans |
| The Silent Patient | Alex Michaelides | Adult | readers who like psychological twists |
| Gone Girl | Gillian Flynn | Adult | readers who like dark marriages |
| Verity | Colleen Hoover | Adult | readers who like shock |
| The Wife Between Us | Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen | Adult | readers who like shifting perspectives |
| Sometimes I Lie | Alice Feeney | Adult | readers who like unusual narrators |
| The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins | Adult | readers who like unreliable narrators |
| The Woman in the Window | A.J. Finn | Adult | readers who like voyeur thrillers |
| The Last Thing He Told Me | Laura Dave | Adult | readers who like family secrets |
| The Couple Next Door | Shari Lapena | Adult | readers who like quick reads |
| Before I Go to Sleep | S.J. Watson | Adult | readers who like memory-based suspense |
| The Housemaid | Freida McFadden | Adult | readers who like quick reads |
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | Adult | readers who want a classic |
| And Then There Were None | Agatha Christie | Adult | readers who like puzzles |
1. Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough
A mother's fear for her daughter leads to a dark secret. Another Pinborough thriller with a twisty plot.
Best for: more by the same author.
2. 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough
A teen who was dead for 13 minutes cannot remember what happened to her. A dark story of friendship and betrayal.
Best for: Pinborough fans.
3. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
A therapist investigates why a woman stopped speaking after killing her husband. A big twist.
Best for: readers who like psychological twists.
4. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Amy disappears and her husband is the main suspect. A cynical marriage thriller.
Best for: readers who like dark marriages.
5. Verity by Colleen Hoover
A struggling writer is hired to finish a famous author's series and finds a disturbing hidden manuscript. Dark and twisty.
Best for: readers who like shock.
6. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
A divorced woman and her ex-husband's new fiancée have a story that shifts. A twisty domestic thriller.
Best for: readers who like shifting perspectives.
7. Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
Amber wakes in a coma and cannot move, though she can hear and think. A debut that sets a tricky puzzle.
Best for: readers who like unusual narrators.
8. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Rachel watches a couple from a commuter train and is drawn into a disappearance. A bestselling thriller.
Best for: readers who like unreliable narrators.
9. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
An agoraphobic woman thinks she sees a crime in a neighbor's home. Hitchcock-style suspense.
Best for: readers who like voyeur thrillers.
10. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Hannah searches for the truth after her husband vanishes and leaves a note. Fast and emotional.
Best for: readers who like family secrets.
11. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
A baby disappears while her parents are at a neighbor's party. Fast and twisty.
Best for: readers who like quick reads.
12. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
Christine wakes every day with no memory and must piece together her life. Tense and clever.
Best for: readers who like memory-based suspense.
13. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Millie takes a job as a live-in maid for a wealthy family and notices odd details. Twisty and fast.
Best for: readers who like quick reads.
14. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A young bride lives in the shadow of Manderley's first Mrs. de Winter. The classic that inspired many thrillers.
Best for: readers who want a classic.
15. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Ten strangers are lured to an island and killed one by one. The best-selling mystery of all time.
Best for: readers who like puzzles.
How to Choose
For other Pinborough books, start with Cross Her Heart. For psychological twists, read The Silent Patient or Before I Go to Sleep. For marriage thrillers, choose Gone Girl or The Wife Between Us. A simple plan is to read one book with a famous twist and one classic mystery each month. Because the twist is the point, avoid reviews and spoilers until you finish. If you want to enjoy the twist, read in large chunks and avoid checking reviews. Audiobooks are popular for thrillers, but twists can be easier to follow in print.
Related: Is Reading on a Kindle Bad for Your Eyes? · 10 Psychological Tricks Behind Bestselling Books That Hook Readers
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Behind Her Eyes supernatural?
It has a twist that goes beyond a standard thriller, so avoid spoilers.
Is there a series?
No. It is a standalone, and a Netflix miniseries adapted it in 2021.
Is the ending satisfying?
Many readers love the surprise, while others find it divisive.
Is it graphic?
It has some adult scenes and domestic tension.
Why is the ending so talked about?
It changes how you see the whole story, and readers often reread the book after finishing.
What should I read if I want something less dark?
The Maid and The Thursday Murder Club are gentler.