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Quick answer: If you loved Iain Reid, read Alex Michaelides's The Silent Patient, then Josh Malerman's Bird Box, then Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves, and Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and Sharp Objects and Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. All are unsettling psychological thrillers.
Iain Reid writes eerie novels such as I'm Thinking of Ending Things. These picks share the dread.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Silent Patient | Alex Michaelides | Adult | readers who like psychological thrillers |
| Bird Box | Josh Malerman | Adult | readers who like suspense |
| House of Leaves | Mark Z. Danielewski | Adult | adventurous readers |
| Gone Girl | Gillian Flynn | Adult | readers who like unreliable narrators |
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | Adult | readers who want the classic |
| Mrs. March | Virginia Feito | Adult | creeping paranoia |
| Sharp Objects | Gillian Flynn | Adult | readers who like psychological thrillers |
| The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins | Adult | readers who love a classic thriller |
| Verity | Colleen Hoover | Adult | readers who like shocking suspense |
| My Sister, the Serial Killer | Oyinkan Braithwaite | Adult | readers who want a quick read |
| The Haunting of Hill House | Shirley Jackson | Adult | parents who want a classic |
| Heart-Shaped Box | Joe Hill | Adult | modern ghost stories |
| Behind Closed Doors | B.A. Paris | Adult | readers who like psychological dread |
| Penpal | Dathan Auerbach | Adult | slow-burn horror |
| Never Let Me Go | Kazuo Ishiguro | Adult | readers who want slow-burn dread |
1. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Theo investigates why a woman has stopped speaking after murdering her husband. A big twist ending.
Best for: readers who like psychological thrillers.
2. Bird Box by Josh Malerman
Malorie tries to lead her children down a river blindfolded because seeing is dangerous. Tense and original.
Best for: readers who like suspense.
3. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
A house is bigger on the inside than the outside, and a text about it drives readers mad. Experimental and dense.
Best for: adventurous readers.
4. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Amy disappears on her wedding anniversary, and her husband becomes the main suspect. A twisty, cynical marriage thriller.
Best for: readers who like unreliable narrators.
5. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A young bride arrives at Manderley and lives in the shadow of the first Mrs. de Winter. A masterpiece of gothic suspense.
Best for: readers who want the classic.
6. Mrs. March by Virginia Feito
A wealthy woman descends into suspicion after reading a novel. Eerie and sharp.
Best for: creeping paranoia.
7. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Camille returns to her hometown to report on the murder of two girls and faces her family. Dark and stylish.
Best for: readers who like psychological thrillers.
8. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Rachel watches a couple from her commuter train and gets caught up in a disappearance. A bestselling thriller.
Best for: readers who love a classic thriller.
9. 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 shocking suspense.
10. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Korede cleans up after her beautiful sister Ayoola's murders in Lagos. Short, dark and funny.
Best for: readers who want a quick read.
11. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Four people stay in a house with a bad reputation. A masterpiece of ghostly dread for adults.
Best for: parents who want a classic.
12. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
An aging rock star buys a ghost online and is haunted by it. Fast, scary and by King's son.
Best for: modern ghost stories.
13. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
A seemingly perfect marriage hides a horrifying secret. Dark and quick.
Best for: readers who like psychological dread.
14. Penpal by Dathan Auerbach
A man looks back on strange events from his childhood, and the pieces slowly form a disturbing picture. Began as an online horror story.
Best for: slow-burn horror.
15. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Kathy H. recalls her years at Hailsham, a school with a terrible secret about its students' purpose. Quiet and haunting.
Best for: readers who want slow-burn dread.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Iain Reid: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Iain Reid. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For psychological thrillers, read The Silent Patient. For dread, try Bird Box. For unease, pick House of Leaves.
Related: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski: Summary and Key Takeaways · Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Iain Reid?
A Canadian author.
What is his best-known book?
I'm Thinking of Ending Things.
Is there a film?
Yes, a 2020 Netflix film.
Which book here is best for readers who want slow-burn dread?
Try Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, which suits readers looking for readers who want slow-burn dread.
Which book here is best for slow-burn horror?
Try Penpal by Dathan Auerbach, which suits readers looking for slow-burn horror.
Which book here is best for readers who like psychological dread?
Try Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, which suits readers looking for readers who like psychological dread.