Dark Twists and Secrets: 3 Thrillers You’ll Love

I’ve been on a bit of a thriller streak lately. I was in the mood for books with secrets, lies, unreliable narrators, shady characters and that delicious feeling of not knowing who to trust. I picked up The Last Thing He Told Me, The Family Upstairs, and The Woman in Cabin 10 over the past few weeks, and each one had enough suspense to keep me turning the pages. None were perfect, but all had something that kept me invested. Here’s what I thought of each them; spoiler free.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
⭐️⭐️⭐️½

What’s it about

This one kicks off with a handwritten note: “Protect her.” That’s all Hannah gets from her husband Owen before he disappears without a trace. No call, no explanation, just that message and a duffel bag full of cash left for his teenage daughter, Bailey. And from there, things spiral.

At first, I wasn’t sure what kind of thriller this was going to be. It’s not high-speed or action-packed. It’s slower, more of a quiet unraveling. You follow Hannah, trying to piece together Owen’s past while also navigating a very tense relationship with Bailey, who’s not exactly thrilled to be stuck with her stepmother.

What I liked

What really worked for me was the emotional tension. There’s a real push-and-pull between Hannah and Bailey, and watching them slowly move from suspicion to something more solid felt believable. I also liked how the story wove in flashbacks to Hannah and Owen’s relationship—it added depth, made you question what was real and what was just what she wanted to believe.

What didn’t work for me

That said, the pacing dragged a bit in the middle. Some chapters felt like they were circling the same point. And the final reveal, while unexpected, felt a little too neatly wrapped up for me. Still, I liked that the book wasn’t just about the mystery, it was also about the relationship between two people who were basically strangers, trying to figure out how to trust each other.

By the end, it felt less like a thriller and more like a story about chosen family. Not what I expected going in, but I appreciated the shift. It didn’t blow me away, but I was definitely invested and the twist though not surprising was appreciated.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
⭐️⭐️⭐️½

What’s it about

This one was very interesting8. It starts with Libby, who just turned 25, finding out she’s inherited a massive old house in London. Turns out, she was adopted—and her birth parents died in what looked like a suicide pact when she was a baby. Very mysterious.

From there, it becomes this tangled web of secrets, cult-like control, missing siblings, and twisted family dynamics. The story flips between Libby’s point of view, a woman named Lucy living in France with her kids, and these flashbacks from Henry, her older brother. Slowly, everything connects.

What I liked

What I liked: it kept me guessing the whole way through. The structure worked and I liked how the flashbacks slowly filled in the blanks, and the past and present lined up neatly. The creepy atmosphere of the mansion, the slow realization of just how bad things got inside that house… at time was unsettling. Also, the cult-ish control David had over everyone felt disturbingly believable.

Lucy’s chapters added an emotional layer that grounded the story, especially since she’s doing everything she can to protect her children. And Henry was there to recount their strange and chilling past. His chapters were some of the most gripping and also the most disturbing.

That said, it gets messy. There are a lot of characters, and at times, I had to stop and remind myself who was who. The pacing dipped a bit in the middle, and some of the big reveals came fast and close together, almost too quickly for them to really hit.

The ending surprised me not in a “plot twist!” way but more in how dark it got. Especially when you find out Henry’s been hiding a pretty big secret, and not a good one. Still, the story came full circle in a satisfying way.

If you like your thrillers with complicated families, creepy houses, and secrets layered on top of more secrets, this is one to check out. Just maybe keep a character list handy.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
⭐️⭐️⭐️½

What’s it about

This one had that classic locked-room vibe but with a twist. It follows Lo, a travel journalist who’s just been through a home break-in and is clearly on edge. She gets this big opportunity to go on a luxury cruise to write a feature, but right from the start, you know she’s not in the best headspace. She’s dealing with anxiety, insomnia, and relying a bit too much on alcohol to cope.

Things get weird fast. On her first night aboard, she thinks she hears someone being thrown overboard. She’s convinced it’s the woman she briefly spoke to earlier in Cabin 10 but security tells her that cabin was empty all along. No one believes her. She starts doubting herself, too, but can’t let it go.

What I liked

I liked the atmosphere, the closed setting on a fancy boat in the middle of the Norwegian fjords worked really well. There’s something about being trapped in one place with a bunch of strangers that automatically builds tension. Add in the missing woman, the smear of blood that mysteriously disappears, and Lo slowly unraveling, and you’ve got a solid setup.

What didn’t work for me

What didn’t quite land for me was Lo herself. She’s written to be unreliable because of the drinking, the trauma, the meds and after a while, it gets frustrating. I wasn’t sure if I should root for her or shake her. Some of her decisions were just plain questionable. That said, the mystery kept me invested. I didn’t see where it was going at all. The truth ended up being much messier and darker than I expected.

By the time it wrapped up, it felt more like a psychological suspense than a thriller. The tension wasn’t about solving a crime, it was about Lo trying to stay sane and survive. The ending surprised me. There’s a final twist that adds a whole new layer, I liked it.

Not my favorite Ruth Ware, but still a solid read if you like thrillers that keep you guessing and characters who aren’t easy to pin down.

Final thoughts

All three books had twists, some I didn’t fully see coming, which is rare for me I usually guess things early. That unpredictability is why I gave them each 3.5 stars. They didn’t blow me away, but they were solid, engaging, and gave me exactly what I was craving: mystery, suspense, and just enough darkness.If you’re in the mood for thrillers that won’t demand too much from you but still keep you guessing, any of these are worth a try.

Have you read any of these? Or do you have a favorite thriller I should try next? Let me know in the comments.