Watching Hulu's Paradise has done two things this week: raise my blood pressure and entice me to buy psychological thriller books. They're hair raising because they don't feature mythical creatures from gothic books. By contrast, sinister humans are revealed to be the main villains and that's scarier because it shows what people are capable of.
You'd think I'd despise reading about antagonists who play twisted mind games, but a part of me likes knowing what drives them to commit crimes. Is it because I'm looking for the humanity in them or do I love a great plot that makes me want to binge read until I feel weepy? Eh, let's agree that it's both while you get a glimpse of the books I'm adding to my cart.
Scroll for your next psychological thriller read
Amazon
Fitness influencer Gemma's commitment to polishing her image has finally paid off because she has the body and life most people would pay for. But she's becoming disenchanted by how harsh the bodybuilding industry can be and thinks there's still room for improvement. Did I mention there's someone plotting her downfall?
On the flip side, there's Ashley and her software engineer life. She's tried to morph her body into something societally acceptable, but she hasn't been as successful as Gemma. Ironically, this puts her right in the path of "Fat Activists" who do whatever it takes to push back against the bias women with certain body types face.
Clearly Gemma and Ashley aren't on the same team, but their time in Olympia will challenge them because someone is killing all the fitness girls who are at the bodybuilding competition.
Amazon
Cassidy Foster's whining convinces one of her friends to connect her with Hollywood couple Marisol and Nate Sterling for the job a million girls would die for. Based out of LA, the couple opens their home so Cassidy can become their assistant and she happily uproots her life for them.
The Sterlings are flawless and offer her a taste of glamour as long as she does her job. There's no harm in it until Nate requests Cassidy's help with projects he's working on. Her excitement to learn more about writing turns into an undeniable attraction that she tries to justify in light of how unhappy Nate and Marisol seem when they're not trying to be perfect.But soon Cassidy's dream job turns into night terrors because she uncovers more than she intended to.
One of the Sterlings is hiding a secret and Cassidy's eagerness made her just right for the carefully curated plan that involves a dead body.
Amazon
Gabby's realization that she despises her husband Fred comes after being active parents is no longer at the forefront of their daily tasks. With her attention on nothing else, Gabby discovers she'd rather not see the man who's been in her life for more than several years. This prompts her to make a sarcastic comment to a woman named Ellis she meets at a bar, but she doesn't think anything of it.
By the time Gabby begins to understand something wasn't right about their encounter, more secrets start surfacing and they may be the very things that unravel the life she's been living.
Amazon
Sawyer Stone III and his partner Dani Fox have made quite a name for themselves on YouTube. With their popular channel Sailing with the Foxes, they've managed to amass a following that looks forward to their trips.
During a brief stay in the Bahamas, the couple run into other cruisers who are looking to have a great time and think nothing of spending time with them. But when Dani disappears, the pieces of their perfect puzzle become scattered.
Sawyer's story isn't adding up given how much Dani documented and what other people are uncovering about him. This makes Royal Bahamas Police Force Inspector Veronique Knowles job much harder, but even she begins to wonder if Sawyer's image hide something darker about him.
Amazon
Nick and Amy Dunne were supposed to be celebrating five years of wedded bliss when the latter disappeared without a trace. It's unnerving because they were the perfect match who were celebrated by everyone in town. From Nick's "Prince Charming" persona to Amy's popularity from her parents' celebrated books, what's happened doesn't make sense.
As her investigation pans out, Amy's journal entries seem to allude to how Nick could've snapped and done something terrible to her. It doesn't help that his erratic behavior also reveals a secret that further drove a wedge between the married couple, but he'll be in for the shock of a lifetime when he really discovers where his wife is.
Amazon
Charmaine Tillman was only a little girl when she disappeared in a busy crowd and it forever changed her family. From a father who couldn't cope to a sister who turned her pain into purpose, the Tillmans clung to what felt right. But they're surprised when Charmaine returns after years of longing almost drove them to the edge. Suddenly, everyone's happy again and Charmaine has a welcomed seat her her family's proverbial table.
Anyone would be thrilled to be among their family again, but Charmaine senses something unsettling about them. It's almost like she was never meant to be found and that's scarier than being away from the family she thought loved her.
Amazon
The Winchesters housemaid initially does what's expected of her in spite of what she discovers about their habits. She dutifully keeps their home clean and even makes sure their daughter never worries about who'll pick her up from school. Oh, and her meals are a scrumptious slice of heaven. But she's grown aware of how manipulative Nina Winchester is and how she'll stop at nothing to destroy her own family.
Though she knows better, this maid begins imagining herself in Nina's shoes and literally walks into her closet to see what it would feel like if she were glamorous. However, Nina's caught on and wants to make sure the maid never forgets her place again.
Little does Nina know is how calculated her employee is and how she'll stop at nothing to make her pay for everything she's done.
Amazon
Despite her reluctance, Maya decides to attend her college reunion at Princeton so she can celebrate her sister Naomi's graduation. It's supposed to be a fun time of reminiscing, but Maya's crushed when she receives an unexpected phone call about her Naomi's death. Suddenly, the elder sister begins questioning the present and the past she's tried to bury.
For one, Maya learns Naomi became a part of the exclusive Sterling Club and it confirms a nagging truth she's tried to ignore. Somehow, things got out of hand again and it led to her sister's death. But this time Maya isn't going down without a fight to put an end to whoever's covering their tracks.
She wants answers and she intends to get them.
Amazon
Ethan and Emma Dove's marriage isn't doing that great, but they decide a change of scenery may be what their family needs. With their son Dylan and daughter Rose in tow, they move into a ideal neighborhood that seems perfect for them. However, Rose experiences taunts from the boys who live on their street which prompts their next door neighbor, Fiona Smith, to lend a needed hand. The Doves are so grateful for her help that they allow Fiona to get close to Rose.
But Fiona isn't the saint they think she is. She's actually a twisted soul who's got a plan to bring destruction to someone and she needs someone to help her. As luck would have it, Rose is the perfect fit for the job because Fiona can sense something else about the teenager that even her parents may have ignored.
Amazon
Hannah's created a perfectly safe and boring life for herself that doesn't involve remnants from her past. She knows what it's like to live in turmoil and she could care less about getting reacquainted with it. But she's human and still longs for a love connection which leads her best friend to suggest she download a dating app.
Once Hannah meets Alex, she can't get over how great he looks and how well they get along. It's almost like he was created just for her! Undeterred by her friends incessant worrying, she continues communicating with him and thinks nothing of whether he could hurt her or not.
It's the kind of thing Alex is counting on because he plans to have her no matter what.
Amazon
Years ago, Ethan Marsh's best friend Billy disappeared from the tent they set up in his backyard. No one knew what happened to him, leaving a community and Ethan devastated. It's the reason why he chose to stay away for so long, but he's come back anyway.
Half convinced he's losing his mind and sure there's someone strange stalking his old neighborhood in Hemlock Circle, Ethan tries to understand what could've happened that fateful night Billy was seemingly taken. With the help of people Ethan used to be close with, they venture into the surrounding woods that were rumored to be haunted.
It's there they discover an odd research that takes place at an old estate, but that's not the only thing that scares Ethan. It's the idea that some things have a way of finding you in the present even when you thought they were gone.
Amazon
Julia Walden is the perfect synthetic woman who has one thing on her mind: fall in love with bachelor Josh LaSala during her appearance on The Proposal. Not everyone's thrilled about her being on the show, but she seems to win Josh's heart anyway. They quickly marry and even welcome a baby together almost a year later. Yet, there's threats around every corner which leads to Josh's disappearance. What's even worse is that Julia is suspected of killing the man she loves.
When she decides to conduct her own investigation, Julia begins to suspect everything isn't what it seems and it plays on her psyche enough to make her take matters into her own hands. After all, hasn't she been perfect?
Amazon
Bad Menby Julie Mae Cohen
Saffy's a vigilante who lives by a strict set of rules and they have everything to do with taking out men who think they can freely harm women. The only thing that makes her willing to walk away from her vendetta is falling in love. She feels justified in her personal mission, but she's torn between that and living a life where she doesn't feel so stoic.
The only thing readers can count on is that she's a complicated anti-hero they'll either love or hate.
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