The crime thriller has become a staple of literary culture since the advent of mass publication. With so many interesting elements involved, such as detectives, drama, spies, and serial killers, crime thrillers can make for an extremely entertaining and ultimately rewarding reading activity. So if you’re a big of crime books and want to make good use of your time at home, this is the list you’ll want to follow.
1. The Missing American by Kwei Quartey
Gordon Tilson, an American national has become the victim of an Internet scam. Gordon used to be a Peace Corps volunteer posted to Ghana. This is also where he met his now-late wife, whom he continues to miss long after she’s passed. Because of his love for his late wife, Gordon can’t help but feel attracted to Helena, a Ghanaian woman he met online.
Like many men who came before him, this was nothing more than a scam to get money out of him. Enraged, Gordon decides to track the person behind the scam. “The Missing American” is an atmospheric story where people mostly speak colloquial English along with local dialects. Author Quartey was kind enough to add a glossary where we can pick up various local terms that would otherwise be unfamiliar to us. There’s a lot to love in this novel.
2. Girl in the Rearview Mirror by Kelsey Rae Timber
Girl in the Rearview Mirror is Dimber’s twisty debut in the crime-thriller genre where Finn Hunt desperately tries escaping from her painful past to secure a job as a nanny to 4 year old Amabel Martin, the privileged granddaughter of Sen. Jim Martin. At first, things work out for her as she seems to have found true love in the Bryant Dewitt, one of the senator’s top aide. It doesn’t take long for her to stumble upon a cache of deep secrets that would change her life forever.
3. Beheld by TaraShea Nesbit
This book was among the Most Anticipated Books of 2020 by Vogue. It was penned down by TaraShea Nesbit, author of the bestselling “The Wives of Los Alamos”. The book tells the frightening story of a crime that shakes an already divided community to its core. Few books are more indispensible and engaging than Beheld. What makes this a fun read is the growing cast of characters and a deeply moving story.
4. The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida by Clarissa Goenawan
The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida comes from a well-renowned author who is extremely experienced with dark histories and tragedy set in Japan. The book discusses the solemn death of university sophomore Miwako Sumida who hanged herself, leaving her friends and family in great pain. The book discusses the months that led up to her suicide, and the circumstances she was hiding away from. If you’ve ever wanted to peer deep into the lives of young adults, this exquisite tale gives you a bird’s eye view with its spare prose and emotional complexity.
It’s definitely worth checking out our recommended list of space books here too.