The Woman in the Window by A J Finn was undoubtedly a huge hit in 2018, leaving fans everywhere inspired to read even more gripping stories about unreliable narrators, thrilling plot lines, and harrowing secrets. The book is being adapted into a film starring Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, and Julianne Moore. If you’re hungry for another intense psychological thriller that will get your heart pumping, these books like The Woman In The Window will fill the void.
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
Ellie was fifteen eager to take her exams. Now that she had been tutored in math she was sure she would do well. On her way to the library one evening, she disappears. Her disappearance takes a huge toll on the family, a family that breaks apart as many families in this type of situations often do. Now ten years later, Laurel is willing to take a shot at having a life and love again a series of events will send her reeling. Would she finally find out what happened to her daughter?
A very suspenseful story, with an underlying sense of creepiness, and a novel way of telling a story. As a reader I pretty guessed what had happened to Ellie, in fact the sisters I was reading this with also had the same thoughts. This happened in the first third of the book but…there was still much to discover.
The author kept my interest by some very good storytelling, and by the way it was structured. Changing tenses and changing narrators the fast pace continued, new discoveries, and the insidious darkness beneath, kept me turning pages. If you like books similar to The Woman in the Window then this book won’t disappoint you.
The Whisper Man by Alex North
After the untimely death of his wife, Tom Kennedy feels like a fresh start in a new location, might help him and his young son, Jake, move forward from their grief and begin the healing process. But almost immediately after moving to Featherbank, a new set of problems presents themselves. Jake has trouble adjusting to his new school, just as another boy Jake’s age goes missing.
The child’s disappearance prompts concerns that another serial killer is on the loose in Featherbank- one with the same MO as the dreaded ‘Whisper Man’ who murdered five people twenty years ago. The case becomes personal for Tom and Jake when Jake begins having nightmares, claiming he can hear someone whispering to him at his window.
Meanwhile, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis are working overtime to find this missing boy before another child disappears…
From start to finish this is a well written, intense, highly suspenseful thriller- but it is also smart and profound, ending not only with extreme, exhilarating relief, but also on a note of redemptive satisfaction. If you are looking for the books like The Woman in the Window then pick this one and have spine-chilling nightmares.
An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
With a promise of anonymity and a fat paycheck, Jessica weasels her way into a study on morality and ethics. She was assigned the name of Subject 52 and presented with numerous questions. I could feel her tension growing as the questions progressed into the realm of what would you do?
Dr. Shields may go done as one of the most perplexing doctor characters I’ve encountered. What was her motivation for recruiting these women? Jessica wonders how the doctor seems to know her thoughts.
I had some adrenaline surging moments as the tension amped-up and the plot unfolded. Everyone seems to have something to hide. The ending was just so perfect!
Highly recommend this suspense filled mind game that pushes all the boundaries if you’re looking for the books similar to The Woman in the Window.
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
Behind Closed doors is yet another outstanding debut novel, and one that came highly recommended to those who like to read books similar to The Woman in the Window.
The novel is told alternating from past to present and builds up the tension page by page. Jack and Grace have the perfect life and the perfect marriage. Jack is a successful attorney who specializes in cases that involve physically abused women and Grace a professional who gave up her excellent job when she married Jack.
The perfect relationship and a true love story turns into a nightmare for Grace. Jack who at first is a true gentleman turns into a controlling and manipulative husband on their wedding night.
The pace of the story is expertly set and shows great promise for a debut author. There are lots twists and turns that keep you guessing throughout. This book is nigh on impossible to put down once you start so be warned.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The skillfully scripted storyline, the truly unforgettable characters, the pulse-pounding suspense, the consistently enthralling pace, the enticing narration – all exceptionally fantastic! This was dazzling perfection! The author, Alex Michaelides, has set the bar extremely high for any follow up novels.
Alicia is literally the silent patient, refusing to speak to anyone following Gabriel’s death, a brutal murder in their home. Why would she kill him? And why won’t she talk? Theo Faber, a local therapist, has become fascinated with Alicia’s case and jumps on an opportunity to work with her, convincing everyone that he’s up for the challenge. As the story progresses, much more is revealed about Alicia and her seemingly perfect life, and Theo, who’s also dealing with his own issues while he pursues the “why?” behind the mysterious Alicia.
This book is dark and suspenseful. The short chapters in addition to the intriguing storyline, made it easy to read quickly. If you’re looking for psychological mystery books like The Woman in the Window then your search ends here.
The Other Woman by Sandie Jones
Emily falls in love with the man of her dreams Adam. Things appear to be moving rather quickly and even Emily’s friends can see a change in her. They attempt to talk to her as they are worried about her and her relationship with, Adam. But Emily is in love and feels safe with Adam and in her eyes he can do no wrong.
Emily and Adams relationship is going along in leaps and bounds and before they know it they are engaged. At long last the time had come for Emily to meet her future mother in law, Pammie. At the first coming together, there seems to be tension, but could Emily be imagining it or could Pammie turn out to be the mother in law from hell.
For fans of psychological thriller books and those who like The Woman in the Window will love this book.
The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager
Emma Davis goes away to summer camp at Camp Nightingale. She shares a cabin with three other girls, Vivian, Natalie, and Alison. She learns how to play a game, Two Truths And A Lie. They play it All the time. All three girls disappear without a trace in the woods at night time.
Fifteen years later the camp reopens and Emma returns as a painting instructor and finds an opportunity to try to find out what really happened to her friends, that has haunted her. Emma is assigned to the same cabin she slept in as a teenager. She finds a security camera pointing directly at her cabin. She also finds the word liar in red paint on the front door. The closer she gets to the truth about Camp Nightingale, the more she realizes it may come at a deadly price.
The Sister by Louise Jensen
The Sister by Louise Jensen is author’s debut novel, and it is a definite winner. This is a dark psychological thriller, full of twists and turns and will keep you on turning the pages, not willing to miss a thing and wanting to know more.
Grace and Charlie were the best of friends and living out of each others pockets growing up. When Charlie dies, Grace really struggles to carry on with her life as she has so many unanswered questions. The friendship between Grace and Charlie was really great to read, they are very close and through the author I could also very much feel the sense of loss and sadness that surrounds Grace after Charlie’s death.
The story flicks between the past and present which really draws the reader into the whole storyline, so much so that I felt so connected with Grace and everything that was going on around her, that I felt like I was going slightly mad with all the horrible things that seemed to keep happening to her.
I highly recommend The Sister by Louise Jensen to those who like books similar to The Woman in the Window.
The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney
This dark and brooding tale was alive with emotion and drew the reader into the tension of the tale. The story wasn’t set out in chronological order and this provided room for the tale to slowly unfurl, and share its secrets with the reader at its own pace. The telling of the tale, as well as the setting of it, were as alive as the characters, and all three worked together to provide something suspenseful, shocking and totally unique!
Told from the split perspectives of Emma, in the past, and Jane, in the present, this chronicles the similar paths both their lives took once they became the occupant of the infamous 1 Folgate Street. Designed by cutting-edge architect, Edward Monketon, this house is unlike any other. And Monketon requires his tenants to live their life unlike any other, as well.
This is the absolute definition of spine-tingling! This managed to make a modern house, full of straight lines and futuristic technology feel like a chilling, Gothic mansion, full of shadowed corners and ghosts of homeowners past. And all without dwelling on any of the melodrama associated with that genre.
Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
Jules Larsen’s is having a tough time what with losing her job as well as splitting up with her boyfriend, she then finds herself sleeping on her friend’s couch. And so when she comes across an ad for an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew she decides to apply for the position. Bartholomew is a well known elegant building of Manhattans, so looking after an apartment there would be like a dream come true, or would it.
After Jules accepts the job she discovers there are a number of strict rules that come with the job and these rules must be followed and never broken. Her first night in Bartholomew Jules is feeling a little on edge which is only made worse when she hears a scream from someone in the middle of the night. If you like to read mystery books similar to The Woman in the Window then you’ll sure like this book.
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
Quite a spellbinding read from start to finish. We are not sure how Amber ended up in the hospital in this coma , but she does admit that sometimes she lies. This was like a puzzle and I was trying to put the pieces together, but couldn’t entirely trust all the pieces. Very cleverly written and I loved hearing what Amber was thinking while in this coma sizing up everyone in the room and giving us her insight. There was so much going on, I had to hold my breath too keep up.
The narrative switches from Now (in coma) to Then (before the coma). I loved trying to figure out what the lies were and who to trust. It is super twisty and just when you think you have it figured out another twist flies your way.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Lo Blacklock, a journalist who works for a travel magazine, is given an assignment to go aboard the small but stunning luxury cruise ship “The Aurora” for a week. But one night Lo is woken by a noise and she thinks the woman in the next cabin (Cabin 10) was thrown overboard. When she tells the fellow passengers and crew they don’t really believe her. According to their records no one was staying in the cabin next to Lo’s. What really happened to the woman who was in the next cabin? Lo does some investigating to find out. Along the way she starts receiving threats to “stop digging”. Who can she trust? Did she just imagine all this?
This was an enjoyable suspense story. I really liked the setting on the lavish cruise ship and its voyage in the North Sea with its bad/no internet connection making Lo seem cut off from the rest of the world on a small and sometimes claustrophobic ship with maybe a murderer on board.
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
This is without doubt one of those tense psychological thriller books that makes an impact similar to The Woman in the Window.
The Wife Between Us tells the story of Nellie, who marries the handsome, cultivated and wealthy Richard, leaving her beloved job teaching at a nursery school as well as a small apartment in New York City where she lived with best friend Samantha. Nellie also works a job at a bar/restaurant where she has a group of interesting and lovely friends.
After her marriage to Richard, Nellie moves to the suburbs where it’s a lonely existence. Isolated from friends and family, she spends her days waiting for her husband to return from work or business trips. The isolation should have been a red flag for Nellie, but she is enthralled with her new life and chooses to ignore a host of warning signs.
At the same time, the story of Vanessa, Richard’s ex-wife is told in alternating chapters. Over the years, Vanessa becomes an embarrassment to her cultured husband, often drinking too much in front of his colleagues.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Camille is a very troubled young woman, a mediocre journalist and a recovering cutter. Self harming herself in the most dreadful way, by inscribing words into her skin. All over her body. She returns begrudgingly to her home town that is probably only good at one thing, for churning out pork meat and alcoholics.
The people in the town seem to be a mess, the teenagers horrible, and let’s not forget Ms. Horrible little sister. For as much as she was troubled herself, she did try to help and nurture her in some way. This girl was too far gone to hope for any type of redemption. The women who grew from teens that Camille grew up with are equally as horrendous.
Camille’s mother was a loveless soulless woman who had a strange marriage with a horribly boring man called Allan. Upon this homecoming we see Camille struggle with returning to this hell hole and trying to piece together a child serial killing situation. This just seems nearly impossible for her to do as she relives memories from losing her own little sister many moons ago.
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
This was one of those psychological thriller books similar to The Woman in the Window that kept you guessing as we met the now Mrs Parrish Daphne, who seems to have the ideal life, the ideal husband, money, and fortune galore. Her husband, Jackson, is perfect in every way, gorgeous, rich, charming, and a man who has elegant tastes.
Daphne Parrish is spoiled. She and their two daughters live in a mansion on the North Shore of Long Island, have an apartment in Manhattan, a gorgeous boat, and all the trappings of the wealthy one imagines.
Into this idealistic situation comes Amber a cunning conniving woman who wants everything Daphne has including Jackson. Amber is so smart and plays her cards so convincingly gaining a friendship with Daphne while ultimately desiring all that she thinks Daphne has. She plots everything covering up a sordid past as she lies and cheats her way into the Parrish circle.
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
People are capable of almost anything. A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors–a twisty, roller coaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives.
Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all – a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.
Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they’ve kept for years.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Gone Girl starts out as a simple story about Nick and Amy Dunne, the average married couple gearing up for their fifth anniversary. Conflict arises when Amy goes missing and the media accuses Nick of kidnapping and murdering her.
The investigation takes a turn for the worse when clues are found that implicate certain individuals and reveal ugly truths about others. As the story progresses it turns out that our average husband and wife may be more twisted than we imagined.
Crazy. Psychotic. Thriller. From the first part of the book Gone Girl doesn’t seem like a suspense story, but as the action builds and the characters develop, twists and turns show themselves until your mind explodes from the pressure. Flynn alternates her narration back and forth between Nick and Amy, allowing us to experience both of their deliciously psychopathic perspectives. I would recommend Gone Girl to anyone searching for solid mystery/suspense books similar to The Woman in the Window.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Looking for a great thriller? Want to read books similar to The Woman in the Window? Look no further, the train has arrived. Paula Hawkins has written a tightly woven mystery with painful secrets and startling truths reveled along the way.
The main character Rachael, is a heavy drinker, whose life is teetering on the edge. She has lost her husband, and her job. Yet, she continues to ride the train into the city every day, pretending to go to work. Along the way, Rachael creates a story about a perfect couple who’s home backs the tracks, a home just a few houses down from where she lived with her husband.
Enter Megan, who’s story begins one year before Rachael’s. I must confess, I got a little confused with the dates interspersed throughout the story, but realized the author was using them cleverly. Meagan’s story seems to move quickly forward, while Rachael’s, very slowly.
I thought they were a perfect analogy for two trains on different tracks, bound to converge at some point along the way. And converge they do. Megan goes missing on a day Rachael has drank herself into a black out. What has happened to Megan and what does her story have to do with not only Rachael herself, but also her fantasy story of the perfect couple? This is definitely a thriller that keep me moving quickly through the pages.
Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
The novel is a psychological thriller about a woman suffering from anterograde amnesia. She wakes up every day with no knowledge of who she is and the novel follows her as she tries to reconstruct her memories from a journal she has been keeping.
She learns that she has been seeing a doctor who is helping her to recover her memory, that her name is Christine Lucas, that she is 47 years old and married and has a son. As her journal grows it casts doubts on the truth behind this knowledge as she determines to discover who she really is.
If you like The Woman in the Window and looking for psychological thriller books that will have you guessing until the very last page what is happening, then try this book.
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
The novel revolves around nine people going to Tranquillum House – a ‘boutique health and wellness resort.’ The guests include a grieving family, a couple with marital problems, a wife whose husband has replaced her with another woman, a lawyer who takes regular trips to health spas, a divorced ex-sports star, overweight and depressed, and a former bestselling romance author, who feels her career is over and who has recently been the victim of an internet scam.
There are hints that those who run Tranquillum House tend to use rather unconventional methods. Over the visit, our guests will discover just how unconventional these can be
