Claire Douglas’s latest psychological thriller, The Family Friend, has been released, adding to her reputation as a best-selling author whose works dominate bookshops and airports. Known for her gripping narratives, Douglas lists five psychological thrillers that have profoundly impacted her reading experience, reports BritPanorama.
Sharp objects by Gillian Flynn
“This brilliantly twisty and creepy thriller is Gillian Flynn’s debut and my favourite of her books. Camille Preaker, a reporter, is sent to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri, to cover the case of a murdered girl and another who goes missing. When Camille returns to her childhood home to visit her parents it’s soon obvious why she wanted to leave her dysfunctional family in the first place.
“Straight away there is something very quietly sinister about Camille’s mother and her relationship with her youngest daughter, Camille’s sister. Camille is traumatised by her past and she struggles with returning to Wind Gap. As she starts investigating what happened to the missing girl and who the murderer might be, she realises it might all be linked to her own childhood. A fascinating insight into buried memories and dark, disturbing family secrets.”
W&N, £10.99
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
“It was only while re-reading this book a few years ago that I realised this wasn’t just the coming-of-age story I’d always assumed it to be. First published under the pen name of Currer Bell in 1847, Jane Eyre is also a masterclass in psychological suspense with all the hallmarks of the genre: the first-person narrator with a dark past, the creepy old house, the strange noises and goings-on in the dead of night, the twists and turns, the lies, deceit, and fear.
“When Jane arrives at Thornfield Hall to be a governess, she soon picks up that there is something strange about both the mansion, with its rambling corridors and forbidden spaces, and its elusive master, Mr. Rochester. Is the house haunted? And what is the secret in the attic?”
Penguin Classics, £8.99
And then there were none by Agatha Christie
“Agatha Christie is the queen of twists and misdirection. This is one of my favourites of her thrillers. Ten strangers are lured to a rambling old house on a remote island off the coast of Devon for different reasons. They have nothing in common – or so they all think – and have been invited there by the enigmatic U N Owen.
“When they arrive, there is no sign of their host, just a housekeeper and a cook. Each guest is hiding a guilty secret and before long someone is poisoned. The killer is among them and won’t stop until they are all dead. It is atmospheric and sinister, and has one of the best twists.”
HarperCollins, £7.99
The secret history by Donna Tartt
“I can still remember reading this for the first time about 25 years ago and being blown away by it. Published in 1992, this is Donna Tartt’s debut novel, and what a masterpiece it is. The story is narrated by Richard, who becomes fascinated by a group of five students – all hand-picked to study classics by the enigmatic lecturer Julian Morrow at their elite college in New England.
“From the very first page – where we learn that one of the group, Bunny, has been found dead – we are taken on a rollercoaster ride. It is more of a why-dunnit than a whodunnit as Richard reflects on what led to Bunny’s murder. Claustrophobic, moving and compelling, this is one of those books that I wish I could go back and read for the very first time.”
Penguin, £10.99
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
“The original domestic noir about obsession. After the death of his first wife, Rebecca, Maxim marries again and brings his new wife (never named in the novel) to Manderley, his remote house by the sea.
“The second wife rattles around the huge mansion, cut off from her friends and family. Her new husband is distracted, and her only companion is a sinister housekeeper who seems to dislike her from their very first meeting. She has too much time to think and obsess about Rebecca. Infused with paranoia and with a perfect, claustrophobic setting and a house that is a character in its own right, this is still as gripping and menacing as it was when I first read it 30 years ago.”
Virago, £10.99
‘The Family Friend’ by Claire Douglas is published by Michael Joseph, £20
