striped PJ shirt (it has a lace back!) // striped PJ shorts
This past week on my trip to Vero Beach I read three amazing books. After showing a couple of them on snapchat, you guys had so many questions that I figured a full book review was in order! I absolutely LOVED all of these books and literally could not put them down. Just a warning – I like thrillers, and a few of these are pretty scary and not for the faint of heart! But if you are a fan of thrillers, then you will love them 😉
P.S. I used to do posts like this way back in 2014, so if you like this one let me know in the comments & I’ll continue to do them.
1. THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 by Ruth Ware
A friend of mine in Greenville recommended this book a few weeks ago, so I bought it in hardcover to take with me on our Florida trip. I started it on the plane ride and by time our plane landed in Florida I was a third of the way through the book and completely OBSESSED. I have not been this captivated by a book in a long time! It’s written on a pretty easy reading level (a third grader could read it haha), but what I really loved about it was the plot – it pulls you in right from the very beginning and keeps you guessing right up until the last page. Here’s a hint: the “cabin” that the title refers to is actually a cabin on a cruise ship. The main character, Lo, is a travel writer and boards a week-long luxury cruise thinking it’s going to be the best week of her life (and ends up on board with a killer!). I don’t want to give away too much of the plot… you just have to read it!
2. ALL THE MISSING GIRLS by Megan Miranda
This book is tied with “The Woman in Cabin 10” for my favorite of these four! “All the Missing Girls” is a nail-biting story about the disappearances of two young women, told in reverse. In my opinion, Megan Miranda is a much better writer than Ware and she really takes her time with developing dynamic characters, to the point where you feel like you know them in real life. I really connected with the protagonist, Nic, on an emotional level… maybe because a large part of the novel is about the difficulties of returning to her hometown after she has been gone ten years. (It made me reminisce on my own high school years and relationships!) What’s really unique about this book is that it’s told day by day over the course of two weeks, but it’s told in reverse, with each day revealing a shocking new puzzle piece to the disappearance of both girls. Simply put, it is brilliant. And spellbinding. And I am still thinking about the characters DAYS later. That’s the sign of an amazing book!
3. THE OBSESSION by Nora Roberts
I read “The Obsession” a few months ago, but I’m including it here because I loved it so much! I have tried to read Nora Roberts novels before and never really liked them, finding them too trite and not suspenseful enough for my liking. However, “The Obsession” was much different and completely enthralling. What I liked about the book is that it combines thrilling suspense and murder mystery with an amazing love story. With every turn of the page I fell more in love with Xander, just as the protagonist, Naomi, falls in love with him too. The “twist” is that Naomi is the daughter of a notorious serial killer, and her past comes back to haunt her when she finally settles down in a small town and begins to think she can find happiness. The combination of serial killers and a handsome prince to save the day was absolutely perfect for me. Just a warning: some of the scenes in this book are pretty graphic and do involve rape and murder… so know that going in!
4. IN A DARK, DARK WOOD by Ruth Ware
I read this book after “The Woman in Cabin 10” because I loved that one so much! This book was a little bit slower to get into and didn’t really pick up until I was about 100 pages in. I also would say that it’s not as scary as “The Woman in Cabin 10” but it is still captivating, and I kept reading because I was dying to know the ending. The book begins with the main character, Nora, agreeing to attend the bachelorette party for a friend that she has not seen in several years. The party takes place in the middle of the woods – Ruth Ware does a really great job of painting the perfect picture of the creepy house and atmosphere, so much that I had a nightmare after I read this late at night! Even though it takes a while to get into, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Whew! If you have read any of these, I would love your opinions on them! And if you have any book recommendations that you think are similar, I would LOVE them. Since I finished all these, I am currently in search of a new psychological thriller to read. Your recommendations are appreciated!
xoxo
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I really hated book all my life but I really want to read more inspirational books!
xo Vanessa from http://www.Trendique-Magazine.com
Oh my gosh thank you for this post! I absolutely love books like these, I can get so caught up in reading a book that I manage to stay awake hours past my bedtime! Thank you for the recommendations, I'll definitely be picking up these four.
http://www.blushandbordeaux.com
Looove thrillers, too so thanks for the tips!!
♡ Kristina
TheKontemporary
Great list! Thanks dear 🙂
Love this post! I'm always searching for a good book. Thanks for sharing your reviews!
I really enjoyed The Good Girl by Mary Kubica! I read it in 3 days! I'm going to read The Woman in Cabin 10 next….can't wait! Keep up with the books reviews please!!
Thanks for sharing! Nothing better than a great a read on the beach or curled up on a rainy day!
I love this post! Thanks for sharing. I am always looking for a good book. I'm probably water behind the timescenes on this one, but I just finished Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll and loved it!
Such a fun post! Love learning about new books to read. Your review of 'All The Missing Girls' sounds especially interesting to me. Will have to check it out! xx
Audrey Adair-Keene | http://www.happilyaudrey.com
I can't wait to read these! I just finished girl with no past and that was a quick good thriller read! Also just started the good girl and heard that was a good thriller too!
I'm bookmarking this post because I'm on such a reading kick lately! Totally not the same genre at all but if you haven't read "Light Between Oceans" I just started it on Monday and am almost finished! It is INCREDIBLE! Highly recommend!
http://www.rosyoutlookblog.com
Some interesting reads! I want to read that first book!
Love,
http://www.thestyleventure.com
Those are some great picks I actually have All The Missing Girls and In a Dark, Dark Wood on hold at the library! I am currently into psychological thrillers right now too! Some of my favorites have been Sharp Objects and Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. I just started on The Luckiest Girl Alive and hear that got raving reviews if you liked Girl on a Train or The Women in Cabin 10.
xoxo Madeline | http://www.theblackbarcode.com
When I clicked the link to your old book review post, I was like "omg! She is why I read 'With This Heart'", which was so good. I never really read thrillers till now. I just finished 'The Girl on the Train' and now I want to read more like it so this post couldn't have come at a better time. I know I would appreciate and enjoy more book review posts from you! 🙂
I love this post!! Love the change of topic and great reviews — I may have to check those first two out!
Yup! Definitely going to have to read the woman in cabin 10 now! So glad you did this!!
xo, Nina
Law of Fashion Blog
I would love you continue doing posts like this.
I love thrillers too, I am reading The couple next door by Shari Lapena! Really recommend.
Love the book reviews! I love to read and would love to see more of these types of posts. I also like thrillers. The scariest book I have ever read is pretty old but I was so scared after I read it, I had to physically get the book out of my apartment. It's called Intensity by Dean Koontz. I'm not a big Dean Koontz person, but this book scared me like no other.
I love hearing about what other people are reading. I'm also in a psychological thriller phase (loved "All the Missing Girls"!!). I would recommend Black Eyed Susans (https://www.amazon.com/Black-Eyed-Susans-Suspense-Julia-Heaberlin/dp/0804178011/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472654686&sr=8-1&keywords=black+eyed+susans) and What the Dead Know (https://www.amazon.com/What-Dead-Know-Laura-Lippman/dp/006177135X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472654693&sr=8-1&keywords=what+the+dead+know+by+laura+lippman). Hope you enjoy!!
Thanks for the suggestions! I've recently been making a point to get back into reading — might have to add these to the list!
x Sarah
http://www.bohochiccafe.com
you HAVE to read "I Am Pilgrim" – its a 600 page thriller that I read in a week! I could not put it down. It is about a former intelligence agent who wrote a book on forensic pathology becomes involved in a case where someone uses his book to commit untraceable murders. I love that it ties in current/actual US events.
I don't normally read thrillers but your descriptions made me want to buy one of these and see how it goes! Thanks for the great recommendations! XO
@stylemelauren
http://www.stylemelauren.com
Hi Caitlin! I have followed you from the beginning and absolutely love your blog! I wanted to recommend a book that is near and dear to my heart because my dad wrote it!
It is called the Paradiso Files:Boston's Unknown Serial Killer
https://www.amazon.com/Paradiso-Files-Bostons-Serial-Killer-ebook/dp/B0010SEP8E/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1472660442&sr=1-1&keywords=the+paradiso+files#nav-subnav
In this bold and suspenseful true-crime story, former homicide prosecutor Timothy M. Burke makes his case against one Leonard Paradiso. Lenny “The Quahog” was convicted of assaulting one young woman and paroled after three years, but Burke believes that he was guilty of much more – that Paradiso was a serial killer who operated in the Boston area, and maybe farther afield, for nearly fifteen years, assaulting countless young women and responsible for the deaths of as many as seven. Burke takes the reader inside the minds of prosecutors, police investigators, and one very dangerous man who thought he had figured out how to rape and murder and get away with it.
The Paradiso Files generated headlines when first published in February 2008. Nine days later, Paradiso died at the age of sixty-five without commenting on any of Burke’s accusations, including that he murdered Joan Webster, a Harvard graduate student who disappeared from Logan Airport in 1981. Boston-area prosecutors announced in September 2008 that Burke’s revelations had led them to reopen the unsolved murder cases of three young women – Melodie Stankiewicz, Holly Davidson, and Kathy Williams. There were “too many similarities between the individual cases to ignore,” a prosecutor involved in the new investigation said. Burke’s account leaves little doubt that Paradiso’s deeds should go down in infamy, alongside those of the Boston Strangler.
I'm not really a fan of thrillers but I do think that the women in cabin 10 sounds sooo good!
Xo, Kelsey
petiteinherpearls.blogspot.com
I love when you recommend books! I love thrillers too! I just read Pretty Girls and was obsessed with it. Keep up these posts!
The last book a iread that was similar was The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.
And yes more posts like this one. 🙂
All the Missing Girls sounds like something I'd like! I love suspense and thrillers! Although I like your fashion posts, I also enjoy these types of posts as well!
Polly
http://gemsandjoy.com
I read so much and love seeing what other people are reading =) I just recently started reading Thrillers, so I'm excited for these recommendations. — SC at http://www.samanthachic.com
i had to comment because i felt just the opposite of the ruth ware books, lol. the reason i picked up the woman in cabin 10 is b/c i liked the other book, but i could NOT get into this, and stopped reading. however, i can't wait to read the other 2. i just read one called what she knew, by ginny mcmillan, which i really liked. a mystery with some interesting writing and twists.
b
I could not get into The Obsession! The first chapter was great, but half way through I was so bored I gave up. A few chapters after Xander saw Naomi looking at the book.
Oh and I love posts like this! Keep them coming 🙂
I'll have to check out that first one. It looks so good. My favorite author is Cara Black. She does some really great suspense novels set in Paris!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/
Thanks for reviewing these! I have been anxiously waiting to read some fun books once my exam boards for Nurse Practitioner are over! Continue to keep doing them please!
All of these books sound really interesting!
The woman in the cabin sounds so good! Going to have a look on Amazon now! x
http://www.flareaforte.com
You should totally do more book reviews! Always on the lookout for new reads!
I love this! I always screenshot your book recommendations on snapchat! Would love more posts like this!
I'm currently reading "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins. It's sooo good!
Good reviews!
I am definitely reading the first two! Thank you for the recommendations 🙂
Lauren,
http://www.atouchofsoutherngrace.com
The Ice Twins, The Good Girl, and Descent are all soo suspenseful and creepy! Definitely going to check out your recommendation!
Love your review! You should check out Gillian flynn's other novels aside from gone girl.
Love this! Check out Gillian flynn's other novels, aside from gone girl!
I'm a HUGE fan of thrillers and murder mysteries! This post is actually coming at a really good time because I'm going on a flight in the middle of September and I'm looking for some new books to bring with me! I love this type of post, and I'd be totally on board if you did more of them!
Jess | http://www.JessExplainsItAll.com
I'm obsessed with The Woman in Cabin 10! And I love book related blog posts 🙂
Love your book reviews! I've heard good things about "The Woman in Cabin 10!" I'll have to pick it up!
xoxo,
Amy
http://www.styleandsequins.com
I've heard so many good things about All the missing girls! my goal is life is to become a "reader" I can never seem to find the time. those pjs are adorable— and your hair, always #goals!
xo, tara
http://brunette-ambitions.com
You should read The Couple Next Door, i just finished it and couldn't put it down! It sounds like it would be categorized with all of these!
This is perfect! I always love books that other people suggest and love thrillers. Please tell me that you've read all of the Stieg Larson books…Girl with Dragon Tattoo, Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest, Girl Who Played with Fire?! They are way old but the best books I've ever read!
You should read Before I Go To Sleep! It's one of my favorite thrillers and kept me guessing until the end!
Great recommendations! Thanks Caitlin!
HashtagFabLife
Just finished Luckiest Girl Alive and In a Dark Dark Wood at the beach too. You will love Luckiest Girl Alive – it's so dark & twisty. ***But first, you MUST READ 'Find Her' by Lisa Gardner. OMG you will not put it down!!!!!!!! I can't stop reading it! I'm always thinking about it, trying to find a few minutes to read more. Can't wait to get home from work so I can read again. Almost done with it. All her other books look good though too, but this is the 1st I've read of hers & I'm beyond hooked!
Absolutely love your blog, such a fab post. Keep doing what you're doing and writing these great posts! Please check out my blog if you get a sec. xx
http://www.nataschacox.com
I would love more book reviews!! If you haven't already, read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn….I'm an avid reader – my favorite genre is historical fiction, but I do like the occasional thriller! I'll have to check out a few of these!
I use to adore thrillers, and then for some reason I haven't picked one up in 5 years….I have no clue why! The Girl On The Train has just been sitting on my Kindle forever, ack. I really need to step back into this genre. I'm so happy to hear you loved these books so much, I'll definitely keep them in mind!
Jen @ Star-Crossed Book Blog
I love books like this! Thanks for sharing 🙂
xx Tess |Sequins are the New Black
Thanks for sharing these! I jotted the first two titles down. Have you read anything by Kate Morton before? The Secret Keeper is my favorite book. Read that book if you get a chance. It's great!
Those books sound amazing! I normally don't read that many thrillers but I really wanted to read one again in the near future and those books really hae potential to be my next pick.
Norina xx
la-piccola-me.blogspot.com
Hey girl! You have to read Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica. She has such strong characters. The protagonist, Heidi, sees a a teenage girl, homeless one morning in a rainy Chicago. The girl has a baby tucked into her jean jacket trying to keep her warm. Heidi goes about her day and wonders about the girl. She can't stop worrying about the girl. A few days later, the girl returns and Heidi intervenes and tries to figure out where the girl and her baby are from…. It's told form Heidi's POV, husband's and the girl's. SUCH A GREAT READ!
I agree! Mary Kubica is a great writer! Have you read her book "The Good Girl"? SO good! Nineteen Windsor
Such a great post! Can't wait to get my hands on these now 🙂 Thanks for sharing lovely, you look beautiful btw.
http://makemeupmarie.com/
xoxo
Awesome post! Keep these coming 🙂
Rxx
http://www.peppermintdolly.com
I just started reading In a Dark, Dark Wood and I love it! Definitely checking out the Woman in Cabin 10 next. Thanks for these recommendations 🙂 http://www.chasingbelle.com
These all sound good! The Woman in Cabin 10 has been on my list since seeing theSkimm recommend it!
Haven't read any of these yet! Thanks for the tips! I just read The girl on the train by Paula Hawkins – highly recommended!
I made a short revies of it on my blog the other day decopixbytiina.blogspot.com if anyone is interested in 🙂
Yes, I would love to see more posts like these! And thrillers are my favourite genre so I'd definitely be into this. Adding some of these to my Amazon cart!
michenn
As someone who has read all of the books you reviewed and LOVED them all you should read "What She Knew" by Gilly MacMillan! Very suspenseful…..based on the fact that you like this genre of books I think you will really enjoy! 🙂
As someone who has read and loved all of the books you just reviewed you should read "What She Knew" by Gilly Macmillan. It's sort of like a "gone girl" but the premise is a mother who is out in the woods one day with her little boy and he mysteriously vanishes. As time passes she remains desperate to find the culprit while the media turns their attention on her. It was super suspenseful and had a lot of twists and turns …. Kept me wondering the whole time! It's the authors first novel so it has some room for improvement but overall it was really good and I read it in one four hour sitting! I think you would enjoy 🙂
Great post! I've read In A Dark, Dark, Wood and I just checked out The Woman in Cabin 10 from the library. Added the other two books to my list to read! Love these suggestions. I'm reading Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty right now. If you haven't read it, check it out. I think you'd LOVE her books!
Nineteen Windsor
I just bought The Woman in Cabin 10! Thanks for the recommendation! I recommend The Girl on the Train.
I just finished All the Missing Girls, and it was a page turner. I've even considered going back and reading it from back to front; however, I've just started The Woman in Cabin 10 and excited to really get into it in the next couple of days.
Love this post! I’ve never been consistent with reading all the time but it’s something I want to get better with. So thrillers, mysteries, romance are a must for me at the moment! This post was super helpful so I just bought two from Amazon 🙂 thanks lovely!
Please keep posting book reviews! I love your recommendations. You should start a book club!
OMG please continue to post. I truly enjoy your recommendations and I have Been on the hunt for a while! Thaank you and I love your post as well as your insta! Best wishes
Liz
I would love to hear some more books you’ve liked! I read the women in cabin 10 after I saw your post and I loved it! Could not put it down! Thank you for the ideas!!