Recommend me a suspense novel or ten

Manderley · Jul 26, 2007

I've always thought I was a reader of literary fiction as I consume a lot of this type of literature, but when I, as an assignment, went through all my favourite books, I discovered that I really enjoy suspense novels. And not just any type of suspense novels either, but quite specific ones. Going through the books I have enjoyed the most, I noticed they all had certain things in common:

- told in first person
- written by women, usually with a female MC
- the suspense is related to "a ghost from the past"
- setting and scenery often plays an important role
- and deaths and murders are usually in the past, ie not much present time gore and killings

As an example of books I have enjoyed are "The Secret History" by Donna Tarrt, "The Lake of Dead Languages" by Carol Goodman and "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier.

I'd love to pick up more books in the same vein. Could anyone recommend me a book or ten you think I might enjoy?

Sai · Jul 26, 2007

Hmm, one book I read recently which I really enjoyed was 'The Long Goodbye' by Raymond Chandler, but it only really fits one-and-a-half of your points. 'The Woman in White' by Wilkie Collins is a bit closer.

I enjoyed 'the Secret History' a lot, so maybe I'll check out the other two books you listed.

Manderley · Jul 26, 2007

Thanks for the tip! I really ought to check out Chandler anyway, so it was good to be reminded.

Rebecca is a classic (filmed by Hitchcock as I'm sure you know), and a few years back someone did a sequel to it, called Rebecca's Tale, which surprisingly enough, was rather good too.

The Lake of Dead Languages has similarities to The Secret History, but it's not quite in the same league, I think. Still, it was a good read and an entertaining book. Worth checking out if you liked TSH.

jennifer75 · Jul 26, 2007

Manderley said:
Thanks for the tip! I really ought to check out Chandler anyway, so it was good to be reminded.

Rebecca is a classic (filmed by Hitchcock as I'm sure you know), and a few years back someone did a sequel to it, called Rebecca's Tale, which surprisingly enough, was rather good too.

The Lake of Dead Languages has similarities to The Secret History, but it's not quite in the same league, I think. Still, it was a good read and an entertaining book. Worth checking out if you liked TSH.

I've been wanting to read Rebecca for some time now, soon I hope.

Manderley · Jul 26, 2007

jennifer75 said:
I've been wanting to read Rebecca for some time now, soon I hope.

I found it a bit slow in the beginning, and I almost gave up on it after the first sixty pages, but then it picked up and became one of my favourite novels for a while.

Will Lavender · Jul 29, 2007

Manderley said:
The Lake of Dead Languages has similarities to The Secret History, but it's not quite in the same league, I think. Still, it was a good read and an entertaining book. Worth checking out if you liked TSH.

I'm going to toot my own horn here.

If you like those two, Manderley, you might like my book. My novel has been compared to The Secret History by more than one person (more like 10 or 15) during the publishing process; my editor compared the novel to -- and also recommended, because I hadn't read it -- The Lake of Dead Languages.

You might want to, er, pre-order? (Of course you wouldn't get it until February.)

Just sayin'.

And of course I'm not a woman, but my MC is.

Now that that bit of shameless self-promotion is over, here are a couple that are on the shelf right now that you might like:

Lisa Unger's Beautiful Lies. A bit different than the above-mentioned books because it's as much rooted in the present as it is the past. It's really a modern tale, but it takes the "past demons" framework and improves on it. And Unger's MC is great.

Another:

Justin Evans's A Good and Happy Child. A male author with a male MC, but the "ghost from the past" theme is used pretty liberally here.

One more:

Joanne Harris's Gentlemen and Players. Reminded me a lot of The Lake of Dead Languages.

Manderley · Jul 30, 2007

Thanks for the suggestions, Will.

The list I made is not an absolute, I just happened to notice these similarities in the books I've enjoyed and I hoped it'd give you guys an inkling as to what I like.

And your novel sounds like something I'd like. Shame it's not coming out till next year, but I've put it down on a sticky note on my Mac to remind me.

Gravity · Jul 30, 2007

If you like first-person suspense, you might try one of mine.

Except my MC is male.

And there aren't any ghosts from the past.

And there's plenty of present-time gore and killings.

Other than that, a solid match!

blacbird · Jul 30, 2007

Watcher in the Shadows -- Geoffrey Household
Brighton Rock -- Graham Greene
The Postman Always Rings Twice -- James M. Cain
Any of the Travis McGee novels by John D. MacDonald
A Coffin for Dimitrios -- Eric Ambler

They don't fit your specific criteria always too well, but they're all terrific suspense novels. For a female protag, the Greene novel is a classic.

caw

aruna · Jul 30, 2007

You might want to read mine, when and if it comes out! female writer, female first-person narrator, exotic setting (the setting is of part of the suspense). She does have a ghost from the past; however, he is not as important as the murder and mayhem she encounters in the present so I don't meet the criteria 100%

triceretops · Jul 31, 2007

Peter Benchle'y's The Island, full of suspense and adventure. A real sleeper not to many know about.

Tri

Manderley · Jul 31, 2007

Thanks for yet more suggestions!

Susan B · Aug 24, 2007

Just read "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn. An Edgar nominee for best mystery/suspense novel of 2007 by a new writer. Couldn't put it down. Definitely fits the female MC/first person/ghosts from the past criteria. It is disturbing, though, with killings in the present.

I wrote a little more about it in a post on the "novel" forum (where I unwittingly started a long thread, about successful writers who break the rules.)

I won't repeat it, but if you want to see a little about it, go here:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1575423&postcount=103

Susan

SlowRain · Oct 2, 2007

Try the Ripley novels by Patricia Highsmith; the first in the series is The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Manderley · Oct 18, 2007

Will Lavender said:
Now that that bit of shameless self-promotion is over, here are a couple that are on the shelf right now that you might like:

Lisa Unger's Beautiful Lies. A bit different than the above-mentioned books because it's as much rooted in the present as it is the past. It's really a modern tale, but it takes the "past demons" framework and improves on it. And Unger's MC is great.

You got blurbs from Unger and Goodman! That's pretty cool! I've still got your book on my reading list, so now I'm just waiting for February.

I've now read Beautiful Lies and liked it. Not quite as good as The Secret History or Lake of Dead Languages, but worth a read, so thanks for the tip.

Gravity said:
If you like first-person suspense, you might try one of mine.

I might have done, it it weren't for this sentence on your site: "He's also a brand-new Christian." Thanks, I appreciate the warning.

blacbird said:
(...)
Brighton Rock -- Graham Greene
(...)
They don't fit your specific criteria always too well, but they're all terrific suspense novels. For a female protag, the Greene novel is a classic.
caw

We have plenty of Greene novels in the bookshelf, but of course, this one's missing. I shall be looking for it next time I go book shopping.

aruna said:
You might want to read mine, when and if it comes out!

How is that going? Is it being published?

Susan B said:
Just read "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn.

Read the link you added. You've sold me. Another oen for the list.

Josie · Oct 18, 2007

Oh great!!, I just found this thread!

Another list of books for my TBR shelf--

Oddly enough, today I rented the dvd of Rebecca with
Lawrence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. Seen it before but love it.

Uh oh, gotta organize my shelves for more books.

:Headbang:

Thanks everyone

:hooray:

Manderley · Jul 12, 2008

Just bumping this thread from last year in case new members to the M/T/S board have some more suggestions. I can always do with some more good books on my TBR list.

At the moment, I'm reading 'Woman in White' by W. Collins, recommended in this thread, but I think it might have to wait. It feels like an 'autumn read in the sofa with a blanket over my legs and a cup of tea in my hand' - book.

jennifer75 · Jul 12, 2008

I don't know your style, but I saw a girl on the subway reading a book with an interesting front cover, went home to Amazon it and found out that it was a pretty successful mystery novel "Rebecca".....I haven't read it yet, nor have I obtained a copy, BUT I WANT TO READ IT!

After wikipedia-ing it, I see what a dufus I must look like having never read this book.

And now - an EVEN BIGGER DUFUS...I see you've already read it. Big sigh.

jennifer75 · Jul 12, 2008

jennifer75 said:
I've been wanting to read Rebecca for some time now, soon I hope.

Oh man. Hilarious. I see now the date of your original post. hahaha...I'm laughing..who's laughing with me? I'm gonna go back to bed now, I'm obviously NOT ready for the day yet.

Manderley · Jul 12, 2008

jennifer75 said:
Oh man. Hilarious. I see now the date of your original post. hahaha...I'm laughing..who's laughing with me? I'm gonna go back to bed now, I'm obviously NOT ready for the day yet.

Captain Howdy · Jul 13, 2008

Manderley I'm still shaking my head over the fact that you have never heard of Mary Stewart. From your description on this thread starter she is right up your alley. I got into stuff like that when I was very young, watching Dark Shadows on TV, and Stephen King hadn't published yet, so the closest I could get to spooky old houses, ghosts, and bizarre family histories was reading gothics from the library.

Aside from the Mary Stewart titles I mentioned in the other thread, you might try Barbara Michaels. She has a slew of books (she is also Elizabeth Peters) of varying suspense sub genres, but a handful are bonafide ghost stories, Ammie Come Home is the best. Also Here I Stay , The Crying Child, and Be Buried In the Rain should fit the bill.

Some of today's suspense writers are boardering on these types of stories. I read Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts which was rather weak.

Here is the cover of a recent reprint of Ammie Come Home to give you an idea what this story is like.

I for one would be very happy to see a quality revival of the true gothic!

alleycat · Jul 13, 2008

The Day of the Jackal.

Alpha Echo · Jul 13, 2008

So, I don't have any suggestions because I need an answer first -

Is there a difference between mystery/thriller/suspence?

alleycat · Jul 13, 2008

Alpha Echo said:
So, I don't have any suggestions because I need an answer first -

Is there a difference between mystery/thriller/suspence?

Yes. There is a gray area, but generally a mystery involves someone trying to uncovered what happened and solve the mystery (who killed nice Mr. Smith, for example), while a suspense story often deals with something that may or may not happen (will someone kill nice Mr. Smith before the protagonist can pretend it). Thrillers are often suspense stories where there is a lot of action or the story is fast-paced.

We could spend days discussing all the subtleties between mysteries and suspense stories. What I gave you was just a very simple description.

Recommend me a suspense novel or ten

Slowly does it.

Book lover/Spy

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SupahStah!

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Everything is what it seems.

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Seen 'em come, seen 'em go

On a wing and a prayer

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Accordion Dreams

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SupahStah!

SupahStah!

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closer + prettier than ever

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I should be writing.

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