COLUMN: Thick plots and dark intentions – at Thorold Public Library

There’s a point in every good thriller where a rush of understanding fills in the space previously obscured by well placed red herrings and the proverbial twist. Or you just kinda go, “Yeah, I totally thought it was him”. Both are respectively satisfying. Why we even revere the pursuit of the unknown in a world so unabashedly unknowable is curious in and of itself. But given that the thriller genre makes up the bottom layer of the summer reading food group pyramid (yes, we’re authorized to designate that a thing), here are a few of our favourite new releases to help you hit your recommended daily allowance.

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

Author of Good Girl, The Other Mrs., and Pretty Baby, Kubica has firmly asserted herself in a highly competitive space that demands a certain reinventedness (don’t look that up). That is to say, the thriller is a unique genre in where readers expect to be tricked. They demand a skillfully cloaked transparency, want not necessarily the unexpected, but certainly the unpredicted. In other words, they desire to almost know but not quite – cause that’s not clever enough. And Kubica delivers, time and time again. On this occasion, there’s more than a few layers to the mystery. Yes, a local woman is missing (you catch on quick) – but that’s not the beginning of it. Nor is it the end. Were not going to say anything about the middle or you’ll go, “Ok, now she’s just naming parts of a story”. Without the threat of a spoiler, what we can say is that this novel starts with a resolution of sorts, seemingly working the case backward – though you’ll soon begin to realize that maybe it’s not that simple. Perhaps everyone isn’t who they claim. And why should they be? It is, after all, a thriller. Devour this one in a few sittings.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

We’ve probably recommended Michaelides’ first title Silent Patient to nearly every reader we know. Perhaps even some non-readers who then said, “Stop recommending books to me. I’m a non-reader”. Nah, that didn’t happen. Approximately 97% of all non-readers will spend a lifetime trying to convince people that they do, in fact, read. They just can’t recall any of the recent titles. That said, book recommendation is not something we take lightly, and Michaelides’ debut always seems to satisfy. But does his sophomore attempt? Well, that would all depend on whether you’re expecting Silent Patient: The Sequel. If you are, then you’ll find yourself disappointed (save for a small and expertly placed intertextual nod). The Maidens centres on a string of murders at Cambridge University. Michaelides draws on his Cypriot background to flesh out an enigmatic Greek tragedy professor who is perhaps involved in more than he lets on. Mariana – a group therapist who rushes to campus to console her niece – is all but convinced as much upon their first meeting. But what will she think as time wears on? A solid second effort worthy of standalone acknowledgement.

Survive the Night by Riley Sager

Thriller settings have a lot of really cool options: old abandoned Victorian gothic with winding driveway and nondescript wooded ravine, snowed-in underoccupied ski chalet with poor reception, house on lakeside complete with personal dock and mysterious underwater past – and so on and so forth. In addition to opting for the driving with a stranger on late night highway (see: is he a murderer? as the new punch buggy) option, Sager has peppered this one with a distinctive ‘90s vibe which not only serves to enhance the overall narrative but somehow heighten the more sinister aspects as well. You’ll never look at a Nirvana album the same way again. For superfans of the ‘90s, this is an expertly crafted atmospheric maneuver to set the scene for an unreliable narrator and her equally unreliable chauffer (serial murder?). It’s another Campus Killer story, yes - but perfectly stylised. If you’re not a ‘90s fan it’s still all of these things. And perhaps it will even make you a fan of the ‘90s. Also, why were you not already a fan of the ‘90s? A quick, impactful, moody read that will get you digging into Sager’s back catalogue. And maybe your old Nirvana CDs. Or tapes. Let’s be honest – they were cassette tapes.

Put any of these titles (or others) on hold via our online catalogue. We are now open to the public for in-person browsing as well (no appointment needed). For more info, you can contact us at [email protected] or 905-227-2581.