Happy Halloween 2014 my amazing readers! Today I thought I would take a look back at some of the books that gave me a good scare. I am mainly a paranormal romance and urban fantasy reader, so I’m kind of immune to the whole demon, ghosts and vampires scariness. No, I guess that is not entirely true. Those damn movies that feature demonic possession scare the bejeezus out of me. I know they are movies, but still there is that niggling feeling in the back of my head screaming that this could happen! I try to avoid these movies, but I am drawn to them none the less.
For my reading though, I mainly get my scares from good thrillers. Today I’m going to show you just a few on my bookshelf that have ratcheted up my adrenaline and made me scream crazy things at the book. The problem when you read a good thriller late into the night, is you normally finish in the wee hours of the morning when all the bad things happen. Inevitably, sleep is elusive as you stare at every window and doorway watching for the face of your killer.
Jim Beckett was everything she’d ever dreamed of…But two years after Tess married the decorated cop and bore his child, she helped put him behind bars for savagely murdering ten women. Even locked up in a maximum security prison, he vowed he would come after her and make her pay. Now the cunning killer has escaped—and the most dangerous game of all begins….
After a lifetime of fear, Tess will do something she’s never done before. She’s going to learn to protect her daughter and fight back, with the help of a burned-out ex-marine. As the largest manhunt four states have ever seen mobilizes to catch Beckett, the clock winds down to the terrifying reunion between husband and wife. And Tess knows that this time, her only choices are to kill—or be killed.
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED
It’s been seven years since the Seattle Strangler terrorized the city. His victims were all young, pretty, their lifeless bodies found wrapped in a home-sewn white dress. But there was one who miraculously escaped death, just before the Strangler disappeared…KILL
Lara Church has only hazy memories of her long-ago attack. What she does have is a home in Austin, a job, and a chance at a normal life at last. Then Texas Ranger James Beck arrives on her doorstep with shattering news: The Strangler is back. And this time, he’s in Austin…AND KILL AGAIN…
He’s always craved her, even as he killed the others. For so long he’s been waiting to unleash the beast within. And this time, he’ll prove he holds her life in his hands—right before he ends it forever…
Damaged Portland detective Archie Sheridan spent ten years tracking Gretchen Lowell, a beautiful serial killer, but in the end she was the one who caught him. Two years ago, Gretchen kidnapped Archie and tortured him for ten days, but instead of killing him, she mysteriously decided to let him go. She turned herself in, and now Gretchen has been locked away for the rest of her life, while Archie is in a prison of another kind—addicted to pain pills, unable to return to his old life, powerless to get those ten horrific days off his mind. Archie’s a different person, his estranged wife says, and he knows she’s right. He continues to visit Gretchen in prison once a week, saying that only he can get her to confess as to the whereabouts of more of her victims, but even he knows the truth—he can’t stay away.
When another killer begins snatching teenage girls off the streets of Portland, Archie has to pull himself together enough to lead the new task force investigating the murders. A hungry young newspaper reporter, Susan Ward, begins profiling Archie and the investigation, which sparks a deadly game between Archie, Susan, the new killer, and even Gretchen. They need to catch a killer, and maybe somehow then Archie can free himself from Gretchen, once and for all. Either way, Heartsick makes for one of the most extraordinary suspense debuts in recent memory.
These are just a few of my favorite thrillers, and to make them even more exciting, the ones here are just book one is series! So the fun continues and you don’t always know if they catch the killer. You never know, it might be that creep watching you from across the street!
Happy Halloween everyone! Enjoy the parties and candy. Share some of your favorite thrillers in the comments. If you dress up this year, post some pics of your costumes too! I would love to see them! Look for rantingreader on Instagram!
