It’s been over 10 years since “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn hit the shelves giving readers a taste of (spoiler alert!) one of the most unreliable narrators ever. In the years since several authors have tried their hand at keeping readers on the edge of their seats using the same technique, some more successfully than others. Here are few I’ve come across recently that I can recommend.
Freida McFadden is one of the hot new authors in the thrillers and suspense genre. I put off giving her a try until recently and am sorry I did. My first venture into her work, “The Coworker,” will certainly not be my last! Dawn Schiff and Natalie Farrell are coworkers who have nothing in common. Dawn is the company accountant and is incredibly detail-oriented and deliberate in her work. She is also quite quirky and a bit of an outcast in the office. Natalie, on the other hand, is the company’s most successful sales rep and highly popular with her colleagues. One day Dawn, who is always punctual and reliable, doesn’t show up at work. Curious, Natalie goes to Dawn’s house and discovers a horrible crime scene. With Dawn presumed murdered, Natalie is soon under suspicion — it turns out that Natalie was quite the bully towards Dawn. I became very caught up in the story’s many twists and turns — and not just because Natalie was not quite what she seems, but because Dawn has some secrets of her own!
I wasn’t sure just what I was getting into with “Just One Look” by Lindsay Cameron, but this book quickly pulled me in.
This story follows Cassie Woodson, a lawyer reinventing herself after a fall down the corporate ladder. She manages to find work as a temp attorney performing document review of company emails for a law firm. She’s supposed to check that the emails have any relevance to the case at hand, but discovers partner Forest Watt’s (very unrelated) emails have been included in her review box. She soon finds herself swept up in the man’s incredibly tender relationship with his wife, to the point that she imagines herself taking over the role. Before long, she’s flat-out stalking him. When a colleague in the document review department who was also getting the unrelated emails suddenly dies, Cassie begins to wonder if she is caught up in something darker — has the stalker become the stalkee?
A (potentially) unreliable narrator is the driving force of “First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elston. Evie Porter has found love in small-town Louisiana with the handsome and well-off Ryan. His friends are surprised and a bit suspicious of this quick relationship — and they should be. Because Evie is not really what she seems. She’s been sent to keep an eye on Ryan by her employer, the mysterious Mr. Smith. Evie has plans to return to her true identity when this job wraps up, so you can imagine her surprise when someone with her real name and seemingly her own real background comes to town. Evie isn’t sure if this is a warning or a threat and soon a twisted game of cat and mouse ensues. This story has so many people who may not be what they appear that I couldn’t help but question everything!
Unreliable narrators make for fun and fast-paced stories. For a few more titles, check out this list I made. Happy reading!
