The Booked Mama is back with an all new spooky collection for 2020! It’s the time of year when the weather gets crisp, the leaves begin to fall and Hocus Pocus airs non-stop on TV. It’s also the perfect month to catch up on some great thrillers to add to the excitement of the Halloween season. Whether you believe in the supernatural or are an armchair detective these 13 books will keep you up at night and turning pages. So grab your favorite blanket, pour a glass of wine and get reading.

“Strangers at the Gate” by Catriona McPherson

Paddy & Finnie have just been offered the jobs they have always dreamed of, a partnership for Paddy at a small law firm and a full-time deaconship for Finnie. Along with the jobs, Paddy has been offered a small cottage on the property of his new boss, Lovett Dudgeon, rent free. After settling in, Finnie begins to question the decision they made moving to Simmerton. Their new home is dark and isolated and she has been hearing things in the woods. On Monday evening Paddy and Finnie are invited up to the Dudgeon’s home for dinner. Despite willing herself not to enjoy Tuft Dudgeon’s company she finds the woman engaging and Finn decides she is looking forward to the new start after all. The young couple start their short walk down the path back to their cottage when Finn realizes she has left her purse behind. Turning back Finn & Paddy discover the front door open and what they discover inside will upend everything. Catriona McPherson has written a wicked page-turner! For all of you armchair detectives out there, I challenge you try and figure this one out. McPherson kept me guessing right through to the last page. Suspense fans this one is a must! Purchase a copy of “Strangers at the Gate” here.

“Home Before Dark” by Riley Sager

Maggie doesn’t believe in haunted houses, after all, she supposedly lived in one. At least that’s what her father’s best-selling novel led everyone to believe all those years ago. At 5 years old Maggie’s family purchased Baneberry Hall, a large Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. The home’s reputation made the property a steal but the Holt family weren’t completely aware of what they were getting themselves into. Maggie and her parents, Ewan & Jessica, last three weeks before escaping their home in the middle of the night. The world became fascinated by their ordeal when Ewan’s account of what happened at Baneberry Hall was published in his true story “House of Horrors”, a book that Maggie believes to be completely fictional considering she has no memory of what her father has written. When her father passes away 25 years later, Maggie learns that not only did her father never sell Baneberry Hall but now it belonged to her. Defying her promise to her father on his deathbed to never go back there, Maggie decides she has to see the house for herself and figure out once and for all why her family really fled that night in July. “Home Before Dark” is another smash by author Riley Sager. This page turning thriller had me seconding guessing what I thought to be true the whole way through. Definitely not one to be missed. Be sure to add this to your TBR list. Purchase a copy of “Home Before Dark” here.

“Framed” by S.L. McInnis

Cassie & Beth couldn’t be less alike if they tried but somehow the two were matched together as college freshman roommates and formed an unlikely friendship. Fast-forward years later, Beth is now living the picture perfect life while chaos still follows Cassie around. Beth hasn’t heard from Cassie in years so when she receives a phone call in the middle of the night from a man asking if Cassie is at her home she is thrown. When Cassie happens to call the next day explaining that she is in town Beth agrees to meet up with her. What she doesn’t expect is for Cassie to arrive with luggage in tow, needing a place to stay for a few nights. By welcoming Cassie into her home Beth opens up her carefully curated life to the dangers that come along with her long lost friend and her marriage, her job and her life are all put on the line. “Framed” is the debut book by author S.L. McInnis and if this is her just getting started I can’t wait to see what she publishes next. McInnis has created three loathsome characters in Beth, Cassie & Jay. With multiple POVs & flashbacks “Framed” is great read for anyone who likes a thriller with some good twists and turns. Purchase a copy of “Framed” here.

“Lie to Me” by J.T. Ellison

From the outside looking in Ethan and Sutton Montclair are the perfect couple. Both successful writers, a beautiful Victorian mansion in Nashville and a whirlwind marriage filled with romance. When tragedy comes knocking on their door the Montclair’s don’t respond well. The couple begin fighting, the knock-down-police called kind usually ending with them retreating to their separate corners of their home to work on their respective novels. Just when Ethan believes they might be getting back on track he awakes one morning to find Sutton gone. She has left everything behind, her phone, her laptop, her wallet, all her clothes…and a note. Sutton tells Ethan not look for her causing him to panic that she is in some sort of danger. He decides to call the police but soon Ethan is their number one suspect when all the evidence of her sudden disappearance leads back to him. “Lie To Me” is often seen compared to “Gone Girl” but in my opinion J.T. Ellison has crafted something even more creative and chilling. I can usually figure out the ending of these twisty tales early on but this one had me completely fooled. Told in two parts from both Ethan and Sutton’s point of view as well as a few flashbacks into their lives “then”, “Lie To Me” is one you won’t be able to put down! Be sure to add this one to your TBR list. Purchase a copy of “Lie To Me” here.

“The Guest List” by Lucy Foley

Dear Reader, you are cordially invited to attend the wedding of Julia Keegan & Will Slater on a private island off the coast of Ireland. Guests begin to travel across choppy waters the day before the ceremony as celebrations start with the champagne flowing freely. Julia’s 19 year old half-sister, Olivia, will act as her only bridesmaid, Will’s best man and ushers are friends from his elite private school days and the evening will be MC’d by Julia’s long time best friend, Charlie. With a celebrity bride and groom no expense has been spared to make The Folly’s first wedding spectacular. Sure the cell-phone service is lacking and the weather an impending disaster but that doesn’t stop Folly Owner/Wedding Planner, Aoife, from trying to pull off the perfect event. As day turns into night the guests get drunker, the storm outside grows increasingly more angry and tightly-wound threads of secrets begin to unravel in all directions. Speeches are given, the cake is cut and then the lights go out. A scream can be heard outside the marquis, someone has found a body. Told from the POVs of Olivia, Julia, Johnno (the best man), Aoife and Hannah (Charlie’s wife) “The Guest List” is a perfect, slow-burn mystery. Just when you think author Lucy Foley has shown all the cards she comes back with yet another shocker that you didn’t see coming. Highly recommend this one for all fans of this genre. Purchase a copy of “The Guest List” here.

“An Unwanted Guest” by Shari Lapena

The guests arriving at Mitchell’s Inn for a weekend of relaxation, connection and romance are in for an experience that they will never forget and for some…not survive. The hotel’s luxury rooms, fireplaces, gourmet food and endless activities draw ten unsuspecting guests to the Catskills during a terrible winter storm. With the blizzard raging outside and its employees unable to come to work the hotel is only staffed by its owner/head chef James and his twenty-two year old son Bradley. The two promise that their guests will still be well taken care of despite being short handed. After dinner the guests retreat to their rooms until an early morning scream draws everyone to the grand staircase where they find a guest dead. Unable to call for help due to down power lines the occupants of Mitchell’s Inn turn to a guest, a defense attorney, for advice on how to handle the accident. But soon when another guest is found dead it starts to look more and more like there is a killer hiding out in the hotel…or among them. Can the rest of the guests survive the weekend until help arrives or are more of them destined to die at Mitchell’s Inn. “An Unwanted Guest” is the second book I’ve read by author Shari Lapena (I reviewed “The Couple Next Door” back in September of 2018) and this one was far and away my favorite of the two. Once you get settled in on the number of characters and perspectives you hear from you can’t put this book down. For those of you who love a good twisty who-done-it mystery be sure to add this one to your list. Purchase a copy of “An Unwanted Guest” here.

“The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides

Artist Alicia Berenson hasn’t said a word in years. Not since the night she murdered her husband. Alicia has been living in a medicated state since then for her own safety as well the employee’s safety at the hospital she’s been living in. Due to the notoriety of the case, the price of Alicia’s artwork skyrockets and she’s the talk of every journalist in London. No one has ever been able to convince Alicia to explain why she decided to commit the crime but Theo Faber thinks he has what it takes to bring Alicia out of her shell. After securing himself a job on the hospital’s psychotherapy team Theo is determined to be the one she speaks to first and he will stop at nothing in order to accomplish his goal even if it risks his own safety or possibly even his life. “The Silent Patient” completely lives up to all the hype that surrounds it. It has everything a thriller lover could possibly want. This book well and truly had me fooled. Bravo to author Alex Michaelides on a knock-out debut novel. Can’t wait to see what he does next. Be sure to add this to your TBR list. Purchase a copy of “The Silent Patient” here.

“Lock Every Door” by Riley Sager

Jules has never been so alone as she is now. With both of her parents now gone and her sister Jane, a missing person for years, still unaccounted for Jules doesn’t think she could slip any lower. That was until she lost her job and walked in on her live-in boyfriend with another woman all in the same day. Forced to now sleep on her best friend’s couch, Jules can’t believe her luck when she finds an ad for a job as an apartment sitter. She jumps at the chance for an interview and when she arrives finds herself at the very building that drew her to New York City in the first place, The Bartholomew. Jules and her sister Jane read a book set in this very building over and over again as teenagers. Not only does she get to live there for three months but the twelve thousand dollars she will get paid to do so will help her get back on her feet again. Yes, the “temporary resident” rules are a little strict and strange but Jules keeps her eyes on her bank account to justify them. When she befriends another fellow apartment sitter things begin to unravel and the facade of The Bartholomew starts to tumble down as secrets from the building’s history begin to reveal themselves. People move in to The Bartholomew but not everyone gets out alive. This is the second book I’ve read by author Riley Sager and I thought it would be hard to beat “The Last Time I Lied” but “Lock Every Door” had me on the edge of my seat. This is a nail-biting, don’t read alone at night thriller that will have you guessing what is coming next all the way through. For those of you who love a twisty mystery be sure to add this to your TBR list. Purchase a copy of “Lock Every Door” here.

“The Woman in the Window” by A.J. Finn

Anna Fox lives alone in her New York City apartment afraid to go outside. She developed PTSD induced agoraphobia and hasn’t left her five-story townhouse in close to a year. Her husband and daughter have been gone just as long but Anna manages to speak to them on a daily basis, one of her few contacts to the outside world. Anna makes connections online to other people suffering from the same condition she does and finds little joys in being able to put her psychologist hat on still once in a while. Anna’s guilty pleasure is looking out her window through her zoom lense camera and into the homes of her neighbors. When a new family moves into one of the townhouses across the street Anna has already done her research online and learned their names before the boxes have been unpacked. The Russell family seem to be the perfect package: mother, father, teenage son but one night when her camera was trained on their window Anna witnesses something she shouldn’t. After seeing Anna’s nightly cocktail of pills mixed with her never-ending supply of red wine the authorities aren’t really interested in what she tries to tell hem but Anna is convinced what she saw was real and makes it her mission to save Ethan from his home as well as her sanity. Despite A.J. Finn’s “The Woman in the Window” being 464 pages I read this book in day. Yes, it made for a late night but I could not put it down. I did figure out one of the major plot twists well before it was revealed but I didn’t find that to be a damper on how much I enjoyed this. Mystery/Thriller fans should definitely add this one to your TBR list. I can’t wait to see the movie interpretation of this with Amy Adams cast as Anna. ( …but as the saying goes we all know that usually the book is better.) Purchase a copy of “The Woman in the Window” here.

“The Last Flight” by Julie Clark

Observers would say that Claire Cook has the perfect life. Married into the prominent political Cook family, Manhattan socialites, Claire has everything she could desire. However looks can be deceiving. Rory Cook is far from the golden boy he has lead his constituents to believe he is. Claire has perfected navigating his anger and concealing the marks he leaves behind. When Claire finally decides she has had enough she devises the perfect plan to disappear. When a chance encounter at the airport gives Claire the chance to follow through with her decision she hopes she is finally on her way to escaping Rory’s grasp. Then the flight she was supposed to be on goes down with no survivors and everyone believes Claire is dead. With the promise of a fresh start and a new identity Claire is heading into her new life but this new name comes with old secrets and dangers that may just mean Claire isn’t as free as she hoped to be. “The Last Flight” is a dual POV story that seamlessly weaves together the two character’s narratives and leaves you asking yourself “what lengths would I go to to escape?” A great read for thriller fans. Purchase a copy of “The Last Flight” here.

“The Look-Alike” by Erica Spindler

At 18 years old Sienna Scott was the first to discover the body of a murdered student on her college campus late one stormy night on a secluded path she took home regularly. Sienna begins to question whether or not she was the intended target when she realizes the victim was wearing the same coat as her. Sienna’s worries are compounded by the fact that her mother’s paranoid delusions are getting worse. When things reach a tipping point Sienna is abruptly sent away to London to live with family. Ten years later, Sienna has decided to return to her hometown only to discover that the murder case that drove her from home has been reopened and her mother’s illness has taken a turn for the worse. When Viv begins ranting about white vans and prank phone calls Sienna fears for her mother’s sanity but when Sienna begins to experience the same strange occurrences she begins to wonder if her mother has been telling the truth all along or could it be that she is slipping into the same illness that has taken over her mother’s life for all these years? “The Look-Alike” is a page-turning thriller filled with twists and turns. Though you think you may have this whodunit figured out numerous times author Erica Spindler leaves you second guessing yourself over and over again. A worthwhile read for any suspense/mystery fan. Purchase a copy of “The Look-Alike” here.

“The Death of Mrs. Westaway” by Ruth Ware

Hal is seriously in debt. Since losing her only parent, her mother, she has barely been able to keep her head above water. So when a mysterious letter arrives to tell her that her grandmother had recently passed away leaving her something in her will Hal only has one thought – what grandmother? Her only known grandparents had passed away years ago. Thinking this had to be some sort of mistake she decides to head to the funeral and reading to find out what was going on. When she arrives in Cornwall, Hal realizes that her mother not only left behind a family Hal never knew about but also secrets that have her completely confused. Was the newly deceased Mrs. Westaway actually her grandmother and does someone in this family know the truth about who her father is? Hal decides to risk it all in order to uncover what has been kept from her for her whole life. Though Ruth Ware’s mystery style isn’t always a hit with me I think this is my favorite out of the three titles I have read by this author. I found the plot to have a few holes that left me scratching my head but all in all not a bad read. Purchase a copy of “The Death of Mrs. Westaway” here.

“The Other Woman” by Sandie Jones

Emily has finally met the man of her dreams. Adam swoops into her life and the two start up the type of whirlwind romance that Emily has only dreamed of. Everything is going perfectly until Adam decides it’s time for Emily to meet his mother. At first, sweet and doting Pammie comes across as loving and kind, the sort of mother that would do anything for her son but as her encounters with Mrs. Banks become more frequent Emily begins to realize that there is something deeply wrong with Pammie. If games are what Pammie wants to play, Emily decides that she won’t be on the losing end of this contest for Adam’s affection but what Emily uncovers could put a lot more than just her relationship on the line, possibly her life. I finished “The Other Woman” in less than a day. Though the “twist” ending wasn’t all that surprising I still enjoyed this page-turner. Add this to your TBR list for a quick, lazy weekend read. Purchase a copy of “The Other Woman” here.