The most psychological thrillers to add a chill to your Easter break: Midnight in Soap
Midnight in Soap Lake by Mathew Sullivan (HQ £20, 416pp)
There is something delicious about sinister small-town mysteries. They are endlessly fascinating and even more so when the small towns actually exist, as this one does.
The writer spent time living in the real town of Soap Lake in rural Washington State, hence the marvellously realised sense of place on show here. Abigail moves there with her scientist husband who has to leave for another project.
Abigail becomes immersed in the mysterious history of the town when she happens across a small boy called George running from a car where his mother Esme lies bleeding to death.
Abigail refuses to believe it’s a run of the mill drugs death and becomes obsessed with Esme’s former life. Soap Lake itself has special scientific properties. Conspiracy theories and a local legend called Treetop all combine to make this a cracking read.
The Serial Killer’s Party by Amy Cunningham (Penguin £8.99, 336pp)
The Serial Killer’s Party is available now from the Mail Bookshop
An exclusive invitation to a three-day party in Norway thrown by a billionaire is irresistible to Amelia, not just because of all the ostentatious luxury, but because it gives her the opportunity to avenge the death of her sister.
The big twist is that the billionaire has his own plans, meaning she’s in danger from the get-go.
But the book is also so crammed with little twists that the plot keeps moving fast and furiously. Privilege and accountability are two of the big themes, but the writer allows us to enjoy some delicious details of the life of luxury lived by billionaires too.
The scenes in Norway are particularly well drawn. In the end, it’s a story about the complicated love between sisters with an unguessable and satisfying conclusion.
The Liar by Louise Jensen (HQ £9.99, 352pp)
There is a reliable no-nonsense style about Jensen’s writing that immediately draws you into her stories.
The Abbot family’s nosey new lodger Luke, who keeps asking too many personal questions, is immediately and convincingly suspicious. But gradually we learn that all the family have secrets of their own.
Things take a more menacing turn when the mother Mel suddenly texts to say she is going away for a break. Meanwhile daughter Jen is convinced she is being watched.
This is a superb study of how underlying, secret familial tensions are just waiting for the right catalyst to spark chaos. Jensen is particularly good at depicting relatable characters and can rely on readers’ psychological investment to keep the tension going, even when the plot goes a bit quiet.