I decided to take a break from non-fiction, and as a result I'm on a bit of a mystery/thriller kick lately. In the last 2 months or so I've read Dark Places and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, The Kind Worth Killing, The Kind Worth Saving and A Talent For Murder by Peter Swanson.
I'm looking for more books in similar style, especially compared to the Swanson books, so a short-ish, snappy and exciting writing with a good number of twists. Flynn's books were just a touch slower, weirder and more cerebral, which worked for me as well, but I preferred the former.
Bonus points for a good narrator and/or ensemble, as these days I mostly listen to audiobooks (they are easier to fit into my routine and my bad eyes made reading much less enjoyable than it used to be, so I limit reading to work-related activities). Added bonus points for great characters and/or books written from the POV of the main character(s) (not strictly necessary, though). Finally, bonus points for unusual setting (all the aforementioned books took place in US which I'm fine with, but a change of scenery would be welcomed), but only if the focus is still on the characters. One of the reasons why I used to read a fair bit of fantasy as a kid but can't get into the genre now, is that many fantasy authors seem to be really in love with all the proper nouns they came up with when creating their worlds, and to me fantasy/sci-fi is mostly compelling when the world isn't a character but rather an excuse to put the book characters in circumstances our world couldn't realistically provide. I think I could really get into a short and snappy fantasy or sci-fi thriller/mystery/detective novel, but I don't know of any good ones.
To clarify, the Swanson books were not mind-bending masterpieces that will alter my brain forever. They were, however, multiple orders of magnitude more compelling way of entertaining myself, than the internet slop I might be subjecting myself to otherwise so, naturally, I want more.
Thanks in advance for the recommendations!
by M4rcelinh0