Hi everyone
I’m looking for book recommendations in the murder mystery, psychological thriller, dark academia space something with a damn interesting plot that actually keeps me guessing.
A bit about my taste so you know what does and doesn’t work for me:
Loved The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Hated The Maidens by the same author
Loved The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, but found the later books in the series quite boring
Loved The Boyfriend, but after reading Never Lie I started noticing her pattern and could predict the twists
Verity by Colleen Hoover confused me.. I’m not sure if that’s even the kind of book I enjoy or should continue reading similar ones
I like dark themes, strong psychological tension, clever twists, and stories that don’t feel repetitive or formulaic.
Any recommendations for books that:
Are unpredictable
Have strong atmosphere (bonus for dark academia vibes)
Don’t rely on the same twist patterns
Thanks in advance! 😊
by Sheethall
3 Comments
* The Institution by Helen Fields – psychological thriller set in a mental institution for criminal offenders
* I really enjoy the Lincoln Rhyme series by Jeffery Deaver – crimer thrillers about a quadriplegic forensic scientist working with the NYPD. Deaver writes great plot twists
* Babel by R.F. Kuang – dark academia
Ninth House by Bardugo – Alex navigates the Dark Magic of Yale’s Secret Societies
Scholomance by Naomi Novik – a school trying to destroy its students, still safer than the outside world
Special Topics in Calamity Physics – a teacher’s suicide hides a darker plot
I had to look up dark academia……very interesting.
While not strictly dark academia, The Secret History by Donna Tartt features characters that might have been described as dark academic. It’s an outstanding novel and well worth reading.