Any thriller that doesn’t feel the need to shock you just for the sake of it

I’m fairly new to reading.

I know I love psychological thrillers because they’re already my favourite kind of films, so naturally I started looking for books in the same genre.

I kept seeing The Housemaid, Verity, and The Silent Patient recommended everywhere.

While I liked the idea of the suspense in these books, there’s something they all have in common that really bothered me: the constant need to shock.

I don’t quite understand why every thriller seems to need an “OMG I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING” moment. I’m not looking for shock value. I just want a thriller that: builds tension and keep it going from start to finish. I don’t need a huge, often forced climax just for the sake of it.

I enjoyed the first Housemaid, but the following ones felt extremely forced when it came to twists. I also tried The Teacher by Freida McFadden and felt the same way — again, very forced.

Verity gave me the same feeling: an over-the-top twist and long, unnecessary sex scenes for reasons I still don’t understand. I won’t be picking up this author again.

The Silent Patient worked better for me overall, but once again, I ended up feeling like the twist was forced.

Am I looking in the wrong place? I really don’t think so.

I don’t hate twists. I just hate exaggerated twists that completely reframe the entire book.

Does anyone have author or book recommendations that fit what I’m looking for?