Abi Rambler: Thriller Book Reviews & Reading Orders

Death Row is Freida McFadden's short thriller from Amazon Original Stories (2025), about a woman on death row, a murder conviction and the days ticking away towards an execution. This is a spoiler-free review: the setup, what worked for me, the content warnings, and who might want to skip it. My rating: 4.2/5 . My sketch notes for Death Row. Quick verdict Book: Death Row by Freida McFadden Genre: Psychological thriller / short story My rating: 4.2/5 Best for: Beginners, and readers who want a short, fast, twisty thriller In one line: Short, simple and fast paced, with multiple twists I never saw coming. Disclosure: Some links in this post are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Check price on Amazon → · US readers: Amazon.com Prefer listening? Death Row is on Audible. Try Audible free for 30 days and use your free credit on it. New members only; the membership renews automatically un...

As a thriller reader, I wanted a better way to keep track of the books I read, the twists I never saw coming, and the suspects I kept changing my mind about. That inspired me to create the Thriller Reader's Journal and Tracker—tools designed to make the reading experience more organised, memorable, and fun for fellow thriller lovers. You probably know the problem: three months after finishing a book, you can't remember whether it was the one with the unreliable narrator or the one with the twist you guessed on page 60. A simple reading log fixes that, and a good one does more than list titles. It helps you spot what you actually enjoy, pick your next read faster and write spoiler-free recommendations for friends. This guide covers how to track your thriller reading , step by step, with free tips you can use in any notebook or spreadsheet. At the end I also share the two tools I made for this: The Thriller Reader's Journal by Abi Rambler , a printable thriller reading jour...

The Locked Door is Freida McFadden's 2021 psychological thriller about a successful surgeon who has spent decades hiding who her father really was. This is a spoiler-free review: the setup, what worked for me, the content warnings, and who it suits. My rating: 4.5/5 . Quick verdict Book: The Locked Door by Freida McFadden Genre: Psychological thriller My rating: 4.5/5 Best for: Thriller lovers, home-based (domestic) thrillers and family-suspects stories In one line: It kept me on the verge, I suspected everyone from the start, and the twist was a total surprise. Check price on Amazon → Prefer listening? The Locked Door is on Audible, narrated by Leslie Howard. Try Audible free for 30 days and use your free credit on it. New members only; the membership renews automatically unless you cancel. My sketch inspired by The Locked Door. The Locked Door at a glance Author Freida McFadden First published 1 June 2021 (Hollywood Upstairs Press); reissued in paperba...

Verity is Colleen Hoover's psychological thriller about a struggling writer hired to finish a bestselling author's book series, and the unsettling secret she finds in the house. This is a spoiler-free review: the setup, what worked for me, the content warnings (this one is dark and meant for adult readers), and who might want to skip it. My rating: 4.3/5 . Jump to: My verdict (4.3/5) · Content warnings · Who might want to skip it · Who should read it · Where to buy My sketch notes for Verity. Quick verdict Book: Verity by Colleen Hoover Genre: Psychological thriller My rating: 4.3/5 Best for: Adult readers who like a dark, chilling psychological thriller that keeps you questioning what's true Content warnings: Loss of a child, harm to a child, violence, adult sexual content and more ( full list below ) Who might want to skip it: Anyone who'd rather avoid the topics above, or who wants a twist they can't see coming ( details below ) In one li...

Dan Brown has written eight novels, and six of them follow Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon. If you've ever stood in front of a bookshelf wondering where to begin with the author of The Da Vinci Code , this guide lays out the Langdon series in the right order, then his two standalone thrillers, with a quick note on who each one suits. ↓ Jump to the quick-reference table: all 8 Dan Brown books in order This is the complete list of Dan Brown's novels (8 novels, as of October 2026), not a curated selection. It leaves out his non-novels, such as the children's book Wild Symphony (2020). Everything below is spoiler-free, and prices on Amazon India change often, so check the current price before you buy. Dan Brown books in order: quick reference table Here is every Dan Brown novel at a glance. Swipe sideways on a phone to see the whole table. Reading order Book Year Series or standalone Main settings Langdon #1 Angels & Demons 2000 Langdon series Vatican City...

My sketch notes for The Only One Left. The Only One Left is Riley Sager's 2023 gothic thriller about a young caregiver, a cliffside mansion and a family murder that has been pinned on one woman since 1929. This is a spoiler-free review: the setup, what worked for me, the content warnings, and who might want to skip it. My rating: 4.9/5 . Jump to: My verdict (4.9/5) · Who might want to skip it · Who should read it · Where to buy Sketch inspired by The Only One Left. Quick verdict Book: The Only One Left by Riley Sager Genre: Gothic mystery / thriller My rating: 4.9/5 Best for: Readers who want a fast, twisty thriller they can't put down In one line: Fast paced, kept me up till 3am, and the last twist was fantastic. The Only One Left at a glance Author Riley Sager (pen name of Todd Ritter) First published 20 June 2023 (Dutton) Setting Hope's End, a cliffside mansion on the Maine coast. The main story is set in 1983; the murders happened i...

If you've spent any time in a bookshop in India lately, you've seen Freida McFadden's name everywhere. The Housemaid went viral on BookTok and Bookstagram, and suddenly everyone wanted to know what to read next. The catch is that she's written a lot of books, and only some of them are part of a series. So here's a simple guide: the Housemaid series in the right order, followed by her most popular standalone thrillers and who each one suits. Everything is spoiler-free. Prices on Amazon India change often, so check the current price before you buy. Quick guide The Housemaid series, in order: 1. The Housemaid, 2. The Housemaid's Secret, 3. The Housemaid Is Watching. Read these in order. Standalone thrillers, in any order: The Locked Door, Never Lie, The Inmate, Ward D, The Coworker, The Teacher, The Boyfriend, The Tenant, Death Row and Dear Debbie. Where to start: The Housemaid for most new readers. Never Lie or The Inmate if you want a standalone firs...