10 Thrillers to Rock Your Fictional Life -That You Can Find at the Bargain Books Warehouse Sale

Spring is finally here, and with the arrival of longer days, I find myself craving dark reads. Might be a yin and yang thing *shrugs* or that I’m a coward who needs the daylight hours to guide me through fiction’s dim and spooky corners (I’m looking at you here, Chalk Man).

1. Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

Juicy psychological thriller

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . . 

Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. . . . 

Wonder no longer. Catherine Steadman’s enthralling voice shines throughout this spellbinding debut novel. With piercing insight and fascinating twists, Something in the Water challenges the reader to confront the hopes we desperately cling to, the ideals we’re tempted to abandon, and the perfect lies we tell ourselves.

2. Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor

Creepy nightmare thriller

In 1986, Eddie and his friends are on the verge of adolescence, spending their days biking in search of adventure. The chalk men are their secret code, stick figures they draw for one another as hidden messages. But one morning the friends find a chalk man leading them to the woods. They follow the message, only to find the dead body of a teenage girl. 

In 2016, Eddie is nursing a drinking problem and trying to forget his past, until one day he gets a letter containing a chalk man—the same one he and his friends saw when they found the body. Soon he learns that all his old friends received the same note. When one of them is killed, Eddie realizes that saving himself means figuring out what happened all those years ago. But digging into the past proves more dangerous than he could have known. Because in this town, everyone has secrets, no one is innocent, and some will do anything to bury the truth.

3. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Shocking domestic suspense

Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was fifteen, the youngest of three. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic post-exams summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her. 

And then she was gone. 

Now, her mother Laurel Mack is trying to put her life back together. It’s been ten years since her daughter disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie’s case was unearthed. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a café, no one is more surprised than Laurel at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she’s meeting Floyd’s daughters—and his youngest, Poppy, takes Laurel’s breath away. 

Because looking at Poppy is like looking at Ellie. And now, the unanswered questions she’s tried so hard to put to rest begin to haunt Laurel anew. Where did Ellie go? Did she really run away from home, as the police have long suspected, or was there a more sinister reason for her disappearance? Who is Floyd, really? And why does his daughter remind Laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl?

4. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Whip-smart psychological thriller

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.

You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.

You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love. 

You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.

Assume nothing.

Read between the lies.

5. An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Twisty psychological suspense

Looking to earn some easy cash, Jessica Farris agrees to be a test subject in a psychological study about ethics and morality. But as the study moves from the exam room to the real world, the line between what is real and what is one of Dr. Shields’s experiments blurs.

Dr. Shields seems to know what Jess is thinking… and what she’s hiding.

Jessica’s behavior will not only be monitored, but manipulated.

Caught in a web of attraction, deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.

6. Need to Know by Karen Cleveland

Heart-pounding spy thriller

Vivian Miller. High-powered CIA analyst, happily married to a man she adores, mother of four beautiful children. Until the moment she makes a shocking discovery that makes her question everything she believes.

She thought she knew her husband inside and out. But now she wonders if it was all a lie. How far will she go to learn the truth?  And does she really . . . 

. . . NEED TO KNOW?

7. Vox by Christina Dalcher

Disturbing futuristic, dystopian thriller

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than one hundred words per day, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial. This can’t happen here. Not in America. Not to her. 

Soon women are not permitted to hold jobs. Girls are not taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words each day, but now women have only one hundred to make themselves heard. 

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice. 

This is just the beginning…not the end.

8. Watching You by Lisa Jewell

Chilling domestic suspense

You’re back home after four years working abroad, new husband in tow. You’re keen to find a place of your own. But for now, you’re crashing in your big brother’s spare room. 

That’s when you meet the man next door. He’s the headteacher at the local school. Twice your age. Extraordinarily attractive. 

You find yourself watching him. All the time. But you never dreamed that your innocent crush might become a deadly obsession. 

Or that someone is watching you.

9. The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda

Gripping psychological thriller

When Leah Stevens’ career implodes, a chance meeting with her old friend Emmy Grey offers her the perfect opportunity to start over. Emmy, just out of a bad relationship, convinces Leah to come live with her in rural Pennsylvania, where there are teaching positions available and no one knows Leah’s past. 

Or Emmy’s. 

When the town sees a spate of vicious crimes and Emmy Grey disappears, Leah begins to realize how very little she knows about her friend and roommate. Unable to find friends, family, a paper trail or a digital footprint, the police question whether Emmy Grey existed at all. And mark Leah as a prime suspect. 

Fighting the doubts of the police and her own sanity, Leah must uncover the truth about Emmy Grey—and along the way, confront her old demons, find out who she can really trust, and clear her own name.

10. The Poison Bed by E.C. Fremantle

Historical suspense

A marriage. A murder. One of them did it. Which of them will die for it? 

In the autumn of 1615, scandal rocks the Jacobean court, when a celebrated couple, Robert and Frances Carr, are imprisoned on suspicion of murder. Frances is young, captivating, and from a notorious family. She has been rescued from an abusive marriage by Robert, and is determined to make a new life for herself. Whatever the price. 

Robert is one of the richest and most famous men in the kingdom. He has risen from nothing to become one of the country’s most powerful men. But to get to the top, you cannot help making enemies. 

Some believe she is innocent; others think her wicked or insane. He claims no knowledge of the murder. The king suspects them both, though it is his secret at stake. Now a man is dead. And someone must pay with their life. 

Who is telling the truth? Who has the most to lose? And who is willing to commit murder?

Bargain Books Warehouse Sale FAQ:

Will there be coffee?

You betcha! You’ll be able to get your coffee fix from Brew Etc — best coffee ever!

  

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Can I also pay with debit/credit card?

Yup, card facilities are available.

How much will books cost at the sale?

Hardcovers: R100, Trade Paperback: R80, Paperback: R60, Kids Picture Flats: R40, Activity Thins: R20.

From what time can I shop for books?

On September 24th, you can shop from 09:00 – 17:00. Bring loads of time, there are lots of books!

Where is the Bargain Books Warehouse located?

10 Mymoena Cres, Athlone, Cape Town

Check out the Facebook Event page for more details

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A little price guide to help with your budgeting