1. THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, by Paula Hawkins
Readers will get swept away into the imagination of train-commuter Rachel Watson as she dreams up idealistic occupations, personalities, and romance for a seemingly happy young couple she observes from her window on the way to and from work. The couple, who she nicknames Jess and Jason, live just a few houses down from the home she once shared with ex-husband Tom and they represent everything that she and Tom were not. Until, of course, that illusion is shattered by Jess-real name Megan-‘s sudden disappearance. As the investigation unfolds, Rachel finds herself more and more involved. The narration gives way to new voices (Megan and Tom’s new wife, Anna) and it becomes apparent that all of the female leads are just as complex-and possibly going just as crazy- as Rachel.
What the critics are saying: Reminiscent of Hitchcock’s Rear Window and Gillian Flynn’s contemporary counterpart Gone Girl, some critics believe that The Girl on the Train maintains its #1 bestseller position simply because nothing better has come along. While the alternation between narrators and timeframes keeps the reader interested, in the end, it is essentially flawed. Rachel is unlikable and also unreliable due to her chronic drunkenness and regular blackouts. Still, Hawkins effectively maintains the mystery through an ingenious omission of key details. Although slow to start, the second half of the novel delivers enthralling suspense.
2. THE STRANGER, by Harlan Coben
Fascinated with the concept of suspicions, online privacy, and the influence they have over normal people’s lives, Coben delivers an intriguing thriller from the very first line. Suburbanites Adam and Corinne Price appear to be the epitome of the American dream, complete with the nice house, jobs, and children but all of that comes crashing down when Adam is confronted by a complete stranger who reveals shocking secrets about his wife and her (feigned) first pregnancy. After much contemplation, Adam decides to confront Corinne, who confirms the whispered claims were true. Then the next day, she vanishes-leaving behind nothing in explanation but a brief text message. As the neighbors begin to talk, Adam comes into contact with more secrets and finds himself entangled in a much darker conspiracy that he ever imagined.
What the critics are saying: Stand-alone thrillers that have an eerie knack of twisting normal suburban characters into disturbing webs of deception are Coben’s specialty and The Stranger is his best one yet. The multiple plotlines and constant unexpected twists and turns keep readers turning pages late into the night. While some elements of the overall conspiracy are never fully explained, many feel that the imperfect understanding makes the story feel all the more real and believable.
3. ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr
Set in World War II Europe, this novel centers on two disparate characters- Marie-Laure LeBlanc of the French Resistance and Werner Pfennig, a technocratic private in the service of the Thousand-Year Reich. Packed with vivid flashbacks, the author delves into the childhoods of both protagonists, fixating on the authentic relationships the blind LeBlanc shared with her father and the flawed Pfennig shared with his anti-fascist younger sister. Although an otherwise devoted member of the Reich, Pfennig begins illegally listening to foreign broadcasts on the radio, the very broadcasts that the radical LeBlanc is responsible for transmitting. Their stories become entertainingly intertwined, finally reaching a climatic encounter between the two.
What the critics are saying: The writing is eloquent and easy to follow, despite consisting largely of flashbacks. The childhood of LeBlanc and her development into a resistance participant is natural and believable, although Pfennig’s progression leaves a bit to be desired. The characters in his Nazi world are painted as monsters, lacking the development necessary to make them feel human. And he, too, sometimes feels insubstantial and unknowable-a difficult combination for a protagonist. Although an entertaining “good read” some feel that Doerr could have done more with his material.
4. NYPD RED 3, by James Patterson and Marshall Karp
The third in a series about New York’s highly trained task force assigned to protect the rich and famous, this time Detective Zach Jordon and his partner Kylie MacDonald try to piece together the mysterious murder of billionaire businessman Hunter Alden, Jr.’s chauffeur and the subsequent disappearance of his son. Although Jordon and MacDonald’s New Year’s celebrations are cut short to investigate the crime scene in Alden’s garage, the next day-when Alden’s son goes missing- he is unusually reluctant to pursue the matter as a kidnapping and attempts to hinder NYPD Red’s investigation through all means possible.
What the critics are saying: Opinions are very mixed. Although some applaud the thriller’s engaging twists and turns, others believe the plot to be too predictable. The love triangle between Jordon, his current interest, and (once girlfriend) partner feels a bit foolish and disruptive to story as a whole. While the plot is generally intriguing, the writing-especially the dialogue- comes across as amateurish. This book may have made it to the top on the Patterson name alone.
5. A SPOOL OF BLUE THREAD, by Anne Tyler
Known for her “intimate portraits of middle-class life, tracing the centrifugal and centripetal forces of family that can propel individuals outward into the world at large or hold them close at home,” Tyler delivers another novel based on the complexities of the average American family. After Red suffers a heart attack and his mentally unstable wife, Abby, seems to worsen, four generations of the Whitshank family come to live together. With the homecoming of the black sheep, Denny, tensions run high causing heated confrontations among the family members who must bring to light years of grievances, jealousy, and guilt before they can come together again.
What the critics are saying: For anyone who has read Anne Tyler before, this story feels all too familiar. The central husband and wife perfectly fit Tyler’s typical male and female prototypes and the storyline comes across as predictable and cliché even if you are unfamiliar with the author’s usual plot points. All of the characters seem to share an underlying desire for familiar love and amnesty however no one character creates a deep impression, leaving the reader to not care whether or not the family finds that which it is seeking.
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Rating: 4.1/5 (296 votes)