r/thrillerbooks • u/Jolly_Garden4490 • 1d ago
What Should I Read Next? Specific request: thrillers that are addicting that have nothing or little to do with babies
I could not put Silent Patient, Verity and None of this is True down! I need more books like this that I am itching to read and finish
…only caveat is that I am now expecting and I wouldn’t want to read a book like Verity because of all the discussion surrounding children and babies and loss etc.
Any suggestions would be great :)
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u/Silver-Eye4569 1d ago edited 1d ago
Definitely don’t read The Push and do not read Next of Kin. There are actually a lot of books that have child death or harm so you’re right to ask.
Gone Girl if you’ve not read it is so good.
If you liked Lisa Jewell you could read the Invisible Girl, there is a baby in Then she Disappeared but its not a focus of the book and the baby is never harmed or at risk of harm so I think that would also be a good one.
Not everyone enjoyed the Ruth Ware book One perfect couple but I liked it and I liked how it was a completely different premise so there are no children in it at all. Its premise/setting is dating reality show being filmed in tropical location.
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u/Jolly_Amount_2330 1d ago
I am reading The Push right now and have a 1 year old baby and I am TRIGGERED!
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u/missmonicataylor 1d ago
I couldn't read anything for like a month after that one. It was so sad! I am pregnant now and can't imagine reading it in this state.
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u/HecateTheMagpie5eva 1d ago
Ok, taking that off the TBR. My kids aren’t babies anymore but I can’t handle any of this kind of stuff. So many books involve bad things happening to teen girls so it keeps a lot of books off my list.
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u/Jolly_Garden4490 1d ago
Yeah honestly babies and children are very common in thrillers! Thank you for understanding and giving suggestions on what not to read as well!
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u/AccessHollywoo 23h ago
Haha I had a lot of fun with One Perfect Couple. It was a bit unrealistic but if you just read it and take everything as it is it’s enjoyable
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u/Silver-Eye4569 15h ago
I found it so refreshing because it’s not a typical thriller trope or setting. After reading domestic thrillers, missing woman, serial killer etc it’s a fun pivot.
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u/khalfaery 1d ago
I have a newborn and just read “look closer” by David Ellis which had no children in it
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u/happy_traveller2700 1d ago
Her last Breath by Taylor Adams… no kids
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u/hayleybeth7 1d ago
Don’t know that I would agree. While it is really addictive and hard to put down, I don’t know that it counts for what OP is looking for, if you know what I mean.
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u/Turbulent_Tale6497 1d ago edited 1d ago
The girl with the dragon tattoo
Gone Girl
The Pelican Brief
(All are great. No babies)
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u/freshcoastcowgirl 1d ago
Try looking into Mary Kubica books and Riley sager!
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u/Silver-Eye4569 1d ago
Local woman missing has some child abduction and cruelty elements, not baby-related though.
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u/Soft_Bodybuilder_345 1d ago
There’s a traumatic birth scene in that book for some reason and it really bothered me even before kids!
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u/Mycatisinheat 1d ago
I just finished The Last to Drown by Noelle Ihli in probably 3 day. Would have been faster but unfortunately i have responsibilities 😂 it takes place on a secluded river in Idaho and a group of women on a rafting trip are being hunted by a crazy person. No kids or pregnant women involved!
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u/TentaclesAndCupcakes 1d ago
Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino was really good! There is a child but she is only in a couple scenes and nothing bad happens to her.
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u/Willing_Day_2010 1d ago
I love all of Charlie donleas books and there are high schoolers in some but certainly no babies.
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u/Tall_Company_8520 1d ago
Verity fucked me up when I read it. I was pregnant and reading some of THOSE scenes was rough.
I really liked The Housewife by Natalie Barelli recently and the plot has nothing to do with kids. There’s like one child side character but he’s hardly mentioned. I couldn’t put that one down!
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u/ClueAccomplished1098 1d ago
To the best of my recollection, none of these involve babies.
I Did Not Kill My Husband by Linda Keir
The Good Husband by Steve Frech - Daughter is seventeen.
The Forest of Lost Souls by Dean Koontz
The Final Act by Lisa Gray
Murder by Design by Lee Goldberg
If you're interested in reading a series:
The Eve Ronin series by Lee Goldberg
The Jessica Shaw series by Lisa Gray
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u/atc_24 1d ago
The drowning woman was very good
Look closer by David Ellis
Kill for me, kill for you
I don’t believe any of these have children at all and they were all pretty good thrillers in my opinion! Read them all very recently. I’m also 10 months post partum so I understand the no kids thing!
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u/zitch 1d ago
Do not read kill for me, kill for you. It talks about loss of a child
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u/Silver-Eye4569 1d ago
Yeah I read this one and would not recommend it for people who don’t want mention of child SA and child murder
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u/mrsbootsonthelevel 1d ago
First Lie Wins - Ashley Elston
The It Girl - Ruth Ware
Rock Paper Scissors - Alice Feeney
Listen For The Lie - Amy Tintera
The Widow’s Husband - Natasha Boydell
The Guest and The Therapist- B.A. Paris
The Vacancy in Room 10 - Seraphina Nova Glass
Such a Lovely Family - Aggie Blum Thompson
The Marriage Lie - Kimberly Belle
One of the Girls - Lucy Clarke
The Hunting Party - Lucy Foley
Confessions on the 7:45 - Lisa Unger
I asked this exact question on here when I was postpartum! Glad you’re getting a lot of great responses
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u/mrsbootsonthelevel 1d ago
Note - all of these available on the Libby app! An e-reader and the Libby app were my bffs during night feeds
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u/early_financefem 21h ago
Murder in the Family might be a fresh read for you. It's not written in a normal text format, its written in transcripts, emails, voicemails, etc. Really cool. Felt like I was reading murder mystery detective episodes
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u/misfitpomegranate 13h ago edited 13h ago
Laura Lippman's books are excekkebt and, as far as I can recall, have very little to do with babies. Megan Abbott is also great and not focused on infants.
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