Audiobooks are a wonderful way to fill the time around monotonous tasks (laundry, dishes, long drives) with a little entertainment. If you would’ve told me I’d look forward to folding laundry for a family of 5, I’d call you crazy but when I have a great Audiobook going, that is honestly the case! Whenever people ask me when I have the time to listen to audiobooks, I always say it only happens for me while multitasking. (If you’re also into audiobooks or podcasts, I’m assuming you know exactly what I mean!) If the boys are entertaining themselves well, I’ll pop in an ear bud and listen to an audiobook while tackling household chores. If I find myself in the car alone, I’ll play an audiobook to listen to while I drive. I still read books on my Kindle every night before bed but for daytime multitasking entertainment, audiobooks are where it’s at!
This morning I wanted to roundup a handful of audiobooks I’ve listened to this fall and thoroughly enjoyed. I quickly realized I have a strong preference towards mysteries/thrillers when it comes to listening to audiobooks and I think that’s largely because they hook me in right away and keep me thoroughly invested with their quick pace and unpredictable plotlines. Below you’ll find a few of my recent favorites!
Note: If you’re looking for additional book recommendations, the Books page of my Amazon store has a bunch of my favorites all in one place!
Thriller Audiobook Recommendations
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ON A QUIET STREET BY SERAPHINA NOVA GLASS
My rating: A
We’re kicking things off with the BEST thriller audiobook recommendation first! On a Quiet Street was one of my favorite read/audiobook listens of 2022. I loved all the voices in the audiobook version of this novel and thought it was read very well. On a Quiet Street is a twisty page-turner and I found myself looking for any opportunity I could find throughout the day to listen to the story unfold.
The book is set in picture-perfect Brighton Hills, an upscale community located in Oregon. The residents of the neighborhood are beautiful and successful and connected in ways that may go deeper than the façade of friendly neighbors.
Paige is a grieving mother who lost her son to an unresolved hit-and-run last year. She’s determined to figure out how her beloved son died and is convinced someone in her neighborhood is at fault for his death. When her best friend and fellow neighbor Cora confides in her, yet again, about her suspicions of her husband’s infidelity, the two hatch a plan to catch Finn in the act, a plan that Paige is all to eager to spearhead, as she has no qualms about crossing the normal lines of acceptable surveillance.
In addition to increasing questions about Finn’s fidelity, Cora finds herself becoming more and more curious about their mysterious neighbor Georgia, a stunning young mother who, according to her husband, is riddled with anxiety and depression and is terrified to venture our farther than her own yard. Is there more to Georgia than meets the eye? Is the quiet street of Brighton Hills really as safe and picture-perfect as it seems?
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ROCK PAPER SCISSORS BY ALICE FEENEY
My rating: A-
This book was ALL over the place and when I was nearly 3/4 of the way through the novel, I still had no idea where it was going. Suffice it to say, Rock Paper Scissors kept me guessing and I was shocked by a reveal in the story in the best kind of way. It’s been a hot second since a book totally surprised me but Rock Paper Scissors certainly did and that’s a big part of the reason I enjoyed it so much. (One of the bigger twists was just so creative!) The plotline is jumbled and messy but all of it makes sense as you near the end of this thrilling suspense novel. My one complaint is that I felt like there were a few loose ends at the book but overall I really enjoyed this read.
Adam and Amelia Wright are a not-so-happily married couple headed off for a secluded weekend getaway to Scotland in a last-ditch attempt to save their marriage. Everything from the 8-hour car ride in a snowstorm to the creepy abandoned chapel where they’ll be staying is a disaster. When strange things begin to happen around them, concern for the state of their marriage becomes secondary to concern for their safety.
The Wrights’ marriage is full of secrets, fleeting desire and deceit. Adam is a workaholic screenwriter with facial blindness, a condition that blurs the faces of everyone he sees and makes them unrecognizable, even his own wife. Amelia is restless and increasingly frightened during their weekend away, wondering if the weekend getaway she won in a work raffle really was a too-good-to-be-true prize or something more. Will they live happily ever after? Or, a more pressing concern may be will they live through the weekend?
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THE GOOD SISTER BY SALLY HEPWORTH
My rating: A
The Good Sister was another Sally Hepworth winner. I’ve loved a bunch of this author’s novels in the past (I highly recommend The Mother-In-Law and The Family Next Door) so I had high hopes for this one as well. It did not disappoint! The story is told by two sisters — fraternal twins! — who are different in nearly every way except for their steadfast devotion to each other.
I don’t want to share too much about my thoughts on this novel because I think any words I share about how much I loved one of the sisters might reveal too much but if you read this book and find yourself adoring one of the sisters, I am right there with you. The feeling of truly knowing and loving a main character in a novel is a testament to the author’s writing and Sally Hepworth did a wonderful job crafting a character who felt whole, endearing, complete and wonderfully flawed.
Rose and Fern are twin sisters whose relationship goes beyond that of typical siblings. Fern needs Rose and looks to her as her anchor in a world filled with overwhelming noises, lights, social interactions and everyday stimulation. Rose leans into her role as Fern’s protector and helps her live a perfectly structured life, complete with dinner together three times a week and a steady job at the local library.
When Fern learns of Rose’s desire to become a mother, a dream Rose explains may never come to fruition, she becomes determined to give Rose the baby she desires. She sets out to find a man to help her have a baby for her sister and in the process meets Rocco, a man she calls “Wally” inspired by his resemblance to Where’s Waldo, who isn’t put off by the qualities Fern has always believed make her different and unsuitable as a partner or mother. As Fern sets out on her mission, relationships grow and change and secrets are revealed; secrets that could change everything.
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THE LAST TO VANISH BY MEGAN MIRANDA
My rating: A-
While I was reading Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda, I was also listening to the audiobook of another one of her novels, The Last to Vanish. I found myself enjoying the audiobook more and loved the premise of The Last to Vanish.
Abby Lovett moved to the town of Cutter’s Pass, North Carolina 10 years ago. Cutter’s Pass is a quaint mountain town with easy access to beautiful hiking trails and stunning views but it is best known for its mysterious history involving multiple unexplained disappearances. The most recent disappearance of journalist Landon West inspired his brother Trey to visit the town and rent Landon’s old room at The Passage Inn where Abby works. Looking for answers about his brother, Trey begins digging and Abby begins to uncover more about her beloved town and the people in it than she ever imagined. As evidence surfaces that could provide insight to long unanswered questions, Abby begins questioning everyone and everything, including her own safety.
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THE FIRST MISTAKE BY SANDIE JONES
My rating: B+
The First Mistake by Sandie Jones was the kind of book that kept me guessing until the very end. While I figured out certain twists in the book I didn’t find it overly predictable and enjoyed the creative plotline.
From Amazon:
THE WIFE:For Alice, life has never been better. With her second husband, she has a successful business, two children, and a beautiful house.
HER HUSBAND: Alice knows that life could have been different if her first husband had lived, but Nathan’s arrival into her life gave her back the happiness she craved.
HER BEST FRIEND: Through the ups and downs of life, from celebratory nights out to comforting each other through loss, Alice knows that with her best friend Beth by her side, they can survive anything together. So when Nathan starts acting strangely, Alice turns to Beth for help. But soon, Alice begins to wonder whether her trust has been misplaced…
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THE YOUNGER WIFE BY SALLY HEPWORTH
My rating: B+
Sally Hepworth ranks right up there as one of my favorite authors as her books are always creative page-turners often with a hefty dose of mystery, twists and not-too-freaky suspense sprinkled in the mix. Having recently loved The Good Sister (one of my favorite Sally Hepworth novels to date!), I found myself in the market for another Sally Hepworth novel and The Younger Wife called to me! (I liked The Good Sister more, so start there but this was still a good one!) There was plenty of intrigue though it wasn’t too hard to guess the outcome of this one. This didn’t detract from my enjoyment, though, and I looked forward to listening to this audiobook during various moments of multitasking throughout the day.
The book begins on the wedding day of Heather, a respected interior designer, and Stephen, a prominent heart surgeon and father of two young women the same age as his new bride. Stephen’s daughters, Rachel and Tully, don’t know what to make of their father’s new love and their feelings are only increasingly complicated due to the fact that their mother, Stephen’s not-quite-ex-wife, is still very much alive though suffering from Alzheimer’s. Is Heather truly in love with their father? Is their father moving on too fast? Is their anything to make of the semi-lucid moments their mother shares that make them question everything? And who is Fiona Arthur, a woman their father claims to have never met but their mother scribbled down and tucked away before her memory began to fade?
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THE OTHER WOMAN BY SANDIE JONES
My rating: B
This book came highly recommended by you guys after I read The First Mistake by the same author. The Other Woman was an interesting audiobook for me. I found most of the characters highly unlikable which made me feel irritated and itchy as I listened to the audiobook version of this one… and yet, I found myself looking for small moments in the day when I could listen to this book. It was a bit of a maddening read because the main character puts up with so much but I was definitely interested the whole time.
The book follows the relationship of Emily and Adam as they begin a whirlwind romance that seems perfect… until Emily meets Adam’s mother. Pammie is sweet and lovely at first but Emily quickly sees through her helpless aging mother act and realizes there’s more to her seemingly innocent jabs than meets the eye. As Emily begins to uncover more about Pammie’s life, she begins to question everything — her relationship, the past and her safety.
Questions of the Day
Do you listen to audiobooks?
Do you have a favorite genre of audiobooks?
Any recent thriller recommendations?
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