By Jessica Sanford
There’s a reason “it was a dark and stormy night” is a famous first line. Although we make fun of it, it does offer a certain feeling of foreboding, the knowledge that we’re reading a spooky story.
It’s a vibe. And that same vibe is likely why when the clouds roll in and the temperature drops, I instantly feel like an edgier read. As I write this, the rain is pouring down with no end in sight. The sky is white with heavy clouds, and I’ve had to switch the lamps on at midday. So, while the storms rage on, pour a hot drink, curl up under a chunky blanket and let your imagine run wild with these fast paced thrillers
Verity, by Colleen Hoover follows the journey of struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh. Lowen takes a job as a ghost writer, hired by Jeremy Crawford, the husband of successful author, Verity Crawford, who is unable to finish her next book due to injury. When Lowen begins to pick through Verity’s notes she is surprised to find more than research pages and the beginning of a novel. The pages of confessions that she does uncover make her spine tingle. What has she got herself into and should she tell Jeremy about the truths she’s uncovered?
Portrait of a Thief, by Grace D. Li has been described as “part Oceans 11, part The Social Network and part Crazy Rich Asians”. It’s a fast ride that begins with Chinese American art history student Will Chen being offered a lot of money to steal artefacts and return them to their rightful place in the world. Together with a quirky team that Chen handpicks, he sets out to pull off the heist of a lifetime.
Wake, is a debut crime novel by Shelley Burr. Set against the harsh backdrop of a struggling rural community in NSW, the novel is about the unsolved disappearance of a young girl – seemingly taken from her bedroom without a trace. When detective Lane Holland comes to town to try to solve the cold case past trauma and new wounds are uncovered.
The Murders at Fleat House, by Lucinda Riley follows Detective Inspector Jazmine ‘Jazz’ Hunter as she investigates the death of a student at St Stephen’s, a small private boarding school in Norfolk. There are soon other disappearances and deaths around the school, and while Jazz deals with her own personal battles she embarks down a path of dark discoveries and shocking secrets at St Stephen.
Jessica Sanford (AKA Jessica Anscombe) is a librarian and writer living on the Central Coast. She has a passion for literature and writes fiction and non–fiction. Jessica was the winner of the Wyong Writers’ 2021 Short Story Competition and has also been longlisted for the Furious Fiction prize. You can read her short stories on her website jessicasanfordwriter.com. You’ll also find her over on instagram @jessicasanford_