Top 16 Books Like Then She Was Gone Updated 04 /2024

You're in for a major surprise if you're into thrillers, since this post is all about books and you're going to love it. Gone Girl, for example, is a good place to start your search. The best book reading websites and applications, such as Amazon and Goodreads, were used to compile a list of the top 13 books.

Only 13 books? I know what you're thinking. For a bookworm, 13 books in a matter of days isn't much, but these are decent starters till we come up with a fresh list for this global pandemic.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Stieg Larsson, a well-known Swedish author and journalist, wrote "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," a psychological thriller novel. Originally released in 2005 with the goal of becoming a global bestseller, the Swedish title of the book was Män som hatar kvinnor.

There are a lot of great books like Gone Girl, and "the girl with the dragon tattoo" is one of them. Lisbeth Salander, the shy, anorexic, adept hacker with a dragon tattoo, is transferred to a children's psychiatric facility after being labeled "troubled."

Her assigned guardian sexually exploits her as a minor, even though she is legally incompetent. Lisbeth, on the other hand, is no slouch when it comes to self-defense.

Even though I was able to guess a portion of the finale, I still found the story enjoyable. There was more than enough variety in the cast and plot twists to keep me engaged. That girl's disappearance many years ago is turned into present-day fear in this well-written mystery.

Necessity

Jo Walton, a Welsh-Canadian novelist, wrote the fantasy and science fiction novel, which was released by Tor Books in 2016.

This is a fantastic book that wraps up a fantastic series. It's more about the characters than the story. As I reached the end of the book, I burst into tears.

Based on an actual society seeking to achieve the aims of Plato's Republic, Walton's last volume of his fantasy trilogy is based on this idea For his next work, Walton builds on the Platonic themes of social justice and personal fulfillment by exploring the nature of time and existence.

It's a little hazy out there. Walton's Platonic society, sentient machines, Olympian and other gods, and non-human species are all involved in a convoluted storyline. There is a high standard of writing. Overall, the trilogy is a creative and well-written work that touches on a number of important issues.

Luckiest Girl Alive

A New York Times Bestselling mystery thriller, "Luckiest Girl Alive" was written by American author Jessica Knoll. Following publication in 2015 by Simon & Schuster (the U.S.) and Pan Macmillan (Australia), cinematic rights were optioned for the novel. Despite the fact that the "heroine" is a cow, I enjoyed it greatly. She is unlikable because of her shallowness and callousness toward others. She is quite modern in this regard.

It wasn't long before I realized that the protagonist (imagine adult Regina George in Manhattan with some extra snap in her Chloe purse) had a story that resonated with my feminist Millennial soul. When I learned that the story is based on the author's own experiences, I was devastated (still crying). It's gory, wordy, and depressing at times, but it's well worth your time.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette

A mystery comedy-drama film based on the novel Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple was directed by Richard Linklater in 2019 and released in August 2019.

There are times when this is really hysterical. Bernadette is introduced through a sequence of e-mails between two Stepford Wives, letters from the school, and media clippings.

To get to know her, you have to learn about her friends and family members, who are all dealing with their own personal issues. For the sake of summarizing, I'd say this is a breezy, light read — ideal for a leisurely weekend.

All the Missing Girls

In 2016, Megan Miranda wrote "All the missing girls," a suspenseful novel about a group of missing teenagers. In essence, it's a blatant rip-off of Memento, but one with far less impact. In contrast to Memento, the film's backward narration offers no insight.

Not 'all,' but two of the girls were missing. With the exception of Tyler, the other characters were unlikeable and poorly developed. Nic's persona was one of the most despised in the novel. It was difficult to keep track of where the tale was at any given point in time.

The timeline had been reversed, yet it was still difficult to follow. To my annoyance, "tic toc Nic" remained unexplained to me. What happened to the two rings was also left unexplained. The father's role in Corrine's saga was left unanswered, as was how Corrine's burial had even taken place?

A nice mystery with several unexpected turns, even though some of them were irrational. Nic's preoccupation with the past was a bit much for me. Disgusting were the references to vomiting.

The Silent Wife

A. S. A. Harrison's first and only novel, "The Silent Wife," was released in 2013 before Harrison's death from cancer at the age of sixty-five.

Nicole Kidman began filming a film adaptation of the novel in 2016, shortly after it debuted at No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list and was translated into more than twenty languages.

The story begins with Jodi and Todd, a shambles of a couple who have been together for over two decades. However, Todd's most recent mistress falls pregnant and separates the couple. Because of this, Jodi sets up his death as a form of vengeance.

The crime, which occurs at the end of the story, and the twist, which is also foreseeable, are well-known in advance. The psychological revelation is better and a lot more surprising than the first. Sites like scribd.com are where you can get the book.

The Daylight Marriage

Heidi Pitlor's novel, "The Daylight Marriage," tells the story of a married couple who are no longer enthralled by each other and have ensconced themselves in different worlds.

Hannah and Lovell's marriage is at a standstill at the beginning of the novel. Hannah vanishes one night after a particularly nasty confrontation.

Hannah and Lovell's viewpoints leave us wondering what happened next. There are definitely moments of excitement and the writing is excellent, but the pace is a little too plodding for my taste. Online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Apple Books all carry the book.

The Perfect Nanny

A fictional novel by French novelist Leila Slimani, "The Perfect Nanny," which was released in 2016. Besides the thriller elements, I found this book to have some intriguing perspectives on the many class concerns at play in the nanny-employer relationships compelling.

Even if both sides are guilty of evil deeds (some worse than others), the characters on both sides are sympathetic in some sense.

This book is filled with small facts of everyday life that bring to light the household's social hierarchies, even as parents try to portray themselves as equal to the nanny.

If you're fluent in French, you can imagine what the original dialogue would have stated and imagine how it could have been more naturally translated.

The Couple Next Door

Canadian author Shari Lapena's thriller "The Couple Next Door" is full with suspense. In his early years, though, he worked as a lawyer and an English teacher before turning to writing full-time. Despite the book's success in Canada and around the world, it was not widely distributed.

Despite the fact that their babysitter had to cancel, a young, well-heeled couple decided to go to the party next door nonetheless, bringing their baby monitor and monitoring their 6-month-old every 30 minutes or so.

Nothing is as it seems when she goes missing. Without giving anything away, I couldn't put this book down; it's a short, easy read, and its many narrative twists keep the reader enthralled to the conclusion.

Though certain characters are more "fleshed out" than others, none of the characters are especially lovable; granted, they are sympathetic. But a lot of the more implausible actions are never fully explained. Online retailers like Amazon.com make it simple to get your hands on a copy of the book.

Straight Cut

Written by Madison Smart Bell in 1986, but re-published in 2006, the book is a mixture of fiction, mystery, and thriller.

The protagonist of Straight Cut, a Kierkegaard-quoting film editor, is an outlier in the world of the criminal thriller.

The story's key suspense aspect is the character's "accidental" involvement in a drug sale, as well as the backstory that is never fully revealed. Then there's Mr. Bell, a literary author who isn't usually connected with crime fiction, who wrote Cut.

As you can see from the other customer evaluations, this information is intriguing and well-covered. My overall impression of this book is that the suspense was underwhelming.

Overall, it's worth reading, but don't expect the fast-paced action of other hardboiled crime novels; this one moves at a more leisurely pace. Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, has a wide selection of books like this one.

The Last Cruise

In 2018, Kate Christensen wrote a thriller, suspense, and psychological fiction novel. Despite the fact that "The Last Cruise" is written by Christensen, a gifted storyteller, it scuttles through choppy seas like it should come with a bottle of Dramamine.

There is a heartbreaking and disturbing ending to the novel's tale of a disaster cruise. Unlike some other reviewers, I didn't find the ending disappointing because I believe it was written that way on purpose.

The book had a lot of love stories, including one involving two elderly members of a world-famous string quartet, which I found to be a pleasant surprise. Another blossoms between two people who are much younger and appear to be an unexpected match.

Copycat

Copycat by Gillian White is a psychological suspense story about a toxic connection that takes a dark turn. What an exhilarating read. The first chapter reveals the book's climax by describing a murder conviction that results in life in prison; the real question is: what happened? It's hard to understand how a neighborhood connection can devolve to this extent.

This psychological thriller is told in two alternating viewpoints, and you'll be gripped from the outset. It provides a wealth of information regarding relationships, whether they be friendships or marriages, and how they can spiral out of control. You'll need to stay up all night to finish this gripping but heartfelt novel.

Even the language sings at times, and I like how deeply she goes into the emotions of her characters and how vividly she captures the oppressive atmosphere of the appropriately titled 'Close' in which the protagonists reside..

Never Coming Back

In 2014, Tim Weaver wrote the best-selling novel in the United Kingdom, which tells the story of a family that vanishes into thin air.

Long, confusing, absurd, violent, yet absolutely engrossing, it's exactly what a "mystery" or a "thriller" should be like. Most of the time, novels like these miss the mark completely, but this one is exceptional. With a genuinely good hero, extraordinarily puzzling murders, turns and surprises galore, this book had everything you could ask for to keep you turning the pages.

This is a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. It's fast-paced, yet it covers all the bases, and the ending has so many twists and turns. As a frequent traveler to Devon, I found it to be eerily beautiful. Miln Cross, a fictional character, piqued my interest. Like Peter May's Blackhouse and The Linwood Barclay, this tale is fast-paced and full of shocks.

Conclusion

Staying at home and reading gripping thrillers like a Gone girl is the least anyone can do with so much going on in the world. A great deal of time and effort went into selecting the books listed above, including reading evaluations from critics, self-analysis, and consumer feedback, among other sources. These are such compelling reads that you'll finish them all in an one sitting. Reading is a great way to pass the time!

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