5 Thrillers with Unforgettable Female Leads
Long before I began writing thrillers, I was a voracious reader, reveling in the twists and turns and rooting for the heroines to succeed. Fortunately, the thriller genre continues to offer up incredible stories featuring dynamic female leads.
All the Little Children
Jo Furniss
Debut author Jo Furniss takes an end of day’s premise and ratchets up the tension, introducing readers to struggling working mom, Marlene Greene. What starts out as a fun weekend camping trip with her three young children turns into a terrifying survival story. Marlene's resilience and resolve are put to the test, giving readers a look at the heart and soul of a mom willing to do anything to protect her children.
Then She Was Gone
Lisa Jewell
For grief-stricken Laurel Mack, moving on after her daughter Ellie disappeared was almost impossible. Then, a chance encounter with a handsome man in a café changes everything. Laurel slowly begins to uncover the truth, piecing together what happened to Ellie. What makes this book so memorable is the unlikely female antagonist, a character so depraved and indifferent, you may have to sleep with the lights on.
Related: Read the Excerpt of Lisa Jewell's Latest Novel Invisible Girl
When criminal psychologist Audrey Harte returns to her hometown after seven years away, she finds herself accused of murdering her friend. Now Audrey must tap into the painful memories from her past in order to catch the real killer. It Takes One is the first book Kate Kessler's Audrey Harte series, which introduces Audrey's fascinating character; intense, relentless, a little twisted and totally unforgettable.
Related: Kate Kessler on Crafting the Most Compelling Thriller Characters
Sadie
Courtney Summers
In this YA thriller, Sadie is a teenage girl on a mission to find the man who murdered her little sister. Told in alternating POV's—Sadie's and West McCray, a Serial-esque journalist—we get a glimpse at the suffering that Sadie endured growing up, the love she had for her sister, and the guilt she carries now that she’s gone. Over the course of the novel, Sadie weaves her way into your heart, and you'll be rooting for her to get justice even when the odds are stacked against her.
Skin Deep
Liz Nugent
Cordelia Russell is not a nice woman. In fact, she’s a cunning con artist who passed herself off as an English socialite for years. When a visitor from Cordelia’s past returns, she reacts with violence. Skin Deep explores Cordelia’s tragic past and uncertain present, and while she’s not everyone’s cup of tea, Nugent creates a sinister and deeply disturbing character study of a narcissistic sociopath you will love to hate. Related: The Most Badass Women in Mystery Thrillers
About Hollie Overton
Hollie Overton is the author of Baby Doll and The Walls. Hollie is a television writer and resides in Los Angeles.
You’ve been held captive in one room. You’ve been mentally and physically abused every day since you were sixteen years old. Then one night you realize your captor has left the door to your cell unlocked. For the first time in eight years you’re free. This is what happens next…
Escape was just the beginning.
A heart-stopping psychological suspense novel about a Texas prison official driven to commit the perfect crime, by the author of the international bestselling thriller Baby Doll.
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