9 addictive page-turners, as picked by Shari Lapena

When I started writing my first thriller, The Couple Next Door, I consciously set out to write a page-turner. I wanted it to be compulsively readable. I love these kinds of books, popularly called ‘one-sit reads’, and clearly, millions of readers do, too.

When I hear someone say about one of my books, ‘I couldn’t put it down,’ my day is made. Here are some of the books I’ve read that I never wanted to put down.

Our House by Louise Candlish

Our House was a brilliant read for me. A woman arrives home to find another family moving into her house. Her husband, inexplicably, is nowhere to be found. The way this story of deepest deceit unfolds is just delicious, and the portrayal of characters and contemporary life is spot on.

Strangers by C L Taylor

An unusual novel about three very different people, each with his or her own compelling storyline, with absolutely nothing in common. But their three disparate lives collide in a shocking way. This is first-rate storytelling – a great read.

Dark Pines by Will Dean

Dark Pines is the first book in the Tuva Moodyson series. Set in the Swedish forest and featuring a deaf protagonist, the novel drips with atmosphere and tension. A body is found in the woods, its eyes scooped out, and Tuva, a local reporter, suspects a link to a series of similar murders two decades earlier. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more in this series.