What Rachael Reads

Book Details Title:   The Silent Patient Author:  Alex Michaelides Genre:  Psychological Thriller Publisher:  Orion Publication Date:  5th February 2019 Page Count:  340 Series:  No Blurb Alicia Berenson lived a seemingly perfect life until one day six years ago. When she shot her husband in the head five times. Since then she hasn't spoken a single word. It's time to find out why. My Thoughts I can definitely see why The Silent Patient became such a talked-about thriller, and having only read this in late 2025, I was definitely a little late to the party. This was my first read from Alex Michaelides , and it absolutely won’t be my last. The story follows Alicia Berenson, a famous painter who seemingly has the perfect life, until she shoots her husband and then never speaks another word. Ever. What follows is a mix of psychological exploration, obsession, and unraveling secrets as Theo, a criminal psychotherapist, becomes determined to uncover the tru...

Happy Sunday all! I hope you have all had a wonderful week. This week for me has been lovely. We have finally had some sunshine here in South Wales after almost three solid months of rain. I typically don't let the weather get to me, as it's something I have no control over, but having the sunshine is definitely a mood-lifter for me!  What I Finished This Week 3 books read this week, and started a 4th. Here are my ratings and one liner thoughts... I was not prepared for how unhinged this was. Twisty, addictive thriller. Absolutely loved it! 9 short stories that will keep you awake! What I'm Currently Reading I am currently reading The Daughter's Secret by Ian Blackwood. This is a Netgalley ARC that publishes today. Really enjoying so far. I don't do spoilers, so the general plot centres on a character called Gemma, who is married to a police officer called Mike. Gemma's mum is in prison for murder, but Mike is blissfully unaware of this fact. Gemma i...

Book Details Title:   Nine Missing Girls Author:  Steena Holmes Genre:  Psychological Thriller Publisher:  Joffe Books Publication Date:  19th March 2026 Page Count:  261 Series:  No Blurb Nine missing girls. Nine cases the world wants to forget. One detective who never will. Each file is someone’s daughter. Someone’s sister. And if Meri Amber can’t bring them home, she’ll make sure their stories end with justice. As the FBI’s leading child abduction specialist, Meri has spent her career chasing the vanished – from Minnesota to Montana, from abandoned barns to dark cellars that still echo with screams. But every case cuts deeper than the last. “I’m Detective Meri Amber. I’ve been searching for my sister for twenty years. Every missing girl is a mirror. Every scream behind a wall could be hers. I’ll never stop looking. These are the stories of the girls I’ve found, the truths I’ve uncovered, and the cracks in my own past I can’t seem to seal.” From the ...

Welcome to the first post in my 'Top 10' series. If you've been here a while, you'll know that I started this blog way back in 2017. I created a post back then of my favourite thrillers for that summer, but haven't done anything similar since. So, I've gone back through my Goodreads Challenge lists for each year since 2017 and picked out some of my favourites. In this post, I’m counting down ten of the best thriller books from 2018. In no particular order, these are the ones that kept me up far too late, had me second-guessing every character, and left me thinking about them long after I turned the final page. If you’re looking to add some seriously gripping reads to your TBR, you’re in the right place. Fiona Cummins - The Collector Book 2 in  The Collector Series Buy on Amazon Buy on Kobo It’s time to go back to the beginning. Jakey escaped with his life and moved to an Essex seaside town. His rescue was a miracle but his parents know that the Collector is stil...

Book Details Title:  Don't Answer The Phone Author: Miranda Rijks Genre:  Psychological Thriller Publisher:  Inkubator Books Publication Date:  8th March 2026 Page Count: 276 Series: No Blurb She’s the woman of his dreams. He’s the monster from her nightmares. When Daniella rescues elderly Peggy from a mugger on a Boston street, she expects nothing in return. But then she meets Peggy’s son, Lucas—devastatingly handsome and utterly captivating. Unlike her distant husband Grant, Lucas sees her. Wants her. Daniella can’t resist and they spend one reckless night together which she immediately regrets. Too late, because Lucas doesn’t just want Daniella. He needs her. And he’s willing to destroy everything—and everyone—standing in his way. Lucas plays the long game, worming his way into Daniella’s life—befriending Grant, charming her twin daughters, inveigling his way into her family. Every time she turns around, he seems to be there. As the depths of his obsession becom...

Book Details Title:  His & Hers Author:  Alice Feeney Genre:  Psychological Thriller Publisher:  HQ Publication Date:  28th May 2020 Pages: 304 Blurb   If there are two sides to every story, someone is always lying… Jack: Three words to describe my wife: Beautiful. Ambitious. Unforgiving. Anna: I only need one word to describe my husband: Liar. When a woman is murdered in Blackdown village, newsreader Anna Andrews is reluctant to cover the case. Anna’s ex-husband, DCI Jack Harper, is suspicious of her involvement, until he becomes a suspect in his own murder investigation. Someone is lying, and some secrets are worth killing to keep. My Thoughts I’ve been a big fan of Alice Feeney since reading  Beautiful Ugly , so picking up His & Hers  was an easy decision. After recently meeting Alice at the launch of her new book My Husband's Wife , I was even more excited to dive into one of her earlier thrillers, and it definitely didn’t disappoint....