Darkness falls across the land; this is thriller night

It’s almost spooky season —my favorite time to curl up with a steaming hot beverage, a soft blanket and a good thriller.

Although in the last couple of years, I’ve been getting picky with the kinds of mysteries and thrillers I enjoy.

With a lot of thrillers, I find myself rolling my eyes at the predictable twists and unnecessary details put in.

But then I’ll find a gem that puts its own unique spin and makes me fall in love with the genre again.

A turning point for the domestic thriller genre was with the phenomenon of “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn, which turned into a box office hit in its movie adaptation.

After its immense success, many authors tried to emulate the shock value and similar plot points to compete with the bestseller.

And unfortunately, “Gone Girl” wasn’t my cup of tea. So all these books jumping on the bandwagon are just being stacked on my “don’t give a hoot” pile.

Domestic thrillers are ones that focus on interpersonal relationships, often from the perspective of a housewife and her family.

They can be very over-the-top and dramatic, which is why books like “Gone Girl” were able to blow up.

And while I don’t like the repetition that came after that book’s success, that is one genre I’ll probably never give up on, no matter how many times I roll my eyes.

For me and many other readers I know, it’s a guilty pleasure to indulge in the often unrealistic and unbelievable plots the stories follow.

Because of that, when something comes along that I love, I want as many people to know as possible. Because there’s no way to truly talk about what makes these kinds of books great without spoiling their endings.

So if you’re reading this, congratulations! You’re part of an exclusive club of individuals who have withstood the trial of bring subjected to my ramblings about these books that I couldn’t get enough of.

If you’re also into reading books like these and want to have an outlet to discuss them, I also lead a mystery book club — Once Upon a Crime — at the Bremen Public Library on the first Tuesday of every month.

Email me at cdobrzykowski@ bremen.lib.in.us or call/text 574312-4848 if you want to learn more!

And with midnight hour close at hand, here are a few of my favorite thrillers to kick off your thriller night: