The perfect husband

Malice

Lisa Jackson2009

A New Orleans detective is targeted by a stalker who uses the memory of his deceased first wife to torment him.

Same tense register, still romantic suspense

pace0·prose0·bleak0

Blood on the dining-room floor

Gertrude Stein1948

A repetitive, circular narrative about a death in a country house. It uses experimental prose to obscure the facts of a traditional mystery.

tense → playful

pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

The Doves Necklace

Raja Alem2014

A detective investigates an unidentified woman's body found in a Mecca alleyway. The city itself narrates parts of the story.

tense → dreamlike

pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

American Psycho

Bret Easton Ellis1991

A wealthy investment banker details his daily routines, consumer habits, and graphic murders. The narrative is cold and repetitive.

tense → cold

pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

Fast & loose

Stuart Woods2017

Wealthy investigator Stone Barrington deals with a hostile family after a boating accident. He manages legal and financial assets in Maine.

tense → playful, still crime

pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

The Pursuit

Janet Evanovich2016

An FBI agent tracks down a kidnapped con man she was secretly working with. The chase moves from Hawaii to the remote mountains of Europe.

tense → playful, still romantic suspense

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Rock Chick Revenge

Kristen Ashley2018

Ava seeks vengeance against the men who hurt her, leading to a confrontation involving a private security team. It is a romance with heavy action.

tense → playful, still romantic suspense

pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

You

Caroline Kepnes2014

A bookstore manager becomes obsessed with a customer and uses social media to orchestrate a relationship. He removes obstacles through murder.

tense → sardonic, still psychological thriller

pace+1·prose0·bleak0

Verity

Colleen Hoover2018

A ghostwriter moves into a secluded estate to finish a series for an injured author and finds a hidden, disturbing autobiography.

Same tense register, still psychological thriller

pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

First Lie Wins

Ashley Elston2024

A professional con artist takes an assignment to infiltrate a man's life in a small town. She must balance her job with her growing feelings.

pace+1·prose0·bleak-2

Gödel, Escher, Bach

Douglas R. Hofstadter1979

An exploration of how cognition emerges from hidden neurological patterns. It uses math, art, and music to explain self-referential systems.

tense → playful

pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

Ulysses

James Joyce1914

Three characters wander through Dublin on a single day in 1904. Each chapter uses a different literary style to mimic thoughts and sensations.

tense → playful

pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

A maça no escuro

Clarice Lispector1961

A man flees into the Brazilian interior believing he killed his wife. He works on a remote farm while navigating his own internal monologue.

tense → meditative

pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

Sharp Objects

Gillian Flynn2006

A reporter returns to her hometown to cover the murders of two girls while grappling with her own history of self-harm.

Same tense register, still psychological thriller

pace0·prose0·bleak+1

Shutter Island

Dennis Lehane2003

Same tense register, still psychological thriller

pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

The Wasp Factory

Iain Banks1984

A teenager living on a remote island performs violent rituals while waiting for his brother to return from an asylum.

tense → cold, still psychological thriller

pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1