Following last year’s formula, I filtered all the books I’d read in 2015 on Goodreads, of which there were 235, I looked exclusively at the books I had awarded five stars, 61 books in total for 2015. I then went back and read my reviews of these books and with a lot of difficulty chose the ones I liked best. It was extremely hard to pick the best out of a number of books I absolutely loved.
It was particularly hard to choose my top three as a number of books lifted the bar for thrillers, particularly the psychological thriller genre, for me this year. As always these are my personal favourites and may not reflect your own choice in best books of 2015.
Without further procrastination these were the stars of 2015 for me, click on the titles to see my original review and for links to the books.
10. Sarah of the Romani by Tom Calen
Approaching Halloween I realised I had neglected the horror genre for too long and reading this book reminded me of everything I like about horror novels. A well written, suspenseful, spine-tingling read, which I am glad I picked up.
9. Die Again by Tess Gerritsen
I have been a long time fan of Tess Gerritsen from the beginning of her Rizzoli and Isles books and this one was just a pleasure to read. I became so invested in the characters I was sorry when it ended and felt bereft. I don’t read long book series often but this is a strong example of when they work well.
8. Skeletal by Katherine Hayton
A book that pushed the boundaries of psychological thrillers as this intriguing tale of an unfortunate but bright fourteen year old girl unfolded posthumously. Again I became invested in the character and just could not put this book down.
7. The Book of You by Claire Kendal
A truly terrifying read about a woman being stalked. The atmospheric slow build up of the story was chilling to read and this one stayed with me long after I finished it.
6. The House on Cold Hill by Peter James
It has been a while since I read a classic haunted house story and this one had everything to be a wonderful Halloween horror read. One of my favourite horror reads of the year.
5. Slade House by David Mitchell
A gripping, well-written and enchanting paranormal story, which was so easy for me to get into even though I’m not easily persuaded by books with paranormal foundation to the story. I became a huge fan of David Mitchell after reading this one and am looking forward to picking up more titles from him.
4. I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
A chilling story told in the most riveting manor, this one lifted the bar for psychological thrillers in 2015 quite early on in the year. Another book that stayed with me long after I had finished it.
3. The Other Child by Lucy Atkins
Another psychological thriller that just took me away and was so plausible it was chilling. A book that draws you in from the first page and doesn’t let go until the end.
2. The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood
A well told chilling tale about a family of complex personalities where tragedy strikes and the truth is buried for over a decade. This one still haunts me.
In a year of remarkable psychological thrillers this one was the most chilling of all. If you could write a book to punish someone, based on your perception of reality, how would it read? A well-written disturbing story that is so plausible it will keep you up at night.
Ajoobacats Blog 
Definitely adding The Book of You, The Other Child and Disclaimer to my (already too long) list of books to read before the summer. I can’t wait to grab a copy of The Book of You, your review has made me want to read it right away!
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The Book of You terrified me, I had actual goosebumps.
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Great list – not my normal genre but might read The Book of You. ‘Terrifying’ is a real draw.
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I wonder if I found it more terrifying because I’m a woman, you’ll have to let me know if it did scare you.
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Great post. I will have to pick up one or two of your recommended books. Good luck at blogging 101.
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Thank you.
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You have good taste. 🙂
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You’re veryvkind, thank you, although not everyone will share my love of thrillers.
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I certainly do. You’ve got them ranked in fair order. Have you read The Girl on the Train? It’s a brilliant thriller.
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I did read The Girl on The Train last year but it just didn’t impact on me as much as these books. It wasn’t bad and I did enjoy it, but I enjoyed a lot of other books more.
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Before I go to sleep was a good one as well.
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I loved Before You Go To Sleep, that was definitely a good read but I think I read it in 2014.
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I’m on the lookout for some new material. Would you let me know if you find a good one?
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I have a few good thrillers potentially lined up, but will definitely post reviews here if they are good.
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Awesome, thanks! 🙂
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Wow you read loads!!! Don’t think I’ll be reading these though, they sound too scary!
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I strangely like disturbing books, but they have to be plausible and make sense to me. I should maybe read books that are less intense this year.
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You’ve got a lot of interesting thrillers in your list! I brought I Let You Go for my friend’s bday but plan to read that one some time soon, as I hear its really good! I read too much contemporary last year, so planning on reading more thrillers this year.
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I think I read too many thrillers this year and perhaps ought to read more literary fiction to address the balance. I Let You Go is undoubtedly one of my favourites, but the top three made my reading year spectacular.
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I’m rarely read thrillers, but you may have persuaded me to give some a go. I love the cover of the David Mitchell book!
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As I get older the thrillers that I like have to have more to them than just adrenaline and intrigue. This year I was lucky enough to read some really good thrillers, which were haunting.
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Reblogged this on Vulture Culture and commented:
This seems like an absolutely must read list of the best books released
in 2015. Are there any others you’d like to add.
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Thank you. So many I really loved last year like In A Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware, Where The Memories Lie by Sibel Hodge, Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg and many more.
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Thank you for the recommendations. I’ll add them to my list of must reads.
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Hope you enjoy them at least as much as I did.
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Omg FINALLY someone who reads as much as me! 😉
Totally agree with the Gerritsen. I’m going to have to look up some of those others too 🙂
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2015 was a good year for disturbing thrillers and 2016 is looking about the same.
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I’m jealous – your 2015 reading sounds like it was so much more (creepy) fun than mine! Adding most of these to my list! Thanks!
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I decided I was seriously lacking creepy after summer and then made up for it. Hoping this year I give creepy and spooky more of a chance.
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