Paula Hawkins, the acclaimed author behind one of the most successful thrillers of the 21st century, needs little introduction. Her 2015 novel, The Girl on the Train, has been translated into 50 languages, adapted into a blockbuster film, and even inspired a stage production. This work ignited a wave of novels featuring unreliable narrators, a genre that continues to captivate readers. Since then, Hawkins has continued to mesmerize her audience with gripping narratives in her subsequent works, including Into the Water, A Slow Fire Burning, and her latest release, The Blue Hour. Yet, what about the books that have influenced her own writing? Here, Hawkins shares a selection of her favorite crime thrillers that have not only shaped her life but also her craft.
In the Cut by Susanna Moore
“I can vividly recall, nearly 30 years after first encountering it, the shock I felt upon reading the final pages of In the Cut. The ending wasn’t just some contrived twist that often undermines thrillers; it was the conclusion I dreaded, the one that I had been subconsciously bracing myself for but ultimately wished to avoid. In the 1990s, Moore, who had previously penned three literary novels centered on familial themes, began to contemplate what would happen if ‘a woman wrote a noir.’ The result is this taut, steamy thriller that follows a New York teacher who becomes entangled in a murder investigation. Atmospheric, intelligent, and audacious, In the Cut was reissued in 2015 after being out of print for a time. Upon re-reading it, I was struck by its freshness; Moore’s exploration of sexual violence, desire, language, class, and race remains sharp and relevant. Like all great writers, she poses more questions than she answers.”
W&N Essentials, £8.99
A Dark Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine
“With the identity of the killer revealed on the very first page, this novel does not follow the traditional whodunnit formula that keeps readers turning pages. Instead, it immerses us in a quietly menacing narrative centered on obsession, shame, and sibling rivalry, compelling us to unravel the intricate family dynamics at play. What makes Vine’s work utterly irresistible is her keen psychological insight, not focused on serial killers or criminal masterminds, but on ordinary people. In one of her later novels, Vine remarked that ‘much of the interest and terror induced by great crimes is due, not to their abnormal content, but to that in them which is normal.’ In other words, it is the love, jealousy, and everyday grievances that compose the fabric of our lives.”
Penguin, £9.99
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
“Highsmith was fascinated by the notion that anyone—the unremarkable neighbor, the most mundane coworker—could be hiding a terrible secret or indulging in sordid desires. She famously noted, ‘I can think of nothing more apt to set the imagination stirring, drifting, creating, than the idea—that anyone you walk past on the pavement anywhere might be a sadist, a compulsive thief, or even a murderer.’ Her debut novel encapsulates this theme, beginning with a chance meeting between two young men that spirals into a macabre folie à deux. As we observe, a fundamentally good man is gradually corrupted into murder by guilt. Even decades after its publication, Strangers retains its unsettling power. Its high-concept premise and economical prose feel strikingly modern, especially as we peer into the mind of a killer. Long before we empathized with characters like Villanelle or Amy Dunne, or even Tony Soprano and Walter White, we were rooting for Highsmith’s Guy Haines.”
Vintage, £9.99
When Will There Be Good News? By Kate Atkinson
“Though Atkinson has penned many celebrated novels, When Will There Be Good News?, the third in her literary detective series, remains my personal favorite. The story opens with a shocking act of violence, but then the pace slows, guiding us through the complexities of Edinburgh society—both high and low—intertwining humor, tragedy, and the multitude of ways in which men inflict pain upon women. If you’re not a fan of coincidences, this may not be the book for you; however, I find far more implausible elements in fiction than the occasional stroke of fate. If you are drawn to exquisite prose, intricate plotting, and characters who linger in your mind long after you’ve turned the final page, then Atkinson is an author you must explore.”
Black Swan, £9.99
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
“The brutality and stark ugliness depicted in Cormac McCarthy’s writing might be all the more horrifying due to the beauty of his prose. His sentences are elegant and intricate, yet stripped to their essence, leaving no room for ambiguity or doubt. This unflinching clarity raises the question: are his villains rendered more terrifying as a consequence? I can think of no more chilling antagonist in contemporary fiction than Anton Chigurh, a relentless and merciless assassin governed by his own unyielding code. Despite its graphic violence, No Country harbors a profound tenderness at its core; we cannot help but empathize with the protagonist, Sheriff Bell, who navigates the drug-fueled chaos and bloodshed with bewildered stoicism, all while nostalgically yearning for a better world that likely never existed.”
Picador, £10.99
The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins is published by Doubleday and is available now.
