Written by Charlotte Maidment
Domestic thrillers aren’t new to the scene, but they have been gaining popularity after the last handful of years. Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl shed a much-needed spotlight onto the sub-type of thriller, but there’s so much more to domestic thrillers than this one bestseller.
Defining Domestic Thriller
Simply put, domestic thrillers turn the safety of domestic settings into a claustrophobic, thrilling, shock-twist experience. Expect house wives gone rogue, alcoholic commuters, lying husbands, disturbed baby sitters, and dysfunctional families.
Starting Out
The first place domestic thriller newbies should look is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It is a phenomenal book and a great entry point to the world of crime fiction. The film adaptation (starring Rosamund Pike) is also well-known for a reason. It is amongst the most faithful film adaptations out there.
Next, The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins follows an alcoholic commuter who is convinced she witnessed a crime along the train tracks. Much like Gone Girl, Hawkins’ utilises a dual narrative to unravel this domestic thriller.
Themes
Domestic thrillers come into their own in their treatment of female characters. The vast majority of writers in this category are women, but unlike so-called “chicklit”, these female writers and their protagonists are not here to present pink-filled tales of middle aged women’s holiday adventures. Domestic thrillers deal with dark (and, at times, very graphic) themes: infidelity, deception, money troubles, infertility, and untold family secrets.
The more domestic thrillers you encounter, the more obvious the themes will become – yet authors in this genre are very keen on spinning dark twists that keeps the sub-genre fresh. Gillian Flynn’s other novels, Dark Places and Sharp Objects, are both genius pieces of work in their own right. These two do come with a heavy content warning, though: without spoiling anything plot-wise, they contain graphic descriptions of self-harm and abuse. Flynn’s talent for bringing her stories alive may not be appropriate for particularly young or sensitive readers.
Further Reading
Let’s talk further reading, and how to find yourself the next great domestic-thriller read. First, a couple of personal suggestions:
- The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen: The story of a rich man’s ex-wife and the woman she is replaced with – told from the perspectives of both women.
- Half Broken Things by Morag Joss: I had the pleasure of being taught Creative Writing at university by Morag and although this title isn’t technically classified as a domestic thriller, it shares many of the themes discussed in this post.
Next, take a peek the domestic thrillers on my TBR list:
- The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena: A dinner party, suspense, and the friendly neighbours of a young couple. What could possibly go wrong?
- Our House by Louise Candlish: A new family moves into the house they just bought… but it’s your house, and you didn’t sell it.
Spotting A Domestic Thriller In The Wild
Here’s how to search out a domestic thriller in the wild. As a whole, titles in the sub-genre tend to be blessed with beautiful covers so the next time you visit a bookstore, you’ll inevitably end up with armfuls and armfuls of books. It’s worth being very specific with your choices.
Domestic thrillers often have a female-led title and emphasis on the home, as well as personal relationships: marriages, affairs, babysitters, grandparents – mention of these in the blurb, sat among the crime/thriller genre, is the biggest indication you’ve stumbled upon a domestic thriller book.
