#TopTenTuesday | 11th March 2025: Books that Include/Feature Killer Twists #Top10Tuesday #bookblogger #bookish #amreading #TTT #BookTwitter #booktwt #BookX #BookSky #damppebbles

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Hello and a very warm welcome to damppebbles. It’s Tuesday which means it’s time for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday post. I’ve decided to take part in That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top Ten Tuesday meme to mix things up a little here at damppebbles. My original plan was to participate as and when I had the time to put a post together. That then turned into posting ‘weekly without fail’ until I was forced to take a break following surgery to both shoulders (that recovery happened to coincide with a complete and utter loss of reading AND blogging mojo 🤷🏻‍♀️).

But that was then and this is now. By the time this post is published I will have undergone shoulder surgery for the third time. I still have one more round to go – date to be confirmed – but I’m hanging everything on that fourth surgery being the end of it. No more please! The first time I went through this, I really wasn’t prepared and ended up taking a lot of time away from the blog (and reading. I stopped reading). This time, I’m ready. I’ve worked hard since discovering more surgery was required and planned content for a  number of weeks, including this post which I sit here writing on the first day of the half-term break. Things will be different this time and hopefully, by getting a few posts written ahead of schedule, it will give me the kick up the bum to continue writing these posts in advance.

The meme was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish but has lived with Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl since January 2018. It was created to encompass a love of books, of lists and to bring readers together. If you would also like to take part then you’re very welcome: the more, the merrier. Just make sure you link back to Jana’s post every week. If you don’t have a blog then no problem, just add your list to the comments below.

This week’s theme is Books that Include/Feature [insert your favourite theme or plot device here] (for example: unreliable narrators, coming of age, darkness vs. light, time travel, metafiction, a specific romantic trope, good vs. evil. cliffhangers, flashbacks, plot twists, red herrings, loose ends, stories within stories, meet cutes, symbolism, etc.) (submitted by Alice @ The Wallflower Digest)

This week I have decided to go with books that feature a KILLER TWIST. Something I absolutely LOVE and, somewhat unfairly on all of the authors I read, have come to expect in every book I pick up! 😬 I’m so mean. I love a twist you just don’t see coming. The bigger the twist, the more memorable the book is to me. I did consider basing my list on fictional serial killer thrillers as that’s also something I love but that seemed a little *too* easy. I’m not going to say anything about the book or the twist (because that would be a SPOILER and I don’t do that, not on purpose anyway!) but if you want to find out more, click the link and read my review (if I’ve reviewed it on the blog) for more info. I’ll warn you though, there’s not a Gone Girl, Girl on the Train or a single copy of The Silent Patient to be seen 🤭 Here we go…

1. Under Her Roof by A.A. Chaudhuri

2. The Stranger in Her House by John Marrs

3. The Intruders by Louise Jensen

4. When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins

5. And The There Were None by Agatha Christie

6. Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose

7. The Watchers by A.M. Shine

8. The Collective by Alison Gaylin

9. Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

10. One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Bit of an eclectic mix! The OG killer twist in And Then There Were None, a well-known YA shocker in One of Us is Lying alongside some of my more recent reads with a shocking surprise. There are a number of authors on this list – John Marrs, Louise Jensen, Alice Feeney – who always deliver a killer twist so I could have just made it purely about their books. But where’s the fun in that…? Please do check out these authors if you haven’t already. They like to keep their readers on their toes!

Have you read any of these books? Are there any on my list that take your fancy? Which killer twist in a book do you remember the most? Are you taking part in Top Ten Tuesday this week? Let me know in the comments.

So there we have it! If you fancy joining in next week then head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl’s blog to find out what the next topic is!

Please note, this post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn commission should you choose to make a purchase using the links.

38 thoughts on “#TopTenTuesday | 11th March 2025: Books that Include/Feature Killer Twists #Top10Tuesday #bookblogger #bookish #amreading #TTT #BookTwitter #booktwt #BookX #BookSky #damppebbles”

  8. Ooo! This is a fun topic! Books that manage to surprise are always cool reads. I haven’t read any of these, but have heard of some of the authors (I know Karen is well liked) and each time I see an Agatha Christie novel I’m reminded that I should read something by her, especially since I love the British adaptations of her stories. Thanks so much for visiting my list today!

    Sending you well wishes with your surgery recovery. 🙂

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  14. I hope your recovery from this and your (hopefully) final surgery go by quickly. It was so difficult to get anything done after my shoulder surgery, and that was just one. Four sounds awful; I’ll be sending good vibes your way.

    You’re a great resource for good mystery recommendations, and I just added basically half the list directly onto my TBR. Thanks for introducing me to so many awesome sounding books!

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  15. I love a good twist and, like you, I’ve come to expect them in mystery/thriller books and am always disappointed when they’re lame and/or I can see them coming from a mile away. It really isn’t fair to the poor authors who have to keep coming up with unique twists!

    I’ve only read three of the books on your list, but a couple of the others are on my TBR list. I really can’t resist a good mystery/thriller and neither can you, apparently. LOL

    Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!

    Susan

    http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

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  18. I’ve only read And Then There Were None from your list; I agree that Agatha Christie has written some great twists. Other books with killer twists (at least as far as I am concerned) include The Potter’s Field by Ellis Peters and Sea of Tranquility by Emily St.John Mandel. Thanks for the list and happy reading!

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  19. First of all (and most importantly) I wanted to drop a quick message to say that I really hope your surgery went off without any issues and that you are back home and recovering. I had back surgery (just once, though!) and I remember how long it took me to be able to read, partly because of the discomfort distracting me and partly because the painkillers made it too hard to focus. And I remember how uncomfortable it was and how hard it was to be patient with recovery. So I’m hoping that you are able to handle it better as you’ve been through it before and that it won’t be too long before you’re able to get back to things you enjoy! In the meantime rest up even if it means a little blogging break – we’ll be here when you get back!

    I love your list. I’ve been reading more thrillers lately, and I find I too often guess at least part of what’s going to happen and then end up just waiting for the reveal impatiently as I read the rest of the book! I haven’t read most of the books on your list, but I love that it’s clearly a very interesting mix – classics, some better known authors, and some I’ve never heard of. I’m going to be looking for some (I’ve never read Alice Feeney, but based on your praise I’m going to look for some of her books through my library as soon as I’m done commenting!) right away and I’ll be coming back for more inspiration when I’m in a lull! Thanks so much for sharing your picks this week, and feel better soon! ❤

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    • Thank you 🥰 Revovery is going well and the physio is very pleased with my progress. Just waiting on a date for my fourth surgery! I hope you managed to find an Alice Feeney book at the library! She’s excellent at writing twists and turns.

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