The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison. I read The Butterfly Garden a while ago when I was just getting into mystery novels. I was honestly geared to either hate the book or find it mediocre, but was pleasantly surprised at how invested I was with the book. Many years later this book has still stuck with me. While it may not have as many twists and turns as would be present in books such as Gone Girl, it was still a wild ride that had me anxiously turning the next page. Without giving too much away, I recommend this book wholeheartedly for any lovers (or non-lovers) of mystery novels. Rating: 5/5 stars

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson It took me a while before I fully got into Before I Go Tto Sleep. Unlike with The Butterfly Garden or Behind Closed Doors, I initially struggled to get through the first few chapters, as it really focused a lot on the memory loss of the protagonist. The set up was slow, and while ultimately it led to a great reveal, the fact that it took us a while to get there never really moved the book away from a mediocre rating for me. I still think it's a great novel to start when first getting into psychological thrillers. Rating: 3/5 stars

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris. Behind Closed Doors is a novel about a couple that looked perfect on the outside and the dysfunctional relationship that presented behind closed doors. One thing I really loved about this novel is it doesn't really beat around the bush. I thought there would be a whole lot of mystery surrounding who was the villain in the story, but that is all revealed early on, and instead the plot is spent on the path the wife takes to escaping from her husband. I was enraptured by this book and almost finished it in one sitting. Rating: 4/5 stars

The Guest List by Lucy Foley. The Guest List is an Agatha Christie like "whodunnit" novel that utilizes multiple POVs throughout and is set in Ireland. It's a story that initially introduces a murder at a wedding, and spends the rest of the time introducing the guests and revealing how each one might have a motive to commit the murder. Initially, the various POVs were confusing and I was not a big fan, however, as the story progressed, the various POVs actually added rather than took away from the story. You are left wondering whose body was found at the beginning of the book and who committed the heinous crime. It kept me hooked throughout and I constantly found myself second guessing who I believed to be the victim and the perpetrator. Rating: 4.5/5 stars

In the Woods by Tana French. Unlike some of the other novels included on this list that follow a more psychological thrller plot, In the Woods is a murder mystery that follows a pair of detectives and their attempts to try and solve the murder of a young child. I read this book when I was again trying to get into mystery novels and suffice to say, it catapulted my interest in finding others just like it. A great book that leaves you guessing until the very end. Rating: 5/5 stars

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell The Family Upstairs was a whirlwind of a book that had me debating if I liked the book or found it to be a bore. Ultimately it landed somewhere in the middle for me, where I found the plot to be quite unique and interesting, but it didn't have some of the fast paced action or mystery element that are present in some of the other books I read. I think ultimately the reason why I didn't LOVE this novel is because the ending and mystery wasn't as satisfying to me as some of the other books on this list. Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Verity by Colleen Hoover For the full review of this novel, you can read it here. I quite liked this book and loved how it ended without us fully knowing who was the villain and who was the victim. I think some books oftentimes get wrapped up in trying to wrap up the novel in this pretty little bow, but this book did not shy away from leaving us with some questions to ruminate over long after it ended. Rating: 4/5