Should Christians Read Psychological Thrillers?

Psychological thrillers are one of the most popular book genres in the world.

Key points

• Georgia and El discuss the phenomenon: why it’s so popular, what makes a good thriller and the role of faith in the books we read.
• During the episode, they review one of El’s favourite thrillers of the year – Playing Nice by JP Delaney.
• Hear the whole Hope Book Club episode in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts.

From bestsellers such as Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and The Silent Patient, millions around the world are gripped by these stories – and all their twists and turns – until the final page. But should Christians read them at all?

On the latest episode of the Hope Book Club podcast, Georgia sits down with psych thriller enthusiast – and Hope 103.2 colleague – El Robertson to discuss the phenomenon: why it’s so popular, what makes a good thriller and the role of faith in the books we read.

During the episode, they review one of El’s favourite thrillers of the year – Playing Nice by JP Delaney.

About Playing Nice

What if you found out that your family isn’t yours at all? How far would you go to protect them? A gripping new psychological thriller from the bestselling author of The Girl Before.

Pete Riley answers the door one morning and lets in a parent’s worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger who breaks the devastating news that Pete’s son, Theo, isn’t actually his son–he is the Lamberts’, switched at birth by an understaffed hospital while their real son was sent home with Miles and his wife, Lucy. For Pete, his partner Maddie, and the little boy they’ve been raising for the past two years, life will never be the same again.

What role does faith play in the books we read?

The two families, reeling from the shock, take comfort in shared good intentions, eagerly entwining their very different lives in the hope of becoming one unconventional modern family. But a plan to sue the hospital triggers an official investigation that unearths some disturbing questions about the night their children were switched. How much can they trust the other parents–or even each other?

What secrets are hidden behind the Lamberts’ glossy front door? Stretched to the breaking point, Pete and Maddie discover they will each stop at nothing to keep their family safe.

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They are done playing nice.

Listen to the full episode in the player above, on the Hope 103.2 app, or wherever you get your podcasts. And don’t forget to join the Hope Book Club Facebook community.

Feature image: Book cover image supplied.