Hands up who’s in the mood for a chilling, female-focussed page-turner? Or what about a juicy story of suburban just desserts and betrayal? How about a darkly comic tale of gory revenge?
If that’s piqued your interest (or if you’ve read our round-up of the best domestic noir novels and are wondering where to start), take this quiz to take a shortcut to your perfect domestic noir novel, albeit a novel in which household affairs are decidedly imperfect…
Which of the following do you most feel like doing?
a) Walking the wild Cornish coast
b) Reading in a Parisian apartment
c) Hanging out in a fancy London bar
d) People-watching in a rural Irish pub
Pick something to binge-watch
a) Golden Age Hollywood movies
b) A boxset of classic French cinema
c) Why Women Kill
d) Desperate Housewives
Pick a tipple
a) Old-fashioned cocktail
b) Champagne
c) Bloody Mary
d) Chardonnay
Pick a plant
a) Apple tree
b) Lilies
c) Red roses
d) Wisteria
On winning the lottery, you would…
a) Live a contented, reclusive life in the country as an anonymous philanthropist.
b) Board a plane to start visiting the many places you’ve always wanted to spend extended time in.
c) Flash my cash, share some with my closest friends, and use a portion to take revenge on everyone who’s ever dissed me or dismissed me.
d) Keep the news from my friends and family until I’ve spoken to an advisor, but start browsing for bigger houses in my area, and checking out private school options.
Mostly As
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
With a penchant for brooding settings and old-time atmosphere, you might want to dive into Daphne Du Maurier’s classic chiller, Rebecca.
Haunting, psychologically intense and thronging with desire, menace and mystery, it sees the second Mrs de Winter search for the truth about her predecessor, Rebecca. The tension and intrigue make it the kind of novel you won’t forget in a hurry.
Mostly Bs
Lullaby by Leila Slimani
Intense, unnerving and incredibly compulsive, Lullaby brings all the creeps and terrors to the domestic noir table.
Presenting the unravelling of an affluent French couple’s life in the wake of hiring a new nanny who, on the face of it, is as perfect and polite as a person can be, this is shocking, brutal, and brilliant with it — ideal for readers who like edgy stories with psychological and social depth.
Mostly Cs
How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Kate Brent
One of our Book Club Recommendations of the Month, the wickedly witty How to Kill Men and Get Away With It sees an unfulfilled, super-rich influencer turn the tables on male predators.
With a spree of revenge-driven murders sparked by the Romeo who tells her “I could do you right now. That would teach you a lesson for being an ungrateful slag”, it presents a page-turning, cutting take on the #MeToo movement. It’s also outrageously LOL-inducing.
Mostly Ds
Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose
Sordid suburban secrets and morally dubious characters are at the heart of this mighty fine debut. Set in suburban Ireland, Dirty Laundry smoulders with scandal, suspense and seduction, along with a heavy dose of desire, deception and adultery. Oh, and there’s murder, too.
Eat your heart out, women of Wisteria Lane — your dramas and dodgy domestic dealings have nothing on the women who populate the pages of Dirty Laundry.
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