Complicity in Friendship: A Journey Through Suspense
By Elka Ray
May 10, 2024
Some years back I saw a meme going around social media, about being a good enough friend to help someone hide a dead body. It got me thinking. Who would I help? And why? The result was my Suspense novel A FRIEND INDEED, out May 14th.
As a kid, I moved around non-stop. When I finally stayed put someplace long enough to make good friends, I stuck to them like spilled glitter. Decades later, I’d still go above and beyond for my childhood besties. Not surprisingly, I love stories about friendship in all its forms, from true ride-and-die pals to backstabbing frenemies—and everything in between. Here are some of my favorite suspenseful friendship sagas:
A Simple Plan by Scott Smith
In this Crime Fiction classic, two brothers and their buddy find a bag of cash in a crashed plane in the woods, along with the dead pilot. The trio does the wrong thing and decides to keep the loot, reasoning they’ll sit on their windfall for six months to avoid suspicion. This plan might work fine for some people but these guys lead messy lives, make crummy choices, and are far from loyal. While the characters aren’t exactly admirable, they’re wildly compelling. Scott didn’t just have me rooting for these small-town misfits but somehow made me complicit. I flipped the pages thinking “What should we do-ooo?”—like I was part of their shaky gang. This book was my gateway drug to Noir.
We Were Never Here by Andi Bartz
Two besties go backpacking in South America and encounter a tragedy. Bad luck because the same thing happened the last time they traveled together. Either they’re cursed, or… Gulp. How well do you really know your best friend? I loved both of the protagonists, who seemed like kindred spirits, out for adventure. I spent my twenties backpacking and it all felt so familiar and vivid. This is a tale of love, trust, and the doubts that sprout like mold from dark secrets. It kept me guessing until the last scene, which had the freaky feel a fever dream. Honestly, I’m still wondering who to trust.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Oh Dark Academia, how do I love thee. This meaty story opens with the murder of one of six tight-knit friends studying Classics at an elite New England College. Why did his so-called friends kill him? How much blame should be heaped on their charismatic professor? And what further mayhem will ensue as their cover-up unravels? You either love this book or loathe it—check out the reviews where readers form two camps, describing it as “the greatest American novel” or “400 pages too long”. If you’re seeking a quick read, this isn’t it. What you’ll find are great writing, insights into human nature, and oodles of gothic atmosphere.
The It Girl by Ruth Ware
Split timelines between now and when-it-all-went-wrong are a mainstay of old friendship sagas. Ruth Ware slays it in this tale of disparate Oxford chums, ten years after one of their close-knit gang was murdered in her quaint college dorm room. As the story unfolds, we get to know the surviving friends, all of whom are suspects, and the victim—a charming yet infuriating “It girl”, who everyone had a reason for offing. My old favorite—social disparity—played a role here, as most of the friends are upper-class, but the narrator isn’t. Dark academia vibes, memorable frenemy characters, and a wonderfully vivid setting add up to a winner.
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Social disparity is a theme in my novel, and touched upon in Rachel Hawkins’ intriguing The Villa. A hyper-successful friend invites her cash-strapped childhood bestie to join her for a free holiday in an Italian villa. This gorgeous but notorious house becomes the third character in their odd friendship circle, since it was the site of an infamous—and unsolved—murder in the 1970s. The invited friend grows obsessed with solving the killing—and increasingly suspicious of why her old pal asked her along. As the story jumps between modern-day and the hard-partying ‘70s, secrets from both eras are unveiled. The book has a great gothic vibe and a jump-scare ending.
The Widow on Dwyer Court by Lisa Kusel
It’s not old friends but new ones who are the focus in this unusual Suspense novel. A straightlaced mom who writes spicy romance novels under a pseudonym befriends an intriguing widow who’s moved into her dull suburb. Soon, it’s apparent that their friendship – and entire lives – are somehow off. This book’s hard to describe without spoilers but it delves into friendship, desire, rivalry, and—of course—secrets. I read an ARC, so you’ll have to wait for this one to drop on July 16th, 2024.
Get Elka’s upcoming book here!