Matthew Blake’s Top 5 Plot Twists
From contemporary bestsellers to ancient classics, author of the debut novel Anna O weighs in with his favorite thriller picks
By Matthew Blake
As a devout reader of the mystery and thriller genres, I love nothing more than a jaw-dropping plot twist. The greatest twists emerge organically from complex, multi-dimensional characters. With that in mind, I’ve chosen my five favorite thrillers, ranging from the modern classics all the way back to ancient Greek myths.
I’d love to hear your favorites, too. Let me know on Instagram @matthewblakewriter or on X @Matthew__Blake.
Tell No One by Harlan Coben
Harlan Coben is the undisputed master of the unexpected twist, and Tell No One was his breakout book. You might have read his many recent bestsellers or seen the incredible adaptations on Netflix or Amazon Prime. But start with this early novel, and discover where it all began for the modern twist maestro.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
This was the first book I fell in love with. I can still remember getting to the final twist and knowing this is what I wanted to do with my own writing. The twist broke all the rules of detective fiction and even threatened to get Agatha Christie expelled from the Detection Club. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd has remained the touchstone for mystery writers ever since its publication, and it catapulted Dame Agatha to the top of the crime-writing pantheon.
Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
A truly great modern mystery. The set-up is devastatingly brilliant, the writing is razor-sharp, and the ending will give you goosebumps. I remember watching the film adaptation with Colin Firth and almost jumping out of my seat at the final reveal.
Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
Market-tested for over two thousand years, this is possibly the greatest mystery tale ever devised. The twist at the end is so famous that most people are familiar with it without having seen or read the original play. If you want complex characters and mind-boggling twists, no one did it better than the Ancient Greeks.
The Hound of Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A legendary mystery novel which, like Oedipus Rex, is so famous that its screen adaptations are perhaps more widely known than the original tale. Stunningly atmospheric and with a terrifying premise, the ending brings each plot strand together with a flourish that makes the jaw drop even 122 years after it was first published.
After discovering that the average person spends thirty-three years of their life asleep, Matthew Blake felt the pull of a story. He began extensive research into sleep-related crimes and into the mystery illness known as resignation syndrome, research that sparked a thrilling question: If someone commits murder while sleepwalking, are they innocent or guilty? And so his novel Anna O was born.
Before writing fiction, Matthew worked as a researcher and speechwriter at the Palace of Westminster. He studied English at Durham University and Merton College, Oxford, and now lives in London.
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