Seven of the best unlikeable characters in thrillers

Jaime Lynn Hendricks is an author with nearly 20 years experience in print media and marketing. She lives with her husband in New Jersey.

It Could Be Anyone is her second novel.

At CrimeReads she tagged seven thrillers featuring "despicable characters that I loved to read." One entry on the list:

AMBER PATTERSON, The Last Mrs. Parrish, by Liv Constantine

Amber is such a schemer that she invents a way to insert herself into the life of Daphne Parrish, a rich, beautiful do-gooder with a perfect family. Despite coming from nothing, Amber convinces herself that she should not only have that kind of life, but that she deserves Daphne’s life. Amber lies, steals, goes after Daphne’s husband, her foundation, her children…but did I dislike her? No way. Give me more! Did I want her to win? Also no way, but why does hating her have to be bad? A morally grey character is the hallmark of this genre, and for me, this one was the OG of thrillers.

Read about another entry on the list.

The Last Mrs. Parrish is among Eliza Jane Brazier's nine books that pit the Have against the Have-Nots, Seraphina Nova Glass's seven top obsession thrillers, Allison Dickson's top ten thrillers featuring a dance of girlfriends and deception, Kristyn Kusek Lewis's eight shocking thrillers featuring scandals, Margot Hunt's top nine thrillers featuring duplicitous spouses, and Jennifer Hillier's eight crime novels of women starting over.

The Page 69 Test: The Last Mrs. Parrish.

--Marshal Zeringue