The Issue of Unspoken Tension
What Drives Domestic and Psychological Suspense?
What Would Push You To Do The Unimaginable?
The Unspoken Tension Of Psychological Suspense
“Your books are domestic suspense and psychological suspense. Huh, cool. What is that?”
As a panelist at the recent AMPlify Audiobooks Festival, I spoke about the psychological and domestic suspense genres. One question I received started with the premise that unspoken tension drives psychological and domestic suspense. Those two words, unspoken tension, really resonated with me. It’s a great way to describe the pulse of psychological and domestic suspense. Unlike horror, where the danger is often visible, suspense works beneath the surface. It’s not necessarily someone lurking around a dark corner with a knife.
In domestic suspense, the dark alley can be a marriage, a friendship, a family secret, or even a person’s own psyche.
The genre toys with our emotions using situations that feel very real and very familiar. And that’s tantalizing. Think about novels like Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train where everyone is unreliable. Everything you think you know is tenuous at best. The discomfort and tension are deeply vivid. You can’t escape that soundless dread. The not knowing who to trust leaps off the page and makes you look funny at everyone at your dinner table. Are the people we love capable of things we never imagined?
What if it turns out the least reliable and trustworthy person is you? Unnerving right? Think of the something you want more than anything; other people get it without trying, but life has stood in the way for you. That’s the dilemma Billie, an infertile adoption specialist, faces in my book, Not Yours to Keep. Billie questions the strength of her own morals and ethics and whether she’ll push them until they break. What if you or a friend were in the same position? What would make you ignore your standards and justify your actions to get what you really want, or believe you deserve? In One of Us Must Die, an unbreakable trust fund stipulation has trapped Sterling in a loveless marriage. When she faces the ultimate betrayal by her greedy, gaslighting husband, she has to really look deep inside herself and discover what she’s capable of—because the only way out is if one of them dies. What if the only way to survive is to commit murder? Can’t you picture yourself in those shoes? Even for a millisecond? It’s frightening to think how easy it is to cross uncrossable lines. And that’s the crux of psychological suspense stories.
When you read a novel of any genre, that emotionally connected feeling is incredibly important. It’s why you want to keep reading. Psychological suspense presents people who are carrying secrets (the more of them the better) and making choices that become increasingly complicated as the story unfolds. You don’t particularly have to like the character, but you understand their motivation. You might never face the obstacles they do, but what if you did? In this author’s opinion, if the audience can see a piece of themselves in each character—even when they disagree with their decisions—the tension becomes much more powerful. You’re not simply wondering what happens next; you’re wondering what you would do in that same situation.
Maybe that’s why the phrase “unspoken tension” is so poignant. It’s under your skin, niggling at your conscience. What secrets are you hiding, and what will you do to keep them?
Hear Us Roar
WFWA Podcast with Host Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith was kind enough to invite me on her podcast to discuss Not Yours to Keep, my debut domestic suspense novel. It was such a fun, thoughtful conversation, and Maggie brought great insight and depth to our discussion. I could have talked with her for days.
Take a listen at your leisure:
And check out Maggie’s must-read, fast-paced thriller Blindspot.
Click here for my original Blindspot review and snarkastic rating.
I Read It
When I get stuck in the mud trying to propel my newest manuscript forward, I read other people’s books. In the first 3-1/2 months of 2026, I’ve already surpassed the number of books I read last year. Shows you how deeply stuck I’ve been!
On the upside, I’m now only three years behind on my TBR pile 🙌 I’ll be sharing some of my favorite newly read books here and in upcoming issues.
The rating scale: Take the number of days to read, subtract all of life’s responsibilities, obligations, fun, and a few hours of sleep each night, and voilà—you’ve got the true reading score!
Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf is a clever, twisty thriller that dives into the dark rabbit hole of reality TV, toxic grudges, and secret histories. With sharp insight and well-drawn suspects, who did it seems obvious, except it’s not. The ending comes from a direction you never see coming, and you won’t be able to look away.
EVERYONE IS WATCHING FINAL SCORE:
14 READING DAYS - 🥴✈️😎😎✈️🥶🥴 LIFE INTERRUPTUS = 3 ACTUAL READING DAYS
Ashley Elston’s First Lie Wins serves up deliciously unreliable narrators, high stakes, and thrilling tension. This suspenseful cat-and-mouse game pulls you in deeply. Easily forgiven are the slightly dizzying past/present timeline and minor plausibility issues because you’ll be clinging to the pages, fully immersed and eager to know how it all ends.
FIRST LIE WINS FINAL SCORE:
4 READING DAYS - 🥴🥴 LIFE INTERRUPTUS = 2-1/2 ACTUAL READING DAYS
And Now For Something Completely Serious…
A Serious Favor, Or Two That Is…
If you’ve been paying attention in class, you know that I have a new book coming out in October: ONE OF US MUST DIE. I’m very excited about her, and hope you are too. October seems far away, but here’s how you can help today:
First, add One of Us Must Die to your TBR, especially on platforms like Goodreads. It helps boost the book’s visibility.
Second, and this is big: pre-order One of Us Must Die as soon as you can. For hybrid and indie authors like me, pre-orders are a secret weapon. Pre-orders tell booksellers that this is a book worth noticing, gives the release momentum from day one, and gets the book into the hands of more readers!
Third, pass it on! If you’re ever going to talk about me behind my back, now’s the time!
Thank you for believing in my work and helping this story get out there. I think you are going to love the Richardsons, even if one of them must die!
Last Licks
Strudel Is A Model Dog
The day I found out my first novel was going to be published, I allowed myself a fanciful wish: to one day see my book on display at my neighborhood library.
New York Public Library granted my wish and Not Yours to Keep is on the shelves at various locations around NYC. Check her out…literally!
This is what I write. And your closing question is what the MC in my current WIP (in revision) asks herself.
Love this post and your writing! Going to put One of Us Must Die on my TBR right now--unless I've already done it!