The Top Rated Thriller From Reese's Book Club, According To Reviews

Reese Witherspoon has picked many a page-turner for her book club. Since launching it in 2017, she's curated a wide selection for readers of all tastes. Though the club spans genres — with romantic reads, literary fiction, and historical fiction all performing well — thrillers have always struck a chord with Witherspoon's devoted readership.

Thrillers are a genre she frequently returns to, and with success. "Where the Crawdads Sing" and "Little Fires Everywhere," two of her early picks, were swiftly adapted by her production company, Hello Sunshine. "First Lie Wins," with a sharp premise and slick pacing, earned 4.01 stars on Goodreads from more than 642,000 readers. "The Last Mrs. Parrish" isn't far behind, with 3.96 across 427,000 ratings.

But in the recent years of Reese's Book Club, a new contender has risen. "Broken Country" by Clare Leslie Hall has steadily built an enthusiastic following since Reese selected it as her March 2025 pick. According to reader reviews, it's now the highest-rated thriller in the book club's lineup. It may not have the Hollywood buzz (yet — Sony's 3000 Pictures bought the rights to it in 2024), but on Goodreads, it's received 4.46 stars from over 30,000 ratings and almost 5,000 reviews.

Clare Leslie Hall's "Broken Country" is not your typical thriller, though its undercurrent is unmistakably thrilling. It begins in stillness on a quiet farm in England, where Beth and her husband, Frank, live a quiet life. But everything shifts when Frank's brother shoots a dog that has wandered into the fields. The moment is brief, but its impact is lasting: the dog belonged to Gabriel Wolfe, Beth's teenage love — the man who broke her heart.

Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son, Leo. For Beth, the encounter is destabilizing. Leo reminds her of her own son, who died in an accident years ago. As old tensions in the village rise and jealousies resurface, Beth is forced to reckon with the woman she used to be and the life she chose instead.

The author describes "Broken Country" as a novel about "love in all its forms" — romantic love, the first love that imprints itself deeply, and the hard-earned love that grows with time. Reese Witherspoon praises it as "an unforgettable story of love, loss, and the choices that shape our lives." But perhaps what's most telling is that she teases her fellow bookworms that "it's also a masterfully crafted mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page." If its plot catches the book lover-in-chief herself off guard, that's as strong an endorsement as any.