One of my favorite parts of writing (and reading) psychological thrillers is spotting the little tells that suggest a character isn’t who they claim to be. Here are 5 subtle red flags I like:
- Over Explaining: They give too many details when a simple answer would do. (KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid!)
- Shifting blame: They point the finger at someone else, even if it might not make sense.
- Emotional mismatch: Their emotions don’t match the situation – either reacting too dramatically or not having enough of a reaction.
- Convenient forgetfulness: They say they can’t recall something when you know they are aware of it.
- Perfection: They work very hard to disguise their flaws, which is usually suspicious.
I love it when I catch one of these in a book and then later realise the author was laying the groundwork for the twist. (A smack your forehead moment for sure!)
Which of these tricks makes you immediately suspicious of a character?