SerpApi.Org
The best thrillers make it nearly impossible to stop reading. They unsettle you, keep you guessing, and convince you that one more chapter is a perfectly reasonable idea, even when it’s well past midnight. Whether you prefer serial killers, family secrets, wilderness schemes, gothic vampires, or suburban lives built on lies, the books below know how to tighten the screws.
This list pairs books by genre giants like Gillian Flynn, Karin Slaughter, and Harlan Coben with recent breakout stars and a few authors you may not know yet—but whose entire backlists you’ll be ordering before the first chapter is over.
Many of these novels have also inspired excellent movies and television series, but no adaptation can quite match the experience of reading them for the first time. On the page, every clue, lie, and shift in perspective unfolds at exactly the pace you choose, letting the suspense build in your own imagination until the truth finally snaps into focus. Get reading, and prepare to sleep with the lights on.
Harper How to Survive in the Woods, by Kat Rosenfield
A wilderness survival thriller where the danger is the people beside you. Desperate to get out of her abusive marriage, wilderness pro Emma Sharp sets out to hike the Appalachian Trail with her husband and his ex-girlfriend (who also happens to be Emma’s current lover), and come home without him. Rosenfield ropes you in with constant twists and ever-shifting loyalties, keeping you questioning who you can trust. But it’s the character of Emma—with her unapologetic approach to survival (both in the wilderness and in matters of the heart) and her unapologetic lust for revenge—that makes the book just as psychologically gripping as it is addictive.
$18.99
Zando Hungerstone, by Kat Dunn
This Carmilla reimagining intensifies the original’s famously queer themes, transforming it into an undeniably sensual, bloody sapphic story about desire and autonomy. While the original centers on a sheltered teenage girl living with her father, Hungerstone ages up its protagonist, places her a decade into a dead-end marriage, and gives her the worldliness to recognize her own desires when they crash (literally) into her life.
On a trip to their moorlands estate, she and her husband stumble upon a carriage accident. The sole survivor: an eerie, alluring stranger named Carmilla, who awakens a hunger inside Lenore that she can’t ignore. The atmosphere is thick with tension as Lenore unravels under Carmilla's violent, seductive influence. Here, Carmilla is the key to Lenore's freedom. Dunn explicitly connects Lenore's newfound appetite to queer longing, reframing monstrosity as liberation, making this fresh take on the vampire classic every bit as chilling as it is cathartic.
$16.78
Lucy Foley The Guest List, by Lucy Foley
Named a Reese's Book Club Pick, The Guest List is an Agatha Christie-esque mystery that takes place over the course of a highly exclusive weekend wedding. Alternating between the perspectives of the groom, the bride, the wedding planner, and several guests, Foley lets us feel the temperature rising beneath the surface of this luxe event long before it reaches its boiling point. Throw in a remote island, drizzly Irish vistas, limited cell service, and a dead body, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a classic atmospheric thriller with a modern makeover.
Bosch Stillhouse Lake, by Rachel Caine
Unlike most thrillers, this one begins with the revelation of the murderer—but having him behind bars only puts those closest to him in more danger. An "average" housewife's life is changed forever when a car accident reveals that her beloved husband is a serial killer. He’s put in prison, but that’s not enough for a legion of stalkers and internet trolls who are convinced that his wife had something to do with his crimes. She quickly goes into hiding and assumes a new identity. But just when she thinks she and her children are finally safe, a body turns up in a nearby lake, and threatening letters start showing up at her new address. She spent years married to a killer without suspecting a thing; will she be able to identify the monster in her midst this time around?
All the Sinners Bleed, by S.A. Cosby
Power, prejudice, and justice collide in this unflinching look at America’s ugliest inheritances from thriller powerhouse S.A. Cosby. The first Black sheriff in a small conservative town, Titus Crown, apprehends a school shooter, only to uncover a serial killer hiding within the community as he grapples with the town’s deep-rooted racism. There’s a palpable sense of unease from the very first page, and you can feel that something sinister is lurking beneath the surface of this town before the action even unfolds. And once it does, Titus’s devotion to the victims creates a compelling yet reluctant hero who will stop at nothing to make things right.
$8.34
Atria Books Kill for Me, Kill for You, by Steve Cavanagh
Amanda and Wendy meet by chance, only to discover they share the same goal: to murder the men who killed their daughters. So, in classic Strangers on a Train fashion, they agree to carry out each other’s revenge. Except nothing is that simple in this wild, gasp-inducing ride. Wendy goes rogue and takes matters into her own hands, then vanishes without a trace, leaving Amanda questioning who Wendy really is and why this fellow grieving mother abandoned her to face possible murder charges alone. Cavanagh perfectly weaves the characters' lives together, and at no point could we guess what was going to happen next.
$11.41
Random House Books for Young Readers First Lie Wins, by Ashley Elston
The cunning, scrappy heroine of this romantic thriller is a pro at pretending to be someone she’s not, but things get real when she finds true love while living a fake life. Her instructions are simple: assume the alias of “Evie Porter,” infiltrate a quiet, close-knit southern town, gather information on her mark, and report back to her elusive mafia-like boss known as Mr. Smith. But her carefully crafted persona begins to crack when she starts to develop real feelings for the guy she’s supposed to be investigating. As her focus slips, so does her boss’ trust, and she has to decide between staying in Mr. Smith’s good graces or risking it all for a chance at love, even if it puts her life in danger. Full of suspense, ridiculously clever, and meticulously plotted, First Lie Wins is a total page-turner.
$9.99
Daisy Darker, by Alice Feeney
In this moody whodunnit, members of a wealthy family who can barely stand each other reunite in a gothic mansion on an isolated island; what could go wrong? Convinced she’ll die on her 80th birthday, Nana Darker summons her family to the Cornish coast for the reading of her will. Years of grudges and resentments make this reunion less than pleasant, but it turns into a real-life nightmare when Nana is found dead at midnight on the first night, and the rest of the family starts being picked off one by one. A highly entertaining paranoia-fueled guessing game follows, as uncovering the killer becomes not just a survival necessity but a test of who is worthy of Nana’s estate. Every member of the eccentric Darker family is hiding a secret, and Feeney ensures you can’t rule anyone out as a suspect until they’re dead.
$23.00
William Morrow Pieces of Her, by Karin Slaughter
Many of us face a moment when we realize that our parents are more complicated people than we understood. Andy’s version is just a bit more dramatic: Her seemingly ordinary mother, Laura, kills a rogue gunman in broad daylight. Both mother and daughter are suddenly on the run from a lethal extremist group with ties to Laura’s concealed past. You’re put right into Andy’s shoes as she’s forced to reconcile the mother she thought she knew with the stranger she’s discovering. But through it all, their bond remains the touching, driving force for both of them, as they never stop fighting to protect each other.
$9.91
SCRIBNER Postmortem, by Patricia Cornwell
The first book in the beloved Kay Scarpetta series—now a Prime Video series starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis—Postmortem set a new standard for forensic thrillers by making autopsies, evidence, and lab work feel as tense as any chase scene. Medical Examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta investigates a string of murdered women and becomes obsessed with figuring out the identity of the sadistic serial killer “Mr. Nobody,” who soon sets his sights on her. Postmortem thrusts you into the mind of a monster as Kay has to learn to think like Mr. Nobody in order to catch him. Drawing from her own experience working in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia—and the string of real-life stranglings that rocked the city in 1987—Cornwell gives the novel an authentic, procedural grit that only makes the horror hit harder.
$16.49
Dutton The Stranger, by Harlan Coben
Coben is a master of suspense, and while you can’t go wrong with any of his books, The Stranger is his most mind-bending. Prestigious lawyer Adam Price’s picture-perfect life is turned upside down when a mysterious stranger reveals his marriage is built on lies. When his wife disappears, Adam embarks on a frantic search to uncover who the Stranger is, only to discover one of the Stranger’s other targets is already dead, and he or his wife could be next. Coben masterfully turns typical suburban life into a minefield of mistrust, as ordinary conversations become loaded with tension and nobody is as they seem. Even if you have already devoured the Netflix limited series, the book will still pack plenty of surprises.
$6.66
Penguin Books In the Woods, by Tana French
Tana French’s debut novel didn’t just introduce readers to the Dublin Murder Squad—it made her a household name, and for good reason. In rural Ireland, three kids go into the woods, and only one comes out; Young Rob Ryan is found with his arms around a tree trunk, sneakers full of blood, and no memory of what happened. Decades later, Detective Ryan has made a career out of solving other people’s mysteries, but has never found a break in his own case—until a young girl is murdered in the same town where he and the others vanished. Rob is achingly human and so easy to empathize with as he investigates the case that might finally give him answers. Both seriously unnerving and an intimate portrayal of trauma, this psychological thriller captures the horror of being haunted by the past.
$9.62
G.P. Putnam's Sons The Turnout, by Megan Abbott
Megan Abbott has set past acclaimed thrillers in the worlds of cheerleading, science research, and gymnastics. With The Turnout, she delves into ballet. Dara and Marie Durant are sisters who took over from their mother's ballet school after their parents died in an accident. Then another accident occurs in the present day, ruining their studio. Derek is the contractor hired to fix things—but he ends up creating deliberate chaos and delighting in it. Watch out for the "Dereks" in the real world.
$8.87
Harper The Upstairs House, by Julia Fine
The Upstairs House is an intellectual, thought-provoking thriller. When her husband leaves for a business trip, Megan is left alone with her new daughter. But she's not exactly alone. It appears that Margaret Wise Brown, author of Goodnight Moon and subject of Megan's thesis, is living in the apartment upstairs. Never mind the fact that Brown is long dead—Megan sees her, and she's willing to watch Megan's daughter. Then, Margaret's ex-lover, a woman poet named Michael Strange, appears, and Megan finds herself in a ghostly tale of regret and revenge.
Simon & Schuster The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave
When The Last Thing He Told Me starts, we know about as much about Owen as his new wife, Hannah Hall, does. He appears to be a nice guy, a devoted dad, and a hard worker. Then he disappears, and Hannah has to reconstruct her understanding of her husband, all while caring for his 16-year-old daughter, who has never been her biggest fan. It’s a gripping and surprisingly emotional ride. After finishing the book, you’ll want to relive the whole journey all over again—which you can in the Apple TV+ miniseries adaptation starring Jennifer Garner.
$13.25
The Maidens, by Alex Michaelides
The author of The Silent Patient delivers another book that relishes in both unexpected twists and references to classic mythology. In The Maidens, Mariana Andros is summoned back to her alma mater, Cambridge, after her niece's best friend is murdered. Originally there for emotional support, Mariana begins to build a case against the charismatic professor who seems to be at the center of the crime.
$9.98
The Other Black Girl, by Zakiya Dalila Harris
Something isn't right with Nella Rogers' new colleague, Hazel. At first, she's thrilled to have another Black woman in her nearly all-white publishing house. But she appears to be conniving—and then Nella receives a note warning her to leave the publishing house. Can the two things be connected? Zakiya Dalila Harris deftly uses the hallmarks of a suspense novel to probe issues found in real life, like microaggressions and questioning what it takes to get ahead—and who you're supposed to be. Be sure to finish the book before bingeing the chilling Hulu series, produced by Rashida Jones.
Harper These Violent Delights, by Micah Nemerever
These Violent Delights will appeal to readers who like their thrillers laced with desire and echoes of Patricia Highsmith. In Nemerever's debut, two lonely college boys find the companionship they've craved from everyone else. In that cocoon, they devise a strange game—one that involves getting away with the perfect crime, just to see if they can. But can they, really?
Falling, by T.J. Newman
T.J. Newman channeled years of working as a flight attendant to inform this airplane-set thriller. In the book, a pilot receives a shocking call: Kidnappers have taken his family hostage, and will harm them...unless he crashes the plane. One hundred forty-three passengers are on board, the plane is tens of thousands of feet in the air, and the clock is ticking. Who will he choose to save?
$13.37
Amistad Press The Cutting Season, by Attica Locke
Attica Locke, a TV writer-turned-novelist, brings an expert cinematic pacing to all of her acclaimed thrillers, but The Cutting Season may be her most gripping. The award-winning book interweaves two mysteries, separated by a hundred years but united by a single location: an antebellum plantation in Louisiana cane country. Now a tourist destination, Belle Vie sanitizes its history through full-costume reenactments and strategically restored slave quarters. But the violence lurking beneath the site’s surface comes into full view when the body of a migrant worker is discovered on the property, and the investigation unearths connections to a decades-old cold case disappearance of an enslaved man. While The Cutting Season's plot is gripping, its historical and social insight will stick with you long after your goosebumps have faded.
$12.29
St. Martin's Griffin An Anonymous Girl, by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
This hypnotic novel follows a woman who enters into a psychological study to earn extra money, but ends up getting more than she bargained for. The experiments are led by Dr. Shields, who soon takes the study beyond the lab, infiltrating Jessica's real life. You’ll never be able to guess the experiment’s final twist.
$9.49
Gallery/Scout Press The Turn of the Key, by Ruth Ware
Rowan Caine seems to score herself a dream job as a live-in nanny at a luxurious smart home in the Scottish Highlands. But what seems too good to be true actually is, as Rowan eventually finds herself in prison and on trial for a murder she insists she didn't commit.
$9.25
Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn
This modern classic follows the mysterious disappearance of picture-perfect wife Amy Dunne and her husband, Nick, who seems to be guilty of her murder. But the story that seems obvious is nowhere close to the truth. Gone Girl was adapted into the acclaimed 2014 film starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, and Neil Patrick Harris, but nothing will ever beat reading the legendary “cool girl” passage in print.
Riverhead Books The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins
Adapted into a 2016 drama starring Emily Blunt, this bestselling debut follows Rachel Watson, who—despite having lost her job (and her marriage) to her alcoholism—keeps up her old train commute each morning, taking solace in spotting the same couple each day through the window and imagining their perfect life. But one morning, she witnesses something that shatters her fantasy—and puts her in the center of an investigation that becomes more knotted with each passing day. Can Rachel trust her memory? Can she trust herself?
