The best thriller novels don’t just build suspense. They are carefully constructed, layer by layer, until it all unravels in the most unexpected way.
If you love scanning every sentence for clues, questioning every character’s motives, and generally just playing detective, you’re in the exact right place.
Here are eight must-read thrillers that will have the gears in your head turning as you work to outsmart the plot. These books are about to become your next obsession. You won’t be able to stop yourself from rereading!
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
While Anne and Marco Conti are at a dinner party next door, their baby, Cora, is kidnapped. Secrets start to come out about the couple and their neighbors.
They all try to hide things from each other and the police. The plot is fast-paced and full of twists and turns. There’s never a dull moment in this chilling story!
The Suspect by Fiona Barton
The Suspect follows a journalist named Kate Waters who is working hard to find out as much as she can about what happened to two 18-year-old girls who suddenly went missing in Thailand.
The case of the missing girls brings to mind Kate’s own son, whom she hasn’t seen since he left home to travel two years ago. When she discovers that he is also in Thailand, this gives her even more incentive to pursue the case.
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City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita
On the shore of a small town in Alaska, a severed hand washed up and was discovered by a local teenager. A detective from Anchorage named Cara Kennedy investigates the possible murder.
The small town of Point Mettier can only be accessed by a tunnel. When a bad snowstorm causes the tunnel to close, Cara is stuck with the 205 other residents in town, who all live in the same building. Cara joins forces with a local police officer to solve the mystery, but gang members from a nearby village try to stop them from investigating further.
American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
The book takes place in 1986, during the heart of the Cold War. It follows Marie Mitchell, an intelligence officer with the FBI. She joins a task force to take down Thomas Sankara, the president of Burkina Faso. Over the next year, she observes him and seduces him, contributing to his fall.
The Missing Years by Lexie Elliot
After inheriting half of a house, Ailsa Calder leaves London for the Scottish Highlands. The other half of the house belongs to her father, whom she hasn’t seen in 27 years. Upon her arrival, she meets her half-sister. Throughout her stay at the manor, Ailsa can’t help but feel as if she is in danger.
How Quickly She Disappears by Raymond Fleischmann
A 30-year-old woman named Elizabeth lives far from her home in a small Alaskan town. She is in a loveless marriage, and her young daughter reminds her so much of her twin sister, Jacqueline, who disappeared 20 years ago.
Then, a stranger named Alfred comes to town, claiming to know what happened to Elizabeth’s sister. But if she wants answers, she must fulfill his three requests.
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, a reporter named Camille Preaker must return to her tiny hometown following a short stay at a psych hospital to cover the murders of two preteen girls.
She hasn’t spoken much to her mom or 13-year-old half-sister in years, but now, she finds herself in her childhood bedroom faced not only with the tragic ends of girls who died too young, but also her own past.
The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong
The main character of this book, Yu-jin, has suffered from seizures for most of his life, so he often has trouble with his memory. One morning, the 26-year-old woke up to a strong, oddly metallic smell and a phone call from his brother. He was calling to ask if everything was okay because their mother had called in the middle of the night.
Soon enough, Yu-jin discovers his mother’s bloody and battered body at the bottom of the stairs in their home. For the next three days, he frantically searches for answers and uncovers the truth about himself and his family.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
