Thriller is an interesting genre. It glues the audience with plenty of suspense, and excitement. There is a certain kind of rush. A wide variety of thriller genres persists such as historical crime thrillers to psychological page-turners. It is an art to write a story as it requires aspects that excite the readers.
There are some great thriller movies.
However, if you are not a fan of movies, don’t worry. Books have got you covered. There are plenty of thriller books available to entertain you the most. As the options are abundant, we have filtered the search for you.
In this article, we will curate a list of the 10 best thriller books with a detailed description of each.
Let’s dive in!
10 Best Thriller Books
1. The Last Thing He Told Me
Highlights
Author: Laura Dave
Last Published: 2021
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Description
This book is the number-one New York Times bestseller, Best book of 2021 by Vogue and Real Simple, Best book of summer selected by USA Today, CNN, Entertainment Weekly, and more. This book was clearly an instant hit and became immensely popular.
It is a highly engaging thriller story that is about a woman, Hannah, who finally finds the love of her life but disappears suddenly.
Owen Michaels, his husband, passes a note to Hannah with the message, Protect Her. Hannah seems confused by this note but understands that the note is for her 16 years old daughter, Bailey. Due to some shocking turn of events, Hannah realizes that her husband was a different person altogether. This disturbs Hannah and Bailey.
Both of them decide to unravel the truth. However, they slowly realize that they are building things for their future as well, and not in a good way. The plot twist in this thriller is terrifying. Overall, It is a horrific family drama that stuns you with every twist and turns.
You can buy this book here.
2. The Woman In Cabin 10
Highlights
Author: Ruth Ware
Last Published: 2016
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
Description
This novel is an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller. Entertainment Weekly terms it as Summer must list pick whereas New York Post calls it as Summer must-read pick.
The women in cabin 10 is a highly engaging psychological thriller. The story takes you to a luxury cruise with plenty of cabins. ‘The Aurora’ is the name of this exclusive cruise ship that starts her voyage in the North Sea. In the beginning, Lo’s days are pleasant with plush cabins and fancy dinner parties. Everything goes on smoothly.
However, at some point in time, the weather goes bad. The sky turns grey and horrific. Lo witnesses a dark and chilling thing with her naked eyes – a woman is thrown in the water. The shocking part is no one cares, and she is more than determined to find out the reason.
Overall, it’s a spine-tingling story with major twists. The depiction of the beautiful scenery will put you in awe.
You can buy this book here.
3. The Silent Patient
Highlights
Author: Alex Michaelides
Last Published: 2019
Publisher: Orion
Description
This book is number-one New York Times and Sunday Times Bestseller. A total of 3 million copies have been sold till date.
The protagonist of the story is Alicia Berenson. Previously, she murdered her husband and shot him in the head five times. Since that incident, she has been numb and completely silent. However, the mystery revolves around finding the answer to her silence.
There is a killer twist that makes it an unforgettable tale. You can term it as a slow-burning psychological thriller that will surprise you all through the narration. The readers are going to be stunned by a shocking end. It is a record-breaking thriller that is extremely popular among the masses.
Moreover, the style of writing is simple and easy to understand. There are a lot of interesting elements that grip the readers of this story.
You can buy this book here.
4. The Couple Next Door
Highlights
Author: Shari Lapena
Last Published: 2017
Publisher: Penguin Books
Description
This book is an instant New York Times bestseller.
The story starts at a dinner party. It is about a young couple and their friendly neighbors. Anne and Marco have everything that one desires. A great relationship, a beautiful home, and a wonderful baby – Cora.
However, one night, a horrible crime is committed. The parents come under suspicion but the actual truth is complicated. During the investigation, a lot of disturbing accounts unfold. A lot of incidents are uncovered by detective Rasbach. He also understands that the couple is beijing suspicious.
Slowly and gradually some nerve-wracking incidents are unraveled. Overall, it’s a chilling thriller that describes duplicity, deception, and unfaithfulness. The story keeps you glued until the final twist that leads to the climax.
To explore this interesting thriller, You can buy this book here.
5. The Maidens
Highlights
Author: Alex Michaelides
Last Published: 2021
Publisher: Celadon Books
Description
This book is an exceptional compilation. It is Alex’s long-awaited novel. Each premise has some irresistible elements that grip the readers.
The character named Edward Fosca is a murderer. However, due to his smart skill sets, he remains untouchable. He is a greek professor at Cambridge University. All the students and even the staff adore him. The Maidens is a secret society of female students, who keep him in the highest regard.
Another character named Mariana Andros is a therapist who soon gets to know that one member of the secret society is murdered. She herself was a student of that university. In no time she suspects that behind the ancient traditions, there was something sinister. After investigating, she understands that Edward is the murderer.
She puts in all the efforts to prove him guilty but it costs her a lot. However, she is determined to stop the murderer at any cost.
You can buy this book here.
6. The Guest List
Highlights
Author: Lucy Foley
Last Published: 2021
Publisher: HarperCollins
Description
It is a brand-new thriller and has been termed as the number one Sunday Times Bestseller.
The story is about a murder. A bunch of people gathers on a remote island for the wedding of the year that is the marriage of Jules and Will.
However, this delightful occasion turns quickly into a dreadful day. Before even cutting the wedding cake, one of the guests dies. Unfortunately, the island faces a storm and traps everyone present there.
Everyone there has their own secrets and motives in this story. The story is about finding who killed the person with some interesting turn of events.
The style of writing is extremely easy to understand.
The entire story is highly gripping and engaging. To unravel more about the story.
You can buy this book here.
7. Gone Girl
Highlights
Author: Gillian Flynn
Last Published: 2014
Publisher: Crown
Description
This is the number one New York Times bestseller. It is also termed as one of the most influential books of the decade by CNN. Moreover, here is a list of all the organizations that have recognized this book as a gem:
- People
- Slate
- O: The Oprah Magazine
- Entertainment Weekly
- USA Today
- Christian Science Monitor
- Janet Maslin
The story revolves around some shocking and terrible secrets that survive even in the most intimate relationships. It starts with Nick and Amy’s fifth wedding anniversary in Missouri. However, in a matter of time, his wife disappears. There goes on a lot. He experiences some deadly daydreams about her wife’s head.
Moreover, Amy has a diary that reveals that she is an alpha-girl perfectionist. She may put people dangerously on edge. There is constant pressure from the media and the police. Nick faces a lot and that results in his inappropriate behavior. However, the question still remains if he is the killer!
You can buy this book here.
8. Verity
Highlights
Author: Colleen Hoover
Last Published: 2018
Description
This novel is an Amazon top hundred bestseller.
The protagonist of the story is Lowen Ashleigh. She is a struggling writer facing a financial crunch. However, she accepts a great job offer pretty soon. Jeremy is the husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford. He has hired Lowen to finish the remaining books.
When she starts working at the Crawford home, she finds out some uncovered facts about Verity not wanting anyone to read the autobiography. She gets confused. Every page she reads, she gets to know about some bone-chilling incidents regarding their family.
A lot of truths are uncovered in this horrifying story. Moreover, a series of triggering content is in the book that can be highly sensitive to some readers.
You can buy this book here.
9. Behind Closed Doors
Highlights
Author: B A Paris
Last Published: 2016
Publisher: HQ
Description
It is an exceptional thriller novel. The story is about a couple, Jack and Grace. Both of them are charming and elegant. Some things are not likable about them but you do like them. As there is a certain charm.
People wish to understand Grace better but they cannot as both Jack and Grace are never apart.
There are some questionable incidents such as why Grace never answers the calls or never meets someone for coffee or how she can cook heavy meals. Most interestingly, why are there bars in one of the windows of the bedroom?
Slowly you understand that the image of this perfect marriage is just a lie. There are a lot of hidden secrets. The story is different as well as chilling and scary. You can feel unsettling at times but this thriller is highly addictive.
To get the answers to such ambiguous questions, You can buy this book here.
10. Da Vinci Code
Highlights
Author: Dan Brown
Last Published: 2009
Publisher: RHUK
Description
The story is about a man who is murdered in the world‘s most famous museum. There is a ring of codes around his body, made in blood. He died while protecting a secret. A lot of twists occur in the story that deciphers the final message in the end.
There are a lot of shopping and surprising elements in this journey. The style of writing is easy to understand and highly engaging. Readers are tempted to stick till the end to unravel the mystery. The storytelling is exceedingly clever and fun as well.
In addition, there are original photographs and paintings mentioned in the book. The illustrations make this novel more appealing.
Overall, the plot is highly engaging.
To explore more, You can buy this book here.
Conclusion
There are a lot of mediums through which you can read and entertain yourself with some thrilling stories. Such stories involve a good amount of suspense and excitement. You can either watch movies, videos or can go for books.
In this article, we presented you with the 10 best thriller books available with a detailed description of each.
We hope that the information helps you to make an informed decision. Enjoy your day by adding some thrill to it!
Keep reading, keep exploring!