10 Thriller Books You Won't Put Down📚
These books had my jaw on the ground! I can't stop talking about them.
I don't know if you are road-tripping this summer, traveling long distances on a plane, or just deep cleaning your house for guests but if you need something to read or listen to that will keep you so engaged the time will fly by, I’ve got you!
Are We Book Twins? 👯♀️
First let’s see if we are book twins 👯 Book twins are people who typically have the same book loves and preferences. Finding your book twin can be helpful because when they recommend a book, you can know pretty quickly if you will also like it. And if you have identified that you are not book twins with someone (they recommend a lot of books you have not loved) you might steer clear of some of their recommendations.
And listen, trusting a book twin is not the only way I am adding books to my TBR but it can be helpful. Especially when you need a book recommendation quick that you can trust without too much further investigation.
If most of the books I’ve recommended over the years you’ve loved, we’re probably book twins!
Here is what I look for in a Mystery/Thriller:
Grips me from the beginning (at times I like a slow burn but very rarely).
Multiple mysteries happening (not just one big aha moment).
At least one character I like or can get behind (if I dislike all the characters, I’ve found that even if the mystery is shocking, I do not enjoy it as much).
I’m ok with graphic descriptions and intense moments but sprinkled in, a few scenes here and there…not on every single page.
No harm to animals.
No paranormal.
I’m ok if there is a love story woven in but it’s not my preference.
I love multiple POVs (point of views).
If you also can get behind this list, I think you’ll love the books I’m about to recommend.
Reminder: Get Free Audio Books! 🎧
But first because it is about to end! Right now you can try out Audible for just $0.99/month for the first 3 months! This is a great time to try it and enjoy it for the whole summer. You can cancel anytime. My recent top favorite books I listened to are:
First Time Caller by B.K. Borison: This was such a fun romcom and it has a radio show element which makes the audio version of the book so engaging!
Finding Me by Viola Davis: This memoir has a 4.5 star rating on Goodreads with over 160,000 reviews for a reason. Viola’s story about her life growing up in poverty and making it into Hollywood is deeply vulnerable and incredibly harrowing. She reads her book on audio and I just love her voice!
The Favorites by Layne Fargo: I read this book months ago and am still thinking about it. I am kicking myself for not listening to it on audio because everyone (including Jeremy) says the audio version is fantastic.
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera: A murder mystery that has a podcast element! This book had me on the edge of my seat and I found myself making up chores to do around the house so I could keep listening!
Let’s get into these Thriller/Mystery books (some of which I loved on audio)!
My Top Favorite Mystery + Thriller Books 🔪
The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding
“A deliciously twisted story of friendship, retribution, and betrayal about a homeless woman fleeing a dangerous past—and the wealthy society wife she saves from drowning, who pulls her into a dark web of secrets and lies.”
If you love the mystery/thriller genre then I am begging you to read to this book. This book was everywhere on BookTok when I decided to check it out. I was shook throughout this whole book. There were so many twists and turns and it felt like on every page something new was revealed that had my jaw on the ground. I genuinely could not figure out the ending.
It was insanely unputdownable and extremely satisfying.
The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea
“Two abducted girls - one who returns, one who doesn’t.
The night they go missing, high school seniors Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are at a beach party in their small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. Police launch a massive search, but hope is almost lost, until Megan escapes from a bunker deep in the woods. . . . A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has made Megan a celebrity. It’s a triumphant story, except Nicole is still missing.”
I listened to this book on audio and I do not remember the last time I flew through a mystery/thriller that had me so on the edge of my seat. Every twist was twistier than the last but without it feeling so out of touch.
Of course the ending was shocking and jaw dropping. I cannot stop talking about this book. Everybody please listen to it and get back to me.
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
Amber Patterson is the definition of a social chameleon: invisible until she sees Daphne Parrish gliding through life, married to a wealthy real-estate tycoon in suburban Connecticut. Of course Amber wants this life (who wouldn’t??!!) and so she’s going to take it (extreme but ok). She just needs to hack her way into Daphne’s perfect world, first by playing bestie, then by cozying up to her husband Jackson. Except things aren’t always what they seem and Amber is going to find out the life she always wanted is more of a nightmare than a daydream.
Was I the last one to read this book when I did a few years ago? Maybe. But I still think about it and I’m glad I read it.
This actually was a bit of a slow start for me but once it picked up I was all the way in.
Content warnings for extreme psychological abuse.
Gray After Dark by Noelle W. Ihli
Miley was on track to win gold at the Olympics when an accident brought all her dreams crashing down. The summer of her recovery she takes a job at a remote wilderness retreat but one day, during an early morning run, she is abducted. When she learns what her captors have in mind for her she knows she must escape quickly to survive…
…but the best route for escape might be to do exactly as she’s told.
This book kept coming up on BookTok and I finally caved, especially because on the day I looked up one of the kindle books, it was on sale for $5.99.
This book was eerie and had me on the edge of my seat. Multiple times I found myself holding my breath.
If you love books about survival, off-grid living, and the resilience of the human spirit, you will love this.
Come Sundown by Nora Roberts
“Imagine a Hallmark movie wandered into a Criminal Minds episode and decided to stay for dinner. That’s Come Sundown— part Western family saga, part pulse-racing thriller, and 100% Nora Roberts doing her thing: tough women, loyal men, dark secrets, and a horse or two.”
This one is a little bit of a curveball because while it is a Mystery it is also a Contemporary Romance. But the character development is so rich I could not put it down. This book is long and descriptive without being repetitive or annoying. It’s a family drama that had me deeply invested in every single character.
Content warnings for extreme issues such as racism, domestic violence, and deep rooted misogyny (that are deeply denounced in the storyline of this book).
Also, I went into this book so blind and I am glad I did. I did know it was some kind of family drama but in chapter one, after the first scene, I literally gasped out loud because I did not know there was such an insane mystery element running through this entire book. I was hooked and could not put it down. If you are looking for a longer mystery book to get lost in while also getting swept up in family drama, this is it.
What Lies Between Us by John Marrs
“Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.”
This was an insanely wild ride and I do not use the word “insane” lightly. I listened to this book on audio and it kept me engaged.
This is such a twisty thriller that has you going back and forth between who is the “good guy.” I loved the narrator and the character development was superb.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
“Evie Porter has everything a nice Southern girl could want: a doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence, a tight group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.”
This is the book for you if you want to read about stolen identities, undercover assignments, and hidden crime bosses. And let me tell you, it is so well done! This book kept me guessing at every turn. I could not put it down. The use of undercover communication and secret meetups and information handoffs was so brilliant I questioned if the author had been an undercover spy in another life.
I read this book but I have heard it is great on audio too!
Hemlock by Kiersten Modglin
“Maggie Ellis returns to her small hometown after her mother’s death and reclaims the house she once adored. But the house holds secrets Maggie never knew about and as she starts to uncover them, she’s realizing this house and her life are more troubled than she knew. Add two men from her past, the broody neighbor Tucker and her high-school flame Clayton. This book is a masterclass in juggling fake-dating schemes and messy emotions, with a romantic suspense that you’ll never forget.”
I could not put this book down! Why isn’t everyone talking about this book?! I loved it so much and have shared it multiples times and now so many of you have read it and also love it!
I’m not used to my thrillers having such a strong romance plot but this one did and I ate it all the way up.
Unmissing by Minka Kent
After missing for 10 years and presumed to be dead, Luca’s first wife, Lydia, shows up on his doorstep. Her return causes upheaval to Luca’s new family…..
and that is all I am going to say.
Listen, I canceled all my plans and read it in one day (also shout to the Popcast and Jamie B. Golden where I first heard about this book).
This is the reason I read thrillers. The story immediately draws you in, you are constantly trying to unravel so many different mysteries, the author keeps you engaged with stunning reveals. 10 out of 10.
When I say I want a thriller to keep me on my toes, to have me shocked at every corner, and to have all the loose ends wrapped up THIS IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!
The Inmate by Freida McFadden
“There are three rules Brooke Sullivan must follow as a new nurse practitioner at a men's maximum-security:
Treat all prisoners with respect.
Never reveal any personal information.
Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates.”
I listened to this on audio and it was perfect for a road trip!
Freida McFadden is very hit or miss for me (with more misses than hits). But I did love this one. It kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat. I was so connected to the characters. It had everything I love in a thriller.
My favorite part, McFadden tied up every loose ends in the most satisfying way. The ending was explosive. The explanations were brilliant. I loved every single minute of this book.
I'm defiantly a book twin!!! Love all the recommendations you made.
Bri, we are most definitely book twins!!