“There’s something disturbing about recalling a warm memory and feeling utterly cold.”
If you love heart-pounding twists, secrets that unravel slowly, and endings that leave you breathless, you’re in the right place. Here at What We Reading, we’ve rounded up the best suspense books and top thriller novels that are impossible to put down. Whether you’re craving psychological thrillers packed with mind games or gripping suspense books that keep you guessing until the final page, these stories all deliver. From chilling domestic dreams to fast-paced mysteries housing shocking revelations, every book here offers that addictive, edge-of-your-seat tension that so many readers around the world adore. These are the kinds of books that make you say just one more chapter – and mean it. If you’ve been on the hunt for addictive thrillers or suspense novels with killer twists, our curation will lead you straight to your next great obsession.
The Silent Patient – Alex Michaelides
First up on our list of the best suspense books is Alex Michaelides’ globally bestselling debut novel, The Silent Patient. Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a pristine home in London’s most exclusive neighbourhoods. One evening, her husband returns home late from work, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face. From then on, she refuses to speak another word.
Her refusal to speak and the shocking nature of the crime turns her into an infamous and mysterious criminal. The price of her artwork skyrockets, and she is hidden away at the Grove, a secure forensic unit. Criminal psychotherapist Theo Faber has long awaited the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband soon takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations – a search for the truth that threatens to consume him.
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The Reversal – Michael Connelly
Longtime defence attorney Mickey Haller finds himself recruited to change stripes and prosecute the high-profile retrial of a brutal child murder. After twenty-four years inside, fresh DNA evidence means that convicted killer Jason Jessup has been given another trial. Haller takes the case on the condition that he gets to select his investigator, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch.
Haller is convinced that Jessup is guilty. Together, he and Bosch set off on a case fraught with both political and personal danger. Opposing them is Jessup, his defence attorney, who is adept at manipulating the media, and a runaway eyewitness reluctant to testify after so many years. With the odds stacked against them in this propulsive and suspenseful crime thriller, Bosch and Haller must nail a sadistic killer once and for all. Because, if they are sure of anything, it’s that Jason Jessup plans to kill again.
The Girl On The Train – Paula Hawkins
One of the top thriller novels ever since its first release in 2015, Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train follows the story of Rachel, a woman who catches the same commuter train every morning. She knows the train will stop at the same signal every time, overlooking a line of back gardens. She has even begun to feel like she knows the people who live in one of the houses, and calls them “Jess” and “Jason”. From her vantage point, their life seems to be perfect. If only Rachel could be that happy.
And then she sees something shocking. It only lasts a minute before the train moves on again, but it’s more than enough for her to be certain about. Now everything’s changed. Now, Rachel has an opportunity to be a part of the lives she has witnessed only from afar. And, she’s determined to make them see that she is so much more than just the girl on the train. Twisty, high-octane and brimming with shocking reveals, The Girl on the Train is still one of the best suspense novels for anyone looking for their next great literary thrill ride.
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The Kind Worth Killing – Peter Swanson
On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the enigmatic and mysterious Lily Kintner. Sharing one too many martinis, the strangers begin revealing very intimate secrets about one another. Ted talks about his marriage that has gone stale, and his wife, Miranda, who he is certain is cheating on him. Yet their innocent game takes a dark turn when Ted jokes that he could kill Miranda for what she’s done. Without missing a beat, Lily claims that she would “like to help.” After all, some people are the kind worth killing.
Back in Boston, Ted and Lily’s twisted bond grows stronger as they begin to plot Miranda’s demise. But there are a few things about Lily’s past that she hasn’t shared. Suddenly, these co-conspirators find themselves entangled in a chilling game of cat-and-mouse, one that they both cannot survive. Peter Swanson’s gripping thriller, The Kind Worth Killing, is fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping, and one of the best suspense novels that will keep you guessing throughout.
The Last Thing He Told Me – Laura Dave
Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her fear and confusion, Hannah Hall knows exactly who the note is referring to: Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child and wants nothing to do with her new stepmother.
As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen remain unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly discovers that her husband isn’t the man he claimed to be. Bailey may just hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity – and why he really vanished in Laura Dave’s Goodreads Award-winning suspense novel, The Last Thing He Told Me.
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Stillhouse Lake – Rachel Caine
Gina Royal is the definition of average – an introverted Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But, when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she must remodel herself as Gwen Proctor – the ultimate warrior mother.
With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on the remote Stillhouse Lake. Though she is still the target of various internet trolls and stalkers who believe she had something to do with her husband’s crimes, Gwen finally begins to believe both she and her kids can move on in peace. Then a body turns up in the lake, and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. In Rachel Caine’s suspense thriller Stillhouse Lake, readers follow Gwen as she fights to keep evil at bay for the sake of herself and her family.
Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
No list of the best suspense books would ever be complete without mentioning Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. This book club favourite opens with Nick Dunne waking up on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, only to discover that his beloved wife, Amy, has vanished. The police suspect Nick. Amy’s friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears that none of it is true.
A police examination of his computer reveals a series of strange searches. He claims that he isn’t responsible for them. And then there are the bizarre, persistent calls on his mobile phone. So, what did happen to Nick’s beautiful wife? An incredible domestic drama jam-packed full of unreliable narrators and jaw-dropping twists, Gone Girl is a dark and addictive page-turner that every thriller fan needs to have on their TBR pile.
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The Chestnut Man – Søren Sveistrup
If you’re looking for one of the best suspense books with a chilling atmosphere and heart-racing twists, The Chestnut Man delivers in spades. Set in Copenhagen, this gripping thriller opens with the brutal murder of a woman found with one hand missing – and a small, handmade chestnut figure placed beside her.
Detectives Naia Thulin and Mark Hess are brought in on the case, soon uncovering an unnerving link: a fingerprint on the figurine belongs to the daughter of a government minister, presumed dead for a year. What ensues is a dark, twist-filled investigation that uncovers deeply buried secrets, and a serial killer playing a horrifying game from the heart of it all.
The Housemaid – Freida McFadden
Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid is one of those gripping thriller novels that pulls you in fast and doesn’t let go. When Millie lands a job as a live-in housemaid for the affluent Winchester family, she thinks it’s the fresh start she’s been desperately waiting for. But the job soon takes a dark turn. Nina Winchester is unpredictable, unhinged, and watching Millie’s every move. Her husband is distant, and her daughter seems afraid.
Trapped in a house where doors lock from the outside and secrets hide under every polished surface, Millie starts to wonder if she’s in danger. Yet Millie has secrets too – and she’s not nearly as helpless as she seems. Packed with jaw-dropping twists and a tense, claustrophobic setting, The Housemaid is a standout among top thriller novels, offering readers one of the best suspense books with a shocking finale just waiting to be uncovered.
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The Chain – Adrian McKinty
It’s a routine that every parent is familiar with: Rachel Klein drops her daughter, Kylie, at the bus stop and heads into her day. But a phone call from an unknown number soon upends everything: it’s a woman on the line, informing her that she has Kylie bound and gagged in her car. The only way Rachel will ever see her again is to follow her instructions exactly: pay a ransom, and find another child to abduct. This is no ordinary kidnapping: the caller is a mother herself, whose son has been taken; and, if Rachel doesn’t play ball, the boy will die.
Rachel is now part of The Chain, an unending and ingenious scheme that turns victims into criminals – and is making someone very rich in the process. The rules are simple, the moral challenges impossible: find the money fast, find your victim, and then commit an act you’d have thought yourself incapable of ever doing just twenty-four hours earlier.
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The Night Swim – Megan Goldin
Ever since her true-crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall has become a household name – the last hope for people seeking justice. Her newest season has taken her to a small town being torn apart by a devastating assault trial. A local golden boy has been accused of attacking the granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make the new season a success, Rachel throws herself into the investigation. But someone else is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel discovers what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago.
Officially, Jenny Stills drowned tragically. But the unsettling letters Rachel has started receiving suggest she was murdered. And when she starts asking questions around the town, no one seems to want to give away any answers. As past and present collide, Rachel discovers startling connections between the two cases – and a revelation that will upend the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.
Then She Was Gone – Lisa Jewell
If you’re the type of reader pulled toward psychological suspense books with emotional depth and shocking twists, Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell is a must-read. A decade on from her daughter Ellie’s disappearance, Laurel Mack is still haunted by the loss. When she meets a charming man named Floyd and is introduced to his young daughter, who bears an eerie resemblance to Ellie, Laurel is thrown into a dark and dangerous search for the truth.
As past and present converge, secrets unravel that force Laurel to confront what really happened all those years ago. Delivered with masterful pacing and emotional complexity, Then She Was Gone stands out as one of the best suspense books of recent times. Jewell crafts a story of grief, obsession, and motherhood into a truly addictive thriller.
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The Push – Ashley Audrain
Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, doting mother to her new baby, Violet, whom she herself never had. Yet, in the thick of motherhood’s exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter – she doesn’t behave like most other children do. Or, is it all in Blythe’s head? Her husband, Fox, claims she is imagining things. The more he dismisses her concerns, the more she begins to question her own sanity and the more we readers begin to question what Blythe is really telling us about her own life as well.
Then their son, Sam, is born. And, with him, Blythe finally feels that blissful connection she’d always imagined having with her child. Even Violet appears to love her little brother. But when life as they know it changes in a flash, the devastating fallout forces Blythe to finally face the truth. A breathless, suspenseful and psychological drama about motherhood and what we owe our children, Ashley Audrain’s The Push expertly captures the feeling of what it’s like for women who are not believed.
Verity – Colleen Hoover
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the position of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of the bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to finish the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to complete. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get going. What she isn’t expecting is an incomplete autobiography by Verity filled with pages upon pages of bone-chilling admissions. Amongst them is Verity’s recollection of what really happened the night her daughter died.
Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing that the contents would devastate the already grieving father. But, as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she realises all the potential benefits for her if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue loving her.
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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson
Another one of the most lauded crime thrillers and best suspense books of the twenty-first century, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a dark, unforgettable tale. When disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist is hired to investigate the forty-year disappearance of a wealthy heiress, he teams up with Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant hacker with a haunted past and a fierce, unpredictable edge.
What starts out as a cold case soon unravels into a chilling conspiracy involving corruption, violence and deeply buried family secrets. Gritty and intelligent, this international bestseller delivers a slow-burning mystery packed with tension, complex characters, and shocking revelations. Lisbeth Salander is one of the most compelling figures in modern fiction, and her partnership with Blomkvist makes for a dynamic and dangerous thrill ride. If you’re on the hunt for top thriller novels or gripping suspense books with serious depth, this Nordic noir classic more than delivers.
Sometimes I Lie – Alice Feeney
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney is another jaw-dropping psychological thriller that plays with memory, truth, and perception – perfect for fans of suspense books with twists. Amber Reynolds is in a coma. She can’t move or speak, but is able to hear everything happening around her. As her mind wanders between the past and present, we begin to piece together a chilling story: her troubled marriage, her manipulative sister, and a dark secret from her childhood.
But Amber warns us readers from the off – sometimes, she lies. Nothing is quite as it seems in this intricately layered mystery, and every time you think you’ve got it figured out, Feeney hits you with another shocking reveal. Tense, clever and addictive, Sometimes I Lie is one of the best thrillers for anyone looking for a gripping suspense novel that guarantees to mess with your head in all the best ways.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
