Experience Chills and Thrills with Our Favorite Psychological Thriller Books
Twists and turns on every page. Big reveals that'll have you raving for weeks. Slow-mounting tension. Sound enticing? Then it's time to give psychological thriller books a try.
What is a Psychological Thriller?
Psychological thrillers are a popular subgenre of thrillers in film and literature that focus on the emotional and mental states of their characters. Unlike more traditional thrillers, which often feature action-heavy plots and physical danger, psychological thrillers delve into internal conflict, mind games, and themes of paranoia, obsession, and manipulation. As far as book genres go, the best thriller books keep you on the edge of your seat!
Key Characteristics of Psychological Thrillers:
- Unreliable narrators
- Moral ambiguity
- Intense suspense
- Complex character relationships
- Plot twists
The Best Thriller Books on Our Shelves
If you're interested in diving into the psychological thriller subgenre, you're in luck! We've gathered a list of some of our all-time favorites for you. The next time you're at Novel or adding titles to your favorite Audible alternative, keep a lookout for these best thriller books:
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Alicia Berenson had it all: an enviable career as a painter, an in-demand fashion photographer husband, and a grand house in London. That is, until one evening, when her husband Gabriel returns home late and she shoots him in the face five times, never to speak another word. With no explanation given or words uttered, Alicia is tucked away from the tabloids at the Grove, a forensic unit in North London. When criminal psychotherapist Theo Faber gets his chance to work with Alicia, he's determined to get her to talk—but in The Silent Patient, the search for the truth may just consume him!
Inside scoop: if you liked The Silent Patient, try another one of Michaelides' psychological thrillers, The Maidens. With a charismatic yet suspicious Greek tragedy professor, a secret society of female students, and a string of murders, there's something for every fan of psychological thrillers in these pages!
No Exit by Taylor Adams
In No Exit, college student Darby Thorne’s journey to visit her dying mother is interrupted by a horrifying discovery in the midst of a raging blizzard—a little girl, locked in an animal crate, in the back of a van at the rest stop where she’s stuck. With no reception and no rest stop telephone, she knows one of her fellow travelers is the kidnapper—but which one?
The Push by Ashley Audrain
Blythe Connor is determined to be the kind, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she never had, but there's just one problem: she's convinced something is wrong, maybe even evil, within her daughter. When their second child, Sam, is born, she finally feels the motherly bond she's been searching for—and even Violet seems to love her little brother! But when everything changes in an instant, Blythe (and the readers) are forced to face the truth in Audrain's debut psychological thriller, The Push.
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
What are you willing to ignore in the name of love? This bone-chilling cat-and-mouse novel has everything the best thriller books should: a jealous ex-wife, an enviable love triangle, an unhealthy obsession with the younger, beautiful bride-to-be—or so it seems. Assume nothing and read between the lies in The Wife Between Us.
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
From the author of one of the best thriller books of all time, Gone Girl, comes our personal favorite, Dark Places. Libby Day was only seven years old when her mother and sisters were murdered in "The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas," testifying that her 15-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, when a secret crime-obsessed society called the Kill Club contacts Libby, hellbent on finding proof that frees Ben, she agrees to help—but nothing could have prepared her for the unimaginable truth that comes to light.
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
It's been over 20 years since Claire and Lydia's teenage sister Julia vanished without a trace, and the two have not spoken since. Neither Claire, now the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire, nor Lydia, a single mother dating an ex-con, has recovered from the horror of their shared loss—a wound that's ripped right back open when Claire's husband is murdered. Could the two heartbreaking mysteries possibly be connected? Find out in one of the best thriller books of the last few years, Pretty Girls.
The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
In The Perfect Marriage, we meet Sarah Morgan, one of the best criminal defense attorneys in all of D.C. With a perfect case record and a recent promotion to partner, her life is going according to plan. Unlike her husband, Adam, a failed author, whose resentment for his wife's success has only grown. He's managed to keep his affair with Kelly Summers a secret for two years—until her body is discovered at their lake house and he's arrested on suspicion of murder. Sarah vows to defend him, and while he's certainly guilty of sleeping with Kelly, can she prove without a shadow of a doubt that he isn't guilty of killing her, too?
The Girl Before by JP Delaney
Recently adapted into a four-part limited series, The Girl Before is a tantalizing choice on our list of best thriller books: follow two women in separate timelines as they uncover the secrets of a high-tech house designed and run by the enigmatic architect Edward Monkford. The beautiful, minimalist One Folgate Street seems too good to be true for its tenants: first, Emma, still reeling from a traumatic break-in, and then Jane, looking for a fresh start after a personal tragedy. When Jane learns about the untimely death of the home's previous tenant, she follows in Emma's footsteps in an attempt to untangle the truth, unknowingly getting closer and closer to her demise.
Don't Forget to Check Out Freida McFadden's Best Thriller Books
If you've ever asked Rachel, one of our co-owners, what she thinks the best thriller book is, there's a good chance she brought up Freida McFadden's books. As a practicing physician and best-selling author, McFadden writes psychological thrillers that often feature medical themes, dual perspectives, and untrustworthy romance. From TikTok's favorite, The Housemaid series, to her upcoming standalone, The Intruder, out October 7th, there's something for everyone in her extensive catalogue.
Other Popular Psychological Thriller Authors
While best-selling romance novels and contemporary fiction will always have a time and place, sometimes you need something a little more eerie! Once you’ve gotten through the titles above, consider looking up these psychological thriller authors:
- Lisa Jewell
- Paula Hawkins
- B. A. Paris
- A. J. Finn
- Alice Feeney
When it comes to the best thriller books, we can't help but love the mind-blowing twists of psychological thrillers! Stop in, grab a sandwich off our menu, and browse our thriller section today to find your next favorite read.