13 Best Thriller Books To Read This Fall
I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember.
I used to devour all of the Goosebumps books, the Nancy Drew mystery series, and basically anything that would make me second-guess ‘who did what’. In high school, I leaned more toward heavier young adult fiction including the Crank series by Ellen Hopkins and books such as Go Ask Alice or Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.
What stayed consistent throughout the years was how I wanted to read books that were emotionally captivating. Especially the ones that were page-turners that kept me up at night, and those that left me thinking about them long after I finished the last page.
All of this led to my love for twisty psychological thrillers. And once fall hits, there’s something I can’t resist about grabbing my favorite blanket (next to my cat of course), lighting a pumpkin-scented candle and spending hours getting lost in a book where I need to know what happens next.
Even though my current TBR on Goodreads has no end and I keep adding more books weekly, I wanted to compile a list of the best thrillers I’ve read so far. So whether you’re craving one that’s mystery-driven, crime-based, or even a book with twists that leave you questioning everything you thought you knew, here are 13 thriller books to add to your reading list this fall:
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1. The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
I’m not ranking these in a specific order by any means, but I felt this one still deserved the first mention. The Wives was one book that I read so fast because I needed to know what happened next. I was invested from the first chapter and it held my attention all the way until the end.
The main character, Thursday, is married to Seth but knows that she isn’t his only wife. Seth has two other wives who each have designated days they spend with him. None of them have met each other until Thursday discovers a note from one of the women in Seth’s pocket.
Determined to find out the truth, she tracks her down only to discover something might be seriously wrong. A page-turner packed full of twists and surprises, which is the ideal thriller if you ask me.
2. Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
My first read by this author was Jar of Hearts and that one took me on such a rollercoaster ride, in the best way. After reading this book, Little Secrets, I can officially say I’m a Jennifer Hillier fan.
Marin’s life flips upside down after her son goes missing. After a year with no luck finding him, she hires a private investigator, only to find out something she never expected: her husband is having an affair with a much younger woman.
What starts out as a search for her son, leaves her with more questions than answers and a mix of secrets, betrayal and revenge.
3. An Unthinkable Thing by Nicole Lundrigan
I’ve been wanting to read An Unthinkable Thing ever since I added it to my TBR list at the beginning of the year, and I’m so glad I finally did. This book was an emotional read, and one that immediately pulls at your heartstrings with its main character.
This book follows 11-year-old Tommie Ware who is accused of murder. He was raised by his aunt while his mom went to work for another family. But after his aunt doesn’t come home one night, he’s forced to go and live with the family who his mom works for.
Tangled in a web of dark secrets, this book makes you question what the truth really is. 5/5 stars for me, and it’s one that I would read again because there’s so much to take in.
4. Ward D by Freida McFadden
Freida hardly ever skips a beat for me. All her books are quick, easy reads with twists that you can’t predict and this one was no exception. I couldn’t stop reading and it was one of those books that I kept telling myself: “Just one more chapter.”
Amy is a medical student who is forced to spend the night working at Ward D, a locked psychiatric unit, to gain experience. She doesn’t love the idea to begin with, and as the events start to unfold throughout the night, she starts to question everyone, including herself.
I genuinely tried to figure out the twist in this book, and it had me guessing until the end. The question the book has you repeatedly asking throughout it: Will Amy make it out alive?
5. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
I read The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley first and loved her writing style, so this was an immediate add to my TBR list. I’m a sucker for thriller books involving murder mysteries, especially when they happen on an island surrounded by a bunch of people who don’t know each other. It leaves you suspicious of every person, wondering who is actually involved or if somebody was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Guests travel to an island off the coast of Ireland to gather for a wedding celebration. As a storm traps everyone on the island and the lights go out, somebody is found dead.
With multiple perspectives and a lot of secrets hidden beneath the surface, this book keeps you guessing who you can trust and who’s to blame.
7. That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally
A friend recommended this book to me and it didn’t disappoint. Another one where I convinced myself I had the twist figured out, only to be proven wrong in the end.
This fast-paced thriller is about a teen who wakes up on the side of a dirt road with no memory of who she is, or how she got there. After a police officer finds her, he takes her to the police station when a man shows up and says that she’s his daughter and he’s been looking for hours. But is he who he claims to be?
One thing I particularly liked about this book was how it told the story through dual perspectives. Being able to paint a clear picture of what they’re thinking adds to the element of trying to guess what actually happened.
8. Look Closer by David Ellis
This is a perfect fall read especially since it starts out with a murder that happened on Halloween night.
The story follows a wealthy couple, Simon and Vicky, who seemingly have a normal marriage. But as the book starts to unfold, you start to realize there are more secrets behind closed doors including an affair and a multimillion-dollar trust fund. And if that’s not enough, the question still remains: who was murdered and how is everyone connected to this person?
The best part is when you think you have something figured out and an unexpected twist takes your mind in a completely different direction. It kept my interest the whole time and the revenge aspect made it even more intriguing.
9. The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
I saw this was made into a Netflix movie but I haven’t watched it yet (maybe next on my list?!). I read this a few years ago, and remember being thoroughly invested from the beginning.
Lo Blacklock, a travel journalist, is assigned to cover a voyage on a luxury yacht. The first night she arrives, she hears a scream followed by a splash. She witnesses a woman being thrown overboard next to the cabin she’s staying in, Cabin 10.
In true journalistic style, Lo stops for nothing when trying to find out the truth. As she keeps investigating, she quickly learns that somebody on the yacht knows what she saw and wants her to stop searching for answers. But the creepiest part of it all? The crew keeps insisting that nobody was staying in Cabin 10.
10. The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
I kept hearing about the hype of this book and after reading it, I have to agree. I flew through this one and it definitely checked all the boxes for a suspenseful and entertaining thriller.
Sarah Morgan is a criminal defense attorney and one of the best around. But when her husband Adam is on trial for the murder of his mistress, Sarah still agrees to take on the case and defend her own husband despite the circumstances.
But did Adam actually kill his mistress? Just when you think you know where the story is going, you realize how much more is going on behind the scenes.
11. Verity by Colleen Hoover
There seems to be a lot of mixed reviews about Colleen Hoover books. Verity was the first book I read by her years ago, and to this day it’s still one of the fastest ones I’ve ever read (I even woke up in the middle of the night to finish it). And with it coming to theaters in a couple of weeks, I thought it deserved a shoutout.
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer who is presented with a rare opportunity by Jeremy Crawford. Jeremy’s wife, Verity, is a bestselling author who wasn’t able to finish her book series after an accident, so Jeremy hired Lowen to take over.
After living with Jeremy and Verity to do her job, Lowen starts falling for Jeremy. In the middle of it all, she finds an unfinished autobiography that Verity wrote. The twist at the end still makes me wonder what the truth actually is.
12. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
After finishing this book I remember thinking: “What did I just read?“
The Silent Patient is about Alicia Berenson, a successful painter and her husband Gabriel. One night Gabriel is found dead in their home, and Alicia is charged with murder.
After being charged, she refuses to speak to anybody about what happened. Theo Faber, a psychotherapist, is determined to find a way to get Alicia to finally come forward with the truth about what happened.
As he starts digging into the past, he uncovers a lot more secrets that make everything more complicated. This book will keep you on the edge especially with the unpredictable plot twist.
13. The Inmate by Freida McFadden
The Inmate was another five-star read from me by Freida. I stayed up way too late to finish this one and it was the gripping thriller I was expecting.
Brooke Sullivan is hired in as a new nurse practitioner at a maximum-security prison. Upon arriving, she’s told multiple rules including to treat everyone with respect and to never become too friendly with the inmates. But when Brooke learns that Shane Nelson, her former high school boyfriend is an inmate there, she can’t help but get involved.
Shane is serving a life sentence for murdering three people, but claims he’s innocent. Brooke hasn’t seen him since the night of the murders. When she starts uncovering the truth she realizes the story she remembers might not be the truth of what actually happened.
