31 Best Psychological Thrillers Books With Your Head

That Mess In these twisted thrillers, you can't escape your own mind.

We're always in for a horror movie, but for a dose of real terror, we turn to terrifying psychological thriller books. Because while ghosts and bloodthirsty creatures can give you the ghosts, the best fears are the ones that play with your mind and remind us that the real horrors come from those around us. After all, there's nothing more strange than not being able to trust your own mind, right? 

The following thrillers will keep you on your toes (and more than a little scared) as friends, couples, families and neighbors realize that appearances can be deceiving and the truth isn't always clear ...

The Favorite Daughter

By Kaira Rouda

This twisted, thrilling reading will immerse you in the unraveling mind of a mother dealing with a gruesome tragedy. Since her beloved daughter Mary died last year, Jane has been lost in a haze of grief and antidepressants. As her youngest daughter's end of high school approaches and Mary's one-year death approaches, Jane decides it's time to rejoin the world. 

But much has changed during Jane's emotional absence; her husband David works long nights at the office, and her daughter Betsy has become secretive and rebellious. To top it all off, Jane begins to receive strange messages indicating that Mary's death was not an accident after all. With shocking secrets, Jane will do anything to protect her family ...

See Also: 23 Best Psychological Thriller Books 2019 That Will Mess With Your Head

A Circle of Women

by looming Alice LaPlante

Dr. John Taylor dedicated his life's work to helping children and was a loving husband and father ... So who would you want him dead? When the famous reconstructive surgeon is found murdered in a hotel room, Detective Samantha Adams is placed on the case. She soon discovers an astonishing and uncomfortable truth: Dr. Taylor was married to three different women in three different cities, two of whom were unaware of their unique situation. 

Samantha's investigative work unravels a case that only seems to get more complex; but one thing quickly becomes clear: even the people closest to you can hide inscrutable secrets.

Snake Eyes

By Joyce Carol Oates

Lee Roy Sears had been on death row, but his lawyer, Micheal O'Meara, had finally succeeded in reversing his case. Outside of prison, Lee stays close to Michael and even befriends his wife. But soon Michael begins to wonder if he did the right thing by freeing Lee - and letting him get so close to his family. 

In this twisted psychological thriller, prolific writer Joyce Carol Oates has come up with yet another story in which the evils of paranoia and the people we surround ourselves with are more terrifying than any creature that bumps into at night.

Delirious

By Daniel Palmer

A cybergenie questions his own sanity in this chilling read that was one of the best thriller books of the past decade. Charlie Giles is the senior president of his own successful start-up company, and everything in his life goes according to plan - until his colleagues drop dead and all the evidence points to Charlie. 

Charlie doesn't remember hurting anyone, but his family history of mental illness makes him fear the worst. Is someone trying to make their reputation implode? Or is his mind cracking under the pressure?

Josie and Jack

By Kelly Braffet

The titular brother and sister of Braffet's "darkly gothic" debut lead an unsupervised life in a remote Pennsylvania home (Publishers Weekly). Their father may be a crazy physics genius, but he is also a negligent parent - leaving both children at the mercy of bad influence and decisions. Their sibling relationship grows increasingly fraught as Jack makes bizarre demands on Josie, all the while showing clear signs of sociopathy. 

Things get even more twisted when the siblings strike alone and face a catastrophic end that they - and you - won't see coming. This is an exciting update to the classic Hansel and Gretel fairy tale, although it also evokes the chilling creepiness of VC Andrews Flowers in the Attic.  

We Never Be Apart

By Emiko Jean

Once upon a time, 17-year-old Alice Monroe was just your average teenager. Now she is locked up in a mental hospital, still reeling from the death of her friend at the hands of her calculating, arson-setting twins. In order to pass the long and quiet days, Alice deals with writing down her thoughts of revenge, all of which involve letting her sister taste her own murderous medicine. 

An unhealthy friendship with a fellow patient only ignites her fire (no pun intended) - though resurfacing memories will make Alice realize that her mind has clouded fact and fiction.

After She's Gone

By Sheryl Browne

Detective Matthew Adams has been through quite a bit in his day, but few of the criminals he seeks are as depraved or mean as Patrick Sullivan. Patrick is a man without morals, a fact that Matthew knows all too well - the two have known each other since they were children. When Patrick's brother is killed in a drug attack led by Matthew, animosity between the two reaches a critical point. And Sullivan will go far beyond just hurting Matthew to get him back. 

The Practice of Cheating

By Elizabeth Benedict

Psychotherapist Eric Lavender likes to live the bachelor lifestyle in Manhattan. But when he meets Colleen Golden - an out-of-town single mother and divorce attorney - he starts singing a different tune. Under the influence of Colleen, Eric turns not only into an honest man, but also into a father and a suburb. 

This ideal start is short-lived, of course, as a fatal attraction-like disaster looms on the horizon: Colleen has a far grimmer past than anyone could have imagined, and it takes a professional fiasco to bring in her true nature. the light.

Come Closer

By Sara Gran

A popular choice for "top scary books" lists, Come Closer charts a woman's mysterious downward spiral. But is her breakup caused by madness - or something even more terrifying and powerful? 

This is the question that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, as the source of Amanda's violent mood swings, deep-seated nightmares and monstrous thoughts continues to baffle herself, her family, and her friends. Hailed by Bret Easton Ellis as 'hypnotic' and 'unsettling', this isn't just any psychological thriller - which makes it all the more captivating.

Desperate

by Daniel Palmer

Gage Dekker and his new wife, Anna, have both lost enough people for a lifetime - but fate gives them another blow when Anna miscarries. Devastated, the couple thinks their happiness is finally beginning to change when they meet Lily, a young pregnant and homeless woman who agrees to have her baby adopted in exchange for financial support. 

But as soon as Lily comes into their lives, something doesn't feel right, and Gage's home and work both begin to fall apart. Soon, Gage must make an unthinkable choice to save his marriage and his career.

A Short Madness

By Cynthia Thayer

Jessie and Carl Jensen have been together for 40 years, and while it hasn't been easy - they are the parents of a wayward, schizophrenic daughter - they are confident in their marriage. Jonah enters, a man they hardly know, but who's coming may destroy them completely. 

When he shows up at their cabin and says he has been robbed, Jessie and Carl invite him to use their phone and stay for dinner. It doesn't take long for the couple to realize that Jonah is more of a monster than a victim - and that he knows more about them than a normal stranger should. Thayer keeps tensions high as the Jensens try to win their visitors' twisted, psychological games.

The 7th Victim

By Alan Jacobson

In the first of Jacobson's action-packed Karen Vail series, the female FBI profiler is on the hunt for a Virginia serial killer known as "dead eyes." It's bad timing: on top of an impending divorce, Karen is dealing with a sick mother. But despite her personal troubles, Karen's intuition hasn't been dulled, and she's convinced that the answer lies with the seventh victim. Can she solve this murder mystery in time to stop the killer and save her career?

Hide My Eyes

by Margery Allingham Set in

the best of mystery writers (1950s and this historical fiction-crime thrillerThe New Yorker),will keep you spellbound until every secret is unraveled. A serial killer is on the loose in London's theater district and it's up to private investigator Albert Campion to track him down. His clues are sparse - a left glove and lizard leather stationery are all Campion needs to do. But if he doesn't find out soon, the bodies will pile up. 

Cage of Bones

By Tania Carver

Detective Phil Brennan and psychologist Marina Esposito have made a shocking discovery in an abandoned house: a cage of bones containing a haggard child. Now they are in the middle of a creepy serial killer case that has been troubling the police for 30 years. In a haunting marriage of horror and psychological suspense, Tania Carver's novel keeps the chills and surprises coming as the duo is confronted by a dark and elusive evil. 

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Damage

by Josephine Hart

This poignant novel by Josephine Hart follows a man who seemingly has everything, but whose obsession with his son's fiancé drives him into a reckless, unforgivable sexual frenzy. The basis for the 1992 film adaptation starring Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche, Damage is one of the greatest psychological thriller books of all time.

Mortal Memory

by Thomas H. Cook

purely by luck, Steve Harris did not live up to the same fate of his mother and brother, who were murdered by his father in 1959. Since then, Steve has tried to move on with his life, though a new one true crime book threatens to open old wounds. Still, Steve teams up with author Rebecca Soltero as she delves deeper into the events of that fateful day. What follows is a dazzling investigation that reveals painful truths about the crime, Steve's father, and the family he loved and lost. 

Mothers and Other Strangers

By Gina Sorell

Elsie was estranged from her narcissistic mother for years when she died, leaving her nothing but debts and mysteries. As she tries to organize her mother's life, Elsie encounters The Seekers, a cult-like group that her mother was a member of that now seems to threaten Elsie. 

Fearless, Elsie continues to look into her mother's past, which eventually takes her to South Africa and relatives she never knew existed. Described as a "delightfully curvy gothic with the weird and eerie urgency of a fable or dream," Mothers and Other Strangers is the kind of psychological thriller that will sink its claws into you from the very first page. 

Caught

by Neil Cross

From the creator and showrunner of the BBC series Luther comes a gritty thriller about promises and second chances. Diagnosed with terminal cancer and nearing death, Kenny Drummond tries to correct all of his past mistakes. But when he reaches the name of his former classmate Callie Barton, all his attempts to locate her come to nothing. Kenny vows to find out what happened to Callie - but does he have enough time?

Harriet Said

by Beryl Bainbridge

Loosely based on the Parker-Hulme murder seen in the Kate Winslet film Heavenly Creatures,plays Harriet Said two bored teenage girls who embark on a disturbing mission: to court the much older and married Peter Biggs. to make. But how far will they go to achieve their goal? Well, it's up to what Harriet says - and what she says is sure to instigate life-shaking terror.

Copycat

By Gillian White

Fans of the movie Single White Female will recognize a familiar trope in this thrilling novel by Gillian White: Martha and Jennie are neighbors and the occasional enemy, with Martha on top and Jennie struggling to fit in . But when the tables are suddenly. changed, this harmless friendship turns into a dark obsession that doesn't end well.

Out of the Dark

By Sharon Sala You

may have heard of Snowfall, Sharon Sala's best-selling romantic suspense novel. In a subsequent novel, Out of the Dark, Sala has heightened the tension with this disturbing tale of a woman on the run from a cult. Jade had been brought into the cult as a child and abused by her members for years after her mother died. Now an adult, Jade has finally escaped - but the People of Joy are right behind. 

Cross Her Heart

By Sarah Pinborough

Sarah Pinborough blew everyone's mind with the ending of her psychological thriller Behind Her Eyes. She does the same tricks in Cross Her Heart, where long-kept secrets poison the bonds between three women. Frustrated by her mother's overconfidence, 16-year-old Ava is ready to brave the rules and do things her way. 

But there's a reason Lisa is such a paranoid helicopter parent, and when Ava's exploits get media attention, those reasons start to reveal themselves. And when Lisa's only friend, the flawless Marilyn, gets involved, it becomes even more apparent that people are not at all who they seem ... Readers can expect delicious curveballs worthy of the #WTFThatEnding Twitter hashtag.

Jane Doe

By Victoria Helen Stone Helen Stone

The 30-year-old protagonist is an antiheroine who comes straight fromAmy Gone Girl 's HandbookDunne. To her insufferable boss, Stephen, Jane is just a regular Midwesterner - hardworking, reliable, and good-natured. His assumptions, of course, cannot be further than the truth. 

In reality, Jane is an angry sociopath who blames Stephen for her boyfriend's suicide. Taking the role of his dutiful manager, she secretly plots his downfall - and as far as she is concerned, the brutal the better. Her unashamed hatred and quest for revenge makes for a fast-paced, darkly humorous psychological thriller like you've never read before.

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Sharp Objects

By Gillian Flynn

After years of self-harm and drug abuse, reporter Camille Preaker thinks she has finally overcome her demons. But when she's assigned to report on the murders of two young girls in her hometown, she realizes that her demons are much closer than she thought. In fact, they lurk in her own backyard ... in her own family home ... and among her own family drama.

Hurting Distance

By Sophie Hannah

As Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty has said, "No one writes twisted, suspenseful novels like Sophie Hannah." In this psychological thriller book, Naomi Jenkins worries when her boyfriend, Robert, goes missing. Sadly, Robert's wife claims he is not missing, and the police value her more than Naomi. To get the police to search for Robert, Naomi lies to the police that Robert is a danger to others - but her lie goes in a way she never could have imagined. 

Pretty Girls

by Karin Slaughter

Since their younger sister disappeared more than 20 years ago, Claire and Lydia have lived separate lives. But when Claire's husband goes dead, the estranged siblings must end their decades of divorce to discover what links these two devastating crimes ...

Swerve

By Vicki Pettersson

If the person you love was kidnapped, would you go to flee to security or pursue their captors? For Kristine Rush, the answer is clear: she would stop at nothing to bring the criminal to justice. Like Kill Bill of Drive, Vicki Pettersson's novel is the story of a determined woman on a road trip from hell.

A Place of Execution

by Val McDermid

This award-winning thriller features two intertwined stories: one set in 1963, when Inspector George Bennett tries to solve the case of a missing English girl. The second is set in the present day, where journalist Catherine Heathcote wants to write a book about the case. But when Bennett Heathcote stonewalls just before the publication of her book, she suspects that Bennett hasn't told her the full story ...

Before the Fall

By Noah Hawley

From the creator of Fargo comes this New York Times bestseller about the survivors of a plane crash —A sad painter and four-year-old son of one of the prominent families murdered. As the investigation progresses, the stories of those on board indicate that the crash may not have been an accident after all.

In the Blood

by Lisa Unger

In this award-winning psychological thriller, college student Lana Granger is a compulsive liar who has always gotten away with her fabrications. But when she starts babysitting for a manipulative 11-year-old boy, Luke, she knows she's met her match - and maybe her downfall. The disappearance of Lana's best friend calls for bigger lies than she's ever told before. They may be able to convince the police of her innocence, but Luke is not so easily fooled.

Let Me Die in His Footsteps

By Lori Roy

Winner of the 2016 Edgar Award for Best Novel, Let Me Die in His Footsteps takes place in the lavender fields of Kentucky in the 1950s where 15-year-old Annie banned herself on a nighttime walk area. She never expected to find a body - or that the discovery would reveal her family's deepest, darkest secret.