Best Suspense Thriller Novels: Thrillers

A thriller is a mystery with a twist. There is a problem to solve, but the stakes are impossibly high and failure is always a breath away. Pick a thriller for your next book club gathering, and you'll have plenty to talk about as you question the hero's actions, dissect the villain's motives, and wonder what you'd do in such extreme circumstances.

Check out these thrillers and prepare for some exciting pages!

An Almost Normal Family by MT Edvardsson

Imagine your teenage daughter being accused of brutally murdering a businessman 15 years her senior. All the tough questions need to be asked, but all that matters in the end is how far you would go to protect your family members. It is a gripping family and courtroom drama. Discussion questions are here.

See Also: 10 Best Legal Thrillers To Bring The Courtroom Drama

The Whisper Man Alex North

Tom And his young son Jack move to a new town in the hope of putting a tragedy behind them. They don't know that their new home has a secret pain of their own. A serial killer imprisoned for years appears to have returned and the local children are once again in danger. Discussion questions here.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Theo, a criminal psychologist, has waited years to deal with Alicia's case. No one can explain why she would kill her husband and ruin their storybook, let alone why she stopped talking after the murder. The longer she is silent, the more notorious her crime becomes to the public. It is the most important case in Theo's life, but her silence is a danger to everyone. Discussion questions are here.

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones

Adam and Emily are in love and plan to spend their lives together, but Adam's mom has other ideas. Pammie seems to be every woman's nightmare - a controlling mother who insists on meddling in her son's life. Emily initially endures Pammie's plans, but realizes too late that she is in a dangerous love triangle, although not the one she expects.

The Charge of Hanna Jameson

World War III brings the nuclear destruction of four major cities, effectively ending global communications and stranding attendees of an academic conference in a hotel in Switzerland. Two months later, the 20 survivors must each decide their possible role in rebuilding civilization. But first, the death of a young girl in the hotel could derail any hope for peace. Discussion questions are here.

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

Fourteen years ago, Angela disappeared in high school. Now her remains have been found near her best friend's property, and a new investigation is dragging old secrets into the light. Arrests are being made, but are they justified, especially now that new and similar murders have begun?

The Water Cure Sophie Mackintosh's

Grace, Lia, Sky and their mother live on a remote island. They can never leave, but they are also protected from all the mainland violence and misogyny. One day three people land on their coast - two men and a boy - who threaten to destroy their safe world and their identity forever. Discussion questions are here.

The Troop of Nick Cutter

Scoutmaster Tim Riggs is deep in the Canadian wilderness on his annual camping trip with a troop of young scouts when an uninvited visitor crashes their campsite. What follows is a malicious infection and a truly gruesome and bloody battle to get out of the forest alive.

Those People by Louise Candlish Are Certainly

If you've ever had nasty neighbors (and who hasn't?), Identify with this story… up to the point. The neighbors here take their revenge a little too far, making it hard to explain when a mind-boggling murder is happening on the block. Discussion questions are here.

Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

Written by the 2018 Nobel Prize winner in Literature, this murder mystery is set in a remote Polish village. A murderer runs loose and the corpses pile up without any clues. If only the local police would pay attention to Janina, a reclusive scholar, who probably knows who is terrorizing them all.

Sally Hepworth

mother Lucy never had a comfortable relationship with her mother, always the perfect Diana. Suspicions run wild when Diana is found dead, her suicide note mentions terminal cancer, although an autopsy finds no trace. If Lucy didn't kill her, who would want the family matriarch out of the picture? Discussion questions are here.

The Memory Policepolice by Yoko Ogawa

The memory have one task: to make sure that everything that disappears is forgotten, including people. A young writer challenges their authority when her troubled friend 'disappears' in her basement. Telling the story of a disappearance is dangerous, but it can break the memory police's grip on society once and for all.

The Turn of the Key Ruth Ware's

Rowan's well-paid job as a live-in nanny in a beautiful home seems too good to be true. Indeed, when she is accused of murdering one of the children in her care, her dream job turns into a nightmare. Told from her prison cell, Rowan tries to explain what happened. Other employees, the children, and even the house itself are all suspect. Discussion questions are here.

Guardians John Grisham's Thief Grisham

2019 release is one of the most exciting legal thrillers since A Time to Kill. A young black man is sentenced to life in prison for murdering his own lawyer, and his only ray of hope comes 22 years later when a small nonprofit agrees to re-investigate his case. His new lawyers quickly find themselves targets as a murder case evolves into a full-blown corruption hunt.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Ivy League secret societies are heavy with power and violence ... and magic. Alex, a high school dropout, cannot understand why she gave a free ride to Yale until she told the terms. She must infiltrate and report on the occult practices of the university - an education she surpasses in a classroom setting and one that puts her life in danger.