If you’re in a reading slump and want something to capture your attention, we’ve found the best thriller books that will have you hooked from the get-go.
With everything from red herrings and unreliable narrators to disappearances, blackmail, toxic relationships and plenty of twists, the thriller genre consistently dominates the charts. Plus, with subgenres including spy, crime, suspense and mystery, there truly is something for everyone.
Many thriller books have become classics, adapted for the big and small screens (Gone Girl and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo have become blockbuster movies). But there are plenty of releases that are lesser-known or a bit out of the ordinary but just as riveting (Wrong Place, Wrong Time, for example).
As someone who reads several thrillers a month and always keeps an eye out for the latest and greatest releases, I’ve compiled a list of the best of the best, highlighting authors who should definitely be on your radar.
How I tested
Taking into consideration a number of popular reads and emerging subgenres, I’ve curated this list based on the books that feature great storytelling, characters, twists and shocking moments, to find the ones that kept me gripped the whole way through. I assessed how the story flowed as a whole, along with the accessibility of the writing. Drawing up my final list of top titles meant whittling down the stories to those that have stuck with me for months (and on some occasions years).
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Ellis Cochrane is an avid reader who has thumbed her way through hundreds of thrillers over the years, so, she knows how to spot great storylines and compelling characters. She’s reviewed a wide range of literature for IndyBest, from the best romance novels to epic fantasy books, and will only recommend titles she believes are worth a spot on your bookcase.
The best thriller books for 2025 are:
‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn, published by Orion Publishing
When Nick’s wife, Amy, mysteriously disappears on their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick quickly becomes the prime suspect. Except, not all is as it seems. Told through the present-day point of view of Nick, along with Amy’s diary entries, we start to piece together just how imperfect their marriage really was. Even though both characters are undeniably unlikeable, they are inherently fascinating, and you feel the urge to keep reading to see what will transpire next, which is always the sign of a great thriller. When the narrative gets completely flipped and the proverbial rug is pulled out from under you, it’s a show-stopping moment.
Without giving too much away, I can see why this book is as divisive as it is. But, it’s a great starting point if you’re looking to branch out into the thriller genre. With one of the most compelling unreliable narrators I’ve come across, this book will leave you pondering just how much you really know about the people closest to you.
Buy now £11.05, Waterstones.com
‘None of This is True’ by Lisa Jewell, published by Penguin
Lisa Jewell has a fantastic back catalogue of thrillers to choose from, and one of her latest releases, None of This is True, is a real page-turner. Comprising short, snappy chapters to get you hooked, this book comes with a few trigger warnings. Quite a lot of the story and subject matter made me feel uneasy, however, this only added to the sense of creepiness and foreboding.
The book follows two women who just happen to share the same birthday. When podcaster Alix crosses paths with Josie, she doesn’t have any idea who or what she has ultimately invited into her life. Josie thinks she might make for an interesting subject for a future podcast episode, and, once they start recording, it becomes clear Josie has led quite the life. By opening up about her experiences and childhood, Josie soon draws Alix in, until Josie makes it clear she has no intention of leaving it at that. At a certain point, you can begin to tell where things are going but there are still plenty of great reveals and twists to keep your attention. At the end, you won’t know who to believe.
Buy now, Whsmith.co.uk
‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ by Stieg Larsson, published by Hachette
A cold case sees disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist team up with computer hacker Lisbeth Salander – the titular girl with the dragon tattoo – to get to the bottom of what really happened. It’s this collaboration that drew me in, even though, initially, there seems to be nothing but dead ends.
At more than 500 pages long, this book absorbs you fully in the action, without ever feeling like it’s dragging on. The story is packed with exploits and intrigue, covering everything from murder and corruption to dysfunctional family secrets, financial fraud and the violence that takes place against women. As a result, you might want to check some of the trigger warnings before picking it up.
There are several other books in this Nordic noir series, with the first three titles being completed by Larsson before his death and then published posthumously. The remainder have been carried on by two other authors – David Lagercrantz and Karin Smirnoff – and continue to feature the team of Mikael and Lisbeth.
Buy now £8.72, Amazon.co.uk
‘Wrong Place, Wrong Time’ by Gillian McAllister, published by Penguin
One of the most unique mystery thrillers I’ve ever read, this book has an incredibly absorbing concept that will keep you gripped the whole way through. When Jen is waiting for her teenage son, Todd, to return home at curfew, she looks outside and sees him stab a complete stranger. In that instant, she knows their lives have changed forever. What she doesn’t expect is to wake up the following morning only for it to be the day before her son committed murder. Then, each day when she wakes up, she travels further back in time – first weeks, then years. But can she work out exactly what happened to cause her son to commit the crime in the first place?
Very rarely am I completely shocked by a twist but this book’s second big reveal made me gasp audibly. I also appreciated that Todd is the catalyst from which the story branches out, as we find out more about Jen’s husband, father and many other characters along the way. For me, this is what truly made this book unputdownable.
Buy now £8.99, Amazon.co.uk
‘Lock Every Door’ by Riley Sager, published by Ebury
I’ve long been a fan of Riley Sager’s books – I could have quite easily included several as my pick for best suspense thriller, with Home Before Dark, The Only One Left and The Last Time I Lied being some of the standouts. However, it was Lock Every Door that immediately drew me in and cemented Riley as one of the best writers within the thriller genre.
The story follows Jules, who finds herself with a new job as an apartment sitter at one of Manhattan’s highest-profile and most mysterious buildings: the Bartholomew. The job comes with a few rules: no visitors, no nights spent away from the apartment, and don’t disturb the other residents, all of whom are rich, famous or both. However, as Jules gets to know a few of the other apartment sitters, things take a turn after one tells her a bit about the building’s darker history, only for them to disappear the next day. They’re not the first to seemingly leave the Bartholomew, never to be seen or heard from again, either.
What ensues is a tension-packed fight for the truth – and survival – and I did not expect it to go in the direction it did. Let’s just say, I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through. It’s the kind of thriller you’ll be thinking about for days, if not weeks, months, or, in my case, years to come.
Buy now £12.99, Waterstones.com
‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ by Michael Connelly, published by Orion
The first in a series of eight books, The Lincoln Lawyer has been adapted into a movie starring Matthew McConaughey, and a recent Netflix series. For those looking for a great legal or courtroom thriller, particularly one that doesn’t get bogged down in legal terminology, I have a feeling this story – and series – will hold your attention.
The Lincoln lawyer himself, Mickey Haller, is where this book truly shines. The character’s charisma is all-encompassing and has you on his side from the get-go. When he starts representing a Beverly Hills playboy – his highest-paying client in years – it’s not quite the easy win he expects, with his own life being on the line this time.
Even after reading hundreds of thrillers over the years, this one went in a completely different direction from what I expected, with the ending, in particular, catching me off guard. I was ready to line up book two almost immediately.
Buy now £9.19, Whsmith.co.uk
‘The Spy Who Came in from the Cold’ by John Le Carré, published by Penguin
When it comes to spy thriller books, this one is a classic for a reason. Even though it’s the third in the series featuring intelligence officer George Smiley, it’s quite easily the definitive spy book, both of its time and as an enduring presence in the genre.
Set during the height of the Cold War, it’s not as glitzy as the likes of Ian Fleming’s James Bond, yet it still keeps you engrossed. Despite being released in the 1960s, it still feels relevant today. The story has a slow burn to it, as we learn more about the complex cast of characters, with both sides shown to be just as murky as the other, something that wasn’t really the norm in books like this beforehand.
In terms of what makes it one of the best spy thrillers, there are several great twists, as the line between good and bad is constantly blurred. It’s also a fantastic introduction to all things espionage, giving readers a peek into what some of us might be capable of when considering the greater good, as opposed to whether it is the right thing to do or not in the moment.
Buy now £9.19, Amazon.co.uk
‘Nobody’s Fool’ by Harlan Coben, published by Cornerstone
Even if you’re not familiar with Harlan Coben’s name, you’ll have no doubt spotted or watched some of the Netflix adaptations of his bestselling novels, such as Fool Me Once, The Stranger and Stay Close. His latest release, Nobody’s Fool, is easily one of his finest. Although it’s a follow-up to Fool Me Once, it can certainly be read as a standalone story. Obviously, you will miss out on a bit of background, but not enough to impact your overall enjoyment of this title. It will also likely have you itching to go back and read some of the author’s other books.
Nobody’s Fool focuses on former detective Sami Kierce. Twenty-two years ago, while backpacking in Spain with friends, he woke up one morning covered in blood and with a knife in his hand, with no recollection of what happened. Beside him was the dead body of his girlfriend, Anna. He runs at the time but continues to carry the mystery of what happened with him. It’s only when he starts teaching a night school class that he spots a familiar face at the back of the room – Anna. Surely it can’t be her, can it? Before he can reach her, she is gone. Delving back into memories he’d much rather forget, he begins his search for what really transpired all those years ago.
Something I always appreciate about Harlan’s writing is the touch of humour he provides, which gives his stories a definite edge, compared with some other, more-traditional thrillers. Here, there are lots of brilliant twists and revelations, too, making this a tense, suspenseful and action-packed thriller. The pacing is always on point, and it’ll have you staying up late into the night to find out what happens next.
Buy now £11.00, Amazon.co.uk
‘This is Why We Lied’ by Karin Slaughter, published by HarperCollins
When it comes to some of the best police procedural thrillers, Karin Slaughter has quite the back catalogue. Despite this being the 12th book in the Will Trent series, it can be read as a standalone (it also features the character of Sara Linton, from Slaughter’s Grant County series).
In this book, Sara and Will are celebrating their honeymoon at the mountaintop McAlpine Lodge… until the manager is found dead. With only one way to access the property, which has been washed out by a raging storm, it seems a killer is in their midst. So, it’s up to Will and Sara to investigate. As is often the case, almost everyone is hiding something, with secrets slowly coming to light – these are parsed out at an accelerated pace as the story picks up speed.
This book is a great place to start if you’ve not yet picked up one of Slaughter’s titles. I typically recommend checking the trigger warnings before reading this author’s books, as some of them can be incredibly dark, but I appreciated that this one was a bit milder in comparison. That’s not to say it doesn’t pack a punch, though – the ending left me truly shocked.
Buy now £9.19, Whsmith.co.uk
‘The Housemaid’ by Freida McFadden, published by Hachette
It wouldn’t be a round-up of the best thriller books without mentioning one of the biggest and most popular thriller writers of recent years: Freida McFadden. With almost 30 books to choose from, it’s The Housemaid that originally piqued my interest in this author’s work. With excellent pacing and a brilliant twist that flips the entire story on its head, the story follows Millie, a live-in maid for the Winchesters. Millie cooks, cleans and cares for the wealthy family, but also happens to have a few secrets. By the time she realises the door to her attic bedroom only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.
This thriller was gripping, fast-paced and the kind of intriguing story that will have you staying up late into the night to finish it. If you haven’t given it a read, you might want to do so before the movie adaptation (starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried) hits screens later this year. There are two sequels, The Housemaid’s Secret and The Housemaid is Watching, to dive into, too.
Buy now £3.00, Theworks.co.uk
The verdict: Thriller books
While the best thriller books for you will depend on what you’re preferred subgenres and writing styles are, I’d happily recommend every book on this list. Overall, though, Gillian Flynn’s back catalogue – and in particular, Gone Girl – will always be my first recommendation for anyone looking for a good thriller.
For those just getting into the genre, there’s a reason why Freida McFadden’s books are so popular. An entertaining and accessible title, The Housemaid is a great place to begin. If you’re looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, meanwhile, try Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister.
For more recommendations, check out our review of the best new books to add to your library
