Let’s set the scene: rain is gently tapping on your window, a pumpkin scented candle glows on your table, and you're oh-so-cozy on the couch with a killer thriller that you simply cannot put down. During the Fall, nothing beats a book with dark vibes and mind-bending twists.
Whether you’re searching for something in the dark academia realm, or looking for a thriller that brings a bit of horror to your Halloween season, we’ve got recommendations here that will have all types of readers excited. From young adult books, to cozy mysteries, to heart-pounding slashers, there’s a mystery or thriller book for everyone on this list.
As a quick note, these thrillers can have some pretty depraved and intense themes. We recommend checking trigger warnings for any book before you dive in!
Dark Academia Books
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
A hedonistic secret society, life at a New England college, and smashing the boundaries of morality – this is the perfect equation for a dark academia novel. The Secret History is Donna Tartt’s sweeping debut. Six incredibly sophisticated and clever (read: pretentious) college students at an elite liberal arts school try to escape the trite lives of their peers. Their transcendence, though, leads the group down a debaucherous, dangerous, and downright evil path.
The book opens with a tragic death and Tartt then slowly pulls back the details of exactly what led to the mysterious passing. The Secret History reminds me of the Dead Poets Society...if the Dead Poets Society pushed Greek classics and animalistic, anarchic ideals. Perfect for Fall!
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Two authors with a complicated friendship are working to make their way in the publishing world. One of them, however, has been vastly more successful. Athena Liu has hit the literary jackpot (with the publishing deals to prove it) and June Hayward has next-to-nothing. When a freak incident leaves Athena dead, June makes the split-second decision to take Athena’s recently-completed manuscript and present it to her publisher as her own. June is rebranded from a basic white girl to ethnically ambiguous Juniper Song, and the success she craved finally comes. The honeymoon phase is fleeting, however, as her “success” and secrets are threatened.
Published in 2023, Yellowface has already made a lasting impact on the literary genre. The publishing thriller is hard to put down and raises conversations on racism, cultural appropriation, and how far people will go for what they believe they deserve.
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
If you loved Killing Eve or Promising Young Woman, this is a revenge story that revels in justice for women. It’s a psychological thriller that follows the intense desire for retribution by two different women at a college campus.
Scarlett Clark is an English professor at Gorman University with a stellar reputation and hidden vigilante tendencies. Each year, she plots, investigates, and finds the “worst” man at the school. She then diligently executes their murder. For years she has gotten away with this, but a moment of rage could completely upend her secret.
Simultaneously, we learn of student Carly Schiller, who is a freshman at the school. Shortly after arriving on campus, her roommate and new friend is sexually assaulted while at a party. Carly is consumed with needing vengeance for her friend – a friend that she has also become a bit obsessive over. This book explores themes of desire, rage, and good old-fashioned revenge.
Literary Thriller Books
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
What would you do for your siblings? Could you abandon your own morals to help keep them from trouble; to protect them? Would you cover up their violent crimes?
My Sister, the Serial Killer is a thrilling and satirical story of two sisters: one is a nurse with a meticulous approach to life, and the other has a tendency to murder her boyfriends. When Korede has been called yet again by Ayoola to help save the day, she comes to the rescue with bleach and gloves in hand. Another boyfriend is dead, and Ayoola claims it was self-defense. Korede helps her sister, but soon finds herself at an impasse when Ayoola starts seeing a doctor that Korede is secretly in love with. Is there a chance he could turn up dead too? Korede is faced with an impossible decision – she cannot save both. Which runs thicker – blood or love?
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
Leave the World Behind is a psychological thriller that feels reminiscent of what happens when you slowly begin turning up the heat on a pot of boiling lobsters. What happens to a group of people as fear creeps up and consumes them?
Amanda and Clay load their two kids in a car and book it to a remote area of Long Island for a quiet vacation from their life in New York City. They’re barely able to settle into their stunning rental when they’re surprised by a late night knock on the door. The home’s owners, G.H. and Ruth, have returned and have requested to stay with the family. Something happened back in NYC – they claim a sweeping blackout suddenly hit the city. They returned back to their Long Island home before things could get worse. They say they don’t know anything more about the chaotic event.
With no internet or cell service to prove the couple’s claims, the two families are left dancing around each other. What happened in the city? Are they safe where they’re at? Can they trust these complete strangers? Rumaan Alam leaves you thinking about prejudices, race, and how fear can force a person to extreme lengths. Give it a read now before its movie counterpart (starring Mahershala Ali and Julia Roberts) is released.
Absolute Page-Turning Books
Survive the Night by Riley Sager
In the 90s at a small college campus, Charlie is grieving the horrific murder of her best friend. The Campus Killer has struck yet again. To escape her grief, Charlie takes an offer from a stranger on a ride board to hitch a trip back home. In no time, Charlie finds herself locked in a car with someone who may or may not be what he seems. Survive the Night lives up to its name. Charlie must rely on every social, psychological, and survival skill she can muster to try and make it to sunrise again – to try and survive a possible serial killer.
This novel is tense, heart-pounding, and (at-times) claustrophobic. You almost can’t help but wonder what you would do in Charlie’s shoes. Riley Sager is an exciting thriller writer who will have you on the edge of your seat and aggressively flipping through pages. Sager has a growing catalog of books, and Survive the Night is a great place to start.
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
At a local pub, in the middle of her birthday celebration, podcaster Alix Summers runs into her birthday twin – another woman born on the exact same day. Their shared birthday is about the extent of similarities between the two women, however. Josie Fair is at a crossroads in her life. She’s looking to make big changes and, after their chance encounter, feels she would make an excellent subject for Alix’s podcast (which focuses on women who’ve overcome extreme adversity to lead successful lives).
Alix is enticed by Josie’s complicated and unsettling story, and agrees to host her on the podcast. Initially, the more she learns more about her, the more Alix begins integrating Josie into her life and home. As some disturbing information about Josie’s life comes to light, Alix fears that she made a major mistake getting involved with her. The tables have turned, and Alix and her family find themselves now in true danger.
None of This Is True is a suspenseful, character-driven story that will make readers think twice about who they let close to them. Lisa Jewell has become a highly-anticipated author in the thriller genre, and this book absolutely lives up to the chilling and thrilling Jewel hype.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Silent Patient is a jaw-dropping story of obsession, passion, and violence. Alicia’s picture-perfect life is absolutely shattered when the famous painter suddenly shoots her husband in the face five times. The act of violence seems to come out of nowhere – and when Alicia refuses to speak after (literally, not a word), her silence throws the murder case into viral notoriety. No one knows why she did it and for years Alicia seems unable to talk about it.
Psychotherapist Theo Faber has long been captivated by Alicia’s case and jumps at the opportunity to work with her. As he tries to get her to speak, Theo becomes obsessed with Alicia, her continued silence, and her motives for killing her husband. His obsession for the truth causes him to spiral – taking us readers down a twisted path with him.
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
A mystery and thriller book list would not be complete without a nod to Gillian Flynn and her impressive body of work. At this point, you’ve likely read Gone Girl or watched Sharp Objects – if you were interested in either one, I strongly encourage you to pick up Dark Places too.
Libby Day was seven years old when her life was completely upended by a horrific tragedy. Her mother and two sisters were murdered in what was later dubbed “The Satan Sacrifice". Libby testified at the time that her 15-year-old brother, Ben, was responsible for the killings. Her testimony put him behind bars at the peak of the satanic panic.
Over two decades later, a true-crime obsessed group entices Libby to revisit the details of “The Satan Sacrifice” in an effort to liberate Ben. She agrees to revive her memories for a fee – and suddenly finds herself searching for a horrible truth that puts her right back in harm’s way.
Classic Mystery And Thriller Books
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
No ‘Best Mystery’ list is worth its salt without Agatha Christie. Christie historically and repeatedly set the bar for all mystery writers, and And Then There Were None may be the pinnacle of her work.
We begin with ten. Ten perfect strangers are all asked by an eccentric millionaire to join them as guests for a weekend on a private island. When they arrive, they find that the host who brought them together is nowhere to be found. They don’t know why they’re there or who even brought them there, exactly. As the story unfolds we quickly learn that the fates of our ten travelers have already been decided: one by one, murders begin to occur. When the guests realize their deaths seem to match a nursery rhyme that is hanging in the house, madness ensues. Who is orchestrating these murders and why? Will anyone escape their fate? Only time will tell.
Practically Horror Books
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
If you’re a horror movie fan, you’re likely familiar with the ‘Final girl’ trope: at the end of many twisted, scary films, one brave and scarred (emotionally and physically) girl is left standing. She has outlasted the killer and made it through unimaginable horror. Grady Hendrix poses the question, what happens to these final girls after the terror and attention has faded away?
For over a decade, a small group of final girls (who all survived massacres and grisly crimes) regularly met for group therapy to help support each other, make sense of the public attention they received, and build their lives back together. Their support group was disrupted, however, when one of the women missed their meeting. The final girls quickly realize that their secret support group has been exposed and the safety net they’ve built is under threat. When danger surfaces again, they’re all reminded of their traumatic pasts. They’ve already survived the unthinkable once – can they rely on each other to survive again?
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
If you're a huge fan of the TV show Yellowjackets or the movie Fresh (do you see where I’m going with this…), A Certain Hunger will satisfy your thriller appetite. The novel is dark and pretty tough to stomach, but it’s a must-read if you love food, literary thrillers, and villainous women.
Dorothy Summers is a food critic who approaches her job with absolute meticulousness and ruthlessness. She is wickedly smart and decidedly psychopathic. We get a glimpse of Dorothy’s intense grasp of food, the glittering rise and fall of her career, and her devouring desire for sex throughout the course of the novel. Dorothy moves through men quickly and without remorse, failing to find any that can truly match her. As the story takes a turn and Dorothy begins to embrace her own dominance, we see that sex and food alone are not enough to quench her hunger. Come for the food, stay for the bloody female rage.
The Whisper Man by Alex North
After family tragedy strikes, Tom Kennedy moves himself and his young son, Jake, to Featherbank for a chance to start anew and heal. The town, however, is haunted by a twisted history that will soon catch up to the father-son duo.
Two decades prior, a serial killer was known for whispering to residents (children, mainly), luring them from their beds, and slaughtering them. Police, at the time, arrested a man they believed to be the Whisper Man and for twenty years the town could finally sleep again. That is, until shortly after Tom and Jake moved in. A young boy in town is abducted in the middle of the night, eerily similar to the Whisper Man case. Detectives race against time to find the abducted boy before it’s too late. Hopefully they can catch him, because Jake hears a whisper outside his window...
The Whisper Man plays on the gut-wrenching panic that goes along with being a parent and our natural inclination to fear bumps in the night. This is a read that may force you to sleep with the lights on.
For Self-Proclaimed Scaredy Cats
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
Arsenic and Adobo is a perfect cozy mystery for readers who prefer rom coms over blood and guts. The story follows Lila Macapagal, who has just moved back home after a nasty breakup to help revive the family restaurant. We’re introduced to Lila’s nosy aunties and tough-as-nails grandmother, as well as dish after dish of delicious Filipino food. In the midst of trying to save the restaurant from their questionable landlord, a food critic (who just happens to be Lila’s ex-boyfriend) makes a visit with potentially malicious intent. Then, while eating, he unexpectedly drops dead.
Of course, investigators immediately suspect Lila of her ex’s death. With the help of a fun ensemble cast, Lila has to race against time to prove her innocence, raise immediate funds for her family’s business, and determine who (or what) killed the food critic. This is a great novel for anyone who loves food, family, and gentle whodunits.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
In a quiet retirement community in a small English town, four whip-smart friends meet each week over their mutual love of true crime. They look into and discuss older cases and unsolved mysteries – that is, until a surprising killing happens practically on their door steps. Alongside the police, the Thursday Murder Club (Joyce, Elizabeth, Ibrahim, and Ron) throw themselves into the investigation. They may not be the first people you’d expect to solve a crime, but don’t count them out. The four have a lifetime of knowledge and time on their hands, and they’re not afraid to use them. If only they could solve the crime before the killer catches them on their trail…
The cast is kooky, cranky, and fun to read about. While this book does feature murder and murder investigations, it has a silly and gentle tone, which makes it a much easier read for anyone who isn’t really interested in the stress and violence of other thrillers.
For The Young Adult Readers Among Us
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
The center of this story is a tragic hometown murder: young, popular Andie Bell was brutally murdered by Sal Singh, her boyfriend. Sal then killed himself. The town and local investigators all seemed convinced this was exactly how the tragedy played out.
Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t entirely convinced of this story, however. She struggles to think of Sal as a killer, and chooses to look into the case as part of her senior project at school. While she didn’t necessarily intend to uncover dark secrets that could throw her life into perilous danger, that’s exactly what happens in this far-fetched but fun YA novel. Definitely worth picking up if you’re looking for something thrilling to get you out of a reading slump.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynch
Imagine winning the lottery without ever buying a lottery ticket; that’s essentially what happens to heroine Avery Grambs – a girl who’s truthfully just looking to make it through high school and get into college. Of course, “winning the lottery” comes with a pretty significant catch.
When billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies, he inexplicably leaves most of his fortune to Avery (even though the two have never met and have no relation that Avery is aware of), instead of leaving the money to his own kin. The aforementioned catch is that Avery has to move into the mysterious and puzzle-filled Hawthorne House to receive the money. To make the story even juicer, she isn’t alone in the house. She now lives alongside the bitter Hawthorne family, who has just lost their expected inheritance to this young stranger. Avery is thrown into a world of riddles and danger, as she fights at every turn to survive in this exciting and mysterious novel.
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