Best Psychological Thrillers Books
Book Roundup - Best Psychological Thrillers Books
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Thriller books have always held a special place in the literary world, offering readers a rollercoaster of emotions and a sense of anticipation that is hard to match. Among the diverse genres within the thriller category, psychological thrillers stand out as a particularly captivating and unique subset.
What makes psychological thriller books truly distinctive is their emphasis on the human mind as the battleground for suspense and intrigue. Unlike traditional thrillers that might rely on action-packed sequences or elaborate conspiracies, psychological thrillers delve into the complexities of characters' psyches, unraveling the intricacies of their thoughts and emotions. This genre is an exploration of the dark recesses of the human mind, where the real danger often lies in the shadows of one's own thoughts.
One of the aspects I appreciate most about psychological thrillers is their ability to create a palpable sense of unease and suspense without necessarily relying on external threats. The tension in these books often arises from the psychological warfare between characters, the unreliable nature of narrators, and the constant questioning of what is real and what is imagined. This psychological dance keeps readers guessing, turning pages frantically to uncover the truth while simultaneously questioning their own perceptions.
The beauty of a well-crafted psychological thriller lies in its capacity to manipulate the reader's emotions and perceptions. A skillful author has the power to lead the audience down various paths, creating red herrings, planting seeds of doubt, and skillfully constructing a narrative web that entangles the reader. The sensation of being toyed with, of having the rug pulled out from under you just when you think you have it all figured out, is both exhilarating and maddening. It's a literary puzzle where the pieces are constantly shifting, demanding the reader's full attention and engagement.
We can all understand the appeal of the thrilling feeling when engrossed in a psychological thriller. It's the heart-pounding excitement, the intellectual challenge of trying to unravel the mystery, and the constant awareness that the author is orchestrating a narrative symphony designed to keep the audience on the edge of their intellectual seats.
The unreliable narrator is a recurring theme in psychological thrillers that adds another layer of complexity to the storytelling. Readers are forced to question the credibility of the person through whose eyes they are experiencing the story, making every revelation and twist all the more impactful. This narrative device not only heightens the suspense but also contributes to the immersive and immersive quality of the psychological thriller genre.
Moreover, the best psychological thrillers often touch upon universal fears and anxieties, tapping into the shared aspects of the human experience. Whether exploring the consequences of past trauma, the fragility of memory, or the thin line between sanity and madness, these books resonate on a deeper level. They invite readers to confront their own fears and vulnerabilities, fostering a connection that goes beyond the surface level of a gripping plot.
The allure of psychological thriller books lies in their ability to explore the labyrinth of the human mind. The intricate dance between characters, the manipulation of perceptions, and the constant suspense make for a reading experience that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally charged.
Below I am sharing a round-up of the best psychological thriller books that are worth reading. And if you’re looking for even more thrillers to read, check out my post on best thriller authors.
Best Psychological Thrillers Books
Things We Do in the Dark
“Things We Do in the Dark” by Jennifer Hillier
When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom―covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her―she knows she'll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it's not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she's worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.
Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early nineties. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she's unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris's secrets. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all.
Because the only thing worse than a murder charge are two murder charges.
Gone Girl
A gripping tale of a marriage gone awry with unexpected twists. Also listed in Authors Like Stephen King and Good Books for Book Clubs
"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
The Girl on the Train
A psychological thriller centered around a woman who becomes entangled in a missing person investigation. Also listed in Books Like Gone Girl
"The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
EVERY DAY THE SAME
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
UNTIL TODAY
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?
The Silent Patient
A psychological mystery about a woman's act of violence and her subsequent silence. (Read my full review of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides here.)
"The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.
Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.
Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations―a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....
Before I Go to Sleep
A story of a woman with amnesia who uncovers unsettling truths about her past.
"Before I Go to Sleep" by S.J. Watson
Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love–all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story. Welcome to Christine's life. Every morning, she awakens beside a stranger in an unfamiliar bed. She sees a middle-aged face in the bathroom mirror that she does not recognize. And every morning, the man patiently explains that he is Ben, her husband, that she is forty-seven-years-old, and that an accident long ago damaged her ability to remember.
In place of memories Christine has a handful of pictures, a whiteboard in the kitchen, and a journal, hidden in a closet. She knows about the journal because Dr. Ed Nash, a neurologist who claims to be treating her without Ben’s knowledge, reminds her about it each day. Inside its pages, the damaged woman has begun meticulously recording her daily events—sessions with Dr. Nash, snippets of information that Ben shares, flashes of her former self that briefly, miraculously appear.
But as the pages accumulate, inconsistencies begin to emerge, raising disturbing questions that Christine is determined to find answers to. And the more she pieces together the shards of her broken life, the closer she gets to the truth . . . and the more terrifying and deadly it is.
Shutter Island
A psychological mystery set in an institution for the criminally insane with an unexpected ending.
"Shutter Island" by Dennis Lehane
The basis for the blockbuster motion picture directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Shutter Island by New York Times bestselling author Dennis Lehane is a gripping and atmospheric psychological thriller where nothing is quite what it seems. The New York Times calls Shutter Island, “Startlingly original.” The Washington Post raves, “Brilliantly conceived and executed.” A masterwork of suspense and surprise from the author of Mystic River and Gone, Baby, Gone, Shutter Island carries the reader into a nightmare world of madness, mind control, and CIA Cold War paranoia andis unlike anything you’ve ever read before.
In the Woods
The first book in the Dublin Murder Squad series, blending mystery and psychological suspense.
"In the Woods" by Tana French
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.
Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox—his partner and closest friend—find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.
Richly atmospheric and stunning in its complexity, In the Woods is utterly convincing and surprising to the end.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
A classic psychological thriller following the manipulative Tom Ripley.
"The Talented Mr. Ripley" by Patricia Highsmith
Since his debut in 1955, Tom Ripley has evolved into the ultimate bad boy sociopath, influencing countless novelists and filmmakers. In this first novel, we are introduced to suave, handsome Tom Ripley: a young striver, newly arrived in the heady world of Manhattan in the 1950s. A product of a broken home, branded a "sissy" by his dismissive Aunt Dottie, Ripley becomes enamored of the moneyed world of his new friend, Dickie Greenleaf. This fondness turns obsessive when Ripley is sent to Italy to bring back his libertine pal but grows enraged by Dickie's ambivalent feelings for Marge, a charming American dilettante. A dark reworking of Henry James's The Ambassadors, The Talented Mr. Ripley—is up to his tricks in a 90s film and also Rene Clement's 60s film, "Purple Noon."
The Woman in the Window
A suspenseful story about an agoraphobic woman who believes she has witnessed a crime. (Read my full review of The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn here.)
"The Woman in the Window" by A.J. Finn
It isn’t paranoia if it’s really happening . . .
Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.
Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, mother, their teenaged son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble and its shocking secrets are laid bare.
What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.
Dark Places
A gripping novel about a woman investigating the murder of her family.
"Dark Places" by Gillian Flynn
Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben.
Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.
The Reversal
A legal thriller with psychological elements, featuring defense attorney Mickey Haller.
"The Reversal" by Michael Connelly
Longtime defense attorney Mickey Haller is recruited to change stripes and prosecute the high-profile retrial of a brutal child murder. After twenty-four years in prison, convicted killer Jason Jessup has been exonerated by new DNA evidence. Haller is convinced Jessup is guilty, and he takes the case on the condition that he gets to choose his investigator, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch.
Together, Bosch and Haller set off on a case fraught with political and personal danger. Opposing them is Jessup, now out on bail, a defense attorney who excels at manipulating the media, and a runaway eyewitness reluctant to testify after so many years.
With the odds and the evidence against them, Bosch and Haller must nail a sadistic killer once and for all. If Bosch is sure of anything, it is that Jason Jessup plans to kill again.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
A complex mystery involving a journalist and a hacker investigating a wealthy family. Also listed in Favorite Female Book Characters and Books About Empowered Women
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson
A spellbinding amalgam of murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue.... It's about the disappearance 40 years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden...and about her octogenarian uncle, determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder.
It's about Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently at the wrong end of a libel case, hired to get to the bottom of Harriet's disappearance...and about Lisbeth Salander, a 24-year-old, pierced and tattooed genius hacker possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her age, who assists Blomkvist with the investigation.
This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, astonishing corruption in the highest echelons of Swedish industrialism - and an unexpected connection between themselves.
Behind Closed Doors
A chilling story about the dark secrets behind a seemingly perfect marriage.
"Behind Closed Doors" by B.A. Paris
Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He’s a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You’re hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You’d like to get to know Grace better.
But it’s difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are inseparable.
Some might call this true love. Others might wonder why Grace never answers the phone. Or why she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. Or why she never seems to take anything with her when she leaves the house, not even a pen. Or why there are such high-security metal shutters on all the downstairs windows.
Some might wonder what’s really going on once the dinner party is over, and the front door has closed.
Before I Let You Go
A thought-provoking exploration of family dynamics and addiction. (Read my interview with Kelly Rimmer here.)
"Before I Let You Go" by Kelly Rimmer
“Before I Let You Go is a heartbreaking book about an impossible decision. Kelly Rimmer writes with wisdom and compassion about the relationships between sisters, mother and daughter…. She captures the anguish of addiction, the agonizing conflict between an addict’s best and worst selves. Above all, this is a novel about the deepest love possible.” —Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author
The 2:00 a.m. call is the first time Lexie Vidler has heard her sister’s voice in years. Annie is a drug addict, a thief, a liar—and in trouble, again. Lexie has always bailed Annie out, given her money, a place to sleep, sent her to every kind of rehab. But this time, she’s not just strung out—she’s pregnant and in premature labor. If she goes to the hospital, she’ll lose custody of her baby—maybe even go to prison. But the alternative is unthinkable.
As the weeks unfold, Lexie finds herself caring for her fragile newborn niece while her carefully ordered life is collapsing around her. She’s in danger of losing her job, and her fiancé only has so much patience for Annie’s drama. In court-ordered rehab, Annie attempts to halt her downward spiral by confronting long-buried secrets from the sisters’ childhoods, ghosts that Lexie doesn’t want to face. But will the journey heal Annie, or lead her down a darker path?
The Wife Between Us
A psychological thriller about marriage, jealousy, and obsession. (Read my review of The Anonymous Girl by the same authors. Also listed in Books With Two Authors)
"The Wife Between Us" by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.
Twisted and deliciously chilling, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's The Wife Between Us exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage - and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.
Read between the lies.
"The Good Girl" by Mary Kubica -
A psychological thriller about the abduction of a woman and its aftermath. (Read my interview with Mary Kubica here.)
"The Good Girl" by Mary Kubica
One night, Mia Dennett enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn't show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. At first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life.
When Colin decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota instead of delivering her to his employers, Mia's mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them. But no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family's world to shatter.
An addictively suspenseful and tautly written thriller, The Good Girl is a propulsive debut that reveals how even in the perfect family, nothing is as it seems.
The Last House on Needless Street
A psychological thriller about a serial killer that exploring themes of trauma, mental illness, and the impact of loss.
"The Last House on Needless Street" by Catriona Ward
Catriona Ward's The Last House on Needless Street is a shocking and immersive read perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Haunting of Hill House.
In a boarded-up house on a dead-end street at the edge of the wild Washington woods lives a family of three.
A young girl who isn’t allowed outside, not after last time.
A man who drinks alone in front of his TV, trying to ignore the gaps in his memory.
And a house cat who loves napping and reading the Bible.
An unspeakable secret binds them together, but when a new neighbor moves in next door, what is buried out among the birch trees may come back to haunt them all.
