The best could-not-put-it-down books about mystery, suspense, and thrillers

Why am I passionate about this?

As a suspense and thriller author in my own right since 2015, I have also read very many books that are much like the ones that I write. I am most comfortable here and I, too, like to write books with these crazy, think-outside-the-box types of twists when it comes to plotting. Honing my craft, as I am in the middle of five different book projects right now for future release, I am hoping to make a name for myself and become as memorable to my readers as my favorite authors are to me.


I wrote...

Shelter

By Erica R. Stinson,

Book cover of Shelter

What is my book about?

How far will Gabriel Warner go to protect his child and survive the incredible odds now stacked against them?

Gabriel is desperate. Out of a job, a kid to look after, no money. Despite a major storm warning, he drives upstate with his daughter to a job interview. But the blizzard has other plans. Stranded after their car is wrecked, miles from anywhere, they find hope in a secluded property. But all is not as it seems. This building has history. Gabriel’s choice is stark, freeze in the woods or seek shelter inside. Yet the obvious option carries a sting in its tail. A house with its own nightmare agenda. As the elements rage outside, father and daughter find themselves facing an equally dangerous, nameless enemy.

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Other Woman

Erica R. Stinson Why did I love this book?

This is one of my new favorite authors, of who I have read many more of her books recently. I like books like this that contain twists and turns and endings that you don’t see coming. Most of her books are in the domestic thriller or psychological suspense thriller categories. These are the type of books that I read(and write) most.

By N.L. Hinkens,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Other Woman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Not all secrets are what they seem.

When Bridget spots an elegantly dressed woman leaving her husband’s office late one night, she fears the worst. Her marriage is already strained but things are about to take an even more shocking turn when her family is suddenly torn apart by a horrific crime they all become entangled in.

Her trust is shattered, her husband is on the run, and her son is hiding a dark secret. Bridget’s life has become a dangerous lie and the clock is ticking as the police close in on a killer. But who can she trust…


Book cover of In Defense of Innocence

Erica R. Stinson Why did I love this book?

I have read a few of Dave’s books and the one thing that I absolutely love about his stories is the ability he has to pull me in right from the beginning. When I read his first book, it was like I could see it as if it were a movie playing out in my head. His scene-setting, descriptives, etc. are wonderful.

By David Wickenden,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked In Defense of Innocence as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Abused as a child, Janice Williams became a cop to make a difference. When a vigilante starts killing child abusers, she is tasked with capturing the killer. But the vigilante knows her every move. When Janice uncovers the identity of the vigilante, she is faced with the dilemma to do her job to uphold the law or help this person escape a nation-wide manhunt.


Book cover of The Bone Garden

Erica R. Stinson Why did I love this book?

I am a longtime fan of Tess and her Rizzoli and Isles books, the firsts by her that I read some years ago. But I also really liked some of her standalone novels and The Bone Garden checked all my boxes for captivating, thriller, page-turning, edge-of-your-seat reading. To date, this remains of my very favorite books and I have re-read it a few times as a result.

By Tess Gerritsen,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Bone Garden as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Unknown bones, untold secrets, and unsolved crimes from the distant past cast ominous shadows on the present in the dazzling new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.

Present day: Julia Hamill has made a horrifying discovery on the grounds of her new home in rural Massachusetts: a skull buried in the rocky soil–human, female, and, according to the trained eye of Boston medical examiner Maura Isles, scarred with the unmistakable marks of murder. But whoever this nameless woman was, and whatever befell her, is knowledge lost to another time.

Boston, 1830: In order to pay for his…


Book cover of Behind Closed Doors

Erica R. Stinson Why did I love this book?

This is just the kind of twisty/turny bordering on very disturbing domestic-thriller book that I like to read. I was glued to the pages and I found myself regularly trying to figure out the plot twists, etc. That’s one of my favorite things when reading a book of this type and hoping (praying) I got it right when all is revealed. Another regular favorite author of mine, of whose books I have read many.

By B.A. Paris,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Behind Closed Doors as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING DEBUT PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER YOU CAN'T MISS!

The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?

“A hair-raising debut, both unsettling and addictive...A chilling thriller that will keep you reading long into the night.” ―Mary Kubica, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Good Girl

“This is one readers won’t be able to put down.” ―Booklist (starred review)

"A can’t-put-down psychological thriller.” ―Library Journal (starred review)

“This debut is guaranteed to haunt you...Warning: brace yourself.” ―Bustle (10 New Thrillers to Read This Summer)

“The sense of believably and terror that engulfs…


Book cover of Magpie

Erica R. Stinson Why did I love this book?

I really enjoyed this book!

I am usually drawn to these types of stories as I am an author of domestic thrillers as well, a few of which are forthcoming. Magpie is the type of book that grabs my attention, which is why I gave it a read despite not being familiar with the author. I am not an author snob, by any means, and if a story’s description grabs me then I will read it regardless. I liked the final twist in the story, one that I didn't see coming(but it was a good one)that gave me the satisfying ending that I was looking for.

The story surrounds a couple that is trying to have a baby and they invite a complete stranger into their home to act as a surrogate. Everything seemed to be going well, but then again things don't always go how we would like. A power struggle ensues in the household of the two women with the husband, Jake, caught in the middle. The first half pulled me in, but the second and last half really had me thrown for a loop (twisty-turny in a good way). I would definitely read another book by this author and look forward to her next release!

By Elizabeth Day,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Magpie as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For fans of The Last Mrs. Parrish comes a twisty psychological suspense about motherhood, obsession, and just how far some will go for the perfect family. “Great, plain and simple” (Stanley Tucci).

Marisa and Jake are a perfect couple. And Kate, their new lodger, is the perfect roommate—and not just because her rent payments will give them the income they need to start trying for the baby of their dreams.

Except—no one is truly perfect. Sure, Kate doesn’t seem to care much about personal boundaries and can occasionally seem overly-familiar with Jake. But Marisa doesn’t let it concern her, knowing…


You might also like...

Death on a Shetland Longship: The Shetland Sailing Mysteries

By Marsali Taylor,

Book cover of Death on a Shetland Longship: The Shetland Sailing Mysteries

Marsali Taylor Author Of Death on a Shetland Longship: The Shetland Sailing Mysteries

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Sailor Women’s historian Cat-lover Temporarily limping But determinedly recovering

Marsali's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Liveaboard sailor Cass Lynch thinks her big break has finally arrived when she blags her way into skippering a Viking longship for a Hollywood film. However, this means returning to the Shetland Islands, the place she fled as a teenager. When a corpse unexpectedly appears onboard the longship, she can run from the past no longer: Cass and her family come under intense scrutiny from the disturbingly shrewd Detective Inspector Gavin Macrae.

Even if Cass’s local knowledge and sailing wisdom help to clear the Lynch family of suspicion, they may not be enough to stay ahead of the murderer’s game... and avoid becoming the next victim.

Death on a Shetland Longship: The Shetland Sailing Mysteries

By Marsali Taylor,

What is this book about?

When she wangles the job of skippering a Viking longship for a film, Cass Lynch thinks her big break has finally arrived - even though it means returning home to the Shetland Islands, which she ran away from as a teenager. Then the `accidents' begin - and when a dead woman turns up on the boat's deck, Cass realises that she, her family and her past are under suspicion from the disturbingly shrewd Detective Inspector Macrae. Cass must call on all her local knowledge, the wisdom she didn't realise she'd gained from sailing and her glamorous, French opera singer mother…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Boston, family secrets, and vigilantes?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about Boston, family secrets, and vigilantes.

Boston Explore 175 books about Boston
Family Secrets Explore 178 books about family secrets
Vigilantes Explore 26 books about vigilantes