The most recommended new thrillers books

Who picked these books? Meet our 162 experts.

162 authors created a book list connected to new thrillers, and here are their favorite new thrillers books.
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Book cover of The Mill House Murders

Tom Mead Author Of The Murder Wheel: A Locked-Room Mystery

From Tom's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Crime fiction fan Mystery fan Golden age mystery fan Locked-room mystery fan

Tom's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Tom Mead Why did Tom love this book?

The Japanese mystery scene is packed with incredibly imaginative and original puzzlers, and Yukito Ayatsuji is one of the best in the business.

Astonishingly, this is only his second book to appear in English (after the equally amazing The Decagon House Murders), and it’s a tour-de-force of a country house mystery featuring gruesome murders, masked men, and a masterfully handled dual timeline. 

By Yukito Ayatsuji, Ho-Ling Wong (translator),

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A twisty and ingenious classic Japanese murder mystery from the author of The Decagon House Murders

Every year, a small group of acquaintances pay a visit to the remote, castle-like Mill House, home to the reclusive Fujinuma Kiichi, son of a famous artist, who has lived his life behind a rubber mask ever since a disfiguring car accident. This year, however, the visit is disrupted by gruesome murder, a baffling disappearance and the theft of a priceless painting.

The brilliant Kiyoshi Shimada arrives on the scene, but as he investigates the seemingly impossible events of that evening, death strikes again,…


Book cover of The Only One Left

Gerri Bauer Author Of At Home in Persimmon Hollow: Persimmon Hollow Legacy Series Book 1

From Gerri's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Sewing nerd Domestic history fan

Gerri's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Gerri Bauer Why did Gerri love this book?

The Only One Left has a lot of twists and turns that kept me reading. I had checked out several reader reviews before picking up the book, and I was on high alert to look for clues as the story unfolded. I only guessed a few — a very few — and enjoyed every page and the surprises along the way. This is Gothic Suspense at its best. And it also shows you don’t need to include explicit sex or graphic violence to spice up a book. A great story wins every time. This one is a page-turner.

By Riley Sager,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Only One Left as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE BRAND NEW HEART-POUNDING GOTHIC THRILLER FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Everyone believes that Lenora Hope is a mass murderer.

When the Hope family was massacred decades ago, she was the only one left after that tragic night.

Mute, paralysed and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora has never been able to tell her side of the story.

Until her new live-in caregiver Kit brings her a typewriter.

And with one working finger Lenora begins to type:

I want to tell you everything.

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Book cover of The Mysteries of Marquette

The Mysteries of Marquette by Tyler R. Tichelaar,

When the Marquis de Marquette chooses to spend the summer of 1908 in Marquette, Michigan, a city named for his illustrious Jesuit relative, the residents are all astir with excitement. People begin vying to rub shoulders with the marquis, but he remains very private until he hosts a masquerade ball…

Book cover of Ink Blood Sister Scribe

Wendy Palmer Author Of The Uses of Illicit Art

From Wendy's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Wendy's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Wendy Palmer Why did Wendy love this book?

Despite loving reading, I don't always warm to books about books, but I was enthralled by this one straight away. It opens in an unusual setting (the Antarctic), though it doesn't stay there, and the characters are immediately real and relatable. The writing is excellent, and the plot with its inter-related mysteries flies along. I usually prefer a standalone fantasy to a series, but I finished this one and immediately wanted more in this world.

By Emma Törzs,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Ink Blood Sister Scribe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Not all books should be opened.

In this thrilling fantasy debut, meet the family tasked with guarding a trove of magical but deadly books, and the shadowy organisation that will do anything to get them back.

* The instant Sunday Times bestseller *
* Good Morning America's June book club pick *

'A bold, new novel from an extraordinary new voice.' Marlon James
'Simply a delight from start to finish.' New York Times
'A spectacularly spellbinding debut ... sumptuously bleeds magic from every page.' The Fantasy Hive
'A magnificent debut.' The Bookseller
'A fantastic magical adventure, not to be missed.'…


Book cover of A Village Fete Murder

Vickie Carroll Author Of It's Only Murder

From my list on cozy mysteries about women at work.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a cozy-style mystery writer, I get to live in a world where I know that everything will work out as it should in the end. I look for this in the books that I read and recommend. Do they give the reader something interesting to ponder as they go along with the sleuth (amateur or “real detective)? My father was a police captain, and I grew up looking at things through the eyes of “the law”, I admit. Most people find comfort reading about a small town where nothing will go too wrong. The bad stuff and the bad people are kept at arm’s length, and all is well.

Vickie's book list on cozy mysteries about women at work

Vickie Carroll Why did Vickie love this book?

Written in the style of M.C. Beaton, this book is a perfect English murder mystery.

The idea of a village fete itself has always been alluring to me. I put myself in the story and I’m right at home in the village and celebration at Berrywick House. I blame my British DNA. As in any good cozy, the most irritating member of the community ends up dead, and no exception here.

The main character, Julia, is not only concerned with a murder—or two, but she’s also afraid their peaceful village will be forever ruined. Like all great amateur sleuths, she gets involved. Bird paints a picture of a perfect English village. Add a dog, her Labrador, Jake, and well, sign me up.

By Katie Gayle,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Village Fete Murder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Julia Bird can’t wait to attend the annual village party at the local stately home, with its tea tents, cake stalls, and… dead body in the maze?

The annual village celebration at Berrywick House is underway, complete with over-decorated cake stalls, fiercely contested flower competitions, and even a maze for the disappointed losers to hide in. Julia Bird, now a well-known – even notorious – member of the community, with her trusty Labrador Jake, has thrown herself headlong into the festivities. But her reputation for adding drama to any event stands up yet again when she discovers a dead body…


Book cover of A Killer Among Friends

Lisa Darcy Author Of Christmas Actually

From Lisa's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Cat lover Traveler Reader Amateur tennis player Foodie

Lisa's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Lisa Darcy Why did Lisa love this book?

A Killer Among Friends is a compelling and tense mystery, with many conceivable twists. The characters are convincing and well-drawn, and journalist, Jade in particular, is complex and feisty, battling her own demons and insecurities. I’d definitely want her on my side if I was in trouble.

The song title chapter headings were an enjoyable bonus. Looking forward to reading what trouble Jade gets up to in the next chapter of her adventurous life. This was a rollicking and suspenseful whodunnit that kept me guessing.

By Andrea Barton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Killer Among Friends as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Murder. Music. Company secrets.
Soon after journalist Jade returns from abroad to her hometown, Melbourne, her friend Nick is found dead in a dumpster. She turns to their tight-knit circle for answers, only to uncover a web of lies.
Mounting evidence suggests her best friend Elena’s suicide three years earlier is connected. Was she, too, murdered?
As Jade closes in on the killer, she realizes the suspects are all people she loves. Her life depends on knowing which of them to trust.

“A compelling whodunnit. Jade is a complex, feisty character, battling her own demons and insecurities.” Lisa Darcy, author…


Book cover of The Wrong Child

Laura Elliot Author Of Not Their Daughter

From my list on children living under assumed identities.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was a small child when I saw Elizabeth’s photograph in the newspapers. She'd been stolen when she was a few months old and reunited with her family four years later. Many decades afterwards, I traced the photograph for research purposes. It was exactly as I remembered: a confused, little girl who'd believed she was an adored, only child until she was removed from the woman who stole her. Perhaps she’s the reason I’m fascinated by books about children reared under an assumed identity. Such books have offered me a glimpse into another world where such an act is committed and set against a fascinating, informative background. 

Laura's book list on children living under assumed identities

Laura Elliot Why did Laura love this book?

As a writer, I'm intrigued by collaborations between authors. It must be an exhilarating experience to co-write a book, but are there also difficulties as the authors merge their different genres and styles into a seamless narrative? 

This book had a theme that interested me, and I was keen to see how two minds could work in creative tandem. Did the authors develop different characters? Did they write alternating chapters? Did they disagree over elements of the plot? Curiosity as well as sheer enjoyment carried me through this colorful and nail-biting story about a stolen child and the earth-shattering effects it had on the lives of two very disparate women.  

By M. J. Arlidge, Julia Crouch,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

A mother with a dark secret...
A daughter dying to tell.

When 3-month-old Max is abducted, his parents are plunged into their worst nightmare. Devastated mum Sarah only took her eyes off him for a second, but that doesn't stop her guilt. Even husband Jake can't hide his anger that their little boy went missing on her watch.

By contrast there are smiles and celebration at a caravan park in Lincolnshire, as baby Blaze is introduced to the Star family. Jenna and Gary are delighted with the new addition to their family. He is their fourth child and a real…


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Book cover of Through Any Window

Through Any Window by Deb Richardson-Moore,

Riley Masterson has moved to Greenbrier, SC, anxious to escape the chaos that has overwhelmed her life.

Questioned in a murder in Alabama, she has spent eighteen months under suspicion by a sheriff’s office, unable to make an arrest. But things in gentrifying Greenbrier are not as they seem. As…

Book cover of Dead Man's Wake

Brenda Smith Author Of Becoming Fearless: Finding Courage in the African Wilderness

From Brenda's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Adventurous Creative Animal lover Fearless Honest

Brenda's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Brenda Smith Why did Brenda love this book?

The author, Paul Doiron, a former editor of Down East Magazine and a Registered Maine Guide, has written an enjoyable series featuring a central character named Mike Bowditch, a Maine Game Warden.

Each of the novels is set in a different Maine county and in a different month of the year. His characters are very relatable; each mystery to be solved is unique.

I live vicariously exploring the nooks and crannies of my state as I tag along with Mike. In this book, he solves a hit-and-run boat murder in the Lakes region. As long as Paul keeps writing, I’ll keep buying his books.

By Paul Doiron,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dead Man's Wake as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

On the evening of their engagement party, Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch and Stacey Stevens witness what seems to be a hit-and-run speedboat crash on a darkened lake. When they arrive at the scene, their spotlight reveals a gruesome sight: a severed arm beneath the surface. As day breaks, the warden dive team recovers not one but two naked corpses: the dismembered man and the married woman with whom he was having an affair. Mike begins to suspect the swimmers' deaths were not a senseless accident but a coldly calculated murder.

Meanwhile, the hunt is on for the mysterious…


Book cover of The Gathering

Rosemary Mac Cabe Author Of This Is Not About You

From Rosemary's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Rosemary's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Rosemary Mac Cabe Why did Rosemary love this book?

This book was a bit like True Blood set in the context of True Detective, Fargo and Mare of Easttown – dark, noir, murder-mystery with vampires. I loved it so much.

By C. J. Tudor,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

THE BESTSELLING QUEEN OF HORROR TURNS HER HAND TO VAMPIRES . . .

WELCOME TO DEADHART. ALASKA. POPULATION 673. LIVING.
'Britain's female Stephen King' Daily Mail
---

A boy is found with his throat ripped out,
the blood drained from his body. It's not the first
such killing, and the town knows who to blame:
the vampyr colony in the mountains.

But out-of-state detective Barbara Atkins think the evidence
doesn't stack up. People are lying.
And Deadhart has a history of dark secrets.

The snow keeps falling, but so do the victims.
Time is running out for Barbara.
Is she…


Book cover of The Lazarus Solution

H.R. Kemp Author Of Lethal Legacy

From my list on complex and thought-provoking thrillers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an Australian writer. I came to creative writing late in life but have been an avid reader since my early school years. My fascination with mystery thrillers started with Enid Blyton and included Raymond Chandler books—not usually recommended for an 11-year-old. I have always had an inquisitive mind, asking difficult questions and seeking understanding. My first degree was a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Chemistry. My diverse working life spanned a variety of roles, building a rich tapestry of experience. I relish layered, complex, and thought-provoking stories both as a writer and a reader. I hope you enjoy my recommended books as much as I have.

H.R.'s book list on complex and thought-provoking thrillers

H.R. Kemp Why did H.R. love this book?

This gripping historical thriller has World War II intrigue and Norwegian spies, so it can be described as a wartime murder mystery interwoven with a gripping espionage thriller. It’s a layered story that resonates with that era's tensions, conflicts, and mistrust. I felt like I was there; it was so rich in historical details.

The plot captures the real tensions between Nazi-occupied Norway and neutral Sweden. I learned so much and gained insights into the murky motivations of the time. For someone who pays attention to politics, the complex interplay of different interest groups and their political maneuvering had interesting parallels to the present.

The story has it all: layers of family drama, shared history, divided loyalties, and deep-seated hatred, with storylines weaving in political ideology, the true nature of war, and distorted notions of patriotism, ambition, and revenge. There is so much to think about and apply to today's…

By Kjell Ola Dahl, Don Bartlett (translator),

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

When a courier for Sweden's Press and Military Office is killed on his final mission, the Norwegian government-in-exile appoints a writer to find the missing documents ... breathtaking WW2 thriller.

**International NUMBER ONE bestseller**

'A stylish stand-alone thriller from the godfather of Scandi noir ... Ola Dahl ratchets up the tension from the first pages and never lets go' Sunday Times

'Absorbing, heart-rending and perfectly plotted' Denzil Meyrick

'Expertly crafted' John Harvey

_________

Summer, 1943. Daniel Berkak, who works as a courier for the Press and Military Office in Sweden, is killed on his last cross-border mission to Norway.

Demobbed…


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Book cover of Conditions are Different After Dark

Conditions are Different After Dark by Owen W. Knight,

In 1662, a man is wrongly executed for signing the death warrant of Charles I. Awaiting execution, he asks to speak with a priest, to whom he declares a curse on the village that betrayed him. The priest responds with a counter-curse, leaving just one option to nullify it.

Four…

Book cover of Dirty Thirty

Fiona Forsyth Author Of Poetic Justice

From Fiona's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Rome nerd Teacher Notebook hoarder Thwarted thespian

Fiona's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Fiona Forsyth Why did Fiona love this book?

The humour and pace make this series so easy to read and always lift me up. It’s a real escapism read but so well done.

By Janet Evanovich,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The latest title in #1 New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich’s popular Stephanie Plum series.


Book cover of The Mill House Murders
Book cover of The Only One Left
Book cover of Ink Blood Sister Scribe

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