Skip to Content

The 30 Best Thriller Books to Read Next

Gone Girl, Big Little Lies, and Misery are just a few standouts.

By
best thriller books
COURTESY / ILLUSTRATION BY YOUSRA ATTIA

Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Though spooky season is still months away, it’s never too early to indulge in an eerie thriller. From iconic titles like Misery and Jurassic Park to more contemporary offerings like Gone Girl and Big Little Lies, there’s something here for everyone. Here are the 30 best thriller books to add to your reading list.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

<i>Gone Girl</i> by Gillian Flynn

If you’ve seen the movie but haven’t gotten around to reading the book, now’s your chance. When a suburban housewife Amy Dunne suddenly goes missing, her shady and evasive husband Nick becomes the first suspect in her suspected murder.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

<i>Big Little Lies</i> by Liane Moriarty

This one hardly needs an introduction. Big Little Lies follows a group of women as they deal with abusive husbands, family secrets, school scandals, and tragic murders.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

<i>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</i> by Stieg Larsson
Now 81% Off

Forty years after Harriet Vanger’s disappearance, a journalist and computer hacker team up to investigate (what they believe to be) her murder.

The Shining by Stephen King

<i>The Shining</i> by Stephen King

Over the course of his career, Stephen King has brought us killer clowns, murderous fans, and, of course, haunted hotels. When Jack Torrance takes a job as the off-season caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, he becomes possessed by the building’s supernatural forces.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Misery by Stephen King

<i>Misery</i> by Stephen King

Speaking of Stephen King, Misery is another essential read. When Paul gets into a near-fatal car accident, he’s rescued by his “number one fan” Annie. She then becomes his captor and keeps him imprisoned for weeks in her secluded home.

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry

<i>Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders</i> by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry

The infamous Charles Manson murders are front and center in Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders. And this one gives an insider account—one of the book’s authors, Vincent Bugliosi, was the prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

<i>In Cold Blood</i> by Truman Capote
Now 62% Off

Widely regarded as one of the first non-fiction novels ever written, In Cold Blood tells the story of four members of a family who were murdered in 1950s Kansas.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

<i>I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer</i> by Michelle McNamara

Before her untimely death in 2016, Michelle McNamara became enamored with a man whom she dubbed “the Golden State Killer.” I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is the result of her search for the enigmatic predator.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

<i>Jurassic Park</i> by Michael Crichton

Dr. John Hammond creates a theme park where genetically cloned dinosaurs roam. When he invites his family and fellow scientists to tour the facility, things quickly go awry.

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

<i>The Godfather</i> by Mario Puzo

An Italian crime family—headed by the patriarch Vito Corleone—fights to stay on top in the years following World War II. As a bonus, the 50th-anniversary edition includes an introduction by the film’s director Francis Ford Coppola.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi

<i>Wiseguy</i> by Nicholas Pileggi

Get to know the real-life story behind the gangsters in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas. Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family tracks the life of Henry Hill, a Mafia associate who later turns into an informant.

Psycho by Robert Bloch

<i>Psycho</i> by Robert Bloch

Psycho follows Norman Bates while he works as a caretaker of an isolated motel and deals with the tumultuous and strange relationship that he has with his mother.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Zodiac: The Shocking True Story of the Hunt for the Nation's Most Elusive Serial Killer by Robert Graysmith

<i>Zodiac: The Shocking True Story of the Hunt for the Nation's Most Elusive Serial Killer</i> by Robert Graysmith
Now 32% Off

If you’ve seen the film directed by David Fincher, then you’ll love the book, which features exclusive content like the unreleased letters that the Zodiac Killer left behind.

The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber

<i>The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder</i> by Charles Graeber

Known as “The Angel of Death,” registered nurse Charlie Cullen was responsible for the death of hundreds of his patients. The Good Nurse includes wiretap recordings, interviews with informants, and never-before-seen police records. After reading the book, check out the Netflix film adaptation starring Jessica Chastain.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

<i>Frankenstein</i> by Mary Shelley

When the scientist Victor Frankenstein conducts an experiment to create a sentient being, the creature he makes ends up being more grotesque and sinister than he could have imagined.

Zone One by Colson Whitehead

<i>Zone One</i> by Colson Whitehead

Though Colson Whitehead is mostly known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Underground Railroad, he’s also dabbled in other genres. After a plague takes over lower Manhattan, a man named Mark and two other civilians are tasked with clearing Chinatown of remaining zombies.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

<i>The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> by Robert Louis Stevenson

In this classic novella, legal practitioner Gabriel Utterson investigates a series of unusual incidents between his old friend Dr. Jekyll and a killer criminal Mr. Hyde. However, he soon realizes that Jekyll and Hyde are one and the same.

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

<i>The Talented Mr. Ripley</i> by Patricia Highsmith

Tom Ripley meets a wealthy man who hires him to bring his son Dickie back from Italy. But while on assignment, Tom soon becomes obsessed.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

<i>Silence of the Lambs</i> by Thomas Harris

An FBI trainee named Clarice Starling enlists the help of Dr. Hannibal Lecter in order to track down an infamous serial killer.

The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort

<i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i> by Jordan Belfort
Now 62% Off

In his memoir, the former stockbroker Jordan Belfort takes you behind the scenes of his time as a sleazy entrepreneur. Be prepared for a story filled with greed, capitalism, drugs, and power.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Page was generated in 5.8717567920685