15 Must Read Mystery & Thriller Novels

The Chestnut Man is on the top of my list! This is one of the books that got me back into reading and gave me that signature adrenaline rush that an incredible thriller will give you!

This dark crime thriller is incredibly gripping, cinematic and fast-paced. I remember just flying through this book and being on the edge of my seat.

As the tagline says “If you find one, he’s already found you“. Talk about creepy!

To give a very brief synopsis, this book is about a pair of detectives trying to find the psychopath that’s terrorizing Copenhagen, whose calling card is a “chestnut man” which he leaves at each bloody crime scene. Quite frankly, that’s all you need to know! You won’t regret picking this one up!

Jane Doe is a dark and disturbing domestic type thriller, but specifically a revenge story! Nothing better than a fast-paced revenge story!

This book hooked me right from the beginning and is just so much fun! I know “dark and disturbing” may not be your definition of “fun” but Jane is such a compelling character and this book makes you question how you’re willing rooting for this self-proclaimed sociopath.

Jane definitely gives me Joe Goldberg / Love Quinn vibes, so if you enjoyed “You”, then I’d definitely give this a shot!

When I pick up a new book, I typically go into the story completely blind – I rarely read the synopsis, especially for mysteries & thrillers.

If I’d read the synopsis of Run Away, I’m not sure it would’ve grabbed my attention but I totally recommend this thriller!

Harlan Coben is known for his mysteries & thrillers, specifically being able to write a thriller that also has great characters. I think this is definitely one of Coben’s best.

Run Away is so tense and entertaining, yet still has characters that you care about!

The Silent Patient has rocked the reading world and has become an insanely popular thriller – but for a great reason because this book is absolutely great!

This is another book that I went into completely blind and it truly paid off. As the synopsis states, “The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.“

And that’s all you need to know about this must-read thriller! I could not put this one down!

Honestly, I think to convince you to read His & Hers, I just need to include the end of the synopsis which says, “His & Hers is a twisty, smart, psychological thriller. A gripping tale of suspense, told by expertly-drawn narrators that will keep readers guessing until the very end.“

Yes, yes, yes – this dark and twisty domestic thriller is a must-read!

I’ll start by saying that Karin Slaughter is known for her dark (and I mean DARK) mysteries and thrillers, so I would definitely research content warnings for this book if you feel you’d need them.

With that being said, if you’re into dark and disturbing and want something that reads like true crime, I’d definitely recommend Pretty Girls.

Now, I’ll say it again – Pretty Girls is not for everyone and is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it is so twisty and I could not put this one down. Definitely one of Slaughter’s best!

So even though the plot may be disturbing, Karin Slaughter’s writing is just so intriguing that you can’t stop reading!

If you’ve read all the recommendations up to this point, then I know I sound like a broken record, BUT A Good Marriage is the perfect book to go into completely blind. Reading the synopsis of this one makes it sound a bit boring and confusing honestly – so many characters are brought up in the synopsis and it just seems overwhelming.

But with that being said, A Good Marriage is a legal thriller/murder mystery that starts off a bit more “slow-burn” but definitely picks up the pace!

A Good Marriage has well-developed characters and is full of surprises. One sentence from the synopsis to quickly describe the plot is: “…a woman’s brutal murder reveals the perilous compromises some couples make—and the secrets they keep—in order to stay together.“

Pretty Little Wife has the perfect tagline, “Debut author Darby Kane thrills with this twisty domestic suspense novel that asks one central question: shouldn’t a dead husband stay dead?“

“Shouldn’t a dead husband stay dead?” – I hope that line hooked you as much as it did me!

Pretty Little Wife is the perfect balance of great characters and an intriguing plot. This book is so fast paced, well written, and Lila, the main character, is so fascinating. This combination made my fly through this book and I would definitely recommend picking this one up! An incredible debut for Darby Kane and my favorite that I’ve read from her so far!

All I need to say about They Never Learn is “a female professor vengefully murdering the worst men at her university” because wow, this was wild ride!

They Never Learn is incredibly fast-paced and is by far a must-read thriller novel. Similar to Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone, Layne Fargo makes you question how you can possibly be rooting for a serial killer…incredible mind games!

I know I’ve said above that I typically go into mysteries & thrillers without reading the synopsis, but this synopsis perfectly describes My Lovely Wife and wow, it is a wild ride!

Synopsis from Goodreads:”A couple’s fifteen-year marriage has finally gotten too interesting…

Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.

We look like a normal couple. We’re your neighbors, the parents of your kid’s friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with.

We all have secrets to keeping a marriage alive.

Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.“

Also, do we see that cover? Talk about creepy!!

My Sister, The Serial Killer is not your typical mystery/thriller – some say it’s more of a family drama, but I’d classify it as a thriller that explores the complexity of sibling/sister relationships.

The short chapters in this book allow you to just fly through it while the plot keeps you flipping pages. The plot is just so interesting and the characters are so intriguing.

If you’re into mysteries & thrillers, I’d give My Sister, The Serial Killer a try! Or if you’re into family dramas and want to dabble into the thriller genre, you won’t be disappointed with this one.

The Chain starts with a mother learning that her daughter has been kidnapped by “The Chain” and the only way to free her daughter is to not only pay a ransom, but to also kidnap another child….Is she going to kidnap someone else’s child or risk losing her daughter forever?

The Chain is an action-packed page turner with a unique and unsettling plot. This story was so addictive and I couldn’t put it down!

Emma in the Night is “a thriller about two missing sisters, a twisted family, and what happens when one girl comes back…“…and that’s all you need to know!

Emma in the Night is another great psychological thriller that’s best to go into knowing as little as possible. This story was addictive, twisty, and kept me guessing until the end.

I know the title of this one makes it sound like a very basic domestic thriller, but The Wife is an incredible psychological thriller.

The Wife is a more character driven suspense novel but the plot builds tension and is full of cleverly-constructed twists and surprises! The Wife is an incredibly written thriller that will not disappoint.

The Secrets She Keeps is a psychological thriller that is addictive and full of obsession!

As the synopsis states, The Secrets She Keeps is “about the unlikely friendship between two pregnant women that asks: how far would you go to create the perfect family?“ This book is creepy, twisted, and you don’t want to miss out on this one.