Reading thriller novels is a feeling like no other. Great writing makes these novels impossible to put down. That is why curated a list of the 40 must read thriller books of all time!
While 40 novels may feel like a lot, it only begins to cover this genre. There are tons of amazing thrillers and some authors cannot write a bad novel. This list should only be the start of your journey into the thriller genre. You can see the full list below!
The 40 Must Read Thriller Books of All Time
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
- The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
- The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
- The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
- The Guest List by Lucy Foley
- In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
- Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
- The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
- The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
- 11/22/63 by Stephen King
- American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
- In the Woods by Tana French
- Misery by Stephen King
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
- Those Bones Are Not My Child by Toni Cade Bambara
- The Shining by Stephen King
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
- Strangers by Dean Koontz
- Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson
- Killing Floor by Lee Child
- The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
- Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
- Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
- My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
- How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
- A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
- The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
- The Snowman by Jo Nesbø
- I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
- Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllis
- The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
- The Maid by Nita Prose
- The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
- My Annihilation by Fuminori Nakamura
- How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
- A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
- The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
- Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
Must Read Thrillers
Stephen King may be one of the best authors to pick up a pen in the mystery and thriller genre. He knows how to pique reader’s interest and never stops with the pace picking up after every chapter. The Shining is a classic but to be honest, you can’t go wrong with any of his novels.
Is there a better thriller novel than Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris? When you are reading the novel, it doesn’t feel like there is. What makes this novel interesting is that it isn’t even the first novel in the Hannibal series. But it is definitely the best book partly because it centers around Hannibal.
Some of my favorite novels are spy novels. A few made this list that should be read by everyone who enjoys a good thriller. The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth is a brilliant novel and one of the best when it comes to spy novels! Tom Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy speaks for itself as it has effortlessly become a mainstream phenomenon.
A novel that many people either love or hate is American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. I enjoyed the book but it isn’t an easy read. And while I liked the novel, it is not a novel I would revisit because of how violent and unfiltered it is.
Conclusion
That ends this list of the 40 must read thriller books of all time. How many of these books have you read? What thrillers should should have made our list? Let us know in the comments below!
I have several of these books but will love more.