When you want to read a novel that will make you forget about everything else, then you need a thriller. And we have just the books for you. Keep reading to find out the 13 thrillers that we loved that you should read!
The thriller genre often times overlaps with various subgenres. That also makes it exciting because there are various formats that authors turn towards to. And the 13 novels we picked highlight the best of the genre.
The thriller genre is still thriving and many of the novels on the list are recent. There is a good chance that you may have seen a movie adaptation of many of these novels. But nothing beats the original source material.
We loved these thrillers for different reasons and if you haven’t read any of these thrillers, then you are missing out. There are tons of amazing novels and authors waiting to be discovered. You can see the full list below!
13 Thriller Books That We Loved
- Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
- The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
- The Guest List by Lucy Foley
- Killing Floor by Lee Child
- The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
- Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
- Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
- In the Woods by Tana French
- Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
- In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
- Out by Natsuo Kirino
Shutter Island
One of my favorite all time novels on this list is Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. If you like reading novels where you can’t trust the protagonist, then this is for you. The movie is also great and I recommend watching it after reading the novel so the plot twist is spoiled. But even if you have seen the movie, you will still enjoy the brilliant writing by Lehane.
The Silent Patient
If you love plot twists, then you will love The Silent Patient. It is about a woman who doesn’t talk after murdering her husband. Psychotherapist Theo Faber transfers to the Grove to help Alicia Berenson talk again and find out what actually happened on the day of the murder.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
A classic thriller that I loved is The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. It is a fun novel that follows the descent into madness of Ripley and what he will do to keep his new life going. Highsmith is a unique character that explores the true nature of a person and what people are capable of.
Strangers on a Train
Guy Haines is sitting on a train when he is approached by Charles Anthony Bruno who tells Guy that they should swap murders. At first, Guy ignores Bruno but Bruno doesn’t stop pestering Guy, eventually trapping him, finding out how twisted Bruno is and how a man can be driven made until he has no other choice.
Strangers on a Train was Patricia Highsmith’s debut and it captured the public’s attention with questions of morality and that everything isn’t always black and white. And it led to one of the greatest movies directed by none other than Alfred Hitchcock in 1951.
Conclusion
These are the 13 thrillers that we loved that we recommend to book lovers. From classics to more recent novels, the genre is in good hands. And there are a bunch of novels with amazing mysteries and twists. Happy reading!
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