11 Thrillers That You Must Read Once In Your Life

When you want a good murder novel with an epic twist, then you need a good thriller novel. The genre is filled with many amazing choices. But we condensed this list to 11 thrillers that you must read once in your life. Keep reading to find out which ones you need to read!

Whether you like a good murder mystery or something to scare you, thrillers will the way to go. You will be wary of strangers and might be tempted to keep the lights on at night. A good thriller makes you paranoid yet you can’t put the novel down.

Some of my favorite books are thrillers. I love a good twist and when it comes to thrillers, I never see it coming. Thriller novels are few novels that are two different experiences when you read the novel over again. The second time around, you see the clues and ask yourself how you didn’t see it the first time.

This list includes some of most popular and best thrillers that you should read. Many have been made into movies over the years so once you read the novel, you can see how it came out on the big screen. You can see the full list below!

Thrillers That You Must Read

• 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
• Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
• The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
• The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
• American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
• The Shining by Stephen King

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.

The Silence of the Lambs

Is there a better thriller novel than The 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. 

The Silent Patient

The Silent Patient might have one of the best plot twists of a thriller novel that I recently read. 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.

American Psycho

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.

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.

Conclusion

These are the 11 thrillers that you must read once in your life. The list includes old and new thrillers so there is something for everyone. I love discovering new books like The Silent Patient and seeing them resonate with new readers. Happy reading!

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