One of my favorite things to do is reading thrillers. The suspense and drama keeps you hooked as the world around you is all but forgotten. An amazing thriller will have you reading for hours without you even realizing it. That made us want to make a list of the five best thrillers of all time!
There are dozens of amazing thrillers out there and choosing only five sounds almost impossible. We are going to have to leave out some books and that may be due to our biases more than anything else. No list is perfect or the only list. More than anything else, this list invites debate and to help people find the best thrillers to read.
The goal of this list is to highlight the five best works in the thriller genre. There are just too many amazing books for one list to be the right one. Having a discussion and discovering new books to read is one of the main goals of this list. You can see the full list below!
The Five Best Thrillers of All Time
- The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
- Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
- Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
- The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
Few thriller novels create tension as effectively as The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth. This classic political and spy thriller proves that a reader does not need to be surprised by the final outcome to remain completely invested in the story.
Forsyth reveals important information early, yet somehow that only makes the novel more suspenseful. Instead of asking simply what will happen?, you become obsessed with how it will happen and whether the characters might somehow change an outcome that appears inevitable.
The story follows a professional assassin known only as the Jackal, who is hired to carry out an extremely difficult political assassination. What follows is a meticulous battle of intelligence, preparation, and investigation as authorities attempt to identify and stop a man who seems to leave almost nothing behind.
What makes The Day of the Jackal so memorable is its attention to detail. Forsyth takes readers inside the planning of the assassination while simultaneously showing the investigation closing in from the other direction. Watching these two storylines slowly move toward one another creates incredible suspense.
Whenever I talk about the best spy novels or greatest thrillers ever written, this book deserves to be mentioned. The pacing, plotting, and cat-and-mouse structure make it difficult to put down.
Even decades after its publication, The Day of the Jackal remains a perfect example of how a thriller can generate suspense even when readers believe they already know where the story is heading.
Read this if you like: political thrillers, assassination plots, spy fiction, intelligent cat-and-mouse stories, and methodical suspense.
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
If you enjoy psychological thrillers where you are never completely sure who—or what—you can trust, Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane should be near the top of your reading list.
U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels travels with his new partner, Chuck Aule, to Shutter Island, home to Ashecliffe Hospital, a psychiatric facility for dangerous patients. They have been sent to investigate the disappearance of a patient, but almost immediately, Teddy begins to suspect that something much bigger is happening on the island.
The doctors appear to be hiding information. The staff members are evasive. A violent storm makes leaving increasingly difficult. And the deeper Teddy investigates, the more unsettling the case becomes.
Lehane creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that makes the island itself feel dangerous. As Teddy begins questioning everyone around him, readers are forced to question Teddy as well.
That uncertainty is what makes the novel so effective.
I originally watched the movie adaptation before reading the book because I enjoyed the film so much. This is one of the rare cases where I would argue that the movie might even surpass the novel in certain ways, but both versions are excellent because the foundation of the story is so strong.
The less you know before reading Shutter Island, the better. Its mysteries, unreliable perspective, and psychological tension make it one of those thrillers you immediately want to discuss with someone after finishing it.
For readers who love psychological thrillers filled with secrets and major revelations, this remains an essential read.
Read this if you like: unreliable narrators, isolated settings, psychological mysteries, shocking revelations, and dark atmospheric thrillers.
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
Before Patricia Highsmith created one of crime fiction’s most fascinating characters in Tom Ripley, she made her literary debut with the disturbing psychological thriller Strangers on a Train.
The premise is brilliantly simple.
Two strangers meet on a train and begin talking. During their conversation, an idea emerges: what if two people each murdered someone for the other?
Because there would be no obvious connection between the killer and the victim, the crimes could theoretically be almost impossible to solve.
What begins as conversation soon develops into something much darker.
Highsmith was exceptionally talented at exploring morality, obsession, guilt, and the uncomfortable gray areas of human behavior. Her characters are rarely purely good or completely evil. Instead, they make questionable decisions, justify their behavior, and slowly become trapped by the consequences.
That complexity is one reason Strangers on a Train continues to feel surprisingly modern.
The novel also inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s famous 1951 film adaptation, helping introduce the story to an even larger audience. Readers familiar with Hitchcock’s movie will still find plenty to discover in Highsmith’s original novel.
What I enjoy most about Highsmith’s work is how uncomfortable she is willing to make the reader. You may dislike someone’s choices while still being unable to stop following them.
That tension is exactly what makes Strangers on a Train such a compelling psychological thriller and one of the most influential novels adapted into movies.
If you have never read Patricia Highsmith, this is an excellent place to begin.
Read this if you like: psychological suspense, morally complicated characters, crime classics, obsessive relationships, and Alfred Hitchcock-style thrillers.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Few recent psychological thrillers generated as much discussion as The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, and after finally reading it, I understood why.
The novel has one of the most memorable plot twists I have encountered in a modern thriller.
At the center of the story is Alicia Berenson, a successful painter whose seemingly normal life changes dramatically when her husband is murdered. Alicia is discovered at the scene—and afterward, she refuses to speak.
Not a confession. Not an explanation. Nothing.
Her silence transforms the case into a national mystery.
Psychotherapist Theo Faber becomes fascinated by Alicia and believes he may be the person who can finally get her to talk. He eventually begins working at the Grove, the psychiatric facility where Alicia is being treated, determined to discover what really happened on the night of the murder.
But the closer Theo gets to Alicia and her past, the more complicated the mystery becomes.
Michaelides structures the novel perfectly for readers who love trying to solve a mystery before the author reveals the truth. Almost every conversation, observation, and piece of information feels potentially important.
I had seen The Silent Patient appear on countless thriller lists before reading it, which gave me high expectations. Somehow, the novel still surpassed those expectations.
The final sections completely reframe parts of the story that came before them, making this the kind of book that readers often want to immediately reconsider once they know the truth.
For anyone searching for a fast-paced psychological thriller with a huge twist, The Silent Patient is an easy recommendation.
Read this if you like: psychological thrillers, murder mysteries, unreliable perspectives, short chapters, and jaw-dropping plot twists.
The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
Including two spy novels on the same list might seem ambitious, but leaving out The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy would be even harder to justify.
This Cold War thriller helped establish Clancy as one of the defining names in modern military and espionage fiction.
At the center of the novel is Red October, an advanced Soviet nuclear submarine commanded by Captain Marko Ramius. When Ramius unexpectedly takes the submarine toward the United States, both American and Soviet officials desperately try to determine his intentions.
Has he gone rogue?
Is he planning an attack?
Or is something else happening entirely?
CIA analyst Jack Ryan believes he understands what Ramius is attempting to do, but convincing others before the situation turns into an international catastrophe becomes increasingly difficult.
That premise gives the novel enormous stakes.
The Soviet Union wants its submarine back or destroyed before it reaches American hands. The United States wants to understand what Ramius is planning. Meanwhile, decisions made by a handful of people could potentially trigger a much larger conflict.
Clancy became famous for detailed military and technological explanations, and The Hunt for Red October demonstrates why. The submarine warfare, intelligence operations, and political maneuvering give the story a level of realism that helped define the techno-thriller genre.
But the book succeeds because there is still a compelling human story underneath all that technical detail.
Readers are watching highly intelligent people attempt to predict one another’s decisions while operating with incomplete information. Every mistake carries enormous consequences.
If you enjoy intelligent spy novels with geopolitical stakes, military strategy, and a relentless race against time, The Hunt for Red October remains one of the genre’s essential books.
Read this if you like: Cold War thrillers, submarines, military fiction, espionage, geopolitical suspense, and high-stakes strategy.
Conclusion
That is all for our list of the five best thrillers of all time. Two spy novels made the list and it is hard to argue against spy novels. They are some of the most interesting novels there are and every page is action packed.
But three other thrillers fill the list that are just as good. Choosing only these five was not easy and if I made the list again, I don’t know if it would look the same.
How many of these books have you read? What other books should have made the list? Let us know in the comments below. Until next time, happy reading!
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Thriller Books
What are some of the best thriller books of all time?
Some of the best thriller books include The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth, Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane, Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, and The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy. Each offers a different type of suspense, from psychological mysteries and shocking twists to espionage and political intrigue.
What thriller book has one of the best plot twists?
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is famous for its major plot twist and is an excellent choice for readers who enjoy psychological thrillers with surprising endings. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane is another strong option if you enjoy stories that make you question everything you have been told.
What should I read if I liked The Silent Patient?
If you enjoyed The Silent Patient, try Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. Both novels use psychological suspense, unreliable perspectives, and mysteries that gradually reveal that the truth is much more complicated than it initially appears.
What is the best classic thriller book to start with?
The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth is an excellent introduction to classic thrillers. Its cat-and-mouse structure, meticulous plotting, and constant suspense have helped it remain a favorite decades after its original publication.
What are the best spy thriller books?
The Day of the Jackal and The Hunt for Red October are two excellent spy and espionage thrillers. Forsyth focuses heavily on an assassination plot and the investigation attempting to stop it, while Clancy combines Cold War espionage, military strategy, and submarine warfare.
Is Shutter Island worth reading if I have already seen the movie?
Yes. Even if you already know the major revelations from the movie, Shutter Island is still worth reading. Dennis Lehane’s novel provides more time inside Teddy Daniels’ perspective and creates a dark, claustrophobic atmosphere that makes the mystery compelling even when you know where the story is heading.
Is Strangers on a Train a psychological thriller?
Yes. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith is a classic psychological crime thriller that explores obsession, guilt, morality, and manipulation. It is particularly appealing to readers who enjoy morally complicated characters rather than traditional heroes and villains.
Which thriller on this list is the most suspenseful?
That depends on the type of suspense you prefer. The Day of the Jackal excels at slow-building cat-and-mouse tension, The Silent Patient focuses on psychological mystery, and The Hunt for Red October creates suspense through geopolitical and military stakes.
Are these thriller books good for beginners?
Yes. These books offer several accessible entry points into the thriller genre. Readers who prefer modern psychological thrillers may want to start with The Silent Patient or Shutter Island, while fans of espionage and political suspense should try The Day of the Jackal or The Hunt for Red October.
Which thriller should I read first?
For a modern, fast-paced read, start with The Silent Patient. For a classic thriller, choose The Day of the Jackal. If you prefer darker psychological mysteries, Shutter Island is probably the best place to begin.
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Thank you for this, forgot I have been meaning to read Strangers on a Train. I will check out The Day of the Jackal!
Glad to help!
Intensity by Dean Koontz.
Have you read THE HILLS BE SHAKEN? They call Michael Stewart, “The John Grisham of Engineering Thrillers”
Mystic river in place of Shutter Island, same author.9
I may have a bias and chose Shutter Island over Mystic River. Both are great novels and it comes down to preference. I think I leaned towards Shutter Island because the ending of Mystic Island was disappointing for me.
The Silent Patient belongs on this list. Maybe at the top of the list. Awesome book.
The Shining is horror but yes to Shutter Island, what a brilliantly written book, if sad. Day of the Jackal was v v big to people of my dad’s generation. Somehow I’ve always avoided it. As they say, it’s a thriller that works despite you knowing De Gaulle won’t die.