BookMatcherBest Thriller Books
The best of

Best Thriller Books

Heart-pounding suspense, high-stakes action, and nail-biting tension that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The top thriller books

Ranked by editorial weight, reader signal, and what's worth your time right now.

  1. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
    1of the list

    The Mysterious Affair at Styles

    by Agatha Christie

    Set in the summer of 1917 in an Essex country estate, the story follows the war-wounded Captain Arthur Hastings to the Styles St. Mary manor of his friend John Cavendish. The Cavendish household is wrought with tension due to the marriage of John's widowed old aunt Emily, she of a sizeable fortune, to a suspicious younger man, Alfred Inglethorp, twenty years her junior. Emily's two stepsons, John and Lawrence Cavendish, as well as John's wife Mary and several other people, also live at Styles. Late one night, the residents of Styles wake to find Emily Inglethorp dying. When Emily's sudden heart attack is found to be attributable to strychnine, Hastings, who had runs into his old friend, the Belgian Hercule Poirot, he recruits him to aid in the local investigation. With impeccable timing, Hercule Poirot, the insightful retired detective, makes his dramatic entrance to solve a most baffling case. Who poisoned the wealthy Emily Inglethorpe, and how did the murderer penetrate and escape from her locked bedroom? Suspects abound in the quaint village of Styles St. Mary--from the heiress's fawning new husband to her two stepsons, her volatile housekeeper, and a pretty nurse who works in a hospital dispensary. On the day she was killed, Emily Inglethorp was overheard arguing with someone, most likely her husband, Alfred, or her stepson, John. Afterwards, she seemed quite distressed and, apparently, made a new will--which no one can find. Nobody can explain how or when the strychnine was administered to Mrs. Inglethorp. High on Poirot's list of suspects are: John Cavendish, the elder stepson; Mary Cavendish, his wife; Lawrence Cavendish, the younger stepson; Evelyn Howard, Mrs. Inglethorpe's companion; Cynthia Murdoch, her protegee; and Dr. Bauerstein, a mysterious stranger who lives in Essex. All have motive and opportunity but only Poirot can discover the truth.

    FictionMysteryCrime Fiction
    Buy on Amazon
  2. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
    2of the list

    I, Robot

    by Isaac Asimov

    I, Robot is a fixup novel of science fiction short stories or essays by American writer Isaac Asimov. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950 and were then compiled into a book for stand-alone publication by Gnome Press in 1950, in an initial edition of 5,000 copies. The stories are woven together by a framing narrative in which the fictional Dr. Susan Calvin tells each story to a reporter (who serves as the narrator) in the 21st century. Although the stories can be read separately, they share a theme of the interaction of humans, robots, and morality, and when combined they tell a larger story of Asimov's fictional history of robotics. ---------- Contains: "Introduction" "Robbie" (1940, 1950) "Runaround" (1942) "Reason" (1941) "Catch That Rabbit" (1944) "Liar!" (1941) "Little Lost Robot" (1947) "Escape!" (1945) "Evidence" (1946) "The Evitable Conflict" (1950)

    smear campaignssupercomputerscomputers
    Buy on Amazon
  3. The Terror: A Novel by Dan Simmons
    3of the list

    The Terror: A Novel

    by Dan Simmons

    The bestselling author of Ilium transforms the story of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition into a devastating historical adventure that will chill you to your core.The men on board Her Britannic Majesty's Ships Terror and Erebus had every expectation of triumph. They were part of Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition – as scientifically advanced an enterprise as had ever set forth – and theirs were the first steam-driven vessels to go in search of the fabled North-West Passage. But the ships have now been trapped in the Arctic ice for nearly two years. Coal and provisions are running low. Yet the real threat isn't the constantly shifting landscape of white or the flesh-numbing temperatures, dwindling supplies or the vessels being slowly crushed by the unyielding grip of the frozen ocean. No, the real threat is far more terrifying. There is something out there that haunts the frigid darkness, which stalks the ships, snatching one man at a time – mutilating, devouring. A nameless thing, at once nowhere and everywhere, this terror has become the expedition's nemesis. When Franklin meets a terrible death, it falls to Captain Francis Crozier of HMS Terror to take command and lead the remaining crew on a last, desperate attempt to flee south across the ice. With them travels an Eskimo woman who cannot speak. She may be the key to survival – or the harbinger of their deaths. And as scurvy, starvation and madness take their toll, as the Terror on the ice become evermore bold, Crozier and his men begin to fear there is no escape...

    Literature & FictionGenre FictionHistorical
    Buy on Amazon
  4. Death Row by Freida McFadden
    4of the list

    Death Row

    by Freida McFadden

    With all hope of an appeal fading away, the fate of a condemned murderess takes a shocking turn in a breathtaking short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid. Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband. She had an alibi and no known motive, yet Talia’s unwavering protestations of innocence have always been ignored. Then one day in the visiting area, she sees a recognizable stranger she’s certain is her husband. It turns out the man she’s been convicted of killing may not be dead after all. But as the days tick away toward Talia’s execution, what will it take for her to be believed? *Freida McFadden’s Death Row is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.*

    ThrillerShort StoriesMystery
    Buy on Amazon
  5. Max by James Patterson
    5of the list

    Max

    by James Patterson

    When millions of fish start dying off the coast of Hawaii and something is destroying hundreds of ships, the government enlists the flock to help get to the bottom of the mystery before it is too late.

    Adventure and adventurersFictionGenetic engineering
    Buy on Amazon
  6. 2nd Chance by James Patterson
    6of the list

    2nd Chance

    by James Patterson

    A brutal madman sprays bullets into a crowd of children leaving a San Francisco church. Miraculously-or was it intentionally?-only one person dies. Then an elderly black woman is hung. Police homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer senses a connection and together with medical examiner Claire, assistant D. A. Jill, and Chronicle reporter Cindy, finds a link that sends a chill through the entire nation. This killer's motives are unspeakable.A Main Selection of The Literary Guild®, of Book-of-the-Month Club®, of Doubleday Book Club®, and of The Mystery Guild®

    FictionWomen detectivesWomen in the professions
    Buy on Amazon
  7. Cross Country by James Patterson
    7of the list

    Cross Country

    by James Patterson

    When the home of Alex Cross's oldest friend, Ellie Cox, is turned into the worst murder scene Alex has ever seen, the destruction leads him to believe that he's chasing a horrible new breed of killer. As Alex and his girlfriend, Brianna Stone, become entangled in the deadly Nigerian underworld of Washington D.C., what they discover is shocking: a stunningly organized gang of lethal teenagers headed by a powerful, diabolical man--the African warlord known as the Tiger. Just when the detectives think they're closing in on the elusive murderer, the Tiger disappears into thin air. Tracking him to Africa, Alex knows that he must follow. Alone. From the author Time magazine has called "the man who can't miss," CROSS COUNTRY is the most heart-stopping, speed-charged, electrifying Alex Cross thriller yet.

    FictionAfrican American psychologistsAlex Cross (Fictitious character)
    Buy on Amazon
  8. Double Cross by James Patterson
    8of the list

    Double Cross

    by James Patterson

    Just when Alex Cross's life is calming down, he is drawn back into the game to confront a criminal mastermind like no other. The elaborate murders that have stunned Washington, DC, are the wildest that Alex Cross and his new girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, have ever seen. This maniac adores an audience, and stages his killings as spectacles in public settings. Alex is pursuing a genius of terror who has the whole city on edge as it waits for his next move. And the killer loves the attention, no doubt-he even sets up his own Web site and live video feed to trumpet his madness.And in Colorado, another criminal mastermind is planning a triumphant return. From his supermaximum-security prison cell, Kyle Craig has plotted for years to have one chance at an impossible escape. If he has to join forces with DC's Audience Killer to get back at the man who put him in that cell--Alex Cross--all the better.From the author Time magazine has called "the man who can't miss,"Double Cross has the pulse-racing momentum and electrifying thrills that have made James Patterson a #1 bestselling storyteller all over the world.

    FictionPolice psychologistsPolice
    Buy on Amazon
  9. The Tenant by Anne Brontë
    9of the list

    The Tenant

    by Anne Brontë

    **There's no place like home…** Blake Porter is riding high, until he's not.

    American literatureThrillerMystery
    Buy on Amazon
  10. From a Buick 8 by Stephen King
    10of the list

    From a Buick 8

    by Stephen King

    Una novela sobre una fascinación enfermiza y peligrosa. Una novela de verdadero terror. Pensilvania, 1979. Llega un extraño a una gasolinera para repostar. Conduce un Buick modelo 1954 pero en perfecto estado. El conductor va al baño y nunca reaparece. La policía se hace cargo del coche, que ahora no funciona, y lo guarda en una nave detrás de la comisaría. Y aquí empieza una historia escalofriante, la historia de un coche con su propia vida, perversa y maliciosa. Los agentes siguen su trabajo, pero el coche de vez en cuando interviene: a veces sus radios y teléfonos no funcionan. A veces el coche empieza a moverse, a producir relámpagos y el maletero se abre para escupir objetos indescriptibles. Hasta parece que es responsable de varias muertes, entre ellas la del agente Wilcox. En el otoño de 2001 el hijo del fallecido agente empieza a trabajar en la comisaría y decide que ha de saber la verdad del Buick 8.

    Fiction, horrorPennsylvania State Policeghost story
    Buy on Amazon

Adjacent reading

Nearby genres and sub-genres our readers also love.

Love thriller books?

Get curated thriller picks delivered to your inbox each week.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

iOS · Free download

Find your next thriller read

Personalized thriller recommendations, reading stats, and your full reading library — in the BookMatcher iOS app.

Download on iOS

Frequently asked questions

What are the best thriller books to read?

Our curated list features the top thriller books based on reader reviews, critical acclaim, and editorial picks. Top recommendations include "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" by Agatha Christie.

How do I find thriller books similar to ones I've enjoyed?

Enter any thriller book you love into BookMatcher's Books Like search. We curate similar reads based on themes, writing style, and atmosphere.

What's the best way to discover new thriller books?

Browse our editorial lists, or download the BookMatcher iOS app for personalized recommendations tailored to your taste.

Explore more

As an Amazon Associate, BookMatcher earns from qualifying purchases. Book recommendations are independently curated by our editors and AI.