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The Best Thriller Books for Chill-Chasing Readers

Thriller books are characterized by the suspense, excitement, and anxiety they elicit in their readers. Good thrillers books are action packed and full of twists and turns to keep readers on the edge of their seats. The stakes are always high and the characters are usually determined to complete a mission or goal before time runs out, whether due to an actual countdown ending or just increasing danger. 

There are many subgenres under the thriller umbrella, including domestic thrillers, science fiction thrillers, and legal thrillers. Sometimes thrillers also contain mysterious elements to form the subgenre of mystery thriller books. Across the genre, the best thriller books feature a palpable sense of urgency, as characters race against the clock.

From tales of political spies trying to shut down conspiracies, to books about husbands attempting to outwit murderous wives, the thriller genre covers a range of topics so you can pick one up, no matter your interests. 

These are our best thriller book recommendations to get your heart racing.

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Baal
Baal
by Robert McCammon
A Grave Denied
A Grave Denied
by Dana Stabenow
The Death of Sweet Mister
The Death of Sweet Mister
by Daniel Woodrell, Dennis Lehane
The Increment
The Increment
by David Ignatius
Skin
Skin
by Mo Hayder
Under Her Care
Under Her Care
by Fiona Gartland
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The Shepherd's Hut
The Shepherd's Hut
by Tim Winton
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Murderland
Murderland
by Thomas B. Cavanagh
The Iron Tiger
The Iron Tiger
by Jack Higgins
A Gentle Murderer
A Gentle Murderer
by Dorothy Salisbury Davis
Freedom of the Mask
Freedom of the Mask
by Robert McCammon
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Crane Pond
Crane Pond
by Richard Francis
Now We Shall Be Entirely Free
Now We Shall Be Entirely Free
by Andrew Miller
Shadow War
Shadow War
by Sean McFate
Mr. Timothy
Mr. Timothy
by Louis Bayard
Screwed
Screwed
by Eoin Colfer
The Perfect Stranger
The Perfect Stranger
by Wendy Corsi Staub
The Kings in Winter
The Kings in Winter
by Cecelia Holland
Going Wrong
Going Wrong
by Ruth Rendell
Shadow of the Lions
Shadow of the Lions
by Christopher Swann
The Dream Walker
The Dream Walker
by Charlotte Armstrong
Dead Embers
Dead Embers
by Matt Brolly
The Devil's Advocate
The Devil's Advocate
by Taylor Caldwell
Snake Skin
Snake Skin
by CJ Lyons
Eleven
Eleven
by Patricia Highsmith, Graham Greene
Flaming Tree
Flaming Tree
by Phyllis A. Whitney
The Optician's Wife
The Optician's Wife
by Betsy Reavley
Suspicion of Innocence
Suspicion of Innocence
by Barbara Parker
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice
by Barbara Parker
Pursuit of a Parcel
Pursuit of a Parcel
by Patricia Wentworth
The Man in Lower Ten
The Man in Lower Ten
by Mary Roberts Rinehart, Otto Penzler
The Fallen
The Fallen
by Jassy Mackenzie
The Sin Eater
The Sin Eater
by Sarah Rayne
The White Van
The White Van
by Patrick Hoffman
Poinciana
Poinciana
by Phyllis A. Whitney
Echo of War
Echo of War
by Grant Blackwood
The Friend
The Friend
by Joakim Zander
House Arrest
House Arrest
by Mike Lawson
Acts of Nature
Acts of Nature
by Jonathon King
The Chimney Sweeper's Boy
The Chimney Sweeper's Boy
by Ruth Rendell
Indian Killer
Indian Killer
by Sherman Alexie
Watcher in the Shadows
Watcher in the Shadows
by Geoffrey Household
Wide Is the Gate
Wide Is the Gate
by Upton Sinclair
Autokill
Autokill
by Cary Pepper, Sam Schwartz
The Thirty-Nine Steps
The Thirty-Nine Steps
by John Buchan
Death Wish
Death Wish
by Brian Garfield
Mazes and Monsters
Mazes and Monsters
by Rona Jaffe
Rustication
Rustication
by Charles Palliser
Showing 1-50 of 308 results

A thriller book is a book that keeps readers on the edge of their seats with action, excitement, and urgency, with a high stakes premise and a protagonist on a mission.

A book is usually classified as a thriller when it has an action packed plot that follows a hero in a race against time and evokes feelings of anxiety and excitement as it builds towards a climax.

While books can fall under both horror and thriller categories, the two genres differ in that horror books are meant to be scary and, well, horrifying, whereas thriller books are not necessarily fearsome but more exciting and suspenseful.