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The Best Psychological Thriller Books and Novels

If there’s one thing thriller lovers know, it’s that danger is lurking around every corner—or at least at the end of every chapter. If you adore twisty thrillers that let you take a peek behind closed doors, we have endless recommendations for you.

Perhaps you enjoy domestic thrillers that prove white picket fences can hide horrendous crimes, or modern thrillers that will make you rethink social media. You can even work your way through the masters of the genre, from Joyce Carol Oates to Jack Higgins.

From psychological thrillers to books with jaw-dropping plot twists, there's nothing like a novel designed to send chills down your spine. Discover books from classic authors like Patricia Highsmith to modern writers like Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty. And whatever you do, remember that not everything is as it seems.

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An Orchestra of Minorities
An Orchestra of Minorities
by Chigozie Obioma
A Study in Charlotte
A Study in Charlotte
by Brittany Cavallaro
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Silencing the Past
Silencing the Past
by Michel-Rolph Trouillot
The Road Back
The Road Back
by Erich Maria Remarque
The Cider House Rules
The Cider House Rules
by John Irving
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The Lost Girls of Willowbrook
The Lost Girls of Willowbrook
by Ellen Marie Wiseman
A Cottage Full of Secrets
A Cottage Full of Secrets
by Jane Lovering
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The Woman in Cabin 10
The Woman in Cabin 10
by Ruth Ware
Holes
Holes
by Louis Sachar
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Tell Me an Ending
Tell Me an Ending
by Jo Harkin
The Hangman
The Hangman
by Louise Penny
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Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love
Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love
by Peter Guralnick
The Unbound Prometheus
The Unbound Prometheus
by David S. Landes
Nine Perfect Strangers
Nine Perfect Strangers
by Liane Moriarty
The Duchess War
The Duchess War
by Courtney Milan
The Song of Achilles
The Song of Achilles
by Madeline Miller
The Silent Governess
The Silent Governess
by Julie Klassen
Autobiography of a Yogi
Autobiography of a Yogi
by Paramahansa Yogananda
Lord of Scoundrels
Lord of Scoundrels
by Loretta Chase
Celtic Moon Signs
Celtic Moon Signs
by Helena Paterson
The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living
The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living
by Louise Miller
The Floating Feldmans
The Floating Feldmans
by Elyssa Friedland
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The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride
by William Goldman
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The True Believer
The True Believer
by Eric Hoffer
The Sun Also Rises
The Sun Also Rises
by Ernest Hemingway
Wow, No Thank You
Wow, No Thank You
by Samantha Irby
The Engineer's Wife
The Engineer's Wife
by Tracey Enerson Wood
Nefertiti
Nefertiti
by Michelle Moran
Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
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After Dark
After Dark
by Haruki Murakami
Lighting the Flames
Lighting the Flames
by Sarah Wendell
Sold on a Monday
Sold on a Monday
by Kristina McMorris
Jackdaws
Jackdaws
by Ken Follet
The Librarian and the Spy
The Librarian and the Spy
by Susan Mann
Kill the Boy Band
Kill the Boy Band
by Goldy Moldavsky
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The Duke and I
The Duke and I
by Shonda Rhimes
Gravity's Rainbow
Gravity's Rainbow
by Thomas Pynchon
The Second Mrs. Astor
The Second Mrs. Astor
by Shana Abe
Ayesha at Last
Ayesha at Last
by Uzma Jajaluddin
Children of Blood and Bone
Children of Blood and Bone
by Tomi Adeyemi
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The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters: A Novel
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters: A Novel
by Balli Kaur Jaswal
Ammonite
Ammonite
by Nicola Griffith
Vermilion
Vermilion
by Molly Tanzer
Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia, Second Edition
Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia, Second Edition
by Ahmed Rashid
The Branch and the Scaffold
The Branch and the Scaffold
by Loren D. Estleman
The Pillars of the Earth
The Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett
The Lathe of Heaven
The Lathe of Heaven
by Ursula K. Le Guin
Darkfever
Darkfever
by Karen Marie Moning
A Spy in the House
A Spy in the House
by Y.S. Lee
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Some say that Agatha Christie invented the psychological thriller with And Then There Were None while others credit James Fenimore Cooper’s The Spy from 1821 with being the earliest example of the genre. Some contemporary writers that have furthered the genre are Dennis Lehane with Shutter Island, Colleen Hoover’s Verity, and a spread of books by Frieda McFadden. 

A thriller in itself is typically an action-packed story emphasizing tension, anxiety, and fear. A psychological thriller is simply a thriller that is more focused on the inner life and thoughts of the protagonist.