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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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The 42nd Parallel
The 42nd Parallel
by John Dos Passos
The Weight of the Stars
The Weight of the Stars
by K. Ancrum
In the Distance
In the Distance
by Hernan Diaz
Linea Nigra
Linea Nigra
by Jazmina Barrera
Final Draft
Final Draft
by Riley Redgate
As Bright As Heaven
As Bright As Heaven
by Susan Meissner
Atonement (2001)
Atonement (2001)
by Ian McEwan
Master of the Grill
Master of the Grill
by America's Test Kitchen
The New York Times Monday Crossword Puzzle Omnibus
The New York Times Monday Crossword Puzzle Omnibus
by The New York Times
999
999
by Heather Dune Macadam and Caroline Moorehead
The Intelligent Investor
The Intelligent Investor
by Benjamin Graham
The Violet Hour
The Violet Hour
by Katie Roiphe
Melissa
Melissa
by Alex Gino
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Take Control of Your Cancer Risk
Take Control of Your Cancer Risk
by John Whyte, MD, MPH
Orientalism
Orientalism
by Edward Said
Spirit of the Ronin
Spirit of the Ronin
by Travis Heermann
Amari and the Night Brothers
Amari and the Night Brothers
by B.B. Alston
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Carolina Built
Carolina Built
by Kianna Alexander
The School for Good Mothers
The School for Good Mothers
by Jessamine Chan
Mimi Lee Gets a Clue
Mimi Lee Gets a Clue
by Jennifer J. Chow
White Rabbit
White Rabbit
by Caleb Roehrig
Girl, Woman, Other
Girl, Woman, Other
by Bernardine Evaristo
Lady Clementine
Lady Clementine
by Marie Benedict
Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
by Emily Dickinson
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The Glovemaker
The Glovemaker
by Ann Weisgarber
All the Best, George Bush: My Life in Letters and Other Writings
All the Best, George Bush: My Life in Letters and Other Writings
by George H.W. Bush
Fast and Loose
Fast and Loose
by Fern Michaels
1776
1776
by David McCullough
Visible Empire
Visible Empire
by Hannah Pittard
Warlight
Warlight
by Michael Ondaatje
The Girl Who Was Taken
The Girl Who Was Taken
by Charlie Donlea
Let Me Lie
Let Me Lie
by Clare Mackintosh
Salt Fat Acid Heat
Salt Fat Acid Heat
by Samin Nostrat
Layover
Layover
by David Bell
A Possibility of Whales
A Possibility of Whales
by Karen Rivers
Keep Her Safe
Keep Her Safe
by K.A. Tucker
Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret
Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret
by Judy Blume
The Long Winter
The Long Winter
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
On Chesil Beach
On Chesil Beach
by Ian McEwan
The Hidden Staircase
The Hidden Staircase
by Carolyn Keene
Today Tonight Tomorrow
Today Tonight Tomorrow
by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Die A Little
Die A Little
by Megan Abbott
The Black Flamingo
The Black Flamingo
by Dean Atta
Just Listen
Just Listen
by Sarah Dessen
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Outer Dark
Outer Dark
by Cormac McCarthy
Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland
Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland
by Gerald Clarke
The Last True Poets of the Sea
The Last True Poets of the Sea
by Julia Drake
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Your Corner Dark
Your Corner Dark
by Desmond Hall
Adventures in Old New York
Adventures in Old New York
by Greg Young and Tom Meyers, aka The Bowery Boys
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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.