7 Psychological Thrillers I Always Recommend
Book Recommendations
If there's one book genre I'm asked about the most as a book blogger, it's almost certainly thrillers (the people love thrillers!). When someone asks me for a psychological thriller recommendation, these are the books I most frequently recommend. 😎
Scroll down to see my (subjective) reviews of all seven books. I rated each of these books 4 or 5 (out of 5) stars...
If you're interested in purchasing one (or all!) of these books, click the linked title names to buy on Amazon. Disclosure: Bookmarkparty receives a small (very small) commission for purchases made through Amazon affiliate links.
The Silent Patient by Alexander Michaelides
This was the perfect thriller for someone like me, as I enjoy a good spooky and/or twisted plot line, but nothing too horrific that it will leave me with nightmares. This psychological thriller is told from the perspective of Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist who is captivated (or slightly obsessed) with the story of Alicia Berenson. Alicia was a successful artist with a seemingly charmed life before she up and murdered her husband. After the unexpected crime, Alicia’s art skyrockets in value as she refuses to speak a word. Alicia is sentenced to live out the rest of her days in a mental institution called the Grove. Inside the Grove, Theo gets his chance to work with Alicia and attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding her crime and her silence.
Between the engaging storyline and the short chapters, this made for a very quick read for me. I expected a twist at the end, as I’d read several review of the book prior to starting it, but I didn’t quite expect it to turn out the way it did.
I wasn’t crazy about Theo, the narrator. He creeped me out from the very beginning and he clearly had mental health issues of his own. Although I’m always fascinated by the concept of an unreliable narrator.
Verity by Colleen Hoover
While I'm not necessarily a huge Colleen Hoover fan, I very much enjoyed Verity. Also, just to qualify that statement - I don't dislike Colleen Hoover or her books... She certainly does what she does well! I just don't consider myself a part of the the die-hard CoHo crew that dominates BookTok and Bookstagram. Anyway, back to Verity...
The story follows a struggling writer named Lowen Ashleigh who is approached by the husband of famed author Verity Crawford to take over his wife’s bestselling series. After Verity was in a car crash, she was left incapacitated and unable to finish writing the three remaining books in her series. Due to her financial struggles, Lowen accepts the job and heads to the Crawford home to sort through Verity’s office. While rummaging through Verity’s endless notes, Lowen discovers an autobiography manuscript that Verity wrote before her accident. The autobiography reveals disturbing admissions that force Lowen to question everything, including her safety.
This story had me captivated from the very first page. Apparently this is Colleen Hoover’s first thriller, as she typically writes romance novels, AND the book is self-published. Which is pretty badass considering how popular it has proved. If you’re looking for a thriller with the perfect amount of spookiness (without the horror), I highly recommend this one!
The Acts of Life by Kristin Mulligan
If you're already read (and enjoyed Verity), I highly suggest you pick up The Acts of Life - a similarly themed (and independently published) romance thriller.
Sam has trouble with commitment... that is, until he meets Harper, the perfect girl. However, his overly competitive twin sister, Stella, isn't thrilled about his newfound happiness. Overly competitive and borderline sociopathic, Stella is obsessed with having the better life. Despite their differences and geographic locations (Sam lives in San Fransisco and Stella lives in Los Angeles), the two have always remained close - bonded by the tragic loss of their parents in their adolescence. However, when tragedy strikes, shocking secrets come to light that force Sam to question everything he thinks he knows about both his sister and his newfound love.
The first half of this book reads like a charming (yet steamy) romance novel. The writing style combined with the scenery felt reminiscent of The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory. However, a major bomb is dropped at the half-way mark and the book turns from sweet romance to psychological thriller… forcing the reader to reconsider everything they’ve just read.
I went into this one more or less blind and I think that definitely added to my enjoyment…just take my word for it and pick this one up! Not only is it a perfect read for spooky season, but the author is a fellow bookstagrammer! Kristin self-published The Acts of Life, her debut novel, in September (for those keeping track, Colleen Hoover also self-published Verity 😉). I would love to see her book picked up by a major publisher (and obviously want to read all future books) - so help a sis out and go buy it!
Bath Haus by PJ Vernon
My face (yep, that's me!) for the entirety of reading this book 😯🤯.
Bath Haus is dark, sinister, steamy, psychotic and completely thrilling. I can see why listed it as one of the most anticipated new books of the summer! I received a gifted copy from Double Day Books on pub day and proceeded to finish the book in 24 hours.
This twisted psychological thriller follows the story of Oliver and his parter, Nathan, in the wake of a near-deadly encounter at a bathhouse. Oliver is a recovering addict who has found stability and strength in Nathan, an accomplished surgeon. Despite their seemingly perfect life together, Oliver chooses to visit Haus in search of a seductive encounter with a stranger. After narrowly escaping with his life, Oliver weaves a web of lies to keep the truth from destroying his life with Nathan.
It’s not often you find a domestic thriller featuring a gay couple in mainstream publishing, so well done P.J Vernon and DoubleDay Books for putting this book out into the world! While I recommend this book for the storyline alone, I think it’s important to support authors and books that feature a diverse cast of characters in order to encourage greater representation in publishing. If you’re looking for books to add to your TBR for Pride Month and beyond, definitely add this one to your list!
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
If you’re looking for a quick and easy whodunit murder mystery with psychological thriller vibes, look no further! Fans of Agatha Christie will enjoy this one.
The story takes place on a remote island off the coast of Ireland - the scenery serving up all the spooky vibes. The book begins with guests arriving for the wedding of Jules, a successful and headstrong magazine publisher, and Will, a charming and handsome reality TV star. The majority of the story if told from the perspective of five different characters - the bride, the plus one, the best man, the wedding planner and the bridesmaid. Each character has secrets. Each character has a motive. So when someone winds up dead, there are more than a few possible culprits.
This fast paced mystery kept me engaged from the first chapter. I love a story told from various perspectives and I also love short chapters… which inevitably lead me to speeding through the book. I also really enjoyed the different personalities and drama provided by each of the primary characters. While I wouldn’t say this is a deep, thought-provoking novel, it is certainly a fun and enjoyable read - one that’s perfect for spooky season!
It's also perhaps worth mentioning that The Guest List was a Reece's Book Club selection back in 2020.
The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle
This book is a wild ride! If you’re looking for a thriller that you can finish in a day or two, this one should do the trick. I’ve seen some mixed reviews of this book, but I really enjoyed it.
This soapy rich-people-behaving-badly story follows identical twins, Iris and Summer. Summer seemingly has it all - she’s married to a handsome and successful man and everywhere she goes, people adore her. Iris, the more demure and cynical twin, has spent her life envying Summer.
After a medical emergency leaves Summer in a bind, she calls her twin sister to Thailand to help sail the family yacht across the Indian Ocean. While sailing across the open ocean, a freak accident occurs, leaving Iris to make a life-altering decision. Oh, and there is a one-hundred-million-dollar fortune up for grabs to whomever bears the first grandchild.
I’m not sure I can say much more without giving anything away, but just take my word for it and read this one! It will keep you guessing until the very last page (which I had to read several times). Congrats to Rose Carlyle on a fabulous debut novel.
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
I read this book on vacation a few years back and it was easily my favorite fiction book I read all year. If you liked Gone Girl and/or The Girl on the Train, this book is for you.!
The plot focuses on Anna Fox, who is an agoraphobic (and slightly alcoholic) woman who lives alone in her New York City loft and spends much of her time inside spying on her neighbors. As with any good thriller, Anna witnesses a series of strange events - not meant for her or anyone else to see - while peering through her window into another family’s home. As she seeks to uncover the truth, she encounters many unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader (and the characters) guessing until the end.
I finished this fast-pasted psychological suspense thriller in less than a week. If you’re looking for a fiction book that you won’t be able to put down, I highly recommend this one.
In movie news... The Woman in the Window was adapted into a film starring my Adams and is now streaming on the platform. While I enjoyed the movie, I have to say, the book was definitely better.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins are incredibly psychological thrillers as well… however, I have to imagine many thriller lovers have read those already.
ALSO, if you enjoy thriller books as much as I do, you may want to check out the Kill For the Thriller Book Spines Mug on the Bookmarkparty Shop. The mug features my hand-drawn artwork of popular contemporary thriller / mystery books (including many of the books featured here).
