There’s nothing more frustrating than a thriller book that leaves readers disappointed with its final twist, but that only makes the stories that get it right stand out all the more. Mysteries, psychological thrillers, unsettling crime dramas, and more have been a key feature of fiction for centuries, going back to James Fenimore Cooper’s The Spy in 1821. Of course, the longer this genre has been popular, the harder it is to take avid readers by surprise.

Standard thriller tropes can be a double-edged sword, and so often, a book falls flat when it can’t deliver on its promise to make readers’ jaws drop in the final third. However, a skilled writer can find their way around reader expectations. Authors like Agatha Christie, William Diehl, Natsuo Kirino, Fiona Barton, and more have prepared thriller novels that will shock even the most experienced readers.

15

The Kind Worth Killing By Peter Swanson

4/5 Stars On Goodreads

Peter Swanson’s The Kind Worth Killing is a dangerously indulgent book following a man who drunkenly confesses to a strange woman that he wants to murder his unfaithful wife, and she surprisingly promises to help him do it. Of course, it doesn’t end there, and as the duo continues with their plan and The Kind Worth Killing shifts between the two character’s perspectives, things slowly become more chilling.

Swanson didn’t need to reach too far for suspense in this book since the intense pact between the book’s two characters does all the work for him. However, the themes of morality guide readers uneasily through the psychological thriller as they are hit with endless twists and turns that won’t disappoint.

14

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd By Agatha Christie

4.27/5 On Goodreads

It’s no big news that Agatha Christie has delivered some excellent plot twists, but The Murder of Roger Ackroyd breaks all the rules to ensure readers are left gaping. The 1926 Hercule Poirot novel is set in the aesthetic and peaceful English countryside and follows the shocking investigation of a woman’s sudden overdose and the mysterious murder of the man she was meant to marry, Roger Ackroyd.

Old whodunits are often predictable by today’s standards, and even now, the genre has taken a harsh turn as aggressive red herrings make the final resolution unsatisfying. However, Christie was a master of her craft, and the way The Murder of Roger Ackroyd uses readers’ expectations against them was entirely before its time.

13

Stay Awake By Megan Goldin

3.82/5 On Goodreads

Megan Goldin takes a common concept and makes it extraordinary in Stay Awake. The novel follows Liv Reese, who wakes up in a cab with no idea how she got there or where she has been. It isn’t until she discovers a bloody knife on her person and the messages saying “stay awake!” scrawled over her skin that she realizes that if she falls asleep, her memory will be reset, and she will forget everything.

Of course, this isn’t 50 First Dates—it quickly becomes apparent that Liv must go on the run for a murder that she doesn’t remember committing. The strain of needing to stay awake adds a thrilling tension to Stay Awake, and the resulting suspense perfectly accompanies the big twist that makes it all worth it.

12

Primal Fear By William Diehl

4.23/5 On Goodreads

William Diehl’s 1992 legal thriller Primal Fear is among his best-constructed novels. It follows attorney Martin Vail as he takes on a pro bono client who is sure to lose—a 19-year-old boy found holding a knife over the bloodied corpse of a bishop. Together with his team, Vail is determined to get the kid off, but shocking twists and shocking turns make this case far darker than he had imagined.

The final twist of Primal Fear comes with the verdict, full of courtroom drama and flair that will keep readers at the very edge of their seats. This thriller once again uses readers’ expectations against them, delivering that final and thrillingly disturbing bombshell.

11

Here Lies Daniel Tate By Cristin Terrill

4.06/5 On Goodreads

Here Lies Daniel Tate by Cristin Terrill is another novel with an age-old idea handled in just the right way. The story picks up with the surprise return of Daniel Tate, a boy who had gone missing six years before when he was 10 years old. His wealthy family is overjoyed to finally find him and bring him home, but what they don’t realize is that this isn’t Daniel; it’s a con artist ready to take the family for all they have.

However, the Tates also have some secrets, and as the fake Daniel gets tangled up in them, it becomes clear that he is in genuine danger. The premise of Here Lies Daniel Tate is already a twist within a twist, but Terill uses the central character’s dishonesty to push readers to their own mental limits.

10

Confessions By Kanae Minato

3.79/5 On Goodreads

Confessions is Kanae Minato’s debut novel, and she held nothing back. Originally published in Japan in 2008, the book follows Yuko Moriguchi, a single mother turned vigilante after her daughter’s murder. It sounds like a Marvel origin story, but one of the initial twists of Confessions is that the murderers at whom Yuko’s revenge is aimed are only 13 years old. However, this doesn’t stop the grieving mother’s violence.

Confessions pushes the boundaries of morality, forcing readers to confront uncomfortable questions from start to finish. Still, that’s not all Kanae has in store for her readers, and the final twist of this brutal thriller forces the unsettling questions about morality past their breaking point.

9

The Darkest Corners By Kara Thomas

3.8/5 On Goodreads

The Darkest Corners is a young adult thriller, but that isn’t to say that author Kara Thomas shied away from the dark and disturbing. The 2016 book revolves around two childhood friends who have been holding on to a secret since they were nine. However, one of these girls, Tessa, decides years later that she wants to put together the missing pieces of that horrible night, but the truth has a tight grip that she might not be able to escape.

The Darkest Corners requires its readers to pay meticulous attention to several diverting plot points, but there is a valuable reward for those who do. After sifting through some artfully constructed red herrings, the YA novel will pull the true answer out of right field with a profoundly satisfying reveal.

8

The Night Shift By Alex Finlay

3.91/5 On Goodreads

Alex Finlay combines ’90s nostalgia with excruciating thrills in The Night Shift. The 2022 novel picks up after a group of teens are murdered at a Blockbuster on New Year’s Eve of 1999, so it wastes no time getting to the excitement. From there, The Night Shift zips ahead 15 years to a similar murder at an ice cream shop, and there are still no answers in sight.

Finlay’s mystery thriller is phenomenally paced, with minimal downtime that would cause readers to lose interest. There are new clues, reveals, and massive shocks unveiled on every page, but this does nothing to prepare readers for the final twist.

7

Verity By Colleen Hoover

4.32/5 On Goodreads

Colleen Hoover is best known for her romance novels, and she brought this to her 2018 thriller Verity. It follows writer Lowen Ashleigh, who is hired by the husband of bestselling author Verity to finish his wife’s books while she is recovering from an accident. As Lowen carries out her work, she begins to uncover some of Verity’s darkest secrets, and this places her in a haunting predicament.

Verity is several things all at once, making it the perfect book for someone looking for an exciting thriller who enjoys spicy bedroom scenes (and lots of them). Still, there is more to the novel than just this, as the central mystery is sure to keep readers guessing until they are confronted with the final, satisfying twist.

6

Out By Natsuo Kirino

3.95/5 On Goodreads

Natsuo Kirino uses gore and violence in Out to set readers on edge, with desperate, unhappy characters that naturally create the tone of this crime drama thriller. The story follows a group of four women struggling to make it through while working at a lunchbox factory. Things are hard, but when one murders her husband and the other three help to cover it up, their desperation evolves into something else entirely.

Out goes beyond these four central characters, exploring how misery can spread, leaving rot and waste in its wake. Natsuo spends much time building up these stories, so Out has a more inconsistent pace. However, it’s still a page-turner, and learning about these characters and their miserable lives has an excellent payoff in the end.

5

Rebecca By Daphne Du Maurier

4.42/5 On Goodreads

A must-read classic within the genre, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is a gothic novel following an unnamed young woman swept away in a romance with an older, wealthy widower. When they are married, the narrator is taken to his home of Manderly Manor, but while there, she is tormented by the haunting memory of his previous wife, Rebecca, who died only the year before.

The setting of Manderly Monor is everything a thrilling gothic needs. The home is centuries old, and the halls are steeped in painful nostalgia. As Rebecca progresses, it eventually becomes difficult to tell what is real and what isn’t, but each scene is packed with symbolism and hints that will only really make sense once that big twist blows readers away.

4

The Last House On Needless Street By Catriona Ward

3.86/5 On Goodreads

The Last House on Needless Street takes the unreliable narrator trope to the extreme, shifting between the perspective of a lonely bachelor named Ted, his cat, and his new neighbor. From chapter to chapter, Ted is trying desperately to keep his life in order, but he keeps losing time, and a far more sinister story begins to play out between the lines.

Catriona Ward’s psychological thriller is mind-bending at the very least, with Ted’s life growing more unsettling with every page. Readers begin to want answers just as badly as his neighbor, Dee, but The Last House on Needless Street keeps them frustratingly out of reach. Ultimately, the series of satisfying twists in the last third provides some answers, but they aren’t what you would expect.

3

Shutter Island By Dennis Lehane

4.12/5 On Goodreads

Shutter Island is another must-read classic. Set in the 1950s, Dennis places his characters on the titular island, which is the location of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. The detective and his partner must solve a missing person case while a known murderer is loose on the island, and a deadly hurricane bears down on them. It’s page-turning suspense at its finest.

Dennis Lehane’s novel is full of all the standard tropes—the asylum is hiding secrets regarding experimentation and cruelty, and these conspiracies will surely get these snooping detectives into trouble. Still, this isn’t to say that Shutter Island is predictable. It’s worth a read, even for those who have seen the 2010 movie.

2

The Silent Patient By Alex Michaelides

4.18/5 On Goodreads

Alex Michaelides’ The Silent Patient follows criminal psychotherapist Theo Farber as he is faced with the case of his career—a famous and wealthy painter shoots her fashion photographer husband for seemingly no reason and then never speaks a word again. The completely silent artist becomes an egg that Faber simply must crack, even at the expense of his own sanity.

The Silent Patient switches between Faber’s narration and that of the titular silent ward, whose vague story is outlined through a series of journal entries. Between the two, it seems as if the murder would quickly begin to make sense, but the story only grows more unhinged as readers head toward that final, unexpected reveal.

1

‘The Child’ By Fiona Barton

3.94/5 On Goodreads

Unsurprisingly, The Child delivers on being a great thriller with an impactful twist since Fiona Barton has already proven herself in this regard. The story centers around the discovery of a tiny skeleton beneath an old house and a journalist, Kate, who hopes to uncover the story here. Her investigation takes her through the surrounding neighborhood, and the tale only becomes more heartbreaking the deeper she dives.

Despite being a psychological thriller, Barton tells the story of The Child fairly neatly, and readers can likely solve the mystery themselves if they are paying attention. The plot isn’t muddled up by too many red herrings, but this makes the nature of the thriller book‘s final plot twist even more satisfying.