The best suspense thriller book reviews. While all thrillers contain elements of anticipation, suspense thrillers spend ample time building a state of mental uncertainty and anxiety in the story’s core characters, often delaying acts of violence over long periods of time to maximize the effect of the ensuing climactic scene.
The Bottom Line: A harrowing rescue thriller with a truly magnetic hero at its core. In Cam Torrens’ debut novel, nine-year-old Janae is visiting her aunt and uncles’ rural home in the Colorado Rockies when she’s mistaken for a girl named Kendall. She’s abducted, hooded and driven to a secluded barn – a place known as “the stable” – where a man known as Jefe markets […]
Stable, a Harrowing Rescue Thriller by Cam Torrens READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: This wildly absorbing, innovative murder mystery is a must-read for Agatha Christie fans. As The Serpent’s Teeth opens, an enigmatic assassin embarks on a curiously easy mission. As he prepares to enter the opulent estate, he has no need to hack its security system – instead, he simply logs in with the credentials his employer provided. Once inside, he finds his target, 79-year-old
The Serpent’s Teeth, a Wildly Absorbing Murder Mystery by Stephen Kronwith, MD READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A captivating destination thriller with all the ingredients for a perfect beach read: betrayal, sex and deadly games on an exotic island. As Vance Courage and Lauren Gold board a private charter for a gambling trip in the Bahamas, none of their fellow passengers are who they appear to be. There’s Tonk, whose appearance – man-bun, weak chin and a Get Shorty
Liable, a Captivating Destination Thriller by Karen S. Gordon READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: Filled with jaw-dropping shockers, The Housemaid’s Secret is a must-read. As housemaid Millie struggles to find gainful employment without being questioned about her murky past, she feels fortunate when the affluent Garrick family hires her to clean their luxurious penthouse and prepare sumptuous meals in their shiny kitchen. It seems like the perfect job for Millie, who plans to keep a low
The Housemaid’s Secret, a Twisty Crime Thriller by Freida McFadden READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A delicious whodunnit that establishes Lee Chappel’s style as both instantly recognizable and irresistible. You might have guessed that the title of Lee Chappel’s second thriller, Trust, is ironic. But only the most clever readers will guess who the killer is before Chappel’s detective, Ben Keeler, figures it out. Trust tells the story of Beth Sullivan, who engages in what can only
Trust, a Delicious New Whodunnit by Lee Chappel READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: Decades into his illustrious career, Stephen King continues to reinvent himself. Fairy Tale is one of King’s best. One of the best things about being Stephen King is no doubt the freedom to do as he pleases. Decades after being crowned the Master of Horror, Stephen King has spent much of the 21st century stretching the limits of the genre, working well
Fairy Tale, a Magical New Adventure by Stephen King READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A jaw-dropping suspense thriller that is unlike anything you’ve ever read. Eunis, a 39-year-old albino Minnesota woman, bears the “mark of the devil” – a brown birthmark on her left cheek that runs from her eye to her chin. A Bounty of Bone is the captivating story of how Eunis goes from someone whose appearance repulses people to someone who is hunted
A Bounty of Bone, a Jaw-Dropping Suspense Thriller by PG Lengsfelder READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A slow-burn, cerebral mystery that methodically builds stakes and suspense en route to a shocking climax. Thomas J. Thorson’s highly anticipated fourth Malcolm Winters Mystery (the first, Heirs Apparent, was one our 2020 Best of the Year picks) continues the story of Malcolm Winters, who is now living as an English professor at the University of Illinois Chicago. As he did in
Bad Fortune, a Triumphant New Malcolm Winters Mystery READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: Warm up the apple crisp and cozy up to a detective mystery that has been 75 years in the making. It’s the fall of 1971 in New Brunswick, Canada, and inspector Philip Steele is trying to shake off the stench of burnout and cases that haunt him to this day. He has given his resignation and desperately wants to swear off police work for good.
Just a Still Life, a Delightful Mystery by J. Ivanel Johnson READ MORE >
The Bottom Line: A satisfying conclusion to the Button Box trilogy that takes heroine to new heights, both literally and metaphorically Book one, Gwendy’s Button Box – which we ranked as one of Stephen King’s best audiobooks – kicked things off in familiar ground for King fans. In Castle Rock, Maine, a device with terrifying and glorious powers reveals itself to Gwendy Peterson, who is
Gwendy’s Final Task, a New Psychological Thriller by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar READ MORE >
