Shaley's Top 10 Thrillers to Keep You on the Edge of Your Seat

This book is great for anyone who loves true-crime podcasts, especially since the chapters are interspersed with an in-book one! In The Night Swim, Rachel Krall goes about investigating a rape trial in a small town, covering the case for her well-known podcast, “Guilty or Not Guilty.”

When Rachel begins to receive anonymous letters from a woman asking for help investigating the murder of her sister twenty-five years ago, she can’t help but feel obligated to help the woman. 

As Rachel unveils details about both cases, she also begins to notice the similarities between them. And as she draws nearer to the truth, she also draws nearer to a murderer.

The reader gets to follow both cases as Rachel attempts to determine the guilty party and the author builds suspense expertly! I found myself unable to put this book down. Note, however, that this book could be triggering for some as it involves a rape trial and sexual assault.

Seeking to escape after the death of his wife, Tom Kennedy moves to Featherbank with his son, Jake, for a fresh start. When a young boy goes missing, it dredges up memories of the town’s gruesome past. 

Twenty years ago, “The Whisper Man” murdered five residents, drawing them from their houses by whispering at their windows. This is not the fresh start Tom imagined. The “Whisper Man” was caught years ago, but now Jake is complaining of someone whispering at his window.

If you like to be scared, look no further. This book was suspenseful and terrifying. The thought of someone whispering at my window at night was enough to have me wrapping my blankets tightly around myself and holding onto my husband a little tighter. But I could not read this book fast enough! 

This is not one for those who scare easily or like to read at night before going to bed. This nightmare-inducing thriller is a wild ride, so hold on tight!

You never truly know what goes on behind closed doors. To everyone else, Millicent and her husband look like a cookie-cutter family. They have two beautiful children. They live in the suburbs, they have the house, the cars, and basically, everything—from the outside looking in. 

After eight years of marriage, they’re doing all they can to spice up their relationship—even murder. Millicent and her husband find the thrill of murder so enticing that they can’t seem to stop. No one knows the truth about them, and they soon realize, they don’t even know the truth about each other.

This book can best be described as deliciously disturbing. Just when you think this relationship can’t be more disturbing, it is. I got whiplash from all the twists and turns that I did not see coming. If you have a weak stomach, stay away from this one because Millicent and her husband are ruthless. And if you don’t know who your neighbors are, maybe you should!

Anna Fox suffers from agoraphobia, fear of going outside. Instead, she holes up inside her home, drinks, and watches the neighbors from the window. When new neighbors move in across the street, Anna is intrigued. 

One night she witnesses a horrific crime, but after the police check up on it, everything seems to be in order, nothing is amiss. When Anna receives an email with a photo of her sleeping, she goes straight to the police. One turn leads to another and Anna isn’t sure she can trust anyone, even herself.

You will not see this coming. Just when you think you have it figured out, you don’t. I love when a book has an unreliable narrator. You want to believe Anna, but she has her faults as well. This book could be upsetting for those with mental disorders as we get an in-depth look into all Anna’s anxieties. 

The beginning was a little slow but hang in there. When it picks up, you are in for a ride! For those who enjoy seeing books come to life, this one is being adapted into a Netflix series out May 14th.

When Lowen Ashleigh is asked to complete the remaining books of the bestselling author Verity Crawford, who has been permanently injured in a car accident, she feels like she’s just hit the jackpot. She visits Verity's family home, where she finds the writer's husband and son and unknowingly unearths Verity's unpublished autobiography. 

The manuscript contains confessions about her marriage and the death of her two other children. And the more Lowen reads, the more uncomfortable she gets. As her friendship with Verity's husband blossoms into something more, Lowen is torn between showing him the manuscript, tearing apart a family, and claiming him as her own, or keeping it secret.

Prepare to sit for several hours because you will not be able to put this one down. This book is for those who love thrillers with a side dish of steamy romance and trust me, it gets steamy! It draws you in quickly with a death literally on page one. From there, the suspense builds as you try to determine if Verity is just an innocent victim or a psychopath. 

The ending will leave you with your mouth open and questioning your very own sanity. I thought about this one long after I finished it and I still can’t decide what to believe! This book does contain descriptions of child abuse which was extremely uncomfortable to read and might be triggering to some.

Blythe did not have a great mother. When she has Violet, she is determined to be the mother she never had. But Violet is difficult. She doesn’t act like other children, pitting her father against her mother, lying when she does something wrong, and showing no remorse for her actions. Blythe begins to speculate there may be something seriously wrong. 

When Blythe has a second child, Sam, she finally feels like the mother she always thought she could be. There is an instant connection. Things are good for a while until tragedy strikes, ripping apart her family. As she wades through her grief, she can’t shake the feeling she knows who is responsible for all her troubles, but will anyone believe her?

This one is fast-paced and unsettling. I was skeptical going into this one as I’d just had a child and didn’t want to read about a dysfunctional mother-child relationship. However, I’m so glad I gave it a shot. The plot moves along quickly, drawing you in and keeping you glued to the story. 

This book does contain descriptions of child abuse, which can be triggering for some. It also discusses depression and anxiety disorders. I had no idea what the ending would hold, but I can guarantee, the last sentence will leave you reeling long after you finish the book.

When Maggie Holt’s father dies, she inherits Baneberry Hall, the same estate her family fled from in the middle of the night, twenty-five years ago. Maggie doesn’t exactly remember what happened there, except for what's written in her father’s best-selling book, “The House of Horrors.” So she decides to return to the mansion to renovate and sell it. 

Maggie also hopes to find some answers to all the questions she’s had for so long. Was the book true? Was her family haunted by a ghost? Or was it a book of lies, used to make her father wealthy? As Maggie returns, odd occurrences that feel all too familiar begin to happen. Will she make it out before it’s too late?

This one is for all of those who love a good ghost story. It is best enjoyed on a dark, stormy night with a cup of hot chocolate in hand and a warm blanket. The story alternates chapters between Maggie’s first-hand account and chapters from her father’s book, “The House of Horrors.” 

The reader gets to read both accounts and they are equally chilling. I found myself flipping the pages faster and faster, needing to know the truth about what was happening. This one kept me on the edge of my seat and truly terrified. This is definitely one of my top five favorite thrillers!

What began as an innocent holiday in the Scottish Highlands for a group of lifelong friends, soon turns sinister as a body is discovered in the snow. They are secluded, and the weather has left them isolated with no service. The dynamic of the group has been strained since they arrived, something unseen simmering just below the surface of the group. 

The book delves into each character, highlighting their flaws and weaving their stories together until you wonder if any one of them could be capable of murder. Only once you reach the end of the book do you discover who has been murdered and which one of them is a murderer.

I loved the setting of this novel! The blistering winter of the Scottish Highlands was perfect for setting the tone and delivering just the right amount of isolation for a murder to take place. The author was able to create a vivid image in my head and I found myself feeling like I was alone on holiday with a group of friends. 

After every chapter, I was certain I knew who the murderer was, but I was wrong all along! Most of the characters are very unlikable but I felt this played into the speculation of which could be a murderer. This fast-paced thriller keeps you guessing right up until the very end, and begs the question, do you really know your friends as well as you think you do?

Sophie O’Neill thought life in the suburbs would be enough to satisfy her and her family. But as time goes on, she can’t help but feel bored, missing the excitement of city life. She finds herself drawn to a group of women who call themselves “The Hunting Wives.” The lead woman, Maggie, is enticing and exotic and Sophie can’t seem to tell her no. 

As Sophie tries to fit in with the group, she begins to realize they have a little more fun than they let on. She is drawn deeper and deeper into a web of lies, sex, and infidelity. When a murder takes place, we see just how far Sophie will go to keep her new friends, but will they do the same for her?

Stop what you’re doing and go read this book. It blew my socks off. If you loved Mean Girls, you’ll love The Hunting Wives! It’s like the middle-aged women edition. You find yourself wanting Sophie to stay away from these toxic women, but also wanting her to go back and see what they’ll do next. 

I loved the fast pace and the dynamic between Sophie and Maggie. Maggie is like the frenemy you can’t seem to stay away from. Sometimes I wanted to smack Sophie for her choices, which felt sometimes immature, but it made for a great story! You may think you know where this one is headed but the ending will leave you wide-eyed and heart racing.

Thursday is in a relationship with a man who has two other wives. He sees her on Thursday and the others on Monday and Tuesday. For a while, it’s enough for her. When she finds a receipt in Seth’s pocket, she becomes curious and breaks one of Seth’s rules: never try to find information about the other wives. 

Thursday digs deep, finding out all she can about Seth’s other wives. She pays them a visit and sees bruises on one of them. Fearing for her safety, Thursday digs herself deeper and deeper until she’s gone so far, she’s not sure who to believe or if she can even believe herself.

A word of caution: this is a wild ride! It was such a unique story, and I was drawn in from the very first page and couldn’t put it down. I can honestly say I finished this book in one sitting. I got lost in Thursday’s twisted polygamous relationship and had to figure out if she was just crazy or if her husband was really psychotic.

Be forewarned that this story may be disturbing for those who have suffered domestic abuse or miscarriages as there are aspects of this in the story. But I did not see the twist coming and even once I thought I had it figured out, the last page leaves you stunned!