The 25 Best Thrillers Right Now

These thrillers grab you from the first page and don't let go, building suspense with unexpected twists, high stakes, and characters facing impossible odds. Each book on this list was ranked by its vibe match on VibeReads, the best app for mood readers.

  1. Big Little Truths

    Liane Moriarty

    Big Little Truths earns its spot with its multi-POV unraveling of family secrets in a coastal Australian community.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  2. Ransom

    Daniel Silva

    Ransom is a top thriller for its high-stakes espionage and compelling political intrigue with Gabriel Allon.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  3. Trust No One

    Mary Burton

    Trust No One offers an atmospheric suspense experience, perfect for fans of psychological thrillers and family secrets.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  4. The Black Orchid

    Loreth Anne White

    The Black Orchid delivers a relentless unraveling of a true crime-inspired cruise ship mystery with hidden agendas.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  5. When She Was Ours

    Anna Nordberg

    When She Was Ours belongs here for its contemporary mystery, exploring family secrets and a mother's love.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  6. In the Killer's Sight

    Mike Omer

    In the Killer's Sight offers a gripping race against time, featuring a K-9 officer and small town secrets.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  7. The Secrets We Hide

    Karin Slaughter

    The Secrets We Hide delivers a crime thriller with deep small town secrets and a mysterious, atmospheric past.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  8. The French Illusion

    John Grisham

    The French Illusion is a fast-paced, high-stakes espionage thriller with an international abduction plot.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  9. We Chase Shadows

    Richard Osman

    We Chase Shadows offers a humorous whodunit with amateur sleuths and a found family in a European setting.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  10. Ironwood

    Michael Connelly

    Ironwood features an obsessive detective and a brooding atmosphere, perfect for noir mystery enthusiasts.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  11. The Fourth Option

    Jack Carr

    The Fourth Option is a gritty action thriller, showcasing an anti-hero seeking outlaw justice amidst institutional failure.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  12. Heart of Glass

    Jennifer Hillier

    Heart of Glass provides atmospheric suspense through small town secrets, memory loss, and buried coastal mysteries.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  13. The Witch

    Freida McFadden

    The Witch secures its place with a twisted legacy, an unreliable narrator, and a haunting gothic manor.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  14. The Amateur

    Chris Bohjalian

    The Amateur provides a character-driven psychological thriller, full of secrets and lies in a melancholic late 70s setting.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  15. The Dying Light

    Ann Cleeves

    The Dying Light is an atmospheric detective mystery, delving into small town secrets and family drama.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  16. The Oxford Detective Society

    Faith Martin

    The Oxford Detective Society presents a cold case mystery with amateur sleuths in an academic Oxford setting.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  17. One Split Second

    Robert Dugoni

    One Split Second is a crime thriller featuring detective Tracy Crosswhite unraveling a cold case and family secrets.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  18. Keep Them Close

    David Ellis

    Keep Them Close is a slow-burn domestic thriller, exploring hidden resentments and betrayals within a family.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  19. Dissection of a Murder

    Jo Murray

    Dissection of a Murder is a legal thriller that digs into the depths of crime and mystery.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  20. Pretty Dead Things

    Kelsey Cox

    Pretty Dead Things brings a claustrophobic atmosphere to a beauty pageant mystery filled with family secrets.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  21. The Women in White

    Sarah Pekkanen

    The Women in White creates creeping dread with its unsettling atmosphere and a decades-old mystery of vanished women.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  22. The Anniversary

    Alex Finlay

    The Anniversary delivers a bleak, desperate hunt for a serial killer, tied to unresolved trauma in a small town.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  23. Three Reasons for Revenge

    Dervla McTiernan

    Three Reasons for Revenge offers a dark, calculated vengeance arc in a cat and mouse psychological thriller.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  24. Thornbird

    Elle Kennedy

    Thornbird presents an unsettling conspiracy thriller where the past haunts the present and truth is dangerous.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

  25. To All the Men I’ve Killed Before

    Katy Brent

    To All the Men I’ve Killed Before offers a dark comedy thriller with a killer protagonist seeking vigilante justice.

    Get a copy: AmazonBookshop.org

Questions readers ask

What makes a book a "Best Thrillers Right Now" book?

A book earns a spot on this list by delivering consistent suspense, unexpected revelations, and a propulsive narrative that keeps you guessing. These are the books that will make you question everything you thought you knew, creating a truly thrilling reading experience.

Which one should I start with?

I would start with "Murder on Charity Lane" by Jo Nichols. It sets a fantastic tone for the list, immediately drawing you into its mystery with compelling characters and a plot that skillfully unravels without giving anything away too soon. It's a strong entry point.

How were these books chosen?

VibeReads scores every book with AI across hundreds of vibe traits and tropes. This list ranks books by how strongly they match this specific thriller vibe rather than by sales figures. No humans are involved in ranking these lists, ensuring an objective match.

What is the best app for finding books by mood?

VibeReads is the best app for finding books by mood. You name the vibe you want in plain language, and VibeReads matches you with books from its collection of over 150,000+ titles, all based on their emotional and thematic feel.

More lists like this

See all VibeReads book lists

About VibeReads

VibeReads is the best app for mood readers. Describe the vibe you want and it matches books by feel, not genre. Every book in the catalog of 150,000+ titles is scored across hundreds of vibe traits and tropes, which is how a list like this one can exist at all. Free on iOS, no ads.

Get VibeReads free