For readers who crave page-turning suspense and a deep dive into the human mind, psychological thrillers offer an unmatched reading experience. The genre, whose contemporary themes trace back to Gothic Victorian fiction, has exploded in popularity thanks to blockbusters like Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, alongside the successes of Freida McFadden and Colleen Hoover. Unlike horror, where the enemy might be supernatural, the villain here is often closer to home, exploring domestic relationships, family ties, and unreliable narrators.
Our Shopping Editor has curated a list of seven absolute favourites, from new releases and 2000s bestsellers to utter classics. These are the books that leave you off-kilter, wanting more, and pondering the plot long beyond the final page.
Modern Masterpieces and Holiday Reads
'Verity' by Colleen Hoover – This holiday read was so gripping that the editor didn't speak to her partner for three days. It follows young author Lowen Ashleigh, who takes on responsibility for a world-renowned author's book series after a terrible accident. Moving into the Crawford home, she finds the atmosphere strange, the supposedly paralysed Verity staring at her, and dark, twisted diaries that make everything far more threatening. £5.48, Amazon.
'Don't Let Him In' by Lisa Jewell – A story of female solidarity and a warning against first impressions, this book was read on a sun lounger in Turkey and gave the editor trust issues. Nick charms women and then disappears for days. When Nina Swann introduces him as her new squeeze after her husband's death, her daughter Ash feels something is off. The narrative jumps between perspectives of women who all feel something isn't right. £7.49, Amazon.
Classics and Genre-Defining Thrillers
'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn – A modern masterpiece that defines the psychological thriller genre. On their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne's wife, Amy, disappears. Nick becomes an immediate suspect, and the confusion thickens when Amy's friends say she was afraid of him and his computer shows incriminating searches he never made. £6.99, Amazon.
'Misery' by Stephen King – Often cited as one of the greatest literary thrillers, this is the horror story of a writer's imprisonment by a demented fan. After a car crash, author Paul Sheldon wakes up in the bed of Annie Wilkes, who pulled him from the wreckage. Bedbound with broken legs, he discovers she is his number one fan and intends to hold him hostage until he writes Misery back into existence. £10.44, Amazon.
'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier – A classic that starts with a holiday fling that turns serious. The shy protagonist marries the rich widower Maxim de Winter and moves into his haunting home, Manderley. There, she feels the presence of Maxim's deceased wife, Rebecca, everywhere, and the feeling that Maxim has a horrible hidden secret looms large. £6.86, Amazon.
'The Talented Mr Ripley' by Patricia Highsmith – An all-time classic following Tom Ripley, a well-versed scammer, on a trip to Italy to persuade a businessman's son to return to the US. Ripley becomes so infatuated with Dickie Greenleaf that he wants to become him, and his talent for murder and self-invention becomes all too clear. £9.17, Amazon.
'What Happened That Night' by Nicci French – Tyler Green has been in prison for nearly thirty years, and on release he wants one thing: a dinner party with the university friends he believes framed him for murder. The third book in a series with detective Maud O'Connor, it can be read as a standalone and highlights the female experience of working in a male-dominated field. £5.48, Amazon.
More Favourites to Devour
'Fight Club' by Chuck Palahniuk – A cynical, darkly satirical ride following an unnamed insomniac who finds relief by impersonating seriously ill people at support groups. After meeting Tyler Durden, he becomes involved in an underground fight club, exploring masculinity, dissatisfaction, and isolation. £6.67, Amazon.
'The Silence of the Lambs' by Thomas Harris – FBI rookie Clarice Starling is assigned to the case of a serial killer known as Buffalo Bill. To understand him, she turns to imprisoned psychopath Dr Hannibal Lecter, who wants to swap information on killers for information on Clarice. £7.99, Amazon.
'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' by Stieg Larsson – The first book in an internationally bestselling trilogy. Disgraced reporter Mikael Blomkvist is hired to investigate the 40-year-old murder of a wealthy industrialist's niece. He teams up with hacker Lisbeth Salander to uncover corruption and a dark family history.
'What Happens in the Dark' by Kia Abdullah – A courtroom thriller exploring the friendship between Lily, a morning television heroine, and Safa, who has suffered a fall from grace. When a body is discovered at Lily's house, Safa embarks on her own journalistic investigation to uncover the truth.
'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt – Part psychological thriller and part story of disaffected students, it follows a group of clever misfits at an elite New England college. When one member threatens to reveal the group's role in a murder, tensions rise and the novel explores the psychological consequences of hiding a terrible secret. £8.24, Amazon.
'Shutter Island' by Dennis Lehane – Set in 1954, US Marshal Teddy Daniels investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the clinically insane. Trapped by a storm, the reader is kept guessing about which narrative to believe as dream sequences reveal hidden truths. £7.99, Amazon.
