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From Richard Osman to Harlan Coben, these are the best thriller books to bookmark in 2024.
The twists and turns of a creepy thriller can make for a great TV series or film but you can also lose hours to a dark and tense book – allowing your imagination to conjure up the action and suspense. From crime fiction to psychological thrillers, the literature world is packed with stories to get your heart racing. Thriller novels are in abundance this year, so we’ve rounded up some of our favourites to shop and look out for in 2024.
Here are 10 of the best thrillers to add to your reading list.
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
Bright Young Women takes the horrific crimes of Ted Bundy and focuses on two fictional women as they search for justice after his brutal murders.
Set in the 1970s, Pamela Schumacher and Tina Cannon each find themselves drawn into the crimes of a single man as they search for answers for their loved ones. “Determined to find justice, the two join forces as their search for answers leads to a final, shocking confrontation,” reads the synopsis.
The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner
If you loved Big Little Lies, this thriller is for you. The Other Mothers follows a woman who seeks new friends as she tries to navigate motherhood. At her son’s new playgroup, she spots a group of sophisticated and cool-looking women: the other mothers. As one of them welcomes her into their inner circle, she uncovers that these women seem to have it all. But there are also secrets, and it becomes clear that she can’t trust everyone…
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
The renowned crime and thriller writer is back with a brand new series and a new detective duo.
Steve Wheeler still does the odd bit of investigative work but he’s mostly enjoying retired life now and leaves the adrenaline for his daughter-in-law, Amy. She’s a private security officer and is currently trying to keep world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive on a remote island. But with a dead body, a bag of money and a killer on the loose, Amy calls up Steve to stay one step ahead.
Death Of A Bookseller by Alice Slater
One of the darkest and creepiest books of 2023, Death Of A Bookseller promises to keep you unsettled but glued to its pages. It follows Roach, a bookseller and true crime fan who isn’t interested in making friends. That is, until Laura joins the bookshop. She becomes everyone’s favourite bookseller but Roach senses a darkness within Laura and sets out to find out more.
“As curiosity blooms into morbid obsession, Roach becomes determined to be a part of Laura’s story – whether Laura wants her in it or not.”
The Four by Ellie Keel
For fans of dark academia: When four scholarship students are accepted into an exclusive boarding school, they feel like all their dreams have come true. But they’re soon bound by a dark and eerie secret that could either save one of them or destroy them all.
Think Twice by Harlan Coben
The thriller genre wouldn’t be what it is without Harlan Coben’s stories, and he’s back with a new book for 2024. Think Twice follows a murder where the DNA of a dead man is found at the crime scene which makes sports agent Myron Bolitar wonder if his client Greg Downing is still alive.
Butter by Asako Yuzuki
Inspired by a true story, this Japanese bestseller is about a female cook and serial killer, and the journalist committed to cracking her case. The gourmet cook Manako Kajii refuses to speak to the press, but when journalist Rika Machida writes to her asking for a recipe for beef stew, Kajii writes back, and so begins an exchange based on food. But as the two talk about food and cooking, do they have more in common than Rika thought?
While We Were Burning by Sara Koffi
Exploring race, class and female friendship, this debut follows Elizabeth Smith’s life spiralling out of control after her best friend’s mysterious death. Elizabeth hires an assistant, Brianna, to gain some semblance of control but Brianna soon becomes an accomplice to Elizabeth’s obsession and has her own questions.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
Evie Porter has everything a woman would want, but Evie Porter also doesn’t exist. Everything about her is a lie – all so she can get to know her mark and finish the job. But with Ryan Sumner, things are different. Evie has started to picture another kind of life for herself, but when her real identity walks into town, her past begins to catch up with her.
Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
“Home alone with her young children during a blizzard, a mother tucks her son back into bed in the middle of the night. Then she hears a noise. But this sound is disturbingly familiar: it’s the tread of footsteps, unusually heavy and slow, coming up the stairs. In that split second, she has three choices. Should she hide? Should she run? Or should she fight?” reads the synopsis.
Images: courtesy of publishers
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