Thrillers

New and recommended thrilling reads

Updated October 7, 2025
Rochester Public Library RPL Staff
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Thrillers

New and recommended thrilling reads

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Beware the woman : a novel
Abbott, Megan
Paper Book
An NPR Best Book of the Year By the "master of thinly veiled secrets often kept by women who rage underneath their delicate exteriors" (Kirkus Reviews), Beware the Woman is Megan Abbott at the height of her game. Honey, I just want you to have...
While justice sleeps : a novel
Abrams, Stacey
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER * A gripping, complexly plotted thriller set within the halls of the U.S. Supreme Court, where a young law clerk finds herself embroiled in a shocking mystery crafted by one of the most preeminent judges in America--from celebrated national...
The whispers
Audrain, Ashley
Paper Book
A propulsive page-turner about four suburban families whose lives are changed when the unthinkable happens--and what is lost when good people make unconscionable choices With The Push, Ashley Audrain gave us a transgressive, bestselling novel about motherhood. Now she...
A calamity of souls
Baldacci, David
Paper Book
Set in the tumultuous year of 1968 in southern Virginia, a racially charged murder case sets a duo of white and Black lawyers against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully accused Black defendants in this courtroom drama from #1 New York Times ...
The princess of Las Vegas : a novel
Bohjalian, Chris
Paper Book
One of Elle's Best and Most Anticipated Mysteries of 2024 * THE PRINCESS IS FAKE. THE MURDERS ARE REAL * From the New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and The Lioness, a Princess Diana impersonator and her estranged sister find themselves...
Society of lies : a novel
Brown, Lauren
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * "A dark and haunting debut that explores secret societies, the bonds of sisterhood, and the intricacies of privilege at an elite college . . . I couldn't put this twisty tale down."--Julia Bartz, author of The Writing Retreat ...
The ferryman : a novel
Cronin, Justin
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "Next to impossible to put down . . . exciting, mysterious, and totally satisfying."--STEPHEN KING   From the author of The Passage comes a riveting standalone novel about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia--where...
The night we lost him : a novel
Dave, Laura
Paper Book
An instant New York Times bestseller from the author of The Last Thing He Told Me "Dave's signature blend of twisty mystery, family drama, and moving love story is top-notch" (The Boston Globe) in this instant New York Times bestseller where...
The violence : a novel
Dawson, Delilah S.
Paper Book
How far would you go to be free? Three generations of women forge a new path through an America torn by a mysterious wave of violence in this "chilling [and] dizzyingly effective" (The New York Times Book Review) novel of revenge, liberation, and triumph. "A...
The block party
Day, Jamie.
Paper Book
Raves for the hottest thriller of 2023! "This is wicked fun." --Publishers Weekly "Absolutely amazing. Readers are going to flip!" --Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of ONE STEP TOO FAR "Like a firecracker on a hot summer...
What doesn't kill her /
Dodd, Christina
Paper Book
One secret, one nightmare, one lie. You guess which is which. 1. I have the scar of a gunshot on my forehead. 2. I have willfully misrepresented my identity to the US military. 3. I'm the new mother of a seven-year-old...
First lie wins : a novel
Elston, Ashley
Paper Book
Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn't exist. The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she's given a name and...
Shutter
Emerson, Ramona
Paper Book
Rita Todacheene is a forensic photographer. Her excellent photography skills have cracked many cases - she is almost supernaturally good at capturing details. In fact, Rita has been hiding a secret: she sees the ghosts of crime victims who point her toward clues other investigators overlook. Rita's...
The other mothers : a novel
Faulkner, Katherine
If something happens to me : a novel
Finlay, Alex
Paper Book
A USA Today Bestseller! From "one of the genre's most exciting voices" (E! News) comes one of the year's most-anticipated thrillers. For the past five years, Ryan Richardson has relived that terrible night. The car door ripping open. The crushing blow to the...
What have we done
Finlay, Alex
Paper Book
In this "top-notch mystery thriller" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) from Alex Finlay, What Have We Done is a tale about the lives we leave behind and the secrets we carry with us forever. One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2023:* BookPage...
The midnight feast : a novel
Foley, Lucy
Paper Book
An instant New York Times bestseller! "Sharp, stylish and stunning...Foley's best yet." -- Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark "It is an absolute bonkers delight (and I haven't even mentioned the local bird cult yet ......
Heartwood : a novel
Gaige, Amity
Paper Book
"The best thriller of 2025." --The Boston Globe * "Genius." --The Washington Post "A literary thriller of the highest order" (Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Couple), Heartwood takes you on a gripping journey as a...
The most famous girl in the world /
Hariri-Kia, Iman,
Paper Book
Stars--they're just like us! Except much, much worse. Rose Aslani is mid-bikini wax when her phone lights up with a notification: Famed scam artist Poppy Hastings will be released from prison today. It's been two years since Rose--a first-generation Middle Eastern American,...
The other black girl : a novel
Harris, Zakiya Dalila
Paper Book
Now a Hulu Original Series INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A Good Morning America and Read with Marie Claire Book Club Pick and a People Best Book of Summer Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by Time, The...
The blue hour : a novel
Hawkins, Paula
Paper Book
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "A taut, slow-burning thriller." -Boston Globe "Truly exceptional." - Liz Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The God of the Woods Welcome to Eris: an island with only one house,...
The wife upstairs
Hawkins, Rachel
Paper Book
Instant New York Times and USA Today Bestseller "Compulsively readable...a gothic thriller laced with arsenic." --EW One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2021: CNN * Newsweek * Vulture * PopSugar...
Darling girls
Hepworth, Sally
Paper Book
SISTERS, SECRETS, LOVE, AND MURDER... Sally Hepworth's novel Darling Girls has it all. For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster...
Things we do in the dark
Hillier, Jennifer
Paper Book
"Propulsive and chilling." --People Magazine "An intoxicating thrill ride. Hillier jams her foot on the accelerator and never lets up." --New York Times Book Review Things We Do in the Dark is a brilliant thriller from Jennifer Hillier...
Phantom orbit : a thriller
Ignatius, David
Paper Book
David Ignatius is known for his uncanny ability, in novel after novel, to predict the next great national security headline. In Phantom Orbit, he presents a story both searing and topical, with stakes as far-reaching as outer space. It follows Ivan Volkov, a Russian student in Beijing, who...
The return of Ellie Black : a novel
Jean, Emiko
Paper Book
A USA TODAY Bestseller | An NPR Best Book of 2024 | A Goodreads Best Thriller of 2024 In this "page-turning suspense novel, shrewd character study, and captivating mystery" (Stephen King) Detective Chelsey Calhoun's life is turned upside down when she gets the...
The night she disappeared : a novel
Jewell, Lisa
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER GOOD MORNING AMERICA BUZZ PICK "Utterly gripping with richly drawn, hugely compelling characters, this is a first-class thriller with heart." --Lucy Foley, New York Times bestselling author ...
Shanghai : a novel
Kanon, Joseph
Paper Book
Named a Best Mystery & Suspense Book of the Year by BookPage and CrimeReads "A steamy, thrilling crime story" (The Washington Post) from New York Times bestselling author Joseph Kanon set in pre-World War II Shanghai, where glamour and squalor exist side...
Holly : a novel
King, Stephen
Paper Book
#1 New York Times Bestseller * A New York Times Notable Book * An NPR Best Book of the Year Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King's most compelling and resourceful characters, returns in this chilling "exploration of grief and delusion, just pure undistilled evil" (...
The forest of lost souls
Koontz, Dean R.
Paper Book
A fearless woman, raised in the forest, fights against a group of powerful men in a novel about good versus evil, the enduring nature of myth, and the power of love by #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz. Raised in the wilderness by her late great-uncle, Vida is...
What have you done?
Lapena, Shari
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! Dark · Addictive · Twisty · Chilling · Domestic Suspense "Lapena is a master of manipulation." --USA Today The new unputdownable novel from the "queen of the one-sit read," and New York Times...
Once more from the top : a novel
Layden, Emily
Paper Book
"A deliciously insider-y peek into the music industry and fame -- Layden has a gift for making the world and her characters feel wonderfully real. You won't be able to put it down." -- Rufi Thorpe, author of Margo's Got Money Troubles A propulsive, "immersive" (Washington Post) novel about...
Bye, baby : a novel
Lovering, Carola
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A March 2024 Indie Next and LibraryReads Pick "Powerful, relatable and crazily addictive, Bye, Baby takes an unflinching look at the battling forces of toxicity and love which define so many female friendships. I couldn't put it...
The boyfriend
McFadden, Freida
Paper Book
A new, twisting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Teacher and The Housemaid! She's looking for the perfect man. He's looking for the perfect victim. Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She's seen it all: men...
What happened to Nina? : a thriller
McTiernan, Dervla
Paper Book
A New York Times' best thriller of the year! From the #1 internationally bestselling author of The Murder Rule comes an emotional novel of suspense about two families at war. Nina and Simon are the perfect couple. Young, fun and deeply in love. Until they leave for a weekend at his...
The fury
Michaelides, Alex
Paper Book
**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** "Alex Michaelides hits the trifecta with his third novel, The Fury. The highly original story presents the reader with the king of all unreliable narrators, enough twists and turns to power two novels, and a host of...
Drowning : the rescue of Flight 1421 : a novel
Newman, T. J.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES * "Reads like Apollo 13 underwater." --Don Winslow * "Masterful." --Patricia Cornwell * "A stunningly vivid tour de force!" Gripping. Shocking." --Brad Thor Flight...
The guest
Paris, B. A.
Paper Book
" New York Times bestselling author B. A. Paris captivated psychological thriller readers everywhere with Behind Closed Doors. Now she invites you into another home full of heart-pounding secrets, in The Guest. Some secrets...
House of glass
Pekkanen, Sarah
Paper Book
"Wow, I loved this one so much! I didn't want it to be over because I was enjoying it so much, but I couldn't stop turning pages! House of Glass is a gripping thriller that was packed with surprises and compelling characters." -- Freida McFadden The next...
Hero
Perry, Thomas
Paper Book
Justine Poole provides security for wealthy and high-profile Hollywood stars, but that all changes when a job puts her in the limelight. When she prevents a brazen robbery at the Beverly Hills home of two of her clients--killing two of the five armed robbers in the process--she is initially lauded...
The rich people have gone away : a novel
Porter, Regina
Paper Book
AN AUDACIOUS BOOK CLUB PICK * A diverse group of New Yorkers are brought together by the search for a missing woman--in this electric novel of secrets, connection, and community. "Cinematic, preternaturally humane, and absolutely unputdownable--I just loved it."--Claire...
The clinic : a novel
Quinn, Cate
Paper Book
Her sister is dead. The clinic says suicide. She knows they're lying. From the author of Black Widows, The Clinic is a chilling psychological thriller where addiction, trauma, and sisterhood twist through a locked-room mystery. Perfect for fans of The Sanatorium, The Silent Patient, and...
The Briar Club : a novel
Quinn, Kate
Paper Book
"Quinn evocatively balances the outward cheerfulness of the 1950s with historical observations exploring racism, misogyny, homophobia and political persecution in this sharply drawn, gripping novel." - People Magazine The New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond...
The last one at the wedding : a novel
Rekulak, Jason
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the author of the runaway hit, Hidden Pictures, comes a stunning new work of domestic suspense "Part conspiracy thriller, part family drama, The Last One at the Wedding kept my heart racing and my mind...
Home is where the bodies are
Rose, Jeneva
Paper Book
A New York Times and USA Today bestseller From New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage and You Shouldn't Have Come Here comes a chilling family thriller about the (sometimes literal) skeletons in the closet. After their mother passes, three estranged siblings...
The truth about the Devlins
Scottoline, Lisa
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER USA Today Bestseller Lisa Scottoline, the #1 bestselling author of What Happened to the Bennetts, presents another pulse-pounding domestic thriller about family, justice, and the lies that tear us apart. TJ...
Symphony of secrets
Slocumb, Brendan
Paper Book
A riveting page-turner about a determined professor who uncovers a shocking secret about the most famous American composer of all time--that his music was stolen from someone else, a young Black woman. Bern Hendricks has just received the call of a lifetime. One of the world's...
A talent for murder : a novel
Swanson, Peter
Paper Book
"What a killer read! A Talent For Murder is the thrilling tale of a woman who suspects her husband is a serial killer. As the bodies stack up, so does the paranoid tension until I was feverishly turning pages in the dark, desperate to know what happens next. A fast,...
Bright objects : a novel
Todd, Ruby
Paper Book
One of The New York Times 10 Best Thrillers of 2024 One of The New Yorker's Best Books of 2024 One of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2024 A "luminous, unusual, unexpected" (The New York Times) debut novel blending...
The new couple in 5b
Unger, Lisa
Paper Book
"Spine-tingling fun." --People "Lisa Unger, you've done it again." --Sarah Michelle Gellar, Emmy Award-winning actress A couple inherits an apartment with a spine-tingling past in this unputdownable thriller from the New York Times ...
The butcher and the Wren
Urquhart, Alaina
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the co-host of chart-topping true crime podcast Morbid, a thrilling debut novel told from the dueling perspectives of anotorious serial killer and the medical examiner following where his trail of victims leads ...
One perfect couple
Ware, Ruth
Paper Book
Harkening to Agatha Christie's classic And Then There Were None, this high-tension thriller follows five couples trapped on a storm-swept island as a killer stalks among them--from Ruth Ware, the New York Times bestselling author who "is turning out to be as ingenious and...
All the colors of the dark : a novel
Whitaker, Chris
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD * From the author of We Begin at the End comes a soaring thriller and an epic love story that "hits like a sledgehammer . . . an absolutely must-read novel" (Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl). Read...
The beach at Summerly : a novel
Williams, Beatriz
Paper Book
"There are few more skilled practitioners of the craft of summer fiction than Beatriz Williams." -- The New York Times Book Review A ravishing summer read from New York Times bestseller Beatriz Williams, sweeping readers back to a mid-century New England rich with...
City in ruins : a novel
Winslow, Don
Paper Book
Instant New York Times Bestseller! "The final shattering installment in a gangland trilogy to equal The Godfather. If you like Scarface and Goodfellas, this is where it's at." -- Stephen King "City in Ruins is Don Winslow showing the rest of us how it's done. Winslow has saved the...
The white lady : a novel
Winspear, Jacqueline
Paper Book
Instant New York Times and National Bestseller "A triumph. . . . Winspear creates in Elinor White (the 'White Lady'), a complex, endearing, achingly flawed hero. This is both fast-paced and thoughtful, bold and nuanced, a thriller that is thrillingly human. I loved it." --Louise Penny ...
The Mesmerist : a novel
Woods, Caroline
Paper Book
AN NPR BOOK OF THE YEAR . A tightly plotted page-turner ripped from the headlines of history, as three very different women must work together to stop a killer and save the truest home they've ever known. Before hypnotism, there was Mesmerism. And in 1894 Minneapolis, in the wake...
One of our kind : a novel /
Yoon, Nicola,
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nicola Yoon's daring new work of dystopian horror is a propulsive satire set in an all-Black gated community. For fans of The Sellout and Erasure, with a shocking ending you'll never see coming, Jodi Picoult calls it "Brilliant,...
Find this list online: https://librarian.syndetics.com/syndeticsunbound/lp/855.1219/list/6526

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