Best Thriller Books of 2025
I have read so many great books this year that I knew it was time to make my list of the best thriller books of 2025. I wanted to have a list of all my favorite books in one place.
Together, Kirsten and I read approximately 300 books a year, give or take. The best books immediately stand out. The writing, storytelling, characters, and plot twists set these books apart. The 5-star reads become more than just the sum of their parts. If you are looking for the best mystery books of 2025, I have that list as well.
Since this year is not through, this list will change as Kirsten and I add books we love. We would also love to hear your recommendations for your favorite five-star thriller books of 2025 to add to our list. Feel free to reach out with suggestions.
*Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
Best Thriller Books of 2025
Everyone is Lying to You
Author: Jo Piazza
Year: 2025
Genre: Thriller
Spice Rating:💋💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Lizzie and Bex were best friends until Bex disappeared after college graduation. Now, fifteen years later, Bex has transformed into a “traditional” wife and influencer with millions of followers, a ranch, a husband named Gray, and a brood of children. When Bex calls Lizzie to invite her to do an exclusive interview, it may be the big break her career needs.
Curious about not just the exclusive, but also why Bex abruptly ended their friendship, Lizzie heads to the MomBomb conference to reconnect with her. But when Gray is found murdered and Bex goes missing, Lizzie finds herself in a world of momfluencers and backstabbing.
Trigger Warnings
Infertility
Why Kirsten loves it
A #tradwife murder mystery from the amazing Jo Piazza? Yes, please!!! Jo is a genre-shape shifter who can effortlessly amp up the suspense factor while pulling back the curtain of influencing. I’m not sure what impressed me more, that BANANAS ending or the social commentary on Tradwives and the lies we are all sold by the influencers of the world.
This is the chocolate-covered bonbon of a book that only Jo could write. I guarantee you will be on the edge of your seat as you reevaluate all you know about influencers. #gifted by Dutton
Why Jackie Loves it
I do not know how Jo does it! Every book she writes is directly on the pulse of what is going on in the world. This book had EVERYTHING I could have hoped for from Jo and more. The book is fast-paced, the characters are so much fun to read and the social commentary is just beyond. #gifted
Find this book in: Beach Reads 2025 / Best Thriller Books of 2025 / Books Inspired by The Life of a Showgirl / Giftable Books
With a Vengeance
Author: Riley Sager
Year: 2025
Genre: Historical Thriller
More info: New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 15+
Plot
In 1954, Anna Matheson boards a luxury train with six people responsible for her family’s death. She lured them all to the train, where they will be the only passengers. She plans to expose their crimes and see them arrested by the FBI when the train arrives in Chicago the next day.
But when one of them is murdered, it derails Anna’s plans. She wants to see them pay for their crimes, not die. Now, Anna must find the killer and stop them before the train reaches its destination. Soon, the passengers are being picked off one by one, and she must risk her life to protect them.
Why Jackie loves it
This is Riley Sager at his best. I love this historical thriller. It was fast-paced and reminiscent of Agatha Christie. I thought the plot was smart and the main character was likable- I was rooting for her. This is one of my favorite Riley Sager books. I felt like it was different than his normal style and I loved it. #gifted
Find this book in: Historical Thrillers / The Best Riley Sager Books Ranked / Books Set on a Train / Best Thriller Books of 2025
Best Offer Wins
Author: Marisa Kashino
Year: 2025
Genre: Thriller
More info: December 2025 Good Morning America Book Club Pick
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Margo and her husband have been living in a condo as they save up to buy their dream home in the ‘burbs. But 18 months and 11 offers later, Margo has become more and more desperate to find a house so she can have a baby and start the next chapter of her life.
When she gets a hot tip that a desirable home is coming onto the market soon, she tries to ingratiate herself with the homeowners. Determined not to let this house slip through her fingers, her antics become more and more unhinged, putting her job and her marriage in jeopardy. But Margo is playing to win, even if she has to break some laws to come out on top.
Trigger Warnings
Murder, Stalking
Why Kirsten loves it
Fans of the hit book adaptation, You, will rejoice because there is a new favorite anti-hero in town! I couldn’t get enough of Margo’s increasingly desperate antics to win her dream house – the story was just too delicious to put down! I also sampled it on audio, and the narrator does the BEST voice for this character. I was rooting for her to come out on top and you will be rooting for her too! #gifted by MacMillan Audio
Find this book in: GMA Book Club List 2025 / Books with Stalkers / Best Thriller Books of 2025
Plot
When Odelia travels to a posh resort with her grown children, she’s on cloud 9, about to marry her much younger fiancé. But her children each take issue with the match, as well as their mother’s recent actions running the family business. When she turns up dead, the story plunges back in time to a few days before, where each guest and even a staff member narrates the story and each has a reason to want Odelia dead.
Family secrets are revealed, shocks are in store, and with a full cast of audio narrators, this story is perfect for reading or listening by the pool.
Why Kirsten loves it
After a string of bad thrillers, I finally found a great one! With so many twists in the book, I found it impossible to guess them all! I read this during a mid-spring heatwave and realized the South African safari resort setting made for perfect hot weather bingeing. #gifted by Simon and Schuster Audio
Find this book in: Novels About Africa / Beach Reads 2025 / Best Thriller Books of 2025 / Giftable Books
Plot
This novel is a locked-room mystery where everyone has a motive and not everyone will make it out alive. It is Sophie Matthews’s sixteenth birthday party in a huge, renovated, once-haunted mansion. The black-tie affair should be a night to remember and it will be but for a different reason – because someone has been murdered…. and one of the party guests did it!
Why Kirsten loves it
With multiple narrators ALL lying, this story will keep you guessing until the end – both with who was killed and who is the killer! I couldn’t read this fantastic book fast enough. The drama was intense, secrets were unraveled throughout the entire story and I did NOT see the ending coming! #gifted by MacMillan
Find this book in: Unreliable Narrators / Full Cast Audiobooks / Beach Reads 2025 / Best Thriller Books of 2025
Plot
Nina Swann is trying to move on after the tragic death of her husband. When she receives a note from Nick Radcliffe, the two connect and begin to see each other. Nina’s daughter, Ash, suspects something is off about Nick and starts digging into his past.
Meanwhile, Martha, a florist with a young child, starts to become suspicious of her husband, Alistair. Once devoted and attentive, he now has frequent absences for work, sometimes for days at a time.
As the stories come together, so do the lives of all the women in the story.
Why Jackie loves it
Lisa Jewell created a twisty thriller with this newest book and I could not put it down. I also did not guess how the lives of the women would intersect. This book is a perfect beach thriller and Jewell’s best book yet. Thank you, Simon & Schuster Audio #gifted.
Find this book in: The Best Lisa Jewell Books Ranked / Beach Reads 2025 / Best Thriller Books of 2025
Don’t Open Your Eyes
Author: Liv Constantine
Year: 2025
Genre: Thriller
More info: Bestselling co-author of Reese’s Book Club Pick The Last Mrs. Parrish
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Annabelle Reynolds has a happy life with her husband and daughters, but when she starts having nightmares that come true, she knows these are premonitions. She dreams of a horrible accident only to see it on TV.
When she dreams that her daughter Scarlett is in immediate danger, Annabelle struggles to make the right choices to prevent a tragedy she’s not sure she can stop. She is also not sure what part of her dreams are prophecies and which are just bad dreams.
Why Jackie loves it
I thought this book was well-written and well-plotted. I was not sure where the book was headed or what was going to happen. The story got better with each page. #gifted PRH Audio
Find this book in: Best Thriller Books of 2025
Expert Tip
Are you looking for the best new thriller books of 2025 but can’t choose what to read next? Here are some expert tips for choosing your next book:
- If you know what genre of book you are in the mood for, pick a book from that category
- Are you a “Kirsten” or a “Jackie”? Have a look at who read the book and what we loved about it. Kirsten and I often read different books, so you have a wide variety of books to choose from. Bonus if we both read the book!
- Read the description of what the book is about. Kirsten and I never include books that we have not read in our book lists.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best new thriller books of 2025?
There have been so many great thriller books this year that Kirsten and I have had a hard time narrowing them down. The best thriller of the year is Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza.
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Epilogue
What is your favorite thriller book of 2025? If you have a book that you loved that is not on this list, please let me know so I can add it to my TBR.
