Thriller Horror Books
I never thought of myself as someone who loved thriller horror books. But then, I thought about how much I love these disturbing psychological thriller books. You know the books that you don’t want to read alone? What about the books that make you look over your shoulders?
I put the best horror thriller books that I have read on this list and I hope you love them just as much as I do.
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Best New Thriller Horror Books
We Came to Welcome You
Author: Vincent Tirado
Year: 2024
Genre: Suburban Horror
More info: Read more about Vincent in our interview
Age Range: 17+
Plot
Sol Reyes and her wife Alice Song are excited about a change when they move into their new gated community. She is on probation from work after being accused of plagiarism and she is suffering mentally as a result. When they move in, the homeowner’s association greets them with a welcome basket and a very detailed contract which they are encouraged to sign.
As Sol works to try and clear her name so she can get back to work, she is left with time in the day to investigate and wonder. Why did they get the house so cheap? What happened to the last owner? Are the things she is seeing a result of drinking too much or is there something going on in Maneless Grove?
Trigger Warnings
Alcoholism, homophobia, racism
Why Jackie loves it
I read this book and felt like it was a cross between M. Night Shyamalan and Steven King. The more I read, the creepier it got and the more I needed to turn the pages. This is a horror unlike any other that I have read. You will never guess where this story is going. If you are a horror fan and love a good thriller, you will love this book.
Find this book in: Thriller Horror Books
Plot
Katie Shaw had everything she wanted until a stranger changed the fate of the family forever. Now, with a child of her own, Katie is having a hard time differentiating between real vs imagined threats. Then, she gets a call that her estranged brother Chris, once the victim of violence has gone missing.
Why Jackie loves it
There are so many twists and turns in this serial killer thriller. It is one of the most disturbing psychological thriller books I have read and is completely terrifying and I have to say that I loved it. I did not know that I enjoyed scary books so much!
Find this book in: Halloween Thriller Books / Thriller Horror Books / Fiction Serial Killer Books
Mister Magic by Kiersten White
The show Mr. Magic is a show that everyone remembers and loves but nobody can find anywhere on the internet. There are no records or videos of anyone having been on the show that ended in tragedy.
When the five remaining cast members of the show, the circle of friends, come back together as adults, they want answers. Who was Mister Magic? This is a thriller horror book like no other. The answers to the questions get creepier as the book moves forward. If disturbing psychological thriller books are your thing, than this is the perfect book for you!
How to Sell a Haunted House
Author: Grady Hendrix
Year: 2023
Genre: Horror Thriller
More info: Instant New York Times Bestseller
Age Range: 16+
Plot
When Louise finds out her parents have died, she does not want to pack up their house because of how painful it will be to say goodbye to the two people who loved her the most. She also does not want to ask her brother for help with the house because the two siblings never got along.
When the will is finally read, Louise is shocked but, even more shocking are the strange things that start happening in the house. This is by far the scariest book I have ever read and one of the best horror thriller books around.
Why Jackie loves it
I loved this haunted house book. It completely scared the pants off me. Grady Hendrix does not disappoint! Every one of his books is more terrifying than the last. This book was a pure adrenaline rush from the first page to the last.
Find this book in: Haunted House Book / Thriller Horror Books / Creepy Halloween Thriller
The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes
January 2023 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
As books with unreliable narrators go, this is the best I have ever read. Maya was days away from moving away to college when he best friend Aubrey mysteriously dropped dead in front of her. She blamed Frank, an older guy who she had been hanging out with that summer although there was nothing to prove that he had done a thing to harm Aubrey.
Now, years later, Maya is trying to overcome an addiction to the drug prescribed to help her overcome the loss of Aubrey. When she sees a video of a woman who drops dead in a cafe and Frank is sitting with her, she sets off in a spiral again and needs to prove that Frank is responsible. I love this book with a totally likable and yet, completely unreliable narrator. This is one of the best thrillers of 2023 pick for sure.
If you have not read this pick from ultimate beach reads 2023, run, don’t walk, to get it! It needs to be top of the list of your books for fall.
Best Thriller Horror Books
When No One is Watching
Author: Alyssa Cole
Year: 2020
Genre: Thriller
More info: New York Times Bestseller and USA Today Bestseller
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Sydney Green lives in Brooklyn where she has lived for almost her whole life. Her neighborhood is quickly changing as old neighbors move away. What starts off as fiction about gentrification and neighborhood dynamics quickly becomes a fast-moving thriller.
Is Sydney being paranoid or are people out to get her? To make matters worse, Sydney’s mother is sick and she does not want to put all her burdens on her best friend. The only person Sydney can turn to is Theo but can she trust him? How far will people go to get what they want?
Why Jackie loves it
I loved this book. This situation is totally plausible which makes this one of the more disturbing psychological thriller books I have ever read. I never knew who to trust and which direction the book was going.
Find this book in: Thriller-Horror Books/ Halloween Thriller Books / Psychological Thriller Books
Plot
Jules is hired to apartment-sit at a ridiculously wealthy building in NYC. But there are strange rules to protect the residents of The Bartholomew – no visitors, no disturbing the neighbors, and no spending nights away from the apartment. There are also some concerning urban legends surrounding the lush residence. Let’s just say I was glad I was not alone while I was reading this creepy tale. If you love Riley Sager books, this one is a must-read.
Why Jackie loves it
Riley Sager is a must-read author for me. I loved this last book, The Last Time I Lied, so I was eager to pick this one up. The story is told via a dual timeline about 4 days apart. I love books that use this as a plot device. It keeps me on my toes
Find this book in: Ultimate Beach Reads 2020 / Riley Sager Books Ranked / Best Horror Thriller Books
Disturbing Psychological Thriller Books
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
This book is definitely one of the most disturbing psychological thriller books that I have read in a while. It took me about 1/2 of the book to figure out what in the heck was going on.
There are a few stories going on simultaneously and at times I was extremely confused but if you stick with it, all was revealed in the end.
This thriller horror book is told from multiple perspectives: a man with memory gaps, a cat who reads, a little girl who is not allowed outside, and a neighbor who moves next door. Sound crazy? It absolutely is and it will definitely creep you out!
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling
Jane is a very practical woman. She has done her research and has found the perfect man to be her husband. She assured him that the relationship will be strictly business. But as her feelings for him grow, she starts to learn there is more to this hard-working and quiet doctor.
As a matter of fact, there is something strange going on at his house that cannot be explained and she starts to worry for her health as well as that of her husband.
I was looking forward to this gothic horror with a touch of fantasy mixed in. While I was unfortunately left disappointed, this pick from thriller horror books, is definitely creepy and is a must-read book for fall.
Classic Thriller Horror Books
Plot
This is the book that started it all. Jonathan Harker is a young English solicitor who finds himself in Count Dracula’s castle in Transylvania. Count Dracula has strange customs and mannerisms and things go from strange to scary to completely horrifying.
The slow torture and the helplessness of Harker is terrifying because he is never sure of what is happening to him.
The story of Dracula is timeless and has been remade into countless movies. But, in my opinion, none have been able to capture the truly terrifying essence of this book.
Why Jackie loves it
This is truly a disturbing thriller horror book. If you love vampire books and have not read this one, it is a must-read that will scare the pants off you.
Find this book in: Epistolary Novels / Thriller Horror Books / Vampire Books/ Dark Academia Fantasy Books
The Shining by Steven King
Steven King has a way of finding just the right blend of reality to add to his books to make them truly terrifying. The Shining is no exception. I don’t think there is anyone who has read this haunted hotel book who can think of an isolated cabin as a relaxing retreat ever again.
Jack Torrence is a recovering alcoholic with anger issues. He accepts a job as a winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel in the hopes of writing his first novel.
He brings his wife and son with him in the hopes of reconnecting with them. Obviously, things go terribly wrong. This 70s book is one of the scariest thriller horror novels I’ve ever read and its perfect for our list of winter books!
YA Thriller Horror Books
The Saturday Night Ghost Club
Author: Craig Davidson
Year: 2019
Genre: Coming of Age Fiction
Age Range: 14+
Plot
I really enjoyed this book with an old-school feel. It has the vibe to Stand by Me or Stranger Things in this coming-of-age story about friends who spend their summer investigating ghost stories and urban legends.
The story is not just light-hearted fun. Rather, it delves a little deeper into some issues while still maintaining the feel of the book. Even though the story takes place in the summer, the ghost stories definitely give off a creepy, Halloween vibe.
Why Jackie loves it
This book takes place in Niagara Falls in the 80s, how could I not gravitate towards that immediately? This book is more than a search for the occult. It really captured the essence of growing up in the 80s.
Find this book in: Books Set in the 1980s / Thriller Horror Books
Anatomy: A Love Story
Author: Dana Schwartz
Year: 2022
Genre: Gothic Historical Fiction
More info: Winter 2022 YA Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Instant New York Times #1 Bestseller
Book 1 of 2 in the Anatomy Duology
Spice Rating:đź’‹
Age Range: 17+
Plot
This gothic YA historical fiction is centered around Hazel, a 16-year-old woman who lives in Edinburgh Scotland with her mother and younger brother. She has always had an obsession with anatomy and wants to be a surgeon despite the fact that no women are allowed to study to become doctors.
In order to study and pass her exam, she must have dead bodies to look at. Enter Jack, who earns extra money by taking bodies from their graves at night. Now there is some romance added to this book and you will never guess where it’s going.
Why Jackie loves it
This was such a quick read with amazing details to keep the story moving. Some surprise details really added to the story. The ending, however, felt very rushed to me- especially when compared to the rest of the book. This is such an original thriller horror book.
Find this book in: 12 Thriller Horror Books/ Best YA Romance Books / YA Historical Fiction Books
Plot
The lines between reality and fiction are perfectly blurred. It is a book about a book and making a movie about that same book. ( follow that? Lol) Flo and Clara were two students at the Brookhants School for girls. When they become obsessed with a book by Mary MacLane, it ultimately leads to their deaths and the school closes soon after.
Now, Merritt Emmons has published a book about Brookhants that is being made into a movie, and the doors of Brookhants are open for filming. The story intertwines the lives of all those who read the book and the mystery and supernatural that follow them.
Why Jackie loves it
I started Plain Bad Heroines and I did not know what to think. I was debating giving up on the book for a little while because I just wasn’t sure where the book was going. Fast forward. I loved it and I am glad I stuck with it. This YA fantasy book has all the makings of cult horror. It is scary, complex and so well-written.
Find this book in: Thriller Horror / Books Like Ninth House / Books Set in High School / Dark Academia Books
Which of these thriller horror books is your favorite?
Love thrillers? You’ll probably love this swag too!
Ultimate List of Thrillers
Love Thrillers? This list is curated and carefully divided by sub-genre. These will definitely keep you on your toes.
