A sharp list of the best new thriller books this year, featuring standout picks and personal recommendations from some of the genre’s most popular authors.
If you are always hunting for a thriller that keeps you glued to the last page, this is the ultimate list for you. This expert guide rounds up the most exciting new thriller releases of 2025, all recommended by writers who live and breathe the genre. These are the books shaped by tension, instinct, and clever storytelling. You will find psychological thrillers that get under your skin and domestic stories built on quiet dread and sudden turns. Each pick promises suspense that builds slowly and pays off hard. These are the titles everyone is talking about this year!
The best psychological thrillers of 2025
1. Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
Beautiful Ugly is the kind of thriller that pulls you in slowly and then refuses to let go. It opens with a moment that is impossible to forget, when Grady Green finds his wife’s car abandoned at a cliff edge, her phone left behind, and no trace of her anywhere. A year later, grief still hangs heavy as he escapes to a remote island hoping for some distance and quiet, only to see a woman who looks exactly like his wife he lost. From that moment, the story leans into obsession, doubt, and the cracks inside a marriage that may not have been as solid as it seemed. The tension builds through psychological unease, shifting identity, and the pull of revenge, all wrapped in an atmosphere that feels closed in and unsettling. Fans of dark domestic thrillers and unreliable narrators will find this one deeply satisfying, especially if they enjoy stories that twist familiar emotions into something far more disturbing.
2. Deadline by Steph McGovern
Deadline drops you straight into a moment no one would want to live through. A TV reporter is live on air when her earpiece is hacked, and a voice tells her the unthinkable: that her family has been taken and every move she makes is being watched. What begins as a career high turns into a brutal test of nerve and survival, all unfolding in real time. Written by an award-winning broadcaster and journalist, Steph McGovern, the story is intimate and uncomfortably genuine. The tension never lets up as impossible choices stack on top of each other, forcing the reporter to keep smiling while everything inside unravels. If you enjoy high-concept thrillers driven by physiological pressure and ticking clocks, this one delivers a relentless and edge-of-your-seat read from start to finish.
3. One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall
One of the Good Guys takes a sharp look at the stories we tell ourselves about trust, innocence, and the people we think we know. When two young women disappear, attention turns to a man everyone sees as the perfect husband and his quiet, isolated neighbor, an artist who keeps to himself. As the investigation deepens, layers of deception begin to surface and expose the uneasy truth that darkness often hides behind familiar faces. The novel builds its tension through shifting power, psychological manipulation, and the slow unraveling of community secrets. At its core, the story confronts gendered violence and the moment when silence gives way to reckoning. Unsettling and timely, this is a thriller that lingers long after the final page, especially for readers drawn to morally complex characters and deeply psychological storytelling.
4. The Good Wife by Jacqui Rose
The Good Wife pulls back the curtain on a life built on careful lies and quiet control. A respected psychologist is forced to confront her own double life after a violent attack on her father exposes truths she has spent years hiding. As the story moves deeper into London’s criminal world, the lines between loyalty, survival, and morality begin to blur. Family bonds strain under pressure, and identity becomes something fragile and dangerous. This is a dark, character driven thriller that focuses on inner collapse as much as external threat. Tense and emotionally charged, the novel explores domestic suspense, buried secrets, and the cost of living two lives at once. Fans of gritty crime fiction will feel right at home here.
5. Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
Bright Young Women is a bold and unsettling thriller from Jessica Knoll that reclaims the story often told from the wrong angle. Inspired by the crimes of Ted Bundy, the novel shifts focus to two women driven by grief, anger, and a need for justice. As their paths cross, their search for truth becomes dangerous and deeply personal, building toward a confrontation that refuses easy answers. The tension comes from resilience and quiet strength rather than spectacle. Dark and emotionally charged, this is a feminist thriller that blends true crime influence with wild suspense and unexpected turns, leaving a lasting impact long after the final page.
6. The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances
This book may not be brand new, as it was first released in 2017. But its recent Amazon Prime adaptation gives it a fresh weight and makes it worth revisiting. Laura appears to have the perfect life, a strong career, a solid marriage, and a kind and good-looking son named Daniel. Everything begins to shift when Daniel brings Cherry into their world, a young woman who has never had Laura’s comfort or privilege and wants what she sees. What follows is a slow and chilling unraveling of trust, intimacy, power, and family bonds. Told through shifting relationships and quiet tension, the story explores obsession, manipulation, and the damage caused by one unforgivable lie. Dark and deeply psychological, it is ideal for readers drawn to twisted dynamics. The book has buried secrets and a kind of suspense that creeps rather than explodes.
7. The Sunshine Man by Emma Stonex
Set against the cold edges of January 1989, this tense new thriller marks Emma Stonex’s return after The Lamplighters. Birdie has spent eighteen years waiting for the man who killed her sister to walk free. Now he is out, and she is heading to London with a gun in her bag and revenge fixed firmly in her mind. As the distance closes, the past begins to fracture, and long-buried secrets start pushing their way to the surface. What follows is not a straight path to justice but a deeply emotional reckoning shaped by grief and doubt. The story moves with quiet intensity, blending historical crime with a literary edge, and keeps you questioning what is true and what is right until the end.
The intriguing crime and detective thrillers of 2025
1. This House of Burning Bones by Stuart MacBride
This House of Burning Bones sees Stuart MacBride return with a thriller that feels relentless from the first page. Detective Inspector Logan McRae is already stretched thin when a major murder investigation lands on his desk, leaving him to rely on a skeleton crew that feels barely held together. As Aberdeen slips into chaos, pressure builds from every direction. A firebombing rattles the city, a massive protest takes over the streets, and a powerful media mogul adds fuel to the tension. Each new crisis pulls McRae further into a storm he cannot control, and the sense of order begins to crack. Dark, sharp, and fast-moving, this is a police procedural that thrives on grit and urgency. It delivers a familiar world filled with moral strain and the quiet cost of holding the line when everything is falling apart.
2. The Cut Throat Trial by S. J. Fleet
The Cut Throat Trial marks a keen turn into fiction from the Secret Barrister, writing as S. J. Fleet, and it wastes no time pulling you into the heart of the courtroom. The story centers on a trial labeled the biggest of the year, where three seventeen-year-old boys stand accused of murdering an elderly teacher on New Year’s Eve. Each one denies responsibility and points the blame elsewhere, creating a web of doubt that tightens with every page. With insider knowledge driving the tension, the novel explores truth, performance, and power inside the justice system. Twists arrive quietly and land hard; it turns a legal drama into a gripping psychological puzzle that keeps you questioning who, if anyone, is telling the truth.
3. One of Us is Dead by Peter James
In the twentieth book of the bestselling Grace series, now a hit ITV show starring John Simm, DSI Roy Grace faces a case that won’t let go of him. A series of suspicious deaths haunts him, and a man long thought dead seems strangely linked to them all. Peter James weaves a pulse‑pounding story that balances careful investigation with twists that keep you guessing at every turn. Set against the streets of Brighton, the novel combines character depth with relentless suspense. Fans of long-running and character-driven crime series will find themselves fully absorbed. It follows Grace as he untangles secrets, confronts the past, and navigates a mystery that refuses to stay buried.
4. The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves
In the eleventh book of the bestselling Vera Stanhope series, Ann Cleeves once again blends meticulous police work with the haunting atmosphere of rural England. When a body is discovered outside a care home for troubled teens, Vera’s only lead is the sudden disappearance of fourteen‑year‑old Chloe. The investigation takes a darker turn when a second body surfaces near the ancient Three Dark Wives standing stones, where local folklore and grim reality start to collide. With serrated observation and a steady hand, Vera navigates secrets, superstition, and suspicion, and uncovers truths that are as chilling as they are complex. Very atmospheric and cleverly plotted, this installment offers fans of British crime fiction and detective series a gripping mystery full of tension. The book has amazing rural isolation and haunting twists that linger long after the last page.
5. The Dead and the Dying by Lin Anderson
The Dead and The Dying brings forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod back in another gripping crime thriller. Praised as one of modern crime fiction’s most satisfying characters, Rhona faces a chilling discovery when a human skeleton is found in a stone crypt. While the grave appears to date back to the Viking Age, Rhona’s careful analysis uncovers signs of a far more recent and sinister crime. Set against a vividly drawn Scottish backdrop, the story combines meticulous investigative work with tension that builds page by page. Fans of forensic thrillers and investigative crime will be drawn to the clever plotting and atmospheric setting, as well as the relentless determination of Rhona MacLeod as she peels back layers of history to reveal a shocking truth.
6. The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves
In the latest installment of the Two Rivers series, now adapted into the ITV series The Long Call, Detective Matthew Venn faces a case that drags him into the heart of a storm, both literal and figurative. The body of Jem Rosco, a local sailor and minor celebrity, is discovered during a violent tempest in a remote coastal town, and Venn must navigate a web of secrets and local legends to uncover the truth. Ann Cleeves blends the unforgiving coastal setting with a tightly plotted mystery, making the weather itself feel like a character. Fans of atmospheric crime and small-town secrets will be drawn into a world of fierce winds, crashing waves, and deadly revelations, where nothing is as it seems and every truth has a hidden edge.
The heart-pounding actions and thrillers of 2025
1. White King by Juan Gómez-Jurado
The final book in Spain’s bestselling Antonia Scott trilogy delivers a gripping conclusion full of twists and high-stakes tension. With the Red Queen project under attack and loyalty tested at every turn, Antonia must use her unmatched forensic mind to outwit the cunning and dangerous Mr. White. The story blends international espionage, complex conspiracies, and a relentless pace that keeps readers on edge. Brilliantly plotted and full of surprises, it is perfect for fans of global thrillers and clever protagonists who can think several steps ahead. Even if you haven’t started the series, the first book, Red Queen, is a must-read, setting the stage for a finale that is as thrilling as it is satisfying.
2. Famous by Blake Crouch
Famous by Blake Crouch is a suspenseful thriller with a twist that lingers long after the last page. It follows Lance, a man repeatedly mistaken for the Oscar-winning star James Jansen, twenty-eight times, to be exact. After losing his job, Lance decides to chase the strange opportunity and become his famous lookalike. He steps into a life both glamorous and fraught with unexpected danger. Part dark comedy, part human tragedy, and part psychological suspense, the story unfolds through the unique perspective of Lancelot Blue Dunkquist, making the world feel unpredictable. Fans of slow-burning thrillers and darkly funny storytelling will find this one impossible to put down.
3. One Wrong Turn by C. M. Ewan
A wrong turn turns into a nightmare in this gripping thriller. A couple stopping to help a stranded family on a deserted road quickly discovers they’ve walked into danger far beyond anything they imagined. The story thrives on isolation, building psychological tension as every choice feels risky and every moment uncertain. Suspenseful and terrifying, it is a masterclass in making a confined setting feel vast, menacing, and impossible to escape, keeping readers on edge from start to finish.
4. We Are Hunted by Tomi Oyemakinde
This tense YA horror-thriller takes readers to a top-secret island where cutting-edge technology and extraordinary animals hide dark and deadly secrets. Two brothers find themselves caught in a nightmare while on their father’s business trip, discovering horrors they weren’t prepared for. When the island goes into lockdown, trust becomes a dangerous gamble, and every choice could mean life or death. The story thrives on isolation, creeping dread, and high-concept thrills, keeping tension tight and stakes impossibly high. Fans of sci-fi horror and chilling mysteries will be hooked, especially if they enjoy immersive, atmospheric settings where survival depends on courage, wit, and the hard decisions no one else can make.
The best twisted domestic thrillers of 2025
1. The Family Experiment by John Marrs
In this dark and high-concept dystopian thriller, a world grappling with overpopulation and economic collapse forces people to rethink the most basic human desire: having a family. The story centers on a reality TV show that lets participants raise a virtual child from birth to eighteen in just nine months. Success offers the chance to keep the virtual child or risk everything for the chance at a real baby. Tense and thought-provoking, the novel easily blends suspense with ethical dilemmas and speculative fiction, exploring how far people will actually go when the rules of life and parenthood are rewritten. This book is perfect for readers drawn to social commentary wrapped in gripping thriller storytelling.
2. The Final Hours of Muriel Hinchcliffe by Claire Parkin
This gripping domestic thriller dives into the tangled and toxic friendship between Ruth and Murial, where loyalty and love hide darker truths. When Murial announces she will die in exactly 72 hours, Ruth is forced to confront not only her friend’s declining health but also the layers of betrayal and secrets that have built up over the years. As their shared history unravels, long-buried resentments and shocking revelations come to light and prove that even the closest bonds can conceal danger. Richly character-driven and filled with tense and slow-burning suspense, the novel explores how past choices shape the present, making it ideal for readers who love domestic thrillers centered on hidden truths and complex relationships.
3. Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
Darling Girls is a compelling domestic thriller with dark humor and clever twists that keep you guessing. When a body is discovered beneath their childhood home, three foster sisters are forced to confront the trauma of their past, while the line between victim and suspect becomes frighteningly unclear. Sally Hepworth masterfully explores family secrets, shifting loyalties, and the messy truths that lie beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives. Splendidly layered and full of tension, this page-turner delves into trust, betrayal, and the bonds that both protect and endanger us. This makes the story a must-read for fans of domestic suspense with wit and heart.
4. A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan
A Beautiful Family is a tense and atmospheric thriller that blends mystery and family secrets with careful precision. Ten-year-old Alix finds herself largely unsupervised during a summer holiday as her parents grow distracted, and she quickly forms a new friendship that leads them into an investigation of a local mystery: a girl who disappeared two years earlier. What begins as curiosity soon unravels into something far more sinister, as the children uncover secrets no one expected. Full of suspense and an unsettling sense of foreboding, the novel keeps readers hooked from the very first page. It is a perfect read for those who enjoy layered mysteries that linger long after the last chapter.
5. Some of Us Are Liars by Fiona Cummins
Some of Us Are Liars is a gripping domestic thriller from bestselling author and award-winning journalist Fiona Cummins. A glamorous beachside wedding turns tragic, shattering Jen Miller’s world and leaving her family in pieces. As she struggles with grief, she must face an impossible question: can she ever forgive? Enter Saul Anguish, a brilliant but tormented young detective, whose investigation uncovers a shocking secret that a tightly knit family has worked for years to bury. With twists that keep the tension high and secrets slowly unraveling, this dark and compelling thriller explores grief and the fragile bonds that hold families together.
The best historical thrillers of 2025
1. The Spies of Hartlake Hall by R. L. Graham
The Spies of Hartlake Hall is a twist-filled historical mystery set in London, 1917. When a body is discovered in a locked room within a secret Admiralty organization, intelligence agent Patrick Gallagher is calledto investigate. To keep the suspicions contained, he gathers everyone involved at his family’s Hartlake Hall. However, the danger escalates as a ruthless killer continues to strike from the shadows. Combining high-stakes espionage and clever whodunnit plotting along with the atmospheric backdrop of WWI, this thriller keeps readers guessing at every turn and delivers a masterful blend of suspense and historical intrigue.
2. The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson
The Art of a Lie is a winding historical thriller that transports readers to London in 1749. Hannah Cole’s life is upended when her husband is brutally murdered, leaving her confectionery shop on the brink of ruin. As she struggles to keep her life afloat. Hannah discovers a hidden fortune her husband was keeping, but the revelation only draws her deeper into danger. Full of dark secrets and unexpected twists in a Georgian setting, the story follows Hannah as she navigates betrayal, deception, and the perils of a world where trust can be deadly. Fans of atmospheric and crooked historical thrillers will be absolutely captivated!
Altogether, 2026 was indeed a good year of thriller readers!
