The book that established wandering ex-military investigator Jack Reacher as a force to be reckoned with in the criminal underworld and spawned not one but, Caleb Carr’s turn-of-the-century page-turner is one part historical fiction, one part grisly procedural, and all parts murder mystery thrills.

Beyond knowing the first rule of fight club—“you don’t talk about fight club”—this is a book you’re better off knowing very little about before diving into it.

Set in a psychiatric hospital, Ken Kesey’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is, at its core, about the thin line that separates sanity from madness.

Set in the Soviet Union during the Cold War, “Gorky Park” is about Arkady Renko, a homicide investigator who’s assigned to the case of three murders that took place in Gorky Park, one of Moscow’s biggest public parks. “Murder on the Orient Express” features Agatha Christie’s most famous character, Hercule Poirot. Harrison’s first and final novel, “The Silent Wife” is about the disintegration of a marriage and a wife who becomes a killer. Mangle, Decker, and Tazeem, the main characters in “The Zombie Room,” meet while serving time in prison, and work together to run a lucrative scam upon their release. - Author name: Robert Ludlum - Date published: 1980. Did Jekyll’s serum drive him insane or simply unlock the depravity he had been keeping at bay? A corrupted chaplain with a mysterious past provides hideous insight into the nature of evil while stalking his juvenile prey.

After a murder takes place on the transcontinental train carrying Poirot and a host of other passengers, the Belgian detective must discover who, on the snow-trapped train, is responsible for the death. In this first book, homicide detective Alex Cross and Jezzie Flanagan, the first female head of the Secret Service, must work together to take down Gary Soneji, a psychopathic murderer and kidnapper who is hellbent on committing the crime of the century. Extremely popular, the book held the top spot on The New York Times’ fiction bestsellers list for 13 consecutive weeks. In “Behind Closed Doors,” Jack and Grace have the picture-perfect marriage—at least on the outside. Set in 1930s California, Amanda Quick’s bestseller, Like the previous twenty-four novels in Sue Grafton’s acclaimed Alphabet/Kinsey Millhone. Luckily for him, the book was a smashing success and managed to do just that. - Author name: Taylor Adams - Date published: 2017. While Nordic noir existed long before the late Stieg Larsson introduced the world to a misanthropic hacker named Lisbeth Salander. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. You’ve probably binge-watched all the top thriller movies out now on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, but have you read the best thriller books of all time? “The Holdout” is set 10 years after the close of a murder case that shocked the world with its lack of a criminal conviction. “Along Came a Spider,” which was released in 1993, was the start of it all. The story, by an English author named Frederick Forsyth, is about an assassin hired by the Organization of American States (OAS) to kill the president of France, Charles de Gaulle. - Author name: B.A. In 2015, “Big Little Lies” won the Davitt Award, which is given to an outstanding work of Australian crime fiction each year. On the heels of her twin sister Zelda’s death, Ava leaves Paris to return to her hometown in New York. - Author name: Alex North - Date published: 2020. Based on a true story, McEwan’s penchant for detail and flair for obsession makes. Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. Later adapted into a classic expressionist film starring Lillian Gish, shout outs to this story can be spotted in a handful of disparate movies ranging from “Rocky Horror” to Do “The Right Thing.”.

An insanely-popular thriller, six short years after its release Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” had sold a whopping 80 million copies. His densely-plotted spy fiction essentially reinvented the genre, largely due to le Carré’s own experiences working as spy and intelligence agent. You may also like: What having a baby was like the year you were born, - Author name: Graham Greene - Date published: 1958. The story is about a British intelligence agent who’s desperate to leave the profession, but must undertake one final, risky assignment involving East Germany before he’s granted his freedom. Jessica Farris was just looking to earn some extra cash when she signed up to participate in a psychological study on ethics and morality. When the whisperings begin again, the father-son duo finds themselves wrapped up in the middle of an investigation that looks as though it may come to a conclusion too late. A classic detective chiller, this is a must-read for all thriller fans. While the novel received heavy criticism for its scientific and religious inaccuracies, fans still gobbled the thriller up, begging Brown to release more. Fans of The Hunger Games will love this dystopian sci-fi thriller, the first of an upcoming series. Best Thrillers of All Time. Described as compulsively readable, Ruth Ware’s psychological thriller “The Woman in Cabin 10” is set on an ultra-exclusive cruise ship sailing in the North Sea.

Diving deep into every aspect of the case as well as Manson’s own psyche, “Helter Skelter” holds the title as being the bestselling true crime book of all time. You may also like: Can you answer these real Jeopardy questions about U.S. military history? Ken Follett is best known for his historical fiction work, but “Eye of the Needle” isn’t your ordinary way-back-when kind of tale. Ronald - Date published: 2010.

In this tautly plotted thriller, Jean-Patrick Manchette tells the story of Aimée, a hired killer laying low in an idyllic small town. Manchette blends tense scenes of underworld life with satirical depictions of small-town mores. Armed with clues to where her sister might be, Ava embarks on a journey that will change her life.

. The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag Named “Best Debut Novel” by the Swedish Crime Writers’ Academy, this riveting, richly detailed historical thriller is set in 18th-century Stockholm, where a mutilated corpse is found floating in a rancid lake. The horrors of “The Great Influenza” are certainly compounded by present circumstances, i.e., the coronavirus, but even if the world wasn’t in the midst of a global pandemic, this nonfiction historical thriller would still be capable of sending chills down your spine. What she ends up finding will make her question everything she thought she knew. “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” is a mystery thriller by Shirley Jackson. How Pride is celebrated around the globe in 25 photos. This psychological thriller will keep readers hooked until the final twist. - Author name: Lee Child - Date published: 1997. What the world was like when your grandparents were born, States with the best and worst animal protection laws, Most popular baby names shared by Oscar winners. This medical thriller may not be Crichton’s best-known novel, but it’s certainly worth a read. While “The Firm” wasn’t John Grisham’s first novel, it was his first hit, and its success eventually earned his first, “A Time to Kill,” a wide release. Whether you’re a thriller aficionado or just dipping your toes in the genre, this classic is a must-read. In 2018, a 10-part television series based on the book aired on TNT. Dean Koontz’s novel “Intensity” is a perfect mix of horror, thriller, and suspense.