Halloween may be over, but the thrill of a good suspense novel never goes out of season. Especially for those who enjoy a gripping storyline filled with dark, unexpected twists that keep you guessing at every turn. If you’ve breezed through your last novel and are looking to refresh your bookshelves with compelling, mind-bending mysteries, then settle in because you've come to the right place. We’ve curated a list of fresh new thrillers that promise to stay with you long after you’ve put the book down. Take a look!
One Wrong Turn by C M Ewan
A simple act of kindness can easily turn into a night of horror as it does for Abi and Ben. The couple, driving home on dark country roads, spot a mother stranded at the side of the road with her baby. Despite her scepticism, Abi agrees to give them a lift. As they begin their journey, tension fills the car. Is this the worst decision they could've ever made?
One of Us is Dead by Peter James
When James Taylor spots his old friend Rufus Rorke at a funeral, he’s shaken—after all, he attended Rufus’s own funeral two years ago. On the other side of town, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is investigating a chilling series of suspicious deaths with threads that may link back to Rorke’s mysterious reappearance. Full of suspense that keeps you guessing until the final page, this gripping read explores the danger that lurks when the dead come back to life—or at least seem to.
Memorials by Richard Chizmar
In this spine-tingling tale, three college students set off on a road trip through Appalachia, filming roadside memorials for a documentary project. What begins as a lighthearted journey soon spirals into fear as they uncover eerie symbols on memorials, signs of being watched, and increasingly hostile encounters with locals. Suspenseful and atmospheric, this novel grips readers with its chilling unravelling of hidden horrors lurking in the Appalachian woods.
The Queen by Nick Cutter
Margaret Carpenter’s search for her missing friend Charity Atwater takes a dark turn when she receives a mysterious cellphone with unsettling messages, reigniting her hope but also her fear. As she follows Charity’s cryptic clues, Margaret discovers a sinister experiment linked to her friend’s very DNA—a secret known only to a few powerful people. This pulse-pounding thriller dives deep into friendship, trust, and the terrors underlying scientific ambition, making it a gripping read for horror and suspense fans alike.
I'll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong
What would you do if the love of your life uttered the words, “I’ll be waiting for you” seconds before they died? In a non-supernatural realm, this would be truly heartwarming (and heartbreaking of course). But, in Kelley Armstrong's book, this is a tale of terror. The protagonist Nicola Laughton, diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, expected her illness to keep her from having any future. That was until she met and fell in love with Aton. Sadly, he dies tragically just months after their wedding, but not before uttering those words. While the world turns her private grief into a public spectacle, Nicola grapples with spiritualists and a séance that leads to a chain of unsettling events with the skeletons of her past secrets threatening to come to light. This novel weaves themes of love, loss, and the supernatural, and is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.
This Book Kills by Ravena Guron
When Jess Choudhary’s fictional story about a classmate's murder becomes horrifyingly real, she's thrust into a chilling race against time to clear her name and protect her scholarship. But with cryptic texts and mounting tension at her elite boarding school, Jess discovers the killer might be closer than she thought—and that they’ve been inspired by her. Tense, twisty, and relentlessly paced, This Book Kills grips you until the final page, perfect for fans of pulse-pounding YA thrillers.
Lead image credit: Amazon
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