Caution: The best new thriller books are so addicting you’ll find yourself glued to the page. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
With my new vaccinated state, I’m excited to venture out more this summer than I did last. I’m envisioning plenty of days at the lake and a few camping and hiking trips thrown into the mix.
Of course, I’ll have a book in tow. My summer reading list is full of all the best new thriller books I could find.
If you are a fan of page-turning mysteries, you’ll love this list of all the summer thrillers of 2021. On my search for the best thrillers books of the year, I’ve included all the best thriller books I could find.
Whether you are looking for the best new psychological thriller books or prefer a good domestic mystery, there’s something for everyone!
Most Anticipated New Thriller Books
Survive the Night
Riley Sager
After her roommate is murdered on campus, Charlie is desperate to get away. She posts a notice on her college rideshare board and snags a ride back to Ohio from a handsome stranger. However, Charlie quickly realizes that Josh is not whom he seems. A fun cat-and-mouse with plenty of twists and turns and a little over-the-top theatricality, Survive the Night is one of the best summer reads of 2021.
The Other Black Girl
Zakiya Dalila Harris
Among the best new thriller books out this summer is a debut novel making waves on summer reading lists. Tired of being the only Black woman at Wagner Books, Nella Rogers is thrilled when Harlem-born Hazel moves into the cubicle next to her. When Hazel becomes the office darling, Nella starts receiving threatening notes. Could Hazel be trying to force out Nella, or is there much more going on in their workplace?
The Maidens
Alex Michaelides
The author of The Silent Patient returns with one of the most-anticipated psychological thrillers of 2021. At Cambridge University, Edward Fosca is a charismatic professor of Greek tragedy and leader of a secret society of female students called The Maidens. Marina, a troubled group therapist, is willing to risk everything to prove that he is a murderer.
The Husbands
Chandler Baker
The best new thriller novels make you really think about how the world works, and Baker’s latest domestic thriller has plenty to say about gender inequality. Even though her husband helps out, successful lawyer Nora Spangler feels likes she carries an unfair share of the domestic burden. When they move into an exclusive suburban neighborhood, Nora finds a group of high-powered women with extremely supportive husbands. While helping with a resident’s wrongful death case, she discovers they all have a secret worth willing to kill over.
New Psychological Thriller Books
The Disappearing Act
Catherine Steadman
From the author of Something in the Water comes one of summer’s new release thrillers about a British actress trying to make her way in Los Angeles. While auditioning for Hollywood roles, Mia Eliot finds a kindred spirit in Emily, another actress from out of town. After a simple favor, Emily disappears. The next time they meet, Mia swears that Emily is a completely different woman, and no one believes her.
For Your Own Good
Samantha Downing
At the prestigious private school Belmont Academy, Teddy Crutcher has been named Teacher of the Year. Teddy will do anything to help his students succeed, and won’t let bothersome colleagues, pesky parents, personal questions, or even the suspicious death of a parent, stand in his way.
Dream Girl
Laura Lippman
After a freak accident, author Gerry Andersen finds himself confined to a hospital bed in his apartment. With only a young assistant and an incompetent night nurse to care for him, strange phone calls make him question his sanity. A woman is claiming to be the character from his latest novel; a character no one believes when he insists she is completely fictional. With similarities to Stephen King’s Misery, Dream Girl is hoping to be considered one of the best thriller books of 2021.
The Guilt Trip
Sandie Jones
Three couples at a destination wedding in Portugal find themselves torn apart in this summer thriller. Along with their best friends Noah and Paige, Rachel and Jack are excited to celebrate Jack’s brother’s wedding. Yet, the new bride rubs Rachel and Paige all the wrong way and a misunderstanding brings to light betrayals and secrets.
New Domestic Thriller Books
Not a Happy Family
Shari Lapena
The night after having Easter dinner with their three grown children, a wealthy couple is murdered. Of course, the Merton children are devastated. Or are they? They stand to inherit millions. Was it a random act of violence or was the perpetrator someone much closer to home? If family drama calls your name, this is one of the best thriller fiction books to curl up to this summer.
The Stranger in the Mirror
Liv Constantine
As her wedding approaches, Addison isn’t sure if it’s the right thing to do. Years ago, she was discovered on the side of the road with amnesia, and she worries that her past could come back to haunt her. Meanwhile, Julian has never given up searching for his wife who mysteriously vanished. As the two storylines converge, you are in for some twists with Constantine’s latest psychological thriller.
The Therapist
B. A. Paris
When Alice and Leo move into a gated community, they think their dreams have come true. Alice begins to feel a strong connection to Nina, the therapist who used to live there. Quickly, Alice becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to Nina, for no one in the neighborhood wants to talk about her. If you are looking for new thriller novels for a summer vacation, don’t forget to try this domestic thriller from the author of Behind Closed Doors.
The Sinful LIves of Trophy Wives
Kristin Miller
In San Fransisco’s most exclusive neighborhood, three women will do anything to protect their image … and their secrets. Erin King is a famed news anchor worried her husband may throw her over for a younger woman. Brooke Davies is the newest trophy wife on the block, desperate to hide the truth of her “perfect” marriage. With rumors flying that she killed her previous two husbands for money, Georgia St. Claire is about to marry her third husband when tragedy strikes.
New Mystery Thriller Novels
False Witness
Karin Slaughter
Bestselling author Karin Slaughter lands among the summer 2021 books with a novel perfect for the #MeToo era. After a tumultuous childhood, Leigh Coulton has built a completely ordinary life as a defense attorney. When she lands a career-changing case defending a wealthy man accused of rape, she realizes that she knows him. And he knows what happened all those years ago. Now she must get him acquitted her risk losing everything.
Where the Truth Lies
Anna Bailey
In the insular Colorado town of Whistling Ridge, everyone has something to hide. When Emma’s best friend Abi disappears from a teenage party, the police initially assume she ran away. Emma knows something deeper is going on and her search for the truth might tear the entire town apart. With blurbs from Paula Hawkins and Jane Harper, Where the Truth Lies has good chances of being one of the best new thrillers books of 2021.
Such a Quiet Place
Megan Miranda
Harper Nash’s life is completely thrown off track when her former roommate Ruby walks through the door. A year and a half ago, Ruby was sentenced to twenty years for the murder of their neighbors. With her conviction overturned, Ruby has returned, determined to get revenge on the idyllic neighborhood who all testified against her.
The Family Plot
Megan Collins
If you are looking for the best new thriller books with complicated relationships, Collins has the perfect summer thriller for you. Growing up, the Dahlia Lighthouse’s family was like no other. Obsessed with true crime, her parents isolated the family in their secluded island mansion. When her father dies, a body is discovered already in his grave – Dahlia’s twin brother who disappeared when they were teens. Now Dahlia must dive deeper into her eccentric family to learn what happened to her brother.
Best Thriller Fiction of Fall 2021
A Slow Burning Fire by Paula Hawkins
August 31, 2021 – When a young man is murdered on a London houseboat, police investigate three women: his one-night stand, his grieving aunt, and his nosy neighbor. Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
September 7, 2021 – A young teenage mother disappears one night in an English suburb. Two years later, a woman finds a note attached to a tree saying, “Dig Here.” Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny
October 12, 2021 – After a series of terrorist attacks, a novice Secretary of State under the administration of her rival must unravel a deadly global conspiracy. Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
September 7, 2021 – On their tenth anniversary, a couple wins a trip to Scotland for a weekend that will make or break their marriage. But someone is lying and someone doesn’t want them to have happily ever after. Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
October 26, 2021 – A father and daughter living in isolation in the remote Appalachian mountains are forced to face the consequence of past decisions. Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger
October 5, 2021 – After being ghosted by a guy she met on a dating app, a woman begins to obsessively look for answers to his identity. Amazon | Goodreads | More Info
Which of the best new thriller books are you most excited to read?
I don’t think I can wait for all of these awesome books to come out this summer. I’m impatient! lol!
I’ve got a fantastic summer read for you that is a psychological thriller with suspense and a truly haunting spiritual twist. It’s called “Deciduous” by Michael Devendorf. This book was really incredible and you could tell the depth of feeling that went into it. The main character, Sienna, suffers an enormous loss in the beginning when she loses both of her children. What follows is a thrilling and sometimes terrifying journey through the characters’ psyche. Was she responsible for the deaths? Is there something more sinister at play? Every chapter is a new dark turn and I loved every minute of it. Definitely check this one out! Happy Summer and Happy Reading!
I am really excited for “Survive the Night” – It’s great to see there are so many awesome thrillers due to come out. I love thrillers, sci fi and horror and I just finished a book that delivered on all fronts. “Shimmers” by author J.P. Strecker is my favorite read so far this summer.