The 10 best psychological thriller books that will leave you haunted for years to come

It’s quite possible for psychological thrillers to leave you scared, jittery, and constantly looking over your shoulders, but there’s something about the knife-cutting tension underlying these stories that makes them utterly irresistible.

From rural sociopaths with amnesia to strange, inexplicable phenomena occurring in a clandestine site, here are the best psychological thriller books you can get your hands on in 2024.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Gillian Flynn is the unrivaled master of psychological thrillers, and even her breakthrough novel, Sharp Objects, released in 2006, remains one of the best books you could read in this genre. The story follows Camille Preaker, a journalist who covers crime stories. Camille is dissatisfied with her job, and when she is sent to her rural hometown of Wind Gap in Missouri, she has to confront her traumatic history and investigate the case of a murdered girl and a missing child.

Sharp Objects is visceral and grim. Flynn doesn’t flinch from depicting dark themes like self-harm and mental illness, but they’re handled in a way that is deliberative and mature.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

A masterful stroke of the unreliable narrator trope, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is a best-seller from 2015, with some reviewers referring to it as “the next Gone Girl.” The narrative follows Rachel Watson, a 33-year-old alcoholic, who still feels the bitter pang of divorce from her ex-husband Tom, who left her for another woman. Rachel is obsessed with Tom’s new family, and she often experiences blackouts due to drinking too much. 

Rachel also gets involved with Scott and Megan, a seemingly perfect couple. When Megan suddenly goes missing, Rachel shows up and begins to investigate a hazy night where she may have done something with her. The Girl on the Train was adapted for the big screens in 2016, but do yourself a favor and pick up the book instead.

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

Christine Lucas is dealing with anterograde amnesia; meaning that she wakes up every day unable to recall her past life. Before I Go to Sleep follows her tale as she tries to reconstruct her memories with the help of a journal and a doctor. As the novel progresses, however, and fragments of the truth start bubbling up to the surface, Christine starts to question everything she knows and everything she’s been told. The plot of Before I Go to Sleep is chock full of twists, psychological tension, and the philosophical ponderance of identity and how it fundamentally shapes our lives.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Alex Michaelides was a screenwriter before he tried his hand at literature. The Silent Patient was his first novel, and it garnered universal acclaim and went on to sell more than 6 million copies. Of his short-lived career in Hollywood, this is all he needs to say: “I made three films, and they went from bad to worse.”

In many ways, The Silent Patient is what Michaelides wanted to work on but couldn’t because of everything that gets lost in the process of making a big flick. The story follows Alicia Berenson, a famous painter who, randomly and without explanation, kills her husband and falls silent. This draws the attention of one Theo Faber, a forensic psychologist, who wants to unravel the mystery sitting at the heart of Berenson and her mentality. Trust me when I say you’ll never forget the plot twist at the end of this book.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Another gripping tale by Gillian Flynn, now also an acclaimed motion picture by David Fincher, Gone Girl tells the story of a marriage gone wrong, wrought with lies and a grim mystery. Nick and Amy will soon celebrate their fifth anniversary, but when the latter suddenly disappears, the media and the authorities look to Nick as the prime suspect, little knowing that the dark web of deceit sitting at the heart of this marriage is too terrible for any of them to fathom.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

The story of Dark Matter centers around a content and otherwise indistinguishable physicist who gets abducted and sent to another reality where he’s a hotshot scientist celebrated worldwide. The only catch is that Jason Dessen doesn’t have a family in this new reality. Dark Matter has lots of thought-provoking themes to keep readers engaged, but the beating heart of the narrative is the twists and the emotional depth, mixed with a rather modern understanding of quantum mechanics and how they shape our world. Dark Matter was adapted for television by Apple TV+ and received positive reviews for its first outing. The series has been renewed for a second season.

Verity by Colleen Hoover

There’s no middle ground when it comes to Verity by Colleen Hoover; you either love this book and gush about it non-stop, or you hate it with a fiery passion. It’s hard to explain what the story does because the plot is as gripping and psychologically messed up as you could expect from the best works in this genre. You follow a struggling author who has been contracted to finish the best-selling works of Verity Crawford, but when she moves into the Crawford home to review the notes, she uncovers a manuscript that sheds light on dark and criminal secrets within the household. I guess the word I’m ultimately groping for here is “creepy,” but nothing that would put you off if you’ve ever taken a shine to any of the books on this list.

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

A lot of psychological thriller books go for the tired trope of the unreliable narrator or the protagonist who is unable to trust their own senses. The Woman in the Window is — at first glance — just another cliche story set in this worn-out genre. But A.J. Finn somehow manages to turn that tedious premise into a gripping tale full of tension and plot twists. You follow an agoraphobic, solitary woman who spends her days inside her New York house, watching old movies, drinking wine, and spying on her neighbors. But when this burgeoning heroine witnesses a violent crime across the street, her whole life gets turned on its head. If you’re a fan of suspense literature, pick up The Woman in the Window.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Millie Calloway lands a job as a live-in housemaid for the Winchester family. She has a troubled past, but her traumas are nothing compared to what she’s going to experience in that twisted home, especially under the care of the lady of the house, Nina Winchester, and her erratic ways. There’s sex and violence in The Housemaid, but nothing the initiated of the genre would raise their eyebrows at. The Housemaid is one of the most popular books in recent memory, and Freida McFadden’s voice is a fine addition to the ever-expanding psychological thriller genre.

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

The story of Annihilation combines elements of science-fiction with psychological thriller to deliver a truly unnerving tale. You follow an all-female expedition into Area X, a remote location cut off from the rest of the world, where many other teams have gone to die, disappear, or commit suicide. With its outstanding atmospheric storytelling, psychological depth, and an eerie exploration of the unknown tacked on for good measure, Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer remains a classic of the thriller genre.