These are serious page-turners.
Sure, I could sit through some scary movies, spooky series, or true crime docs — I understand those are all the rage these days — but nothing grips me more than a page-turning mystery, whether it’s fact or fiction. If you’re like me and prefer to read yourself silly as opposed to seeing it play out in gory detail on screen, I see you. Flip through these suspenseful thriller books that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
6 Best Thriller Books to Read Before Halloween
Palace of the Drowned by Christine Mangan
You never know who’s lurking in the next canal in this dark, twisty tale that takes place in a creepy palace in Venice about an author who loses it after a bad review. No one can relate to that…right?!
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
The first in bestselling author Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic series, this book reveals Maria’s origin story in the 1600s before being accused of witchcraft in Salem, MA. Find out what relationship caused Maria to invoke the curse that haunts her family and how she learned the rules of magic.
Survive the Night by Riley Sager
A girl, a car, a murder. I mean, what else do you really need to get goosebumps? Follow along with this college-age protagonist tale that tackles the grief of losing a close friend — and the uncertainty of not knowing who to trust, even those right beside you. Riley Sager’s ability to create suspense is truly impressive.
Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian
A story of one of the first attempted divorces, in Hour of the Witch, Mary Deerfield is the object of a community witch hunt after some herbs she gives a boy causes his death. That and other signs make the neighbors accuse after she tries to assert her independence from a brutal man in this 1600s-set tale by masterful storyteller Chris Bohjalian.
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
A murder on campus. A concerned aunt. A secret society. This bestselling novel from No. 1 bestselling author of The Silent Patient is literary in tone, captivating in content, and brilliantly written, and shows just what a cornered family member — and therapist — can do.
Getaway by Zoje Stage
Two sisters and a friend venture into the Grand Canyon to heal from past trauma but get entangled with a fellow traveler whose motives are unclear — and haunting. You’ll want to zip your tent up and cocoon in a sleeping bag to block out the fear this novel engenders.
Zibby Owens is an author, publisher, mother of four, and the podcast host of Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books.
