We love the season of pumpkin spice lattes, scary movies, and all things Halloween. It makes us want to curl up with a good thriller and murder mystery; a book that keeps us guessing, so much so that one chapter turns into ten, and we're left with our jaws open because we can't believe what we just read. You too?
If so, below is a list of 13 of our favorite thrillers and mysteries to add to your TBR. From a book about a struggling suspense novelist to a thriller told from multiple perspectives, we hope you find something that excites you!
PS: Not into thrillers? Here are some other book recommendations to check out. And here are Halloween costumes inspired by literary characters. Happy October!
13 Thrillers, Murder Mysteries & Riveting Reads You'll Fly Through
1. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
Favorite quote: My Google search history alone was probably enough to put me on a government watch list. I wrote suspense novels about murders like this. I’d searched every possible way to kill someone. With every conceivable kind of weapon. Buy the book: Finlay Donavan Is Killing It.
2. Mexican Gothic
Set in the 1950s, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia centers on a woman rescuing her cousin who believes she is being poisoned by her new husband. But this novel shows that things aren't always what they seem.
Favorite quote: One could construct a hundred different narratives, it didn’t make them true. Buy the book: Mexican Gothic.
3. The Push
The Push by Ashley Audrain is an equally terrifying and thought-provoking thriller about motherhood, generational trauma, and the fears of parenting. It's one of those hard-to-put-down gripping novels that you'll want to talk about after you finish it.
Favorite quote: She tried very hard to be the woman she was expected to be. Buy the book: The Push.
4. Wrong Place Wrong Time
Thriller-meets-murder-mystery, this book includes time travel and a fiercely powerful mother-son bond. The premise: a successful lawyer in Liverpool tries to stop her son from committing a murder, but she ends up in a time spiral the morning after her son is arrested. Sucked in? So were we.
5. Unmissing
BookTok SENSATION, this thriller is getting attention for good reason. Unmissing is a fascinating book that follows a woman who went missing for ten years and finally returned after being presumed dead.
Favorite quote: My whole life, I’ve never trusted quiet people; something about their busy brains and all the things they aren’t saying makes me nervous. Buy the book: Unmissing.
6. My Sister, The Serial Killer
As a team of sisters at Page Petal, this book resonated deeply. The story is about Ayoola, who kills her lovers, and Korede, a nurse who covers up the crimes. It is a gripping read that shows the power and consequences of secrets -- and the dangers of loyalty.
Favorite quote: The most loving parents and relatives commit murder with smiles on their faces. They force us to destroy the person we really are: a subtle kind of murder. Buy the book: My Sister, The Serial Killer.
7. The Wife Between Us
Marriage, mystery, and so much more come together in this page-turning thriller by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.
Favorite quote: I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship. Well, I’ve never feared bad weather, either. Buy the book: The Wife Between Us.
8. The Girl on the Train
If you haven't already read this thriller by Paula Hawkins, we're a bit jealous! The premise: a woman watches a seemingly perfect couple on her commute and sees something that sets her out on her own missing person's investigation. (We also highly recommend the audio version!)
Favorite quote: Hollowness: that I understand. I'm starting to believe that there isn't anything you can do to fix it. That's what I've taken from the therapy sessions: the holes in your life are permanent. You have to grow around them, like tree roots around concrete; you mold yourself through the gaps. Buy the book: The Girl on the Train.
9. Gone Girl
Another incredible must-read. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is one of those books you will forever remember where you are when you finish it. After you do, check out the movie starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck.
Favorite quote: There’s something disturbing about recalling a warm memory and feeling utterly cold. Buy the book: Gone Girl.
10. Verity
From the first sentence, Verity by Colleen Hoover ropes you right in. The story centers on a woman who accepts a job as a ghostwriter that turns out to be much more than she anticipated.
Favorite quote: Most people come to New York to be discovered. The rest of us come here to hide. Buy the book: Verity.
11. Lakewood
A new job that seems "perfect" on paper turns out be anything but. It's beautifully written and offers a profound commentary on the experiments performed on Black bodies in the past.
Favorite quote: If you think too much about how things should be, you forget how they are. Buy the book: Lakewood.
12. The Overnight Guest
This book is the stuff of nightmares. The Overnight Guest follows a true crime author as she finishes her latest book. However, instead of writing in solitude, she gets an unexpected "visitor" during a deadly snowstorm. It's a spooky story within a spooky story -- and we couldn't be more hooked!
Favorite quote: It isn't the dark you should be afraid of, the girl thought, it's the monsters who step out into the light that you need to fear. Buy the book: The Overnight Guest.
13. More Than You'll Ever Know
Calling all fans of true crime! More Than You'll Ever Know is about a true crime blogger who seeks answers to a murder that took place more 30 years ago. However, the more she learns, the more she realizes she questions the truth. It's fascinating a story of obsession, love, and the secrets we hide.
Favorite quote: When we’re shocked someone isn’t who we thought they were, it’s usually not because they hid it so well—more like, the closer we are to a person, the less clearly we see them. Buy the book: More Than You'll Ever Know.