13 of the best serial killer thrillers

There’s nothing like losing yourself in a fast-paced crime thriller – and the stakes are rarely higher than when there’s a serial killer on the loose.

From copy-cat killers with an axe to grind, to sadistic psychopaths who live by their own rules, these are the characters who stay with us even as determined detectives track them down – and keep us turning the page well into the early hours.

So, with that in mind, here’s our pick of the best serial killer thriller books.

1st to Die by James Patterson

A killer is on the loose, targeting newlywed couples on their wedding nights. San Francisco detective Lindsay Boxer is on the case, but she enlists the help of Claire, a leading coroner, Cindy, a journalist, and Jill, a top attorney. Together, they form the Women’s Murder Club: a group willing to make their own rules, and sidestep their bosses, in their pursuit of justice.

The Poet by Michael Connelly

When Denver crime reporter Jack McEvoy’s brother dies by apparent suicide, he knows something doesn’t add up. And when he investigates a series of police suicides, he finds a pattern: each of their supposed suicide notes references the poems of Edgar Allen Poe. Jack is sure he’s dealing with a serial killer who is choosing his victims carefully. But things take a turn when the killer senses Jack is closing in on him…