Do you love a psychological thriller like Gone Girl or The Silent Patient ? Us too. There’s nothing more gripping than a story where the character questions everything (and everyone) around them, while desperately clinging to their sanity. It’s why we love the work of authors like Lisa Jewell and Alex North. But they’re not the only authors writing twisty, psychologically complex books that keep you hooked.
Read on for our guide to the psychological thrillers worth reading, including the best psychological thriller books of all time, the new titles we can't stop talking about, and the best domestic thrillers about danger closer to home.
What is a psychological thriller?
A psychological thriller is a subgenre of crime fiction where the main tension stems from the characters’ inner turmoil, including from toxic personal relationships, as opposed to external factors like a serial killer on the loose. These books are heavy on suspenseful, claustrophobic atmospheres, and usually focus on a protagonist who is losing their grip on reality.
Key characteristics of psychological thrillers:
A main character in mental turmoil.
A protagonist who distrusts everyone around them.
An eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere.
An unreliable narrator who is not telling the whole truth.
An exploration of the darkest side of human nature and what people are capable of.
Best psychological thrillers of all time
Whether you’re looking for an introduction to the psychological thriller genre, or simply looking to read the most popular examples, the following books are the most iconic psychological thrillers of all time.
Before I Go to Sleep takes the popular unreliable narrator trope to a whole new level with its unique premise. Every time Christine goes to sleep, she wakes up with no memory of her identity. And every morning, the man beside her explains that he is her husband and that she had a terrible accident that destroyed her ability to make new memories. But is he telling her the whole truth? This unnerving novel is a compelling read, and its final twist feels positively cinematic; we can see why it was adapted into the 2014 film starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth.
Read it if you like: unreliable narrators like in Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train , plot twists, claustrophobic thrillers about marriage.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (2012)
You can’t underestimate the impact of Gone Girl . The success of the 2012 novel, which has sold more than 15 million copies globally and was recently voted the “best thriller of the century” in The New York Times The Guardian Gone Girl effect”. Flynn’s twisty novel focuses on the flawed but fascinating characters of Nick and Amy, who have a strained marriage. When Amy disappears, and a series of clues point to Nick, he is the number one suspect. But the truth behind her disappearance is even more shocking than anyone could have guessed…
If you loved Gone Girl , you’ll love this domestic thriller that focuses on a similarly toxic marriage, with plenty of plot twists. Millicent and her husband have been happily married for 15 years. The secret to their marital bliss? A shared interest in seducing lone women – and murdering them. But as their body count increases, they must go to more extreme lengths not to get caught. My Lovely Wife became an international bestseller and has been published in 23 countries. Amazon Studios acquired the film rights, in partnership with Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films, so a film adaptation might also be in the works.
Read it if you like: morally grey characters, unreliable narrators, books about toxic marriages like Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall.
Lisa Jewell has a unique talent for creating psychologically believable yet monstrous characters and exploring the dark side of human nature. In None of This is True , which has sold over 1 million copies and was voted Crime Novel of the Year at the 2024 British Book Awards, Jewell once again introduces two unreliable narrators and weaves together a multi-layered, psychologically rich narrative. Alix is a podcaster who befriends lonely local mum Josie and invites her onto her podcast. But gradually, Alix starts to questions Josie’s intentions and realises this new friendship could be dangerous – and not just for her...
Read it if you like: psychological thrillers about obsession and toxic friendships, the unreliable narrators of Liz Nugent and Ruth Rendell ’s works, a fast-paced plot, short chapters that keep you reading until the early hours.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (2019)
The Silent Patient is a psychological thriller with a massive plot twist that makes you sit back and rethink everything you just read. It’s an addictive read that amassed a huge following on TikTok during the pandemic, leading to 8 million copies being sold, and it’s one you’ll wish you could read again for the first time. The plot follows Theo Faber, a psychotherapist, who is working with a new client, Alicia Berenson, who seemed happily married until six years ago, when she shot her husband in the head five times. She hasn’t spoken a word since. It falls to Theo to get her to talk – with unforgettable results.
Read it if you like: domestic suspense like Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris, the suspense of Alex Michaelides’ subsequent book The Fury The Housemaid by Freida McFadden and Don’t Let Him In
This claustrophobic, incredibly immersive thriller has all the tension of a psychological horror film. A woman is home alone with her two young children when she hears a noise: there’s a man in her house. What follows is a tense game of hide-and-seek as she listens out for his footsteps and works to outmanoeuvre him, to protect her children from the strange man at all costs. As his sinister intentions become clear, the stakes and the heroine’s sense of dread are heightened, and it becomes clear that failure is not an option.
Read it if you like: creepy intruder stories like We Used to Live Here The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, the oppressive atmosphere of Misery by Stephen King.
The Brighton Mermaid by Dorothy Koomson (2018)
For a psychologically rich tale about trauma and its impact on mental health, we recommend The Brighton Mermaid . When teenagers Nell and Jude find a dead body washed up on the beach, they call her the “Brighton mermaid”. Less than a month later, Jude disappears. Now, an adult Nell must find out what happened to the Brighton mermaid – and her best friend. This ‘whodunnit’ is a gripping read that is more of a psychological puzzle than a fast-paced thriller.
Read it if you like: character-driven psychological thrillers instead of violence and gore, dual timelines and multiple POVs, realistic characters who have been shaped by traumatic experiences like in Lisa Jewell’s Then She Was Gone The Night She Disappeared
No list of psychological thrillers would be complete without The Silence of the Lambs . For anyone who hasn’t read it (or seen the iconic 1991 film), it’s about an FBI trainee who enlists the help of a cannibalistic murderer, Hannibal Lecter, to help her track down a serial killer. This tense, race-against-time novel introduces one of the most manipulative, horrifying and fascinating characters of all time.
Read it if you like: tense serial-killer thrillers like The Whisper Man The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, the gruesome crime scenes and complex character motivations of M. J. Arlidge ’s works.
Paul Hawkins’ first thriller became a word-of-mouth sensation, selling over 23 million copies, and it counts Stephen King and Tess Gerritsen among its fans. The plot follows Rachel, an alcoholic whose blackouts make her the ultimate unreliable narrator, who lives her life vicariously through the couple she watches from her commuter train window. But one day, she witnesses something terrible – and feels she must take action. This novel has plenty of shocking twists and makes you second-guess the characters until the explosive ending.
Read it if you like: unreliable narrators, the high-octane suspense of Hitchcock’s films, books where you don’t know who to trust like The Woman in Cabin 10 Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson.
This tightly constructed mystery draws you in, with its eerie island setting and frequent plot twists, keeping you hooked until its shocking ending. U.S Marshal Teddy Daniels is sent to Shutter Island, the home of a notorious hospital for the criminally insane, to find a patient who has gone missing. His investigation uncovers a web of corruption and tests the limits of his own sanity. Shutter Island is a timeless thriller you can return to again and again, each time finding new clues you missed before.
Read it if you like: the unreliable narrators and complex protagonists of Gillian Flynn’s novels, the psychiatric setting of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, stories like Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson where you don’t know who to believe.
Dear Amy has a strong hook and a unique premise, combining high emotional stakes with a fast-paced plot – the second half of the story felt particularly impossible to put down. A local girl has been missing for weeks when agony aunt Margot Lewis receives a letter from a woman who claims to have been kidnapped – but the letter is signed by a girl who went missing more than 20 years ago. As more letters arrive, Margot must figure out if these missing cases could be linked, and whether she’s willing to put her life in danger to find out.
Read it if you like: fast-paced psychological thrillers, the high-stakes emotional tension of Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin, the high-concept novels of Gillian McAllister and Andrea Mara .
Our Kind of Cruelty introduces a fascinating and memorable couple, whose unreliable narration means you don’t know who to trust. From Mike’s perspective, he and his wife Verity have the perfect life together. From his wife’s perspective, Mike is dangerously unhinged and unable to accept that their relationship is over. This psychological suspense novel is about the line between desire and obsession. Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl , calls it “one of the most disturbing thrillers I’ve read in years.”
Read it if you like: unsettling psychological thrillers about obsession like Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl , Samantha Downing’s My Lovely Wife and Stephen King’s Misery ; unreliable narrators; unlikeable but fascinating characters, as in Liz Nugent’s works.
In this immersive, slow-burn thriller, the tension builds steadily until it becomes unbearable. When Guy and Charles meet on a train, they’re just strangers. Then Charles proposes a fatal pact: he will kill Guy’s wife in exchange for Guy killing Charles’ father. Soon, Guy becomes trapped in a sinister world where he must either kill or be killed. Patricia Highsmith’s explosive debut creates an unsettling atmosphere, with a twisted central relationship that explores the darker side of human nature.
Read it if you love: the slow-burn tension and morally grey characters of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History The Talented Mr. Ripley .
Rebecca is a classic example of psychological suspense, as the protagonist’s paranoia and obsession leads to her mental unravelling. The young narrator knows very little about her new husband, but she learns a great deal about his first wife, Rebecca, who died under mysterious circumstances. The young woman becomes obsessed with this absent figure and spirals into madness as she mistrusts everyone around her. This timeless example of desire, fixation and manipulation paved the way for modern classics like Our Kind of Cruelty and The Girl on the Train .
Read it if you like: thrillers about obsession and secrets within marriage, psychologically tense Gothic fiction like Beloved Shirley Jackson ’s characters.
Best psychological thrillers of 2026
If you’re looking for a new psychological thriller to read this year, the below is our recommended reading list of the most mind-warping, thought-provoking and down-right sinister psychological thrillers of 2026.
The Exes is a razor-sharp psychological thriller from an exciting new voice in crime fiction, that weaves together plot twists, an unreliable narrator, and a wholly unique premise. Sometimes, on her worst nights, Natalie blacks out and loses control. Three of her exes have died prematurely and now, following an argument with her husband, she has regained consciousness and realised that she’s holding a knife. But is she a killer, or is someone messing with her memory?
Read it if you like: the unreliable narrators of Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train and S. J. Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep ; the fast-paced plots of Gillian Flynn and Ruth Ware ’s works.
This cat-and-mouse thriller has a strong emotional core, exploring the sinister lengths a parent will go to in order to protect their child. Simone and her daughter Lucy are about to embark on an epic road trip across America. But on the first night of the trip, Lucy disappears. In her place, someone has left a phone, and an unknown caller tells Simone that she can only see her daughter again if she commits the unthinkable. As the demands escalate, Simone’s love and loyalty are put to the ultimate test.
Read it if you like: fast-paced domestic thrillers by Claire Douglas, the realistic family dynamics of Andrea Mara and Liane Moriarty’s works, the moral conundrum at the heart of The Bodies Sam Lloyd and My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite.
This is a chilling, thought-provoking psychological thriller that explores our darkest insecurities and anxieties within family life. Elena is struggling with the demands and stresses of new parenthood, so when her mother-in-law suggests getting a clone from More You, it seems like the perfect solution. But while having Nellie in their home is a definite help, things turn sinister when she starts speaking and acting just like Elena…
Read it if you like: psychological thrillers about marriage and obsession, the claustrophobic atmosphere and terrifying premise of The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin, chilling techno thrillers like Eden Falls Ajay Chowdhury .
This deliciously dark drama about a dysfunctional family sees a protagonist growing increasingly paranoid in an isolated Scottish setting, as he doesn’t know who to trust. Patrick visits his new girlfriend’s family home in Scotland but feels uneasy when he hears whispers in the hallways and rumours of a body found the previous year. Then someone turns up dead, and Patrick can’t trust anyone – not even his girlfriend.
Read it if you like: isolated settings, unbearable tension and paranoia, the dysfunctional family in Trisha Sakhlecha’s The Inheritance
There are high emotional stakes in Such a Nice Girl but Andrea Mara continually ramps up the tension as the characters’ friendship is put to the ultimate test. Two best friends wake up the morning after a wedding to realise their teenage daughters are missing. Even worse: the police suspect one of the girls is trying to kill the other. But who is the victim, and who is the killer?
Read it if you like: twisty domestic thrillers by Gillian McAllister, Alice Feeney and K. L. Slater , where nothing is as it seems; All Her Fault
In this tense read, which counts Liz Nugent among its fans, our protagonist’s memory loss makes her an unreliable narrator as she tries to figure out who she can trust. Thea wakes from a coma with temporary amnesia. All she knows is that she was in Italy with her loved ones until she fell down a ravine and almost died. But as memories start to come back to her, she suspects her loved ones are lying to her about what happened – and that one of them might be responsible.
Unlike in a murder mystery, the reader knows exactly who committed the crime in Getting Away with Murder – the focus is on what happens next, as the culprits’ dysfunctional relationship starts to unravel. Ted and Jill love their elegant Brooklyn brownstone. Then they make a bad investment, lose all their money, and fear they’ll have to give up their home. The only solution? To kill a wealthy family member. But as their actions spiral out of control, the suspense builds as they both question whether they can trust each other…
Read it if you like: domestic thrillers about dysfunctional marriages, including Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl and Samantha Downing’s My Lovely Wife ;the warped characters in the works of Lisa Jewell, Liz Nugent and Cara Hunter .
For another one-sit read about a dysfunctional marriage, complete with sinister secrets and characters you can’t trust, we recommend We Tell Lies . Former con artists Emily and Oliver are looking for a fresh start when they move into their new home. But when Oliver starts acting strangely, and someone turns up dead, Emily is reminded that she only knows one thing for sure about her husband: he’s a very good liar.
Read it if you like: unreliable narrators, domestic thrillers about dysfunctional marriages, the morally grey characters of Shari Lapena and Claire Douglas’ works.
Like Freida McFadden’s psychological thrillers, The Lover by Mary Watson hooks you from the first page and builds tension until a big twist you’d never see coming. Hallie is swept up in an affair with her boss. One night, she falls asleep in his arms, but when she wakes up the next morning, he is dead. Hallie becomes the prime suspect and must find the real killer to clear her name.
Read it if you like: psychological suspense about love and obsession, the ‘framed narrator’ trope of The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and The Woman on the Ledge Ruth Mancini , the plot twists of Freida McFadden’s works.
Best domestic thrillers of all time
Domestic thrillers are a subset of psychological thrillers that focus on the dangers at home – whether that be a suspicious neighbour or parent on the playground, or a partner you can’t trust.
Cecilia thought she knew her husband. But that was before she found the envelope marked “to be opened in the event of my death”. Unable to resist, she opens it and learns a shocking truth. If she confronts her husband, it will cause untold damage – but could staying silent be worse? This page-turner has a twisty plot, believable characters, a thought-provoking premise and a strong emotional core.
Read it if you like: the appearance vs. reality theme in Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies Famous Last Words
You never know what’s happening on the other side of the wall – and no book illustrates this better than Shari Lapena’s debut psychological thriller, a whodunnit full of red herrings and morally grey characters, which has since sold more than 500,000 copies.
When Anne and Marco’s baby girl is taken from their home while they’re at a dinner party next door, suspicion initially falls on the child’s parents. They’re clearly hiding something – both from the police and from each other. What follows is a twisty, suspenseful tale of secrets, lies and betrayal, that examines the dark underbelly of the ‘perfect’ suburban life and makes you question how much you can trust everyone around you.
Read it if you like: domestic thrillers with plot twists, the complex inner worlds of the characters in Big Little Lies , the high-concept (and terrifying) missing child mysteries of Andrea Mara’s All Her Fault and No One Saw a Thing .
Widely considered one of Liz Nugent’s best works, Lying in Wait opens with one of the most gripping first lines in modern crime fiction: “My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.” From there, this domestic thriller draws you in to this dysfunctional couple’s inner world and the reasons that led them to kill a young woman. It’s a tense, disturbing ‘whydunnit’ about love, motherhood and mental illness, with multi-layered, flawed characters that jump off the page.
This gripping, multi-layered mystery combines a cinematic premise with slow-burn suspense and an eerie atmosphere. Tasha and her husband go on holiday, leaving their children in the care of Tasha’s sister, Alice, and her husband. But while on their trip, Alice and her husband are attacked; Alice is left in intensive care and her husband is dead, but the children are safe. It seems like a random attack, until Tasha receives a chilling note: “It was supposed to be you.”
Read it if you like: the tense family dynamics of Andrea Mara and Gillian McAllister’s works, the high-concept premises of Dorothy Koomson and Lisa Jewell’s books, stories about the dark side of suburbia like Everyone Here is Lying Message Deleted
Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris
This spine-chilling domestic thriller became an international bestseller, selling more than 3.5 million copies globally. We can see why Behind Closed Doors is so popular: the book draws you in, as you know something is wrong from the start, and the eerie atmosphere builds until it becomes claustrophobic.
Jack and Grace seem to have the perfect marriage, and the pair are never seen apart. While some might call this true love, others might question why Grace never answers the phone, why she can never meet up without Jack, or why there are bars on their bedroom window. This is a domestic thriller about what happens when the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.
Read it if you like: the blurring of fact and fiction in The Housemaid by Freida McFadden; the psychological suspense of Don’t Let Him In Verity by Colleen Hoover.
This slow-burn, character-driven mystery transports you to the glamorous world of Lagos, Nigeria, and a glittering group of expats hiding secrets behind closed doors. From the outside, it looks like Nicole has the perfect life: a handsome husband, a stunning home in the heart of Lagos, and a glamorous set of friends. But after a boat trip, she disappears without a trace. Frustrated by the police’s lack of progress, her aunt Claudine flies to Nigeria and takes matters into her own hands. But as she investigates what happened, Claudine learns the uncomfortable truth about her niece’s life.
Read it if you like: character-driven mysteries, missing persons stories like Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty, the glamorous setting and shady goings-on of The White Lotus .
Keep Your Friends Close is a scarily believable domestic thriller, with colourful characters you can’t trust and a toxic friendship at its core. Natty and Sean are happily married. When their daughter falls ill on a school trip, Natty rushes to be at her side, leaving Sean with her best friend Eve, who is visiting. But when Natty returns, Sean says he has fallen in love with Eve. Natty learns that this is not the first time Eve has broken up a marriage. She hunts for the truth about her oldest friend – even as it puts her life in danger.
Read it if you like: the manipulative, morally grey characters of Lisa Jewell’s None of This is True and Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl ; the toxic friendships at the heart of Leah Kohen ’s works.
This fast-paced psychological thriller is full of corkscrew plot twists that will keep you guessing. Tara is a loving wife and mother. But in an impulsive moment, she spends the night with a married man. Now, the man says he wants a relationship with her – and he won’t leave her or her family alone until he gets what he wants. There’s only one way out, and it involves murder…
Read it if you like: flawed but relatable characters, the film Fatal Attraction , psychological suspense about romantic obsession.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a book a psychological thriller?
Psychological thrillers create suspense through a character’s heightened emotions, warped perceptions, and disturbed mental state rather than (solely) through physical danger or action. These thrillers often feature unreliable narrators, manipulation, obsession, secrets and unexpected plot twists that make you question everything and everyone.
How do I choose a good psychological thriller to read?
Think about the kind of suspense you enjoy reading. For a more fast-paced read, choose a psychological thriller that has a gripping premise, short chapters, and major plot twists – like None of This is True The Girl on the Train
What should I read if I like books such as Gone Girl or The Silent Patient?
If you enjoyed Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl and Alex Michaelides’ The Silent Patient , you’ll love a psychological thriller featuring unreliable narrators, toxic relationships and plot twists. We especially recommend My Lovely Wife Our Kind of Cruelty Getting Away with Murder
