The air crackles with anticipation, a sense of unease that clings to the shadows. From heart-pounding chases to intricate psychological twists, the thriller genre has a unique ability to keep us utterly captivated. “Edge-of-Your-Seat Suspense: My Must-Read Thriller TBR” is a curated collection of novels designed to deliver that very thrill. Prepare to delve into worlds of high stakes, complex characters, and mysteries that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Join me as I navigate this landscape of suspense, and perhaps, we’ll uncover a few hidden gems along the way.
The Hybrid Enemy: A James Macrae Thriller – Book 1 (Boxset: The James Macrae Thriller Series; Books 1-3)
Following a series of mysterious accidents at the international terminals of Macrae Shipping Company, James Macrae must uncover the nefarious adversary intent on destroying his family’s legacy.
After becoming CEO of his family’s shipping company, James never suspected that he would become a victim of international espionage that would threaten both his company and those he loves. When James discovers that the incidents are acts of sabotage, he must act quickly to unmask the hidden enemy working in the shadows.
Journeying across Europe and the Middle East, James follows the trail of clues as he begins to question whether these incidents could be linked to one of his company’s competitors, a company rumored to be caught up in international arms smuggling.
But as he peels back the layers of this conspiracy, James begins to realize that this may reach beyond mere business rivalry. And, as he finds himself and his family in the crosshairs, James must race against time to discover the truth before he loses everything that he holds dear.
The Atlantis Gene: A Thriller (The Origin Mystery, Book 1)
The greatest mystery of all time–the history of human origins–will be revealed.
In Antarctica, researchers discover a mysterious structure, buried in ice.
In a lab in Jakarta, an autism researcher identifies a revolutionary treatment that could change everything.
But these two incredible discoveries aren’t what they seem. They will set off a race to unravel the deepest secrets of human existence—and an event that could change humanity forever.
Experience the novel that started it all: The Atlantis Gene is the first book in A.G. Riddle’s bestselling Origin Mystery trilogy—a series that has sold over FOUR MILLION copies worldwide (in twenty languages), received 140,000+ ratings on Amazon, been rated 20,000+ times on Audible, and garnered 150,000+ ratings on GoodReads.
The product of years of research, The Atlantis Gene is filled with real science and history that will change how you look at human origins—and humanity’s future. Like millions of other readers, you’ll be up late turning the pages, promising yourself, just one more chapter.
Billy Summers
Master storyteller Stephen King, whose “restless imagination is a power that cannot be contained” (The New York Times Book Review), presents an unforgettable and relentless #1 New York Times bestseller about a good guy in a bad job.
Chances are, if you’re a target of Billy Summers, two immutable truths apply: You’ll never even know what hit you, and you’re really getting what you deserve. He’s a killer for hire and the best in the business—but he’ll do the job only if the assignment is a truly bad person. But now, time is catching up with him, and Billy wants out. Before he can do that though, there’s one last hit, which promises a generous payday at the end of the line even as things don’t seem quite on the level here. Given that Billy is among the most talented snipers in the world, a decorated Iraq war vet, and a virtual Houdini when it comes to vanishing after the job is done, what could possibly go wrong? How about everything.
Part war story and part love letter to small-town America and the people who live there, this spectacular thriller of luck, fate, and love will grip readers with its electrifying narrative, as a complex antihero with one last shot at redemption must avenge the crimes of an extraordinarily evil man. You won’t ever forget this stunning novel from master storyteller Stephen King…and you will never forget Billy.
The Bad Weather Friend
Benny is so nice they feel compelled to destroy him, but he has a friend who should scare the hell out of them in this breathtaking new kind of thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense Dean Koontz.
Benny Catspaw’s perpetually sunny disposition is tested when he loses his job, his reputation, his fiancée, and his favorite chair. He’s not paranoid. Someone is out to get him. He just doesn’t know who or why. Then Benny receives an inheritance from an uncle he’s never heard of: a giant crate and a video message. All will be well in time.
How strange—though it’s a blessing, his uncle promises. Stranger yet is what’s inside the crate. He’s a seven-foot-tall self-described “bad weather friend” named Spike whose mission is to help people who are just too good for this world. Spike will take care of it. He’ll find Benny’s enemies. He’ll deal with them. This might be satisfying if Spike wasn’t such a menacing presence with terrifying techniques of intimidation.
In the company of Spike and a fascinated young waitress-cum-PI-in-training named Harper, Benny plunges into a perilous high-speed adventure, the likes of which never would have crossed the mind of a decent guy like him.
Dead End Girl (Violet Darger FBI Mystery Thriller Book 1)
Her body is broken. Wrapped in plastic. Dumped on the side of the road. She is the first. There will be more.
The serial killer thriller that “refuses to let go until you’ve read the last sentence.”
The most recent body was discovered in the grease dumpster behind a Burger King. Dismembered. Shoved into two garbage bags and lowered into the murky oil.
Now rookie agent Violet Darger gets the most important assignment of her career. She travels to the Midwest to face a killer unlike anything she’s seen. Aggressive. Territorial. Deranged and driven.
Another mutilated corpse was found next to a roller rink. A third in the gutter in a residential neighborhood.
These bold displays of violence shock the rural community and rattle local law enforcement.
Who could carry out such brutality? And why?
Unfortunately for Agent Darger, there’s little physical evidence to work with, and the only witnesses prove to be unreliable. The case seems hopeless.
If she fails, more will die. He will kill again and again.
The victims harbor dark secrets. The clues twist and writhe and refuse to keep still. And the killer watches the investigation on the nightly news, gleeful to relive the violence, knowing that he can’t be stopped.
A page-turning thriller packed with heart-stopping suspense. Fans of John Sandford, Jeffery Deaver, Karin Slaughter, and Lisa Gardner should get to know Violet Darger.
The Debt Collector
Abigail Barnes is young, pretty and petite, but her looks and size can be deceiving. She’s a tough as nails drifter who makes her living collecting outstanding debts for low-end bookies and loan sharks, Abigail arrives in Hackensack, NJ, from Baltimore, MD, and gets a job collecting for a small-time bookie, who winds up dead.
With a large Wall Street firm moving into town bringing jobs, prestige, and money, the press is soon up in arms about the killing. So the cops to put the squeeze on Ronnie “Slacks” Falcone, a mobster who heads organized crime in the Jersey City area, to help find the killer.
Soon Abigail finds herself being sought by a gang of hoodlums, the mob, and the police. She knows she can’t run and she won’t turn herself in because she has a past that could send her to jail. She has little choice but to try and find out who killed the bookie – without getting killed in the process.
The Asset (Lance Spector Thrillers Book 1)
Montana, USA
When Lance Spector quit the CIA, he swore he was out for good. One more government lie and he would go off the deep end. They could find someone else to do their dirty work. As far as he was concerned, Washington, Langley, the Pentagon could all go to hell.
Yekaterinburg, Russia
A secret Russian expedition returns with a devastating new pathogen, harvested from the frozen corpses of mammoths. It’s the biological super weapon they’ve been looking for, an apocalypse-level pathogen, a virus more deadly than anything ever to come out of a Russian lab. Something that will stop NATO and the Americans in their tracks.
A Biological Chernobyl.
Washington DC, USA
A mysterious vial, sealed in a titanium case, arrives at CIA headquarters. They have no idea who sent it, but it comes with a note.
“I will only speak to Lance Spector.”
The Asset by Saul Herzog is a stunning new thriller, a spectacular tour de force, a book that has single-handedly taken the publishing industry, and Hollywood rights departments, by storm. This dazzling debut kicks off the jaw-dropping new Lance Spector series, and sets the stage for a franchise that’s on track to break all records. From the mind of one of the most creative and versatile writers working in America today, this book will go down as a classic of the spy thriller genre.
If you read only one book this year, this is it. Action, adventure, rebellion, provocative foreign agents, characters you can sink your teeth into. If you’re looking for a new spy thriller series that will stay with you long after you turn the last page, look no further.
Recommended for fans of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp, Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne, and Brad Thor’s Scot Harvath.
Someone Is Watching Me
Someone is after me. Who could it be?
I’m a teacher who just reached teure status on my twenty-sixth birthday. I’m celebrating with my coworkers and I’m on top of the world. Suddenly, lots of strange things happen and I realize that someone is watching me! I get freaked out and paranoid!
Who is watching me???
This suspense is driving me insane! I will do whatever it takes to find out who my stalker is and bring that person to justice once and for all!
Some chapters are loosely inspired by the classic short story, “The Gift Of The Magi” by O.Henry.
This novella is for fans of thriller authors such as Freida McFadden, Sarah Alderson, and Harlan Coben!
As we close the book on this selection of thrilling tales, I hope you’ve found some new additions to your own reading list. Remember, the true magic of a thriller lies not just in the resolution, but in the journey itself – the breathless anticipation, the constant questioning, and the satisfying click of pieces falling into place. May your future reading adventures be filled with suspense that keeps you turning pages late into the night, and may you always find the answers you seek, even in the darkest of corners.