16 Psychological Thrillers You Won’t Be Able To Put Down

It’s that time of year – people are packing up the family or their BFFs and hitting someplace warm! Dane and I are heading on a tropical island trip this weekend and I’m already counting down to some cocktails and white sand…with a book in my hand! I love reading at home, but there’s something like diving into a good vacation read that really just makes me go into full relaxation mode. Admittedly, our upcoming trip is equal parts work and leisure, but I am FOR SURE sneaking in some book reading time. Can you blame me? Today I’m sharing 16 psychological thrillers you won’t be able to put down! Think Gone Girl, Woman In Cabin 10, The Couple Next Door, Behind Closed Doors vibes…

16 Psychological Thrillers You Won’t Be Able To Put Down

Neighborly – “Kat and Doug felt like Aurora Village was the perfect community. Minutes from the city, affluent without pretension, low crime with a friendly vibe—it’s everything Kat never had, and that she’s determined to provide for her infant daughter. Snagging a nice bungalow in this exclusive enclave was worth all the sacrifice. But everything changes overnight when Kat finds a scrawled note outside their front door. That wasn’t very neighborly of you. As increasingly sinister and frighteningly personal notes arrive, each one stabs deeper into the heart of Kat’s insecurities, paranoia, and most troubling, her past. When the neighbors who seemed so perfect reveal their open secret, the menace moves beyond mean notes. Someone’s raising the stakes. As suspicious as she is of every smiling face and as terrified as she’s become of being found out, Kat is still unprepared for the sharp turn that lies just ahead of her on Bayberry Lane.”

The Mistake – “Eight-year-old Billy goes missing one day, out flying his kite with his sister Rose. Two days later, he is found dead. Sixteen years on, Rose still blames herself for Billy’s death. How could she have failed to protect her little brother? Rose has never fully recovered from the trauma, and one of the few people she trusts is her neighbour Ronnie, who she has known all her life. But one day Ronnie falls ill, and Rose goes next door to help him… and what she finds in his attic room turns her world upside down.”

Blink – “What if the person you love most in the world was in terrible danger … because of you? Three years ago, Toni’s five-year-old daughter Evie disappeared after leaving school. The police have never been able to find her. There were no witnesses, no CCTV, no trace. But Toni believes her daughter is alive. And as she begins to silently piece together her memories, the full story of the past begins to reveal itself, and a devastating truth.”

Guilty – “It begins with a phone call. It ends with a missing child. On a warm summer’s morning, thirteen-year-old school girl Constance Lawson is reported missing. A few days later, Constance’s uncle, Karl Lawson suddenly finds himself swept up in a media frenzy created by journalist Amanda Bowe implying that he is the prime suspect. Six years later …Karl’s life is in ruins. His marriage is over, his family destroyed. But the woman who took everything away from him is thriving. With a successful career, husband and a gorgeous baby boy, Amanda’s world is complete. Until the day she receives a phone call and in a heartbeat, she is plunged into every mother’s worst nightmare.”

Liar – “Single dad Ben is doing his best to raise his children, with the help of his devoted mother Judi. And then Ben meets Amber.. Everyone thinks this is a perfect match for Ben but Judi isn’t so sure…There’s just something about Amber that doesn’t add up. Ben can’t see why his mother dislikes his new girlfriend. And Amber doesn’t want Judi anywhere near her new family. Amber just wants Ben and the children. The further Judi delves into Amber’s personal life, the closer she gets to shocking secrets that could change everything. And Judi must make a decision that could lead to the most disastrous consequences.”

Mother – “Christopher would never hurt anyone. Not intentionally. Even after everything that’s happened I still believe that…Christopher Harris is a lonely boy. A boy who has never fitted in to his family. Who has always felt something was missing from his life. Until one day, when he discovers a suitcase in his family’s attic. Inside the suitcase is a letter. Inside the letter is a secret about his mother that changes everything. What price would you pay for the perfect family?”

The Daughter – “You lost your daughter. You will never forgive yourself. Now someone’s determined to make you pay… Seventeen years ago, something happened to Jess’s daughter Beth. The memory of it still makes her blood run cold. Jess has tried everything to make peace with that day, and the part she played in what happened. It was only a brief moment of desire… but she’ll pay for it with a lifetime of guilt.”

The Visitor – “When Holly moves in to Baker Crescent, a quiet suburban street she causes quite a stir. Beautiful, talented, and friendly, it doesn’t take long for her to charm the other residents. But why has she left the bright lights of the big city behind and settled in with Cora, a lonely old lady who is delighted to offer her visitor a place to stay?  The neighbours are fascinated by Holly and watch her from their windows every opportunity they get. Just when Holly has begun to feel at home someone sees something that they shouldn’t – something that’s impossible to ignore.  What is Holly hiding? And are the dark secrets from her past going to put them all into terrible danger?”

Little Liar – “The perfect family… or the perfect lie? To the outside world, Gemma Bradley has it all – a doting husband, high-flying career and two delightful kids – but inside the four walls of her tastefully renovated home, she is a mother at her wits’ end who has given too many last warnings and counted to ten too many times. When a child’s scream pierces the night, Gemma’s neighbour does what anyone would do: she calls the police. She wants to make sure that Rosie, the little girl next door, is safe. Gemma knows she hasn’t done anything wrong, but the more she fights to defend the family she loves, the more her flawless life begins to crumble around her. Is the carefully guarded secret she’s been keeping suddenly in danger of breaking free?”

The Social Affair – “A timeless, perfect couple waltzes into the small coffee shop where Izzy Lewis works. Instantly enamored, she does what she always does in situations like these: she searches them out on social media. Just like that—with the tap of a screen— she’s given a front row seat to the Dunns’ picturesque life. This time, she’s certain she’s found what she’s been searching for. This time, she’ll go to whatever lengths it takes to ensure she gets it right—even if this means doing the unthinkable. Intense and original, The Social Affair is a disturbing psychological thriller that explores what can happen when privacy is traded for convenience.”

The Perfect Roommate – “She’s my roommate. 

I know how she takes her tea, how she organizes her closet.

 I know when she goes to bed each night, what she eats for breakfast, the passcode on her phone. 

 I know she calls her mother on Mondays, takes barre on Thursdays, and meets her friends for drinks on Fridays.

 But more important than any of that … I know what she did.”

Liars – “He loves you. He’d do anything for you. But you shouldn’t trust him. Jenny – poor, bullied and nursing her sick mother – hasn’t had an easy time of it. But at last things are beginning to look up. Through writing about her experience online she’s discovered new friends – a whole community of people who understand what she’s going through. And when a shy young man called David gets in touch to ask her on a date – well, it feels like all her dreams have come true. But just as Jenny is beginning to picture her future in David’s sprawling family home, something feels wrong. How can David be so perfect? Little comments and gifts make Jenny begin to wonder: does David know things about her past that she’s never told anybody?”

The Babysitter – “You trust her with your family. Would you trust her with your life? Mark and Melissa Cain are thrilled to have found Jade, a babysitter who is brilliant with their young children. Having seen her own house burn to the ground, Jade needs them as much as they need her. Moving Jade into the family home can only be a good thing, can’t it? As Mark works long hours as a police officer and Melissa struggles with running a business, the family become ever more reliant on their babysitter, who is only too happy to help. And as Melissa begins to slip into depression, it’s Jade who is left picking up the pieces. But Mark soon notices things aren’t quite as they seem. Things at home feel wrong, and as Mark begins to investigate their seemingly perfect sitter, what he discovers shocks him to his core. He’s met Jade before. And now he suspects he might know what she wants …Mark is in a race against time to protect his family. But what will he find as he goes back to his family home?”

The Reunion – “They were all there the day your sister went missing… Who is lying? Who is next? THEN – In charge of her little sister at the beach, Claire allowed Eleanor to walk to the shop alone to buy an ice cream. Placing a coin into her hand, Claire told her to be quick, knowing how much she wanted the freedom. Eleanor never came back. NOW – The time has finally come to sell the family farm and Claire is organising a reunion of her dearest friends, the same friends who were present the day her sister went missing. When another girl disappears, long-buried secrets begin to surface. One of the group hides the darkest secret of them all…”

The Pact – “You made a promise to your sister. It could destroy your daughter. 15-year-old Rosie lies in hospital fighting for her life. She’s trying to tell her mother what happened to her, and how she got there, but she can’t speak the words out loud. Rosie’s mother Toni has a secret. She had a traumatic childhood, and she and her sister Bridget made each other a promise thirty years ago: that they could never speak the truth about what they went through as children, and that they would protect each other without asking for help from others, no matter what…”

The Perfect Neighbors – “When Helen moves abroad with her loving husband Gary, she can’t wait to meet her fellow expat teachers from the local International School. But her new start is about to become her worst nightmare…As soon as the charming family across the way welcome Helen into their home, she begins to suspect that all is not as it seems. Then Gary starts to behave strangely and a child goes missing, vanished without a trace. When violence and tragedy strike, cracks appear in the community, and Helen realises her perfect neighbors are capable of almost anything…”