Psychological thriller: top rated books

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

It's amazing how vivid the human imagination can be. Eminent writers never cease to amaze fans with action-packed novelties. Many of these books are worth reading over and over again. In the article the reader will find information about the most popular psychological thrillers. The best books were written by famous and not so famous authors. This genre is chosen by those who like to tickle their nerves and try to find answers to insidious, scary questions. Overcoming all fears and anxieties together with the main character, the reader will plunge into a dizzying story that will make the blood run cold.

In addition to long-established books, fresh novelties from well-known and emerging authors will be presented. For those who like to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of risk and horror, a collection has been specially assembled in the list of the top 10 "Best psychological thrillers". Together with the characters, the reader will take risks, be horrified and find strengthcounter the sophisticated atrocities of the anti-hero. So, it's time to go to the world of the protagonist and survive at all costs.

Tenth place: Frank Tillier, Vertigo

This book makes you start up and feel all the tension that the author describes. There are no banal scenes of violence and rivers of blood - everything is much more complicated than it seems. The main emphasis is on the reaction of the characters in stressful situations, when they are under psychological pressure. This is one of the many best books in the "psychological thriller" genre that won't leave the reader indifferent. It's not for nothing that this author has earned the reputation of "the French Stephen King."

The action of the book develops rapidly, hooking the reader from the first lines. The main character is an experienced climber. One day he wakes up and realizes that he is somewhere unknown, and even chained. The man is not alone. With him in the company are two more people he did not know before. One of them occupies a similar position, and the second has a helmet on his head. If this person crosses the line drawn in paint, the helmet will explode. Who needs this and why did the stranger put on this “terrible performance”, thought out to the smallest detail? What caused these people to gather in one place and what will happen to them in the race for freedom? The events of the book develop so rapidly that the reader does not have time to relax.

Ninth place: Rachel Kane, "Dead Lake"

RankedThe best psychological thrillers book tells the story of a maniac. What is the portrait of a serial killer? Probably, this is a self-contained, quiet, lonely man. It may be true, but in Rachel Kane's book, everything is completely different. The life of a happy-looking ideal family is bursting at the seams in an instant. The heroine of the thriller, wife and mother of two children, learns the terrible secret of her husband. An attractive and charming man was not who he claimed to be. It's scary to think that the person you love with all your heart, from whom you give birth to children, actually turns out to be a monster.

Eighth Place: Blake Crouch, Closed House

This is the second and third parts of the best-selling book, Wasteland. House of Fear. The story of the famous writer Andrew Thomas. This is one of the best thriller books ever. According to readers, it draws the protagonist into the world from the first pages.

Several years ago, the famous writer got into a terrible situation. A maniac became interested in his work, who arranged a real cemetery of brutally murdered people near his house. The police did not believe Andrew, because all the evidence pointed to his involvement in these events. The man could not prove his innocence and fled. Hiding in the Canadian wilderness, he hoped that everything was behind him. But Luther Kite didn't think so. The maniac did not calm down, but became even more rabid. He prepared the most sophisticated traps for Andrew. Can the writer escape the danger?

Seventh Place: Blake Pierce, Motive to Save

Author of one of the best rated books in the genrethriller is able to interest the reader from the first lines. The writer received hundreds of positive reviews from critics and a lot of fans around the world. Motive to Save is the fifth installment in the world-famous Avery Blake Mystery series of short stories. In this book, a talented detective will undergo a series of terrible tests and psychological pressure from a maniac, whom she skillfully de alt with not so long ago.

Serial killer Howard Randall escapes from prison under mysterious circumstances. The lives of Boston residents are once again under threat. Horrible murders of young girls take place in the city. Panic and fear are growing with each passing hour. However, Avery herself is the main target of the maniac. The killer, blinded by a thirst for revenge, begins to hunt for relatives and friends of the detective, forcing them to experience horror firsthand. To stop the crazy killer, Randall will have to make every effort. Will she be able to cope with the madman and save her family? The work will become one of the best books in the list of psychological thrillers for those who are fans of Avery Blake.

Sixth Place: Dennis Lehane, Shutter Island

An American writer with Irish roots knows how to surprise and lure his readers. He masterfully creates an atmosphere of psychological pressure, which leads the reader to feel completely immersed in the situation of the characters. This is one of the best books in the thriller genre, according to readers. She captivates and draws her into her world. Probably many have seenadaptation of this masterpiece, where the main role was played by Leonardo DiCaprio. And whoever hasn't had time yet is very lucky: after all, there is an opportunity to discover a world full of secrets and mysteries from Mr. Lehane.

The events of the book take place in the Ashcliff psychiatric hospital, which is located on the island. She is cut off from the world. The patients of this hospital are insane criminals. One day, a young woman escapes from there, who is convicted of killing three of her own children. Two bailiffs are sent to the island to investigate: Teddy and Chuck. Unexpectedly, while the investigation is ongoing, nature arranges a riot. A hurricane begins, which makes it impossible to leave the island. Despite this, Teddy does not stop investigating. The more he tries to find answers, the stronger the feeling becomes that strange and terrible things are happening in the hospital. This psychological thriller is on the list of the best books - it promises the reader the most unpredictable denouement.

Fifth place: Jeffrey Deever, "The Bone Collector"

This is one of the writer's many manuscripts that evokes sincere emotion for the characters in his novels. Jeffrey Deaver is recognized as an outstanding author who creates real psychological thrillers. This is the best book for lovers of well thought out puzzles. After all, the writer has remarkable experience (legal and journalistic education). He worked as a lawyer, after which he decided to "splash out" what he saw on the pages of books.

The events of the thriller unfold in New York. ATThis city is a series of terrible and strange murders. Maniac is given the nickname "collector of bones". The police can't handle it on their own. Therefore, law enforcement agencies are turning to the country's most experienced criminologist, who is bedridden. The ingenious mind of Lincoln Ryan is able to solve puzzles, even when he is in a paralyzed state. His partner Amelia helps him in this.

Every minute counts to prevent a new crime. The reader is waiting for a dizzying immersion in the world of professional investigation. Will a professional in his field be able to defeat an equally brilliant mind? You can only learn about this by reading the book. It quickly gained popularity and was filmed under the title "The Power of Fear".

Fourth place: Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl

The American writer has created a real masterpiece in the form of a detective psychological thriller. This is the best book for lovers of family stories full of secrets and confessions. The author openly presents the problems of modern married couples. Each character in the book evokes certain feelings, leaving the reader indifferent. Netizens described the writing style as "delicious". The novel quickly became a bestseller and was filmed by David Fincher.

The events of the book develop on the day of the fifth anniversary of the wedding of Amy and Nick. When the husband returns home after work, he discovers the absence of his wife. At the same time, everything in the dwelling is upside down, there are traces of blood that someone obviously tried to wipe off. ATAs a result of these events, Nick's wife is put on the wanted list. The search begins. The husband assures the police that he has nothing to do with it. However, the police find Amy's personal diary, and the entries in it are clearly not in Nick's favor. He becomes the prime suspect.

What really happened and who is to blame for the girl's disappearance? Gillian Flynn arranged all the figures so beautifully that you won’t understand what’s what right off the bat. The unpredictable turns of the novel will absorb the reader to the last page.

Third Place: Paula Hawkins, The Girl on the Train

A previously little-known writer has gained wide popularity after writing one of her best books. The psychological thriller, written by a resident of the UK, quickly reached the top and became a bestseller. The novel was filmed in 2016, after which interest in the printed version increased even more. Hawkins has been a writer before, but past writing hasn't been as successful as The Girl on the Train. Some critics compared it to Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl. But, despite the external similarity, these are two completely different novels with their own “icing on the cake”. Did not miss the release of the novel and the famous writer, king of horror Stephen King. His impressions of the book are very positive. According to the writer, this is an action-packed, addictive novel. “I stayed up all night reading it,” says King.

A truly intriguing plot of the novel will not let you relax. This story shows the reader a girlwho is on the train. Like many people, she admires the passing landscapes. Near one of the stations there is a house in which, in her opinion, a happy family lives. Every day she passes by the house and admires this perfect couple. The main character even came up with names for them - Jess and Jason. But, driving once again, Rachel (the main character) sees a strange and shocking picture of her. And the next day, she learns that "Jess" is missing. The girl understands that, probably, only she will help in the search for the disappeared. What will this mean for her? An intriguing plot, attractive suspense, behind which lie many more secrets and problems than it seems at first glance.

Second Place: Yu Nesbe, The Snowman

The seventh novel in the Harry Hole series from the world-famous author has aroused great interest among readers since its film adaptation. What made this story so captivating? The protagonist of the picture is the famous detective Harry Hole. He has a lot of solved crimes on his account, but he only dreams of rest. A maniac begins to operate in the city, which leaves no evidence … Except for the snowman. Innocent women are dying. What drives a villain?

The story begins long before the development of the main events. A woman with a child arrives by car to the man's house. The boy stays in the car to wait for his mother while she goes about her business in the house. Namely, the main goal of a woman is to sleep with a man. While making love, they think thatsomeone is looking at them through the window. Looking sharply, the man discovers only a snowman. An exciting, exciting story with an unexpected ending will not leave any reader indifferent.

First Place: Stephen King, Misery

The King of Horrors knows how to create psychological thrillers. The best of the books in this genre is the novel Misery. The writer created his characters in such an interesting way that it is impossible to tear yourself away from the work. The story was filmed and, it is worth noting, very worthy. The actors showed the highest class and were able to convey the very atmosphere that is present in the book.

The main characters are famous writer Paul Sheldon and former nurse Annie Wilkes. The woman is an ardent admirer of the author of romance novels about Misery Chistain. Paul gets bored writing about her and ends his bestseller with the death of the book's main character. Now he decided to try himself in a different genre, and he did it quite well. Delighted by his success, the writer wants to celebrate his accomplishments and takes the mountain road to Los Angeles.

A sharp change in the weather for the worse and a decent dose of alcohol almost deprive him of his life. He gets into an accident and escapes with only broken legs. The savior in this situation is the same former nurse Annie Wilkes. She drags the writer to her house and begins to nurse him. However, after the end of the snowstorm, Annie is in no hurry to send the writer to the hospital, or even report his location. Paul begins to notice oddities in the woman's behavior. He soon realizesthat the meeting with the savior will not end well.

Conclusion

In addition to all the listed works, there is a lot of interesting reading from various authors. The rating was created according to the opinion of the majority of people who described their impressions of reading well-known novels. For fans of this genre, 2019 will be rich in an abundance of interesting psychological thrillers. New books expected in 2018-2019 are being prepared by popular publishers for publication. They have already presented introductory fragments that are really "hooked". This list includes books: "The Lie Game" by Ruth Ware, "Now You See Her" by Heidi Perks, "The Perfect Nanny" by Leila Slimani and many others. I am glad that fans of this genre will not be bored.

Until more books!