summer calls for relaxation, sun, a good book and, of course, a good scare. Do you want your heart to race while you are by the pool? these 15 best new mystery thrillers will do the trick.
Whether you’re looking for something a little spooky or downright terrifying, this diverse batch of beachside reads has it all: adult and grown-up psychological thrillers, classic slasher tales, unsettling supernatural mysteries, and gripping whodunits. choose your option! just know that you won’t be able to put it down until it’s done…or else. jk!
You are reading: Best new thriller books 2022
While most of the books in this roundup are already waiting for you on shelves, there are a few coming later this summer that you’re looking forward to. From the Bronx to haunted houses to summer camp, masterfully wicked authors like Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Jennifer Lynn Barnes will transport you to different worlds. what do you think about summer trips?
Check out our roundup of the 15 best new mystery thrillers perfect for summer 2022 below.
on the verge of summer by dana mele
Described as I Know What You Did Last Summer Meets the Haunting of Hill House, young author Dana Mele’s second novel, Summer’s Edge, follows the reunion of four friends one year after the tragic death of a member of his once inseparable group. Emily died in an accidental fire at the summer lake house. But when the four remaining friends return to the now rebuilt lake house, it becomes clear that Emily’s death was not actually an accident, and that the person responsible is in the house seeking revenge.
the it girl by ruth ware (July 12)
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Author Ruth Ware has been called “the Agatha Christie of our generation” and her new book is evidence of how worthy she is of the title. april clarke-cliveden was the “in” girl in oxford during her first term, april left a mark on campus and the lives of her friends, especially hannah jones, which made it hurt even more when april was murdered by end of his first year. Now, a decade after April was murdered, a journalist contacts Hannah with new evidence that seems to suggest the man convicted of her murder was actually innocent, and her tight-knit group of college friends may be more guilty than they think. she thought.
the island by adrian mckinty
adrian mckinty’s island has already been picked up for television as a hulu original series, so this is the perfect opportunity for you to read the book before it hits your screens. a thriller about a family vacation that turns into a nightmare, the synopsis reads: “after a tragic accident, a young wife with her new husband and her two sons find themselves being chased by locals in rough bushes. her husband doesn’t really believe in her, her children don’t trust her and the locals want to kill her. But Heather has been underestimated most of her life and she knows that she is capable of bringing this family together, becoming the mother her children need, even if it means doing terrible things to keep them all alive.” /p>
lucy foley’s paris apartment
Perfect for fans of Hulu’s only murders in the building, Lucy Foley’s The Paris Apartment tells the story of Jess, a young woman looking for a fresh start. Looking for a change of scenery, she decides to temporarily move to Paris and bump into her half-brother Ben Ella, who already lives in the city of light. But when she arrives at Ben’s apartment in Paris, she is nowhere to be found. As the days go by and Ben is still mine, Jess realizes that the people she questions aren’t actually Ben’s neighbors…they are suspects in her disappearance.
burn, lift vincent thrown
In a modern thriller described as Stranger Things and the social thriller universe of Jordan Pele, Vincent Tirado’s debut novel Burn Down, Rise Up follows a group of friends “determined to save their city at all costs.” A dark fictional twist on the real-life incidents of missing black teens, two boys from the Bronx find themselves swept up in a terrifying urban legend called the Echo Game, one they’ll have to play to win and save their community…or die trying .
the counselors by jessica goodman
Summer camp is the most classic horror story setting for a reason. When a boy ends up dead at Camp Alpine Lake, a counselor named Goldie knows someone isn’t telling the truth…because neither is she. When secrets threaten to surface, Goldie finds himself at the center of a tragic mystery, betrayal, and terrible danger.
we made it all up by margot harrison (July 12)
for fans of mare of easttown, margot harrison we made it all up is a modern thriller that plays with the fine line between fiction and real life. When two high school misfits named Vivvy and Celeste become friends and start writing an ill-fated fanfiction about the most popular kid in school and the outcast stoner, the fanfic begins to reveal parts of Celeste’s past. When Vivvy and Celeste break the real-life social barrier at school, Celeste ends up kissing the school’s golden boy…who then turns up dead. Soon enough, all eyes are on Vivvy and Celeste, who can’t seem to remember where she fits into the story of Joss’s murder.
just like home by sarah gailey (July 19)
When Vera, the daughter of a serial killer, returns to the house where her father buried his victims to reunite with her estranged mother, she quickly realizes that secrets are still alive in the place she once called home. . When notes start appearing around the house in her father’s handwriting, she must find out what else has yet to be discovered, or kept hidden, in the foundations of her home.
the agathas by kathleen glasgow and liz lawson
written by kathleen glasgow and liz lawson, the young adult thriller the agathas is inspired by none other than mistress of mystery agatha christie…with a little dash of veronica mars. the synopsis reads: “the most popular girl in school is dead. And everybody’s blaming the wrong guy After falling from grace last summer, Agatha Christie-obsessed Alice Ogilvie needs to stay out of trouble. while the smart and lonely Iris Adams just wants to get the hell out of Castle Cove. but now they have a murder to solve. there are clues that the police are ignoring, a mile-long list of suspects, and some very dangerous cliffs. Amateur sleuths Alice and Iris are about to discover just how many secrets their sleepy seaside town hides.”
things we do in the dark by jennifer hillier (July 19)
When Paris Peralta is the prime suspect in her famous husband’s murder (she’s arrested right on the scene, covered in blood from a razor), what scares her isn’t that she’ll be convicted. she is the threat of her dark and twisted past that she has worked so hard to hide finally being exposed. the past is coming back to haunt her and potentially destroy her future.
the daughter of doctor moreau by silvia moreno-garcia (July 19)
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mexican gothic and velvet was the night author silvia moreno-garcia returns with a historical sci-fi thriller that is a reinvention of h.g. This is the island of Doctor Moreau, set in 19th-century Mexico and interwoven with political themes like colonialism and feminism that Moreno-Garcia writes effortlessly.
we were kings by court stevens
The synopsis of Court Stevens’ We Were Kings murder mystery reads: “Twenty years ago, eighteen-year-old Francis Quick was convicted of murdering her best friend, Cora King, and sentenced to death. Now the much-debated expedited death penalty law has passed, giving Frankie a final thirty days to live. Shocking everyone, one of the King family members sets out to challenge the woefully inadequate evidence and potential innocence of Frankie Quick. At first reluctant but soon fierce, Nyla and her unexpected ally, handsome island boy Sam Stack, take Frankie’s case to the international stage through their YouTube channel, Death Daze. they walk into fame and a local battle that someone is still willing to kill for. but who? the senator? the philanthropist? the owner of the pawnshop? Nyla’s own mother?”
two truths and a lie by april henry
April Henry, the New York Times bestselling author, returns with a mystery that follows a group of high school actors who find themselves trapped by a blizzard in an old motel, with a killer. When a harmless game of two truths and a lie reveals a killer in their midst, the teens must find out who’s putting on the best performance of their lives…or die.
daisy darker by alice feeney (August 18)
Alice Feeney has been lauded as the “Queen of Twists,” and her Agatha Christie-inspired crime novel Daisy Darker may be her crowning achievement. When the darker family gathers for Nana’s 80th birthday party at her secluded home on the island of tides, a storm brings in the tide, preventing them from leaving. Suddenly, Nana is found dead. then an hour later, another member of the family is murdered. in a modern version and then there was none, alice feeney presents twist after twist after twist.
the final tactic by jennifer lynn barnes (August 30)
The highly anticipated next chapter in Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ legacy gaming saga arrives on August 30, so mark your calendars now. Here’s the synopsis: “To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. paparazzi follow her every step. financial pressures are mounting. danger is a fact of life. and the only thing that gets avery through all of this is the hawthorne brothers. his life is intertwined with theirs. she knows her secrets, and they know her. But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, a problem arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help, and whose presence at Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to be solved, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.”
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