This past year had us all on the edge of our seats, holding our breath at every crazy turn 2016 took, and blew us away at its stunning conclusion. While that kind of emotional rollercoaster isn’t exactly what you want for your everyday life, it’s exactly what makes this group of gripping reads some of the best thrillers of 2016.
As a writer and book critic, every year I have the pleasure of reading hundreds of books of all genres, but among my favorites are always those of mystery and suspense. For me, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as diving into a good story, one that grabs you from the first chapter and keeps you guessing until the ultimate dramatic reveal at the end. thrillers are something of a guilty pleasure for me, one that gives me a chance to disconnect from my real life and dive headfirst into an addictive story with everything that makes reading fun: action, adventure, mystery, engaging sex, turn. , turns and more.
You are reading: List of 2016 thriller books
While hundreds of incredible books in the genre were published this year, here are 15 of the best thrillers of 2016. Chosen for their unforgettable and intriguing characters, edge-of-your-seat pacing, and ability to make you afraid to pee in your pants, there are no books much more exciting than these.
1. the year that disappears by kate moretti
zoe whittaker seems to have the perfect life: she has a handsome and successful husband and an elite new york social life, right down to the best fashion and accessories money can buy. but the beautiful young woman is not exactly who she says she is. When her past appears from behind and closes in around her, Zoe has to figure out who she can trust before she’s forced to disappear again. Starring a heroine you can’t help but identify with, The Disappearing Year is a fast-paced psychological thriller that will have you furiously turning pages until the very end.
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2. dark matter by blake crouch
Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you had made different choices? If you had asked yourself, “Would I be happier if I had opened another door?” In Blake Crouch’s acclaimed Dark Materials, protagonist Jason Dessen discovers that when he is kidnapped and sent to another world, one where he is not married to his perfect wife and his son never was born. An expertly paced sci-fi thriller about the choices we make and, more importantly, the ones we don’t make, Dark Materials is a mind-bending love story that will have you asking yourself: >Am I happy with my life?
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3. the woman in cabin 10 by ruth ware
From best-selling mystery thriller writer Ruth Ware comes a twisted and suspenseful novel about a woman missing at sea. In The Woman in Cabin 10, travel journalist Lo Blacklock gets the luxurious opportunity of a lifetime when she is assigned to write about a week-long trip aboard an opulent and exclusive cruise ship. . However, her dream trip quickly takes a turn for the worse when she sees a woman thrown overboard, a woman no one on the cruise knows or remembers, a woman who was not on the passenger list.
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4. all the missing girls by megan miranda
In this dark and twisted thriller told in reverse chronological order, Nic Farrell tries to uncover the truth about the recent disappearance of her young neighbor, a disappearance that may hold the key to solving her best friend’s disappearance 10 years ago. A unique retelling of the classic missing persons story, All the Missing Girls is full of surprises, suspense, and edge-of-the-seat thrills you won’t want to miss.
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5. under the stands by flynn berry
After Nora arrives at her sister’s country home to find her brutally murdered, she knows she can’t count on the police to get to the bottom of the crime; she has trusted them in the past and knows that she can’t always be trusted. instead, she nora begins to investigate on her behalf and becomes obsessed with getting justice for the death of her sister. but the more she unravels the truth about her sister’s past, the more she begins to unravel herself, until she completely unravels. A harrowing tale of the unbreakable bonds of brotherly love, Under the Hedge is a layered psychological thriller with a surprising and satisfying conclusion.
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6. you will know me by megan abbott
In this family thriller, dedicated mother Katie will do anything to keep her family together and her daughter, a star gymnast, on the road to success, even if it means diving headfirst into a murder that has rocked her life. Union. community. With a keen eye and gripping detail, Megan Abbott once again pulls back the curtains on the dark, competitive, and often violent lives of teenage girls. You Will Know Me is a cleverly woven tale of jealousy, ambition, and how far we’re willing to go to have it all.
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7. exhume by danielle girard
in the first installment of dr. In the Schwartzman series, readers are introduced to Annabelle, a brilliant San Francisco Police Department medical examiner with a dark past involving an abusive husband whose lasting effects still have her looking over her shoulder. When the latest victim to land on Ella’s exam table bears many disturbing similarities to her own life that are called coincidences, Ella Annabelle finds herself examining not just the case, but a part of it. A fast-paced, fast-paced thriller, exume is a promising start to a series already proving to be addictive.
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8. maliciously by eileen cook
In this young adult thriller, 18-year-old Jill Charron wakes up in a hospital room to find that the past six weeks have been erased from her mind and her perfect life has been irrevocably altered. After being involved in a fatal car accident on a school trip in Italy, Jill is forced into the spotlight and at the center of a murder investigation, one paints her as a jealous psychopath who is guilty of the murder of her best friend. friend. with malice is a plot-driven thriller that you won’t be able to wait to get to the bottom of.
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9. the wrong side of goodbye by michael connelly
In his 21st novel, Detective Harry Bosch is as cunning and cunning as ever, and this time he puts his expert skills to good use as he tries to help a lonely and ailing billionaire find a woman from his past. who may or may not have given birth to their child. Pulling double duty, Bosch also finds himself embroiled in a case that follows a dangerous serial rapist who may be the one person the detective can’t beat. A haunting and unpredictable story of murder, mystery and violence, The Wrong Side of Goodbye is a finely woven novel brimming with dark and unexpected emotions.
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10. blood on the rails by barbara nickless
The first installment in yet another suspenseful new series that debuted in 2016, Blood on the Rails introduces readers to Sydney Rose Parnell, a special agent with the Denver Major Crimes Unit tasked with Investigate the violent murder of a young woman whose husband, a brutally scarred Iraq War veteran known as the Burnt Man. While the rest of the investigative team is convinced that the young woman’s murder was a crime of passion, Sydney realizes that something bigger, something more sinister, is at stake, and along with her trusted K9 partner, Clyde, enters the dark world of the railway. riders to discover the truth.
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11. last seen leaving by caleb roehrig
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Another impressive thriller this year, The Last Time He Gone from debut author Caleb Roehrig is more than just a twisted mystery, it’s a poignant tale of identity, truth, and secrets that viewers will love. teenagers from all over the world. When Flynn’s girlfriend goes missing, he is determined to uncover the truth behind her disappearance. but can he do it without coming out as gay, a secret he fears will ruin his entire life? A thrilling, mysterious thriller that’s as action-packed as it is emotionally satisfying, Last Seen Coming Out is an important addition to the queer library already.
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12. the couple next door by shari lapena
When Anne and Marco are invited to their neighbor’s dinner party, they decide to leave their six-month-old baby Cora at home, trusting that she’ll be safe if they bring her baby monitor and take turns watching her. frequently. however, when they return home at the end of the night to find their son missing, their lives are turned upside down when the police enter their home and begin to uncover the truth about this seemingly quaint young family. full of lies and betrayals, unexpected twists, the couple next door is a fun and addictive read that you won’t be able to put down.
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13. the chemist by stephanie meyer
You may know her for her vampire stories, but in The Chemist, Stephanie Meyer tries her hand at the action thriller and proves she’s more than paranormal romance material. In it, a mysterious heroine fights for her life when the government agency she used to work for gives her an impossible choice: finish one last sinister task for them or meet her creator. Fast-paced, action-packed and suspenseful, The Chemist is a sexy thriller with a brilliant heroine that readers will love more than anything Meyer has written in the past.
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14. behind closed doors from b.a. paris
In this impressive debut, author b.a. Paris weaves a story of the perfect couple: she cooks delicious meals, knows how to charm anyone and has a body to die for, while her killer smile, stunning good looks and her wealth make him a catch for anyone. But for Jack and Grace, life is not as picturesque as it seems: behind closed doors, her secrets threaten to consume and destroy them. An emotional rollercoaster of daring twists, turns and psychological jumps, behind closed doors, marks Paris’ arrival on the thriller scene as a writer to watch.
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15. let you go by clare mackintosh
It only took a second to ruin Jenna Grey’s life, one quick but cruel moment on a November night that shattered everything she knew. Now, miles away in a secluded cottage on the beautiful but tumultuous Welsh coast, Jenna gets the idea of allowing herself to be happy again—that is, until the tragedy of her past collides with her future, threatening once more. plus everything she wants. she has affection an emotional thrill ride, she let you go a psychological thriller you don’t want to miss.
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