Books
11 new psychological thrillers for 2025
There’s nothing like a spine-tingling psychological thriller to keep you reading until the early hours. This year, some of our favourite authors are back with gripping new stories filled with shocking twists, unsettling paranoia, and dark secrets waiting to be uncovered. From domestic noir to high-stakes survival thrillers, here are 11 must-read psychological thrillers that will have you hooked. Which one will you pick up first?
Best psychological thriller books published in 2025
The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas
The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas
Following last year’s bestseller The Wrong Sister, Claire Douglas returns with The New Neighbours, a chilling tale of paranoia and secrets. When Lena overhears a disturbing conversation between her new neighbours, she becomes convinced the seemingly respectable Morgans are plotting a crime. Nobody believes her, but Lena can’t let it go – because what if they’re planning something terrible and she’s the only one who can prevent it? Packed with eerie tension and shocking twists, this is psychological fiction at its finest.
The Cleaner by Mary Watson
The Cleaner by Mary Watson
This slow-burning, multi-layered thriller follows Esmie, a woman who works as a cleaner in a wealthy neighbourhood. Unbeknownst to her employers, she is gathering their secrets for her own ulterior motives, driven by her pursuit of justice for her brother. With an engrossing whodunit element and creeping suspense, The Cleaner will keep you guessing as Esmie edges closer to the truth.
Runner 13 by Amy McCulloch
Runner 13 by Amy McCulloch
From the bestselling author of Breathless, Runner 13 plunges readers into the brutal world of ultra-running in the Sahara. Adri, determined to rebuild her reputation, enters a gruelling 250-mile race – only to discover that someone is hunting the runners. As competitors begin to disappear, she realizes that in a race this extreme, even murder can be explained away. A nail-biting thriller filled with adrenaline-pumping action, this book will have you racing through the pages late into the night.
It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara
It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara
Susan has made a mistake: she sent a message full of her neighbours’ secrets to her community WhatsApp group, when she was supposed to send it to her sister. She hopes the scandal will blow over, but then she receives her first death threat. The next day, a woman is murdered – a woman with Susan’s address, but in a different part of town. Utterly propulsive and packed with unexpected twists, It Should Have Been You is a compulsive read from start to finish.
She Didn't See It Coming by Shari Lapena
She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena
Shari Lapena, author of Everyone Here is Lying and The Couple Next Door, is the master of writing suburban paranoia. In her latest novel, devoted wife and mother Bryden vanishes without a trace from her high-rise condo, leaving her husband Sam to piece together what happened. As the investigation unfolds, their seemingly perfect life begins to crack, revealing dark secrets and unsettling truths about their friends and family.
Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
If None of This is True gave you the chills, Don’t Let Him In will have you on the edge of your seat. This disturbing psychological thriller follows three women – Nina, a grieving widow; Ash, a daughter struggling with her father’s tragic death; and Martha, a busy mother whose world is about to unravel. As their lives become dangerously intertwined, they realize someone is watching, waiting, and ready to strike. With its sinister atmosphere and relentless tension, this is Lisa Jewell at her darkest – and best.
The Day I Lost You by Ruth Mancini
The Day I Lost You by Ruth Mancini
From the author of last year’s breakout debut The Woman on the Ledge comes a haunting psychological thriller about motherhood, grief, and deception. When Hope’s baby, Sam, goes missing, she fears the worst – until the police tell her a woman in Spain has been found with a child matching his description. But Lauren insists the boy is hers, and she has the documents to prove it. As the truth begins to unravel, The Day I Lost You explores the lengths to which a mother will go to protect her child – and the secrets that refuse to stay buried.
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
From the bestselling author of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder comes Jackson’s chilling adult debut. Jet Mason has just seven days to solve her own murder – before her fatal head injury takes her life. As time runs out, her list of suspects grows: her wealthy family, her best friend turned sister-in-law, her ex-boyfriend. With each passing day, the truth feels further out of reach. Smart, twisty, and relentlessly tense, Not Quite Dead Yet is an original thriller that will keep you hooked until the final page.
The Lying Guest by Mahi Cheshire
The Lying Guest by Mahi Cheshire
Set against the lush backdrop of Sri Lanka, The Lying Guest is a thriller that blurs the line between reality and paranoia. When overworked surgeon Anika takes a housesitting job to escape a scandal, she longs for peace. But stress-induced sleepwalking and a growing sense of unease make her question whether she’s truly alone – or if something sinister lurks in the shadows. This taut page-turner is perfect for fans of atmospheric, slow-burning thrillers.
The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards
The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards
In the summer of 1999, six ambitious graduates join a psychology professor to revolutionise online dating – until tragedy strikes. Twenty-five years later, Will reunites with his old friends at a dinner party, but something feels off. An uninvited guest, a hidden secret, and a chilling sense of danger set the stage for a deadly reckoning. Twisty, addictive, and full of suspense, The Wasp Trap is in a league of its own.
Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi
Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi
When Claire surprises her fiancé, Noah, at work for their anniversary, she’s the one left reeling – he left the company months ago, and she had no idea. Now he’s vanished, refusing to answer her calls, and the more she digs, the less she recognises the man she thought she knew. Cuckoo is a dark, gripping thriller about love, obsession, and deception, packed with shocking twists and a complex narrator. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.
Have we missed any books off our list? Let us know in the comments below…
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I have read most of the books above. I loved the Shari Lapena which I thought one of her best, the Lisa Jewell and the Cara Hunter. I love it when authors write books in different formats like podcasts etc.
The Trap is on my TBR so I look forward to reading it next year.