They’re creepy and they’re kooky…and they’ll leave you wide awake at night if you read them before bed. Thriller books are a beloved genre for readers–and not just during the spooky season.
College best friends Emily Reeder and Ashley DeSanno know a thing or two about psychological thriller books. The duo are co-founders of The Creepy Book Club, a group dedicated to reading and discussing all the best new thriller books each month.
“We loved chatting creepy books with each other, and after finishing a couple of particularly notable titles (Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris and The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine), we knew there were other people out there who we wanted to connect with,” DeSanno says of the club, which is now thousands-strong.
At the top of their list for 2024? The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean.
“The book is about a girl who escapes from a sadistic kidnapper and the detective who is working to solve her case. The setting is in the cold, damp PNW and feels dark, scary, and expansive making you wonder if there is any way the perpetrator will be caught,” Reeder explains. “The intensity of the last 30 pages had us on the edge of our seats.”
Ready to dive into a book list that will haunt your (day)dreams? These are the top releases of 2024 to enjoy this spooky season.
If You Tell a Lie by Lucinda Berry
Amazon
Four friends are sworn to secrecy about the summer after senior year when a handsome tennis coach was murdered, and they never speak again–until a mysterious note emerges 20 years later threatening to unearth everyone’s darkest secrets.
The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith
Amazon
When two sisters are trusted to stay home alone, no one could guess that one would wind up missing. So, when she shows up years later, the family understandingly has questions. Namely: Is this woman who she says she is?
Someone In The Attic by Andrea Mara
Amazon
If you’re afraid to be home alone, the only thing more terrifying may be realizing you aren’t alone–which is exactly how Anya feels 30 seconds before she is killed.
Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea
Amazon
After her family is massacred, one girl goes to great lengths to hide from her past–but when a journalist goes missing and details emerge with unexpected connections to her family’s murder one thing becomes clear: no one is quite who they say they are.
The Woman On The Ledge by Ruth Mancini
Amazon
After a woman falls to her death from a ledge atop a London building, the police hone in on one young woman who can’t seem to understand why they’re after her…or why her story doesn’t add up.
The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas
Amazon
When sister’s swap houses to get a taste of the other’s life, neither realizes how terribly it will go until one sister winds up in the hospital, a brother-in-law is dead, and a note appears reading “It was supposed to be you.”
Message Deleted by KL Slater
Amazon
When a woman gets a text from her best friend that says “Can’t speak… don’t text or call… please just come,” she starts to process it…but then the text is deleted and when she shows up to her friend’s house, her friend insists she’s fine–but six hours later, her friend is missing and there is blood everywhere.
What Have You Done? By Shari Lapena
Amazon
Nothing ever happens in the sleepy Vermont town where parents trust their teenagers will arrive home safely from school and front doors are left unlocked–until a dead girl is found in a cornfield by a farmer.
The Teacher by Freida McFadden
Amazon
When a student becomes romantically involved with her teacher, the only thing standing in their way is his wife, who also teaches at the school–but everyone at Caseham High School is hiding a secret these days.
Bitter Is The Heart by Mina Hardy
Amazon
Haunted by childhood abuse, a woman is forced to care for her cruel elderly mother–but could there be something worse than her abusive parent lurking?
Middle Of The Night by Riley Sager
Amazon
On a crisp night 30 years ago, a man’s best friend was kidnapped out of a tent they were both sleeping in. Now, he’s returned to the hometown where that horrible night happened so many years ago and no one can explain the mysterious occurrences that start happening.
Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering
Amazon
When her baby is kidnapped, a young mother’s world is instantly shattered. One floor below in their New York City apartment complex, her best friend looks down–and sees the missing baby in her arms.
Like Mother Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight
Amazon
When a woman shows up to her childhood home to find burnt food, a bloody shoe, and no sign of her mother, it sends her down a path of deception, secrets, and trying to uncover who exactly her mom really is.
Sleep Tight by J.H. Market
Amazon
The sole survivor of a serial killer might hold the key to stopping a new spree of murders–but at what cost?
