Books

10 Keep-You-Up-All-Night Thrillers to Read

"

From psychological thrillers to detective stories to just really compelling writing, there’s more than one way to write a page-turner. Next time you’re suffering from insomnia (or need strong motivation to read), pick up one of these engrossing books.

Megan Miranda
All the Missing Girls

This story focuses on two young women who go missing in the same small town 10 years apart, but don’t write this one off as your typical missing-girl psychological thriller. There’s a fantastic twist: The story is told backward.

Shop now
Natsuo Kirino
Out

This Japanese novel has been nominated for prestigious mystery awards in both Japan and the United States. Set in the Tokyo suburbs, it follows a young mother who enlists her co-workers to help her dispose of her husband’s body.

Shop now
Jack Jordan
My Girl

This chilling thriller featuring a woman whose child and husband have both died has been recommended by several Everygirl readers. One reader commented, “I finished it about a month ago and my mind is still blown,” and another called it “a wild ride.”

Shop now
Diane Setterfield
The Thirteenth Tale

For a more literary page-turner, try this Gothic tale about a reclusive author. When budding biographer Margaret Lea is contacted by the famous (but mysterious) author Vida Winter, she has no idea why Winter wants her to write her official biography. But once Vida begins telling her story, Margaret is enthralled — and you will be, too.

Shop now
Nic Joseph
The Last Day of Emily Lindsey

Controversial blogger Emily Lindsey is found covered in blood (not hers) and holding a hunting knife. As Detective Steven Paul investigates the mystery, Emily repeatedly scratches out an odd symbol — the same symbol Detective Paul has been seeing in his nightmares for years.

Shop now
Lauren Oliver
Vanishing Girls

For a young adult thriller you won’t be able to put down (that still appeals to adults), try this story of two sisters who go from best friends to estranged after a horrible car accident. After Dara vanishes, a nine-year-old girl also goes missing, and Nick becomes desperate to find her sister.

Shop now
Clare Mackintosh
I Let You Go

This book opens with a sad scene: a little boy escapes from his mother’s grasp and dies in a hit-and-run car accident. Mackintosh’s training as a former police officer shows in the procedural narrative, but just wait until you get to the twist!

Shop now
Patricia Highsmith
The Talented Mr. Ripley

For a classic thriller, pick up Patricia Highsmith’s inspiration behind the film featuring (baby!) Matt Damon and Jude Law. This is the perfect time to read the original because a surprising amount of Ripley read-a-likes have been released lately (including one of TEG’s anticipated spring picks, Tangerine by Christine Mangan).

Shop now
Michelle McNamara
I'll Be Gone in the Dark

This true crime book was highly anticipated when it released in February 2018, but it’s only gotten more popular since then due to the arrest of the suspected subject of the book — the Golden State Killer. Knowing the killer’s (alleged) identity won’t lessen the grip of this book, however, so you’ll still find yourself reading into the wee hours.

Shop now
Jason Reynolds
Long Way Down

This one won’t actually keep you up all night, only because you’ll finish it in a few hours. The entire book is written in verse and takes place in just 60 seconds: the length of time it takes for a teenager to ride down an elevator with a gun tucked into his waistband, on his way to visit his brother’s killer.

Shop now

READ: 6 Thrillers to Read If You Loved The Girl on the Train

READ: 13 Thrillers to Read This Month

What’s the last book you read that you couldn’t put down? Share in the comments below!