Over the years, we have seen the releases of some amazing, critically acclaimed, and popularly celebrated thriller novels, many of which have gone on to become notable pop culture landmarks. In all that time, the genre has grown alongside the social and technological evolution of humanity, transforming the very idea of how stories are told and introducing new tropes and subgenres. And in the process, the thriller genre has also produced some true masterpieces that rank among the greatest books of all time, outstripping all others in the genre with their powerful, effective storytelling and unmatched sense of suspense.
From beloved classics to cutting-edge contemporary novels, these books have all successfully captured the hearts and minds of readers everywhere, creating memorable characters and shocking readers while delivering compelling stories of the human condition. Whether you prefer cerebral mysteries, gripping psychological explorations, or inventive storytelling, this list has something for every shade of thriller fan. With that in mind, read on to discover our handpicked selection of thriller books that are undeniable 10/10 masterpieces.
The Killer Question Janice HallettImage via Atria Books, Simon & Schuster
A modern epistolary mystery novel, The Killer Question was written by British journalist, screenwriter, and author Janice Hallett. Presented through text messages, emails, quiz transcripts, and local reports, the book takes readers through a pitch for a Netflix true-crime documentary based on the mysterious past of a once-loved country pub, The Case is Altered, and its equally mysterious owners, Mal and Sue Eastwood. The narrative moves back and forth in time, unraveling the history of the pub and its popular trivia nights, which take a dark turn after a suspicious team joins the game.
If you thought epistolary novels couldn’t be very thrilling, think again. The Killer Question is a wicked, clever, and deliciously meta work of mystery fiction that packs dead bodies, questionable characters, and a whole lot of pub quizzing in its unputdownable narrative. Swapping traditional prose for a fun and fast-paced, mixed-media story, the novel has been highly acclaimed by critics and readers, earning praise for its storytelling, pacing, and shocking twists. It’s easily one of the most inventive and ambitious books of recent years, and a must-read for all fans of thrillers and mysteries.
2
‘Bullet Train / Maria Beetle’ (2010)
Brian Tyree Henry and Aaron Taylor-Johnson looking towards the camera in Bullet TrainImage via Columbia Pictures
Written by Japanese author Kōtarō Isaka, Maria Beetle (published in English as Bullet Train) is a dark comedy crime thriller novel set aboard a high-speed Shinkansen bullet train. The book brings a number of colorful and dangerous characters together over the kidnapped son of a mob boss and a suitcase full of ransom money. The book is the second novel in Isaka’s Hitmantrilogy, preceded by Three Assassins (also known as Grasshopper) and followed by The Mantis (aka AX).
A high-octane thriller that effortlessly shifts between dark satire, slapstick comedy, existential philosophy, and sheer dread, Bullet Train is easily one of the most engaging books of the 2010s. Both the original Japanese edition and the English translation have earned high acclaim for their high-energy narrative, wicked humor, and clever twists. It’s also packed with unforgettable characters, like the eternally unlucky Ladybug and the hauntingly evil teenage mastermind Prince. Bullet Train has also been adapted as a 2022 film by David Leitch and as a Japanese stage play in 2018.
3
‘Big Little Lies’ (2014)
Image via Penguin Publishing
A hugely popular suburban thriller, Big Little Lies is a darkly comedic and highly suspenseful novel written by Australian author Liane Moriarty. The book explores the lives of three mothers living in an affluent Australian coastal community, each facing their own challenges. A mysterious death at a school trivia night upends their lives, with personal secrets, domestic violence, and schoolyard drama coming together to spoil their seemingly perfect existence.
A sharply satirical exploration of rich suburban life and dark domestic drama, Big Little Lies is a gripping page-turner that leaves the reader in both shock and awe of its characters. Balancing its secrets and dangers with a well-crafted story of female friendships, the novel debuted at the top of the New York Times Best Sellers list when it was published in 2014, making Moriarty the first Australian author ever to debut at number one in the United States. The novel also went on to be adapted as the critically acclaimed and multi-Emmy-winning HBO series starring Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoë Kravitz. A sequel novel, Big Little Truths, is currently scheduled to be published on August 25, 2026.
Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
🏺Indiana Jones
🔧John McClane
🎭Ethan Hunt
01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
03
You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
07
Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.
09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
10
It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
Rambo
Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.
James Bond
Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
Indiana Jones
Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
Ethan Hunt
Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
4
‘Three Assassins / Grasshopper’ (2004)
Three Assassins by Kotaro IsakaImage via The Overlook Press
The first novel in Kōtarō Isaka’s Hitmanseries, Grasshopper, later translated into English as Three Assassins, is a black-comedy thriller centered on a recently widowed schoolteacher who joins a criminal organization to seek revenge for his wife’s murder. But when his target is murdered by someone else, he finds himself pulled in unexpected directions by the actions of three eccentric killers. The novel moves between the POVs of the schoolteacher (aka the Grasshopper), a quiet veteran hitman (the Whale), and a talkative young assassin (the Cicada).
First published in 2004, Three Assassins was quite highly acclaimed, both in the original Japanese and the later English translation. The novel takes readers on an almost-surreal journey through Tokyo’s criminal underworld, balancing action and intrigue with a touching exploration of grief and regret. The book was adapted as a Japanese film in 2015 and spawned a successful franchise that includes two loose sequels, a short story collection, and two manga series.
5
‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2005)
Image via Norstedts Förlag
Written by Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a psychological mystery thriller novel that follows disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist and gifted but troubled hacker Lisbeth Salander. When Blomkvist is hired by a wealthy industrialist to look into a 40-year-old disappearance, it brings the two characters together on an investigation that uncovers dark secrets and a long legacy of corruption. Originally released in Sweden with the title Män som hatar kvinnor (Men Who Hate Women), the book was the first in the Millenniumtrilogy, which has since been expanded into an ongoing series.
First published in 2005, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an iconic modern psychological thriller featuring an unconventional female protagonist, a powerful sense of atmosphere, and a complex, gripping plot. The novel was a major international success, and its popularity was further elevated by its Swedish film adaptation and the Hollywood remake, both of which easily rank among the most critically acclaimed thrillers of the 21st century. The Millenniumseries as a whole has played a significant role in sparking greater worldwide interest in Nordic crime fiction, leading to the “Nordic Noir” trend of recent decades.
6
‘Gone Girl’ (2012)
Book cover for Gillian Flynn’s Gone GirlImage via Phoenix
The third and most successful novel by American author Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl revolves around husband and wife Nick and Amy Dunne, whose lives take an unexpected turn when Amy mysteriously vanishes on their fifth anniversary. The subsequent investigation uncovers evidence of a possible murder, including a diary that points to Nick as the prime suspect, but it soon becomes clear that neither Nick nor Amy is telling the whole truth. The book unveils the story in three parts, revealing new angles and perspectives in each.
A thoroughly engrossing psychological thriller about a turbulent, complicated marriage and toxic codependency, Gone Girl is a dark and twisted book full of dark and twisted people. Masterfully using the unreliable narrator trope to create a truly unpredictable experience, the novel has been highly acclaimed by readers and reviewers alike, raising the bar for modern thrillers. Gone Girl was later adapted as a successful and award-winning film by David Fincher, with Flynn writing the screenplay herself.
7
‘Murder on the Orient Express’ (1934)
One of the most iconic mystery books of all time, Murder on the Orient Express was written by legendary English writer Agatha Christie and follows her famous creation, Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, on a baffling case somewhere in Yugoslavia. Set aboard the titular luxury train, the novel reveals how Poirot’s trip home to London from the Middle East is interrupted by a case of murder, one with contradictory pieces of evidence and no clear killer in sight. As he investigates his diverse fellow passengers, a conspiracy begins to take shape that forces Poirot to question both his abilities and his moral fiber.
Murder on the Orient Express may seem a far cry from the high-energy train thrillers that we see today, but the book is still quite a suspenseful and entertaining experience, even if the thrills arise primarily from the “little grey cells,” as Poirot would put it. The novel’s central mystery is one of the most iconic in the genre, and the story has been an inspiration for generations of subsequent authors and their works. The book has also been adapted to other media multiple times, including four TV adaptations and three films.
