All thrillers are suspenseful, compelling, and intensifying, but the genre runs both broad and deep.  We  present here, a list of thrillers we recommend. We categorized them to illustrate the many variations on the Thriller genre.  

Note: Many titles fall into two or more categories. For example you might find psychological suspense with an unreliable narrator -- I'm looking at you Gone Girl and Girl on a Train, or something that is both historical and hard-boilded.

Complexities aside, this is a good primer for readers looking to find their place in the genre.

Serial Killers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Police Procedurals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Historical 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hard-boiled & Gritty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Psychological 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gruesome

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stylistically Complex

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Women Sleuths

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unreliable Narrators

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Witty, Offbeat, Darkly Funny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Science Fiction & / or the Supernatural

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YA Appeal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!