Looking for a read that will make it hard to put out the lights? Turn the pages of these thrillers from the best female suspense authors. These women have seen the world, with all its horrors, and are here to show it to you.
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Pacing. Fear. Suspense. Characters driven by unusual circumstances. These are the tools of the thriller writer. And these thrillers will keep you turning pages, needing to know what happens next, and pulling out your book light when everyone else goes to bed. This collection of page-turners will also introduce you to the best female suspense authors working today. Women know how dangerous the world is. And these mysteries deliver.
The Woman in Cabin 10
by Ruth Ware
A travel journalist sets out on a cruise, expecting to review the food and adventure. But when Lo Blacklock witnesses a murder, things start to get weird.
She digs in. She is a journalist, after all, even if she has fallen into a sweet niche that rarely tests her investigative abilities. It’s strange that no one else has seen anything. No one is missing. There is no body. Maybe she is losing her mind?
Once a delicious indulgence, the cruise turns into a terrifying and claustrophobic challenge. She starts to feel trapped by the small ship, the sea, and whatever is happening on board.
There are great characters in this and Ware is one of the best female suspense authors in the biz.
Dismantled
by Jennifer McMahon
A group of artsy college friends call themselves the Compassionate Dismantlers because they love to wreak havoc to make a point. They set things on fire, get people fired, and other youthful shenanigans.
They split apart suddenly. Something went terribly wrong.
But what was that thing? No one is talking about it. It’s not even clear who knows.
Many years later, Henry, Tess, and their daughter Emma — the only dismantlers who stuck together — are haunted by a mysterious figure and a series of disturbing events.
Part thriller. Part Gothic fiction. You will need a book light for this one because you will be reading all night.
The Lost Man
by Jane Harper
Welcome to the heat, the desolation, and the ordinary, everyday, life-threatening danger that is life in the Australian Outback. Jane Harper makes you feel the place and the mark it leaves on her characters.
The dark mood and mysterious past of the Bright family bring the mystery.
Nathan Bright wants to know how his brother Cameron died. Cameron was too smart to walk away from his car and let himself get killed by the outback. But he did. Did he do it on purpose?
Beautiful landscape, troubled characters, and brilliant writing by this masterful member of the best female suspense authors club will keep you reading this one into the night.
What Lies in the Woods
by Kate Alice Marshall
Cassidy and Olivia love the woods. They go there to get away, to make magic, and to imagine. They create rituals there and live in a world of their own creation. Until Naomi as attacked.
That ends everything, even if it fails to end Naomi. She survives the 17 stab wounds and identifies the man who nearly killed her. In the process, she puts a serial killer behind bars.
Years later, though, it’s not clear if that’s what happened. Memory is strange. Naomi starts to dig. And once she starts, she begins the find things.
What did happen in the woods? You will need to keep turning pages to find out.
Do You Remember?
by Freida McFadden
Tess can’t remember who she is. She can’t remember anything. She’s told she was in a car accident that took her memory.
She relies on this handsome stranger — wedding pictures tell her that he is her husband — to help her through every day. What would she do without him?
She is desperate to remember. She digs. She tries. And she turns to people she is told not to trust for help.
What happened to Tess? How do you trust anyone when you can’t remember who they are?
This psychological thriller will take you into some dark places before you find the truth.
Sisters
by Patricia McDonald
After her parents are killed in a car accident, Alex discovers that her mother had a secret: A sister she put up for adoption.
Alone in the world, she tracks her sister down and find her in prison for murder.
The sister claims to be innocent. Alex wants to believe her and even allows her to stay in the home she inherited when her long-lost sister is released on a legal technicality.
But what is the truth? Is Alex safe in her own home? Is her home safe from this new relative?
After myriad twists, turns, and romances, you won’t see the ending coming.
On a Quiet Street
by Seraphina Nova Glass
This thriller could happen on any street. The characters look like those that populate every neighborhood.
One neighbor, devastated by the grief of losing her only son, becomes obsessed with curtain peeping and suspicions.
Another is a beautiful, reclusive, new mother who the neighbors think is shady.
It’s all ordinary stuff. Until it isn’t. Some of these secrets turn out to be dangerous and it’s not clear who is safe anymore.
Get out your book light. You won’t be able to put this one down. You will also start eyeing your own neighbors suspiciously.
Never Lie
by Frieda McFadden
A psychiatrist who becomes a bit too entangled in the web of lies and deception of one of her patients, a woman who is the sole survivor of a brutal murder.
She also finds herself surprisingly interested — romantically — in someone at the clinic where she volunteers.
But is anyone who they claim to be? And should a psychiatrist who specializes in serious psychological disorders have an office in her own home?
You will be surprised to discover who is doing all the terrifying killing here so be ready to sleep with the lights on.
Driftnet: A Darkly Thrilling Glasgow Crime Novel
by Lin Anderson
This is the first in Anderson’s 17-book series featuring forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod. Her latest book in the series is currently available to pre-order and is getting fantastic reviews.
If she is new to you. Start here.
MacLeod is called to investigate the brutal murder of a teenage boy in Edinburgh. The victim is found with a driftnet wrapped around his neck.
As she delves into the case, she finds a disturbing link to her own past and secrets that threaten to destroy her career and life.
This is a compelling read so put your pajamas on and grab a glass of wine.
Gone Girl
by Gillian Flynn
I can’t have a list of thrillers by women without including Flynn who us possibly the best of the best female suspense authors. Though I suspect you have already read this one. If not, it is high time!
Flynn explores the dark side of marriage, media, and manipulation with the story of Amy Dunne, who vanishes on her wedding anniversary.
Her husband becomes the prime suspect and is forced to scramble to prove his innocence while worrying about his missing wife.
This book is masterful and addictive. You will wonder to the very end if Nick killed his wife. But I’m not telling.
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