Ultimate Summer Reading List: Thrillers Edition

14 new or soon-to-be-released, pulse-pounding, edge-of-your-seat titles

Whether lounging in a backyard hammock, spending long days at the beach, or traveling to distant locales, summertime calls for an abundance of good reading material. No matter which genres you like the best, ThriftBooks has got you covered. Over the next few weeks, we'll be putting together a few roundups to help you fill out your summer TBR list. Here are our picks for fourteen of the best thrillers to throw in your beach bag. 

All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby 

This author has wowed us with his recent knockouts, Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland, so we're excited to dig into his newest thriller about a former FBI agent contending with entrenched racism when he returns to his hometown as the county's first Black sheriff.

The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding 

From the bestselling author of The Party comes a deliciously twisted story of friendship, retribution, and betrayal. After her restaurant fails, Lee finds herself living in her car. When she strikes up an unlikely friendship with a wealthy woman who wants nothing more than to disappear, things begin to get tricky.

Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb 

In this page-turner from the author of The Violin Conspiracy, music professor Bern Hendricks discovers a shocking secret about the most famous American composer of all time. Searching for answers, he finds himself facing off against a powerful organization in a high stakes battle to right history's wrongs.

The Maid's Diary by Loreth Anne White 

Kit Darling is a maid with a snooping problem. It’s a harmless hobby until she sees something she can’t unsee in the home of her brand-new clients: a secret so dark it could destroy the privileged couple expecting their first child. This makes Kit dangerous to the couple. And they're quick to turn the tables.

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben 

David and Cheryl Burroughs were living a dream life when tragedy struck. Now, five years later, David is serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of their son, Matthew. But when evidence turns up suggesting Matthew is alive, David devises a daring plan to break out of prison, save his son, and clear his own name.

Don't Forget the Girl by Rebecca McKanna

We never remember the dead girls. We never forget the killers. Estranged in the wake of their friend Abby's disappearance, Bree and Chelsea reunite as the serial killer suspected of her murder faces execution. For readers of Megan Goldin and Heather Gudenkauf, this debut mines the complexities of friendship.

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham

In the year since Isabelle's toddler son was kidnapped, she hasn't been able to sleep. Her entire existence revolves around finding him. In desperation, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster. But his interest in her past brings up unsettling memories from Isabelle's own childhood.

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

Most people assume teenaged Lenora was responsible for the Lizzie Borden-like massacre of her family, but it was never proven. Now in her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora begins opening up to Kit, her young caregiver. But could Kit be hearing too much?

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

In this chilling sequel to My Heart is a Chainsaw, Jade is released from prison when her conviction is overturned. She returns to her rural lake town of Proofrock, Idaho, on December 12, 2019. On that same day, just outside of town, a vengeful serial killer escapes from his prison transfer.

The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon

Aidan Thomas is known as a hard-working family man, living with his wife and thirteen-year-old daughter in Upstate New York. But Aidan has a secret. He has killed eight women. And his intended ninth victim is imprisoned in his backyard shed. This electrifying debut is narrated by the women closest to him.

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Vera Wong spends her days spying on her Gen-Z son on the internet. But when she finds a dead man in her tea shop one morning, she coolly swipes the evidence and sets about solving the crime on her own—because nobody sniffs out wrongdoing like a Chinese mother with time on her hands.

Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea

Alex knows what it's like to be falsely accused. That's why she does the work she does, fighting to exonerate innocent people who are under suspicion of violent crimes. As she searches for answers about a young man's missing girlfriend, she unearths surprising connections to the murder of her own family.

Simply Lies by David Baldacci

Mickey Gibson is a single mother and former detective, juggling the demands of her two small children with her work as an investigator. When she gets framed for murder, she finds herself locked in a battle of wits with a shadowy figure, a brilliant woman whose end game is as mysterious as it is deadly.

The Marriage Act by John Marrs

What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey? Fans of The Handmaid's Tale and The Power will enjoy this dark, dystopian novel set in a near-future Great Britain. A right-wing government has established the Sanctity of Marriage Act, using every tool in its arsenal to ensure that all will love, honor and obey.

Hopefully this has given you a few good titles to add to your reading list this summer. Let us know which genre you'd like to see next.

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon