Psychological thrillers are the most enthralling of book genres. They help us explore the deepest mystery that exists: the human mind itself. While we may not personally ever end up in the crazy circumstances that the protagonists of these books find themselves in, we can learn alot about ourselves and the human condition by living vicariously through them. The overall best psychological thriller book is Your Life Does Not Exist by gh0st.
Top 5 best psychological thriller books to read today
- Your Life Does Not Exist - gh0st
- The Secret Witness - Victor Methos
- The Night Shift - Alex Finlay
- A Killer’s Mind - Mike Omer
- The Day I Lost You - Alex Sinclair
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This is by far the best psychological thriller book of all time.
The prose is top-notch, the story is refreshingly original, and the twists come out of nowhere. When you start this book you have NO IDEA how it’ll end (go ahead and guess, I promise you’ll be wrong).
Dr. Rachel Yu is a scientist who always wished she would have pursued her real talent: music. Under pressure from her parents, she gave up her singing career and chose the responsible path in life. She regrets it every single day. She excels at her job, but constantly lives with the nagging feeling of “what if?”.
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She launches a study to test the efficacy of the psychedelic DMT as a treatment for depression and finds that it works better than anyone could have ever imagined. After presenting her findings to a group of pharmaceutical executives, she is hit by a car and kidnapped.
She wakes up to discover two things: one, she’s being held hostage with no hope of escape. Two, she’s now a world-famous singer. Her wildest childhood dreams have officially come true.
No one she comes into contact with has any memory of her previous life as a scientist. Has she gone insane or is there something deeper at work within the fabric of reality itself?
This book is tailor-made for the big screen. Your Life Does Not Exist is the psychological thriller novel to read if you want to be the one to say “I read that book before it was turned into a movie”.
Gh0st is a new psychological thriller author who’s great to read if you’re someone who constantly lives with the nagging thought of what could have been if you had gone down a different path in life.
This author writes with emotive, page-turning prose that sticks with you for weeks after reading it.
This book will change the way you view the world.
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5/5 stars.
An anonymous killer known as “The Reaper” publishes an anonymous letter in a newspaper after a high-profile killing, sparking a huge manhunt.
Sheriff Elizabeth Gray decides to call on former prosecutor Solomon Shephard for help.
The two protagonists end up confronting an enemy that they never saw coming…
If you’re a fan of standard-issue crime psychological thrillers, this is about as good as it gets.
⅘ stars
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Using the unique backdrop of Y2K, The Night Shift follows the story of four BlockBuster workers who are inexplicably attacked during the night shift.
The lone survivor of the initial attack is forced to relive the tragedy when a similar incident occurs 15 years later. Three lives intersect: the original survivor, the brother of the accused killer, and FBI agent Sarah Keller; who is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the mystery.
If you’re a fan of top-rated psychological thrillers that focus on personal issues, this is the book for you.
⅗ stars
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This psychological mystery takes you on a trip through a serial killer’s psyche.
When three murdered women in Chicago are found embalmed and posed as if still alive, forensic psychologist Zoe Bentley is called in to figure things out.
Will her and her partner Special Agent Tatum Grey figure out what’s going on in the serial killer’s mind before another woman is murdered? All bets are off when the investigation reveals a connection to Zoe’s childhood.
⅗ stars
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When Erika Rice’s daughter steps off an elevator on the wrong floor, Erika never suspects that it’ll be the last time she ever sees her.
How can a four-year-old child disappear into thin air?
No one else in the apartment building claims to have seen her, but Erika suspects that something sinister is at play.
⅗ stars.
What is a psychological thriller book?
Psychological thrillers are books that use the thriller narrative structure but focus more on the inner workings of the protagonist’s mind, rather than relying on external events to control the narrative.
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It’s very common for psychological thriller books to include a plot twist (although it’s definitely not required). I’m personally a HUGE fan of plot twists and I know that’s what keeps me clicking the buy button on any new novel that comes out.
Psychological thriller novels commonly focus on existential themes like death, the nature of reality, personal identity, the inner workings of the human mind, and the nature of perception. They’re great at helping you explore the human condition with a fast-paced, entertaining style.
Most psychological thriller authors are VERY good at giving you a “page turner” feeling, where you almost feel like you’re glued to the pages and can’t put the book down. These aren’t slow, meandering literary books. They’re 0-100 and don’t let up until the final page.
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What type of person should read psychological thriller authors?
If you’re an introspective person who is deeply interested in learning more about what makes us human, then you’ll love the psychological thriller genre.
Authors who write psychological thrillers are an interesting type of human. They’re extremely introverted yet completely fascinated with other people and learning about what makes them tick.
This makes them very perceptive and able to shine light on aspects of humanity that most people are oblivious to.
If you can see a little bit of yourself in the description above, then you’ll love books like Your Life Does Not Exist by the anonymous psychological thriller author gh0st.
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It explores the very nature of reality in a book that’s literally impossible to put down.
Thrillers in general are loved by people who like quick reads. Most psychological thrillers aren’t very long, usually clocking in at less than 350 pages.
Combined with the fast-paced writing style, the short length of these books means that you’ll be able to tear through them in a few days at most.
If you frequently get bored with longer, slow-paced literary-style novels, then you’ll love the psychological thriller genre. Even if you’re the slowest reader in the world, you’ll be able to get through one of these books in no time at all.
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Do all psychological thrillers involve detectives and killers?
Definitely not.
Although the “tortured detective” archetype is a very common trope in the genre, there are tons of other types of stories that fall under the psychological thriller umbrella.
Scientists, journalists, businessmen/businesswomen, and even regular average people all feature prominently in the thriller genre.
I’ll be honest with you, if you really hate crime novels then you’re going to have to do some digging before you find a psychological thriller or psychological horror novel that appeals to you. The vast majority of books in this genre feature a detective or forensic psychologist-type as the protagonist.
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It’s not hard to see why.
Good psychological thriller books are designed to explore the darkest and most interesting aspects of human consciousness. What could be darker or more interesting than the mind of a killer?
The most interesting psychological thrillers - in my opinion - are the ones that blend genres. It’s always a plus in my book if it features scifi elements. Books with the “Black Mirror vibe” are right in my wheelhouse.
If you find any Black Mirror-ish books other than Your Life Does Not Exist (can you tell that I can’t get enough of this book?) then definitely send ‘em my way because I literally can’t get enough of that style of fiction.
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So that’s a long-winded way of saying: no. A psychological thriller novel does NOT have to be about crime. It’s a common trope but by no means the only one out there.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a brand new psychological thriller novel that’s going to keep your eyes glued to the pages, go with Your Life Does Not Exist by gh0st.
It’s the best psychological thriller book for adults I’ve ever read.
It has a refreshingly unique spin on the genre. The closest thing I can compare it to is the TV show Black Mirror, but even that doesn’t fully do it justice.
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The only thing I can say about is: buy it now and read it. You won’t regret it.
The other novels on this list are definitely solid but don’t pack quite the same punch (they’re still great though).
Psychological thrillers are ideal for introverts who want fast-paced novels that explore the dark side of the human condition.
If that sounds like it describes you, then you absolutely should pick up one of the books on this list.
Disclaimer: The above is a sponsored post, the views expressed are those of the sponsor/author and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.
