10 Excellent Thriller Books You Can Read In A Day (2024)

By incorporating mystery, intrigue, and unreliable narrators, thriller books have been capturing audiences' attention for many years. Plenty of the best movies and TV shows within the genre have drawn inspiration from novels, especially those that are easy to read in a single sitting. Sometimes, picking up a book that features a long plot with heavy world-building can be too much. It can be better to read something that can be finished quickly, reaching an exciting conclusion without delay. This doesn't make these novels any less interesting or complex, as there's still plenty of opportunity for misdirects within their pages.

Plenty of thriller books have wild endings, revealing the killer or the unexpected twist that throws the rest of the story into sharp relief in the final moments of the story. While thrillers don't necessarily have to follow the events of a murder mystery, this is often the premise as it opens the door to play with the well-worn formula of these narratives and subvert the reader's expectations. Feeling every high and low of the story, along with the characters as they're experiencing them, is part of why being immersed in a book in one sitting is so enjoyable.

10 We Have Always Lived In The Castle (1962)

Written by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson's novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle isolates the audience as much as it does the characters, weaving a terrifying and gripping narrative. Gothic and gorgeous, it's no wonder that the book has been adapted for the screen, as the settings and characters lend themselves to film and television. As the central family in We Have Always Lived in the Castle keeps secrets and struggles against each other, it's impossible to look away.

The 2018 film adaptation of We Have Always Lived in the Castle renewed attention to Jackson's book and brought it to life for modern audiences. Published in 1962, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is one of the older novels that can be read in a sitting, but it holds up well today. Set in an old and haunting estate it's easy to be immersed in the story and not look up until the narrative has unraveled.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

Not Rated

Horror

Drama

Mystery

Thriller

We Have Always Lived In The Castle is a modern gothic thriller directed by Stacie Passon. The film follows sisters Merricat and Constance Blackwood, played by Taissa Farmiga and Alexandra Daddario, who live isolated in their family mansion after the death of their family members. Their secluded life is disrupted when their cousin Charles arrives, uncovering dark secrets and unsettling the fragile peace they have maintained.

Director

Stacie Passon

Release Date

May 17, 2019

Writers

Mark Kruger , Shirley Jackson

Cast

Taissa Farmiga , Alexandra Daddario , Crispin Glover , Sebastian Stan , Paula Malcomson , Peter Coonan , Ian Toner , Joanne Crawford , Anna Nugent , Peter O'Meara , Luan James Geary , Cormac Melia , Liz O'Sullivan , Bosco Hogan , Stephen Hogan

See Also

The Seventh Day (2021) | Rotten TomatoesIn-Depth: Why A Future Seven Year Tribulation Is A Biblical Necessity - Harbinger's Daily

Runtime

96 minutes

9 The Old Woman With The Knife (2022)

Written by Gu Byeong-mo

Older women are rarely centered in film, media, and literature, but The Old Woman with the Knife changes things and focuses on a 65-year-old assassin. While the trope of the aging assassin or killer that's been touched upon by Westerns and thrillers alike is a great way to interrogate the genre, it's almost always a man who the story follows. Instead, Gu Byeong-mo​​​​​​​'s novel is about Hornclaw and her loyal dog, Deadweight, and the last kills of her career.

In conversation with reclaiming agency, growing older, and feminity at every stage of life,The Old Woman with the Knife captures the reader from the first page. With plenty of violence and emotion, there's something in The Old Woman with the Knife for readers of all kinds, as it appeals to audiences who might not always be compelled by action-packed thrillers. Written with love and empathy, The Old Woman with the Knife is compelling to the last page.

8 The Seven And A Half Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle (2018)

Written by Stuart Turton

The twist at the end of The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle intertwines sci-fi and fantasy into the classic murder mystery format, demonstrating how clever Stuart Turton's book is. With each new section, the protagonist is thrust into a new perspective of a witness to the titular death of Evelyn Hardcastle at a glamorous and remote party in a period setting that drips with glamour, decadence, and intrigue. Every character is hiding something and is in the unique position to give Aiden, the protagonist, one more piece of the puzzle to help him solve the murder.

Though The Seven and a Half Death of Evelyn Hardcastle features an outlandish promise, it does get scary and is fun until the very end. Aiden isn't the only person in his time loop of death, and if he isn't the one to solve Evelyn's death, something terrible might happen. However, the murder mystery is hardly the only task that Aiden has to master. Subverting and paying tribute to the murder mystery genre, Turton's novel is ideal for long-time fans of the genre and first-time readers alike.

7 The Grownup (2015)

Written by Gillian Flynn

Gillian Flynn is well known for her iconic mysteries that have been brought to life in film and television. Many of the best moody mystery TV shows are based on Flynn's work, like Sharp Objects, as well as the seminal thriller movie Gone Girl. As always, Flynn is defined by her complex and troubled female characters who are put in impossible situations. The protagonist of The Grownup finds herself in a classic gothic home engaged in a battle of wits with a mother and son who push her to tangle with the terrifying and unbelievable.

The Grownup is only a little more than a short story and easy to read through in just an afternoon rather than a day. However, it's the perfect first project to introduce audience members to her writing style and then dive into her bigger and more famous works. On a rainy afternoon, sometimes the best course of action is to get lost in an unexpected mystery with a compelling main character with a unique perspective on the world, and The Grownup delivers this in every way.

6 The A.B.C. Murders (1936)

Written by Agatha Christie

It would be impossible to discuss compulsively readable thriller novels without mentioning the most famous author within the mystery genre, Agatha Christie. Christie is responsible for inventing many of the modern parts of the thriller genre that audiences most associate with murder mysteries. The ABC Murders joins the ranks of Christie's works that feature Hercule Poirot in the role of detective, and the brilliant gentleman sleuth must find a serial killer who is murdering people in alphabetical order according to their names.

Agatha Christie's The ABC Murders is a thriller book with a twist ending that doesn't disappoint, and most of her many great works can be described this way. For readers looking for an older work that fulfills the classic highs and lows of the mystery genre, Christie's work is perfect, and The ABC Murders epitomizes her strengths. Though some of her most famous books, like And Then There Were None or Murder on the Orient Express​​​​​​, are better known, most readers enter those narratives knowing who the killer is, and the same might not be true for The ABC Murders.

5 The Guest (2023)

Written by Emma Cline

One of the most popular thriller books of 2023, Emma Cline's The Guest, has taken the world by storm and made Cline into a household name. Alex, the protagonist, spends the summer on Long Island pretending to be other people and drifting in and out of people's lives to further her own agenda. Alex is both undeniably relatable and a little bit repugnant, making her character that the reader is desperate to know more about but is simultaneously easy to protect oneself upon.

Though The Guest is on the longer side, the novel moves quickly and never wavers in its movement. Critiquing the upper class, capitalism, and the position that young women are put in by society, The Guest has an unforgettable twist ending and should be treated as one of the most fun recent additions to the thriller genre. Alex joins the ranks of contemporary female protagonists who are looking objectively at how best to play the system. However, The Guest incorporates plenty of mysterious twists into this familiar narrative.

4 Confessions (2008)

Written by Kanae Minato

Kanae Minato's thriller Confessions is a dark and unexpected exploration into the psyches of its characters, leaving the reader astounded by the many twists and turns of the narrative. Told from multiple perspectives and through different mediums, Confession draws the reader in with its deliberate foreshadowing and unbelievable narrative that makes the story impossible to put down. At the center of the story is a tragic tale that evokes emotions in the audience to balance the intrigue and shock factors.

Confessions was Minato's debut novel, and since then, the author has only continued putting out incredible mysteries that elevate the thriller genre. It's not always easy to grapple with the subject matter of Confessions, as the protagonist, Yuko Moriguchi, is interrogating her students about the death of her daughter. Also touching upon cultural issues and discussing Moiguchi's experience with motherhood and the contemporary anxieties around this, Confessions is a read worth devouring that also includes a message.

3 One By One (2022)

Written by Freida McFadden

The story of Claire Matchett's survival in One by One is the biggest reason why the novel is impossible to put down, as she and her friends are picked off in the woods. It's clear the author of One by One, Freida McFadden, was influenced by masters of the thriller genre like Agatha Christie, as One by One could be interpreted as a contemporary take on And Then There Were None. Claire, her husband, and their friends must balance surviving in the woods with the sudden arrival of a hidden entity hunting them.

McFadden keeps the pace moving along throughout One by One, making it almost impossible to put down, as there's always another complication arising for Claire and her group. Also known for her series, The Housemaid, McFadden's standalone novel is just as easy to get lost in, and the entire narrative can be devoured in one sitting. Though Claire and her friends are far from perfect, this makes it even more interesting to contemplate who is after them and why.

2 She Rides Shotgun (2017)

Written by Jordan Harper

Surprisingly emotionally heavy, She Rides Shotgun explores the relationship between the young Polly and her father, Nate, who must take her on the road with him to escape the people targeting their family. As the reader spends more time with Polly and Nate, it's easy to identify with them both in different ways. Polly is thrust into tough situations that she's too young to deal with but manages to carry on thanks to Nate's affection and her teddy bear, who plays a vital role in the story.

Reminiscent of classic road trip movies that take place in the U.S., She Rides Shotgun is nostalgic and familiar without feeling too formulaic or predictable. A film adaptation of She Rides Shotgun starring Taron Egerton is in development, and it will be interesting to see how the dynamic between Nate and Polly plays out on the big screen (via Variety). The most important part of She Rides Shotgun is seeing both father and daughter come into themselves and learn important through a fast-paced, propulsive story.

1 Girl Waits With Gun (2015)

Written by Amy Stewart

The first novel in The Kopp Sisters series by Amy Stewart, Girl Waits With Gun, is an exciting feminist work of historical fiction that's great for readers of all ages to get lost in. Constance Kopp, the protagonist, is curious, brave, and witty, making it easy for the audience to root for her and imagine that they could also investigate murders and conspiracies. Set in the 1910s, Girl Waits With Gun grapples with how Constance had to work twice as hard to prove herself as a competent leader of her family.

Full of humor and heart, Girl Waits With Gun doesn't have the bleak and brutal ending that so many thriller books incorporate. Instead, the novel sets up plenty of exciting future adventures for Constance and her sisters. Though Constance has plenty of secrets of her own, the story is propelled by her refusal to be bullied by the men in power around her. Easy, fun, and utilizing a powerful message, Girl Waits With Gun is the perfect weekend getaway novel.