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- Addictive Suspense: 10 Thriller Novels That Will Have You Obsessed This Spring (2025)
Addictive Suspense: 10 Thriller Novels That Will Have You Obsessed This Spring (2025)
Discover taut psychological dramas and heart-pounding whodunits that expertly balance sharp storytelling, tension-filled plots, and characters you won't forget.
Whether it's a taut psychological drama or a heart-pounding whodunit, thrillers have a timeless ability to keep us compulsively turning pages. The genre continues to evolve with fresh voices and innovative premises that challenge our perceptions and expectations. What makes a truly exceptional thriller isn't just unexpected twists—it's the masterful balance of character development, atmospheric tension, and that delicious sense of unease that lingers long after you've turned the final page.
For Spring 2025, we've curated a collection of standout new and recent releases — all chosen for their sharp storytelling, tension-filled plots, and glowing reviews from both critics and readers. This is a genre where details matter — so we've paid close attention to what's resonating, selecting novels that bring something extra to the table. Every title is available in multiple formats and has an average rating of 4.2 or higher.
Let's dive into the thrillers worth reading this season.
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
In seven days, heiress Jet Mason will be dead. After a brutal attack leaves her with a fatal head injury, she has exactly one week to solve her own murder before time runs out. As the clock ticks down, Jet must navigate a complex web of suspects including her wealthy family, her best friend turned sister-in-law, and her ex-boyfriend. With each passing day, the truth seems further out of reach and her list of suspects grows longer.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" comes a riveting adult debut that combines sharp storytelling with a race-against-time premise. Smart, twisty, and relentlessly tense, this thriller introduces an unforgettable protagonist who must solve her own murder before it's too late.
Releases on 17th July 2025
For fans of: Circe by Madeline Miller, The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, and mythological retellings with a thriller edge.
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Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch
Evie Gordon had promise. A job tutoring rich kids, a clean record, a steady future. Then someone dies, and suddenly she's the prime suspect in a story the media can't get enough of. Killer Potential is a whip-smart, sharply plotted debut that threads social commentary into its suspense — think You meets The Secret History, with more menace.
Goodreads: 4.0 | Amazon UK: 4.3
For fans of: My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, You by Caroline Kepnes, and academic settings with dangerous undercurrents.
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The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue
Set in 1895 and inspired by the infamous Montparnasse train crash, Emma Donoghue's latest blends historical fact with character-driven suspense. As a train barrels toward disaster, the lives of its passengers — a nurse, a thief, a politician — converge in unexpected ways. Taut, elegant, and quietly haunting.
Goodreads: 4.1 | Amazon UK: 4.4
For fans of: The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel, The Night Watch by Sarah Waters, and historical thrillers with multiple perspectives.
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The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas
When Lena moves into her dream flat, it feels like a fresh start. Then she overhears her neighbours — the respectable Morgans — discussing something chilling. Claire Douglas returns with another tightly-wound domestic thriller, this time centring on proximity, paranoia, and what we choose not to see.
Goodreads: 4.3 | Amazon UK: 4.2
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The Cleaner by Mary Watson
Goodreads: 4.0 | Amazon UK: 4.4
Esmie is invisible. To the wealthy homeowners whose spaces she cleans, she’s just part of the background. But she listens. She watches. And she remembers. The Cleaner is a slow-burn thriller with a deeply personal vendetta at its core — one driven not by rage, but cold, patient calculation.
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The Couple in the Cabin by Daniel Hurst
When happily married couple Olivia and Daniel book a remote log cabin for a quiet weekend, they expect seclusion. What they don't expect is to be watched — or hunted. A masterclass in minimal-setting tension, Daniel Hurst's latest is fast-paced, cinematic, and impossible to put down.
Goodreads: 4.3 | Amazon UK: 4.3
For fans of: The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley, The Cabin by Natasha Preston, and isolation thrillers with escalating dread.
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The Assistant by Amanda Reynolds
They say don’t mix work with your personal life. In The Assistant, it becomes dangerous. This gripping domestic noir follows a woman entangled with her glamorous, manipulative employer — a relationship that spirals from admiration to something much darker. For fans of The Housemaid and Behind Closed Doors.
Goodreads: 4.1 | Amazon UK: 4.3
For fans of: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, and workplace psychological thrillers.
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The List by Yomi Adegoke
When a spreadsheet of names — titled simply “The List” — goes viral, lives begin to fall apart. The List is a provocative, high-concept thriller exploring cancel culture, truth, and the impact of anonymous accusations. Smart, timely, and unsettling in the best way.
Goodreads: 3.7 | Amazon UK: 3.4
For fans of: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris, and contemporary thrillers with sharp social commentary.
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The Resort by Sarah Goodwin
What’s meant to be a luxury escape quickly becomes something else entirely. The Resort strands a cast of influencers, professionals, and strangers on a remote island where the power is out — and someone is missing. Think The Guest List meets The Beach.
Goodreads: 4.0 | Amazon UK: 4.3
For fans of: The Guest List by Lucy Foley, The Beach by Alex Garland, and locked-room mysteries in paradise settings.
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A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh
The latest from Clare Mackintosh drops readers into a reality TV show gone wrong. Secrets are currency, and someone’s willing to kill to keep theirs buried. A Game of Lies balances traditional crime storytelling with a fresh, voyeuristic setting — tightly plotted and ruthlessly paced.
Goodreads: 4.2 | Amazon UK: 4.3
For fans of: One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and reality TV settings with deadly stakes.
Why These Thrillers Stand Out
If you're new to thrillers or a long-time fan of psychological suspense, these ten titles represent a sharp cross-section of what the genre is doing best right now — unforgettable protagonists, morally tangled stakes, and twists worth waiting for. What sets them apart is their ability to balance familiar thriller elements with innovative concepts and fresh perspectives.
From fatal head injuries and ticking clocks to reality TV gone wrong, these books showcase the genre's versatility while delivering the core elements that keep readers coming back: that irresistible combination of character-driven storytelling and page-turning suspense. Each title has earned its place on this list through critical acclaim, reader enthusiasm, and that special quality that makes a thriller truly exceptional—the ability to keep you thinking about it long after you've finished reading.
Whether you're discovering a new author or pre-ordering a favourite, these books offer the kind of tension that lingers long after the final page.
Until next time,
– The Page Sage
Looking for more carefully curated reads?
Try our recent feature on 10 Must-Read Crime & Mystery Books for Spring 2025 — or explore The Library.
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