The 20 Most Anticipated Thrillers Of 2023

Take note because these are the new thrillers and mysteries everyone will be reading this year!

1. A Death in Denmark by Amulya Malladi

William Morrow & Company

Release date: March 28

What it's about: A Death in Denmark is a political thriller set in modern Denmark, with intriguing flashbacks to Nazi-occupied Europe. Private eye Praest investigates the conviction of Iraqi refugee Ahmed, at the behest of his ex-girlfriend. It turns out the right-wing politician that Ahmed was convicted of murdering was digging up very sensitive information about Denmark's role in Nazi Germany. Fans of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will love this unique mystery.     

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

2. Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez

Mulholland Books

Release date: June 27

What it's about: Before She Finds Me is an exciting spy thriller perfect for fans of Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Toni Collette's Netflix series, Pieces of Her. Divorced mom Julia takes her daughter Cora to freshman orientation, where they get caught up in the crossfire of a sniper shooting. Although Julia, Cora, and her ex-husband make it out alive, they're still caught up in the high-stakes drama after learning that the hired killer's wife is determined to find out why he was involved. 

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

3. The Beauty Trials by Dhonielle Clayton

Disney Hyperion

Release date: February 14

What it's about: The Beauty Trials is the third book in Dhonielle Clayton's gorgeous YA fantasy/thriller series, The Belles. Edel (Edelweiss, the sister of heroine Camellia from books one and two), is set on competing in the Beauty Trials to win the throne of Orléans. The competition is cutthroat because psychotic former queen Sophia has schemes and allies determined to restore her power. 

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

4. The First Death by Kendra Elliot

Montlake

Release date: June 13

What it's about: This gritty mystery reopens a disappearance case that occurred 25 years ago. Kidnapping survivor, Rowan, still searches every year for her brother, Malcolm, who was also kidnapped but never rescued. When similar crimes start occurring again in Oregon, Rowan is tapped to help detective Evan Bolton figure out who's behind it. 

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

5. Tombs by Junji Ito

Viz Media

Release date: March 28

What it's about: This horror graphic novel story collection by the renowned Junji Ito takes readers to Tomb Town! A sister and brother travel to the tomb-filled city to visit their friend who moved there, and get in insurmountable trouble while driving in a mysterious town surrounded by unavoidable tombs. 

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

6. Homecoming by Kate Morton

Mariner Books

Release date: April 4

What it's about: Homecoming is a beautiful saga that reads like Gone with the Wind set in Australia. It alternates between the 1959 multiple murder case of the Turner family in South Australia, to the present-day family reunion of Jess and her grandmother, Nora, in Sydney. When Jess returns to Sydney, she uncovers long-lost secrets that connect Nora to the Turner family and the brutal crime.

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

7. A Likeable Woman by May Cobb

Berkley

Release date: July 11

What it's about: Kira, a woman who fled her Texas hometown for Los Angeles, reluctantly agrees to return home for an old acquaintance's vow renewal. Her return is also motivated by the fact that her grandmother seems to finally agree with Kira's theory that her mother's death was probably not an accident. When her grandmother gives Kira her late mother's unpublished memoir, she teams up with Jack, an old high school friend, to find out what really happened to her mother.

You can order this book through Amazon here!

8. In Nightfall by Suzanne Young

Delacorte Press

Release date: March 28

What it's about: In Nightfall is a fun YA thriller perfect for fans of Fear Street. Theo and her brother Marco are banished to a small Oregon beach town for the summer. The pair ignore the rules their stern grandmother sets for them, striking up friendships with the popular crowd and staying out after dark. Theo and Marco quickly regret befriending the cool girls, because their friendship is literally one to die for. 

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

9. The Perfect Ones by Nicole Hackett

Crooked Lane Books

Release date:  May 2

What it's about: A group of influencers descends on Iceland for a promotional trip. A few days into the dream vacation, Alabama goes missing. The Perfect Ones explores not only what happened to Alabama, but her relationships with two of the other influencers on the trip: Celeste, Alabama's best friend, and Hollie, Alabama's idol who is keeping some secrets about her mental health and real-life relationships.

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

10. Shutter by Ramona Emerson

Soho Crime

Release date: May 2

What it's about: Shutter is an emotional crime thriller that is The Sixth Sense meets Ghost. Forensic photographer and Diné tribe member, Rita, has a secret: she can see the ghosts of crime victims. After being sent to photograph the scene of an alleged suicide, Rita starts being stalked by the spirit of Erma, a young murdered mother determined to prove she did not die by suicide. Rita tries to keep her head clear of ghosts in order to solve the dangerous case in front of her. 

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

11. The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

St. Martin's Press

Release date: April 4 

What it's about: The Soulmate is an exciting domestic thriller that takes place in a beach town in Melbourne, Australia. Pippa's husband, Gabe, saves many attempted suicide victims from jumping off the cliff near their family home. When one woman does jump, Pippa suspects her husband may have been involved in the death. Secret after secret unravels about Pippa's marriage and her husband's connection to the woman as Pippa finally stops ignoring the red flags. 

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

12. All He Has Left by Chad Zunker

Thomas & Mercer

Release date:  April 1

What it's about: After the untimely death of his wife, Jake is desperate to maintain custody of his daughter, Piper, from his wealthy in-laws. The family grants Jake a visit for Piper's birthday which turns tragic: Piper is kidnapped, her cousin is murdered, and Jake is the sole suspect. He becomes a fugitive to clear his name, rescue his daughter, and find out who is really behind these crimes.

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

13. It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce

Sourcebooks Landmark

Release date: February 21

What it's about: Relive New Year's Eve with this thriller set in Edinburgh, Scotland! Sylvie reluctantly reunites with her longtime friend, Tess, when she finds out Tess is dying and wants her to make amends with old acquaintances. Sylvie does not want to screw up her dream of becoming a judge, which leads to tense confrontations at Tess' New Year's Eve party that turns deadly just before the clock strikes midnight.

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

14. She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran

Bloomsbury YA

Release date: February 28

What it's about: She is a Haunting is a must-read YA horror novel set in present-day Vietnam. Tran brilliantly uses the haunted French colonial house as a metaphor for French and American colonizers' insatiable greed for power and wealth. Her heroine, Jade, juggles teen angst and generational trauma while using her diasporic power to resist the oppression that haunts her native Vietnam and ancestors. 

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

15. We're All Lying by Marie Still

Rising Action Publishing Co.

Release date: March 14

What it's about: We're All Lying is a domestic thriller that explores what can go extraordinarily wrong when a husband cheats on his wife. It's perfect for fans of Mary Kubica and Lisa Unger's twisty novels. Cass is accused of killing her husband's mistress, Emma. Although she knows she didn't do it, the accusations threaten to reveal some dark secrets from Cass's past that could destroy everything.

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

16. Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

Harper

Release date: February 7

What it's about: Gorgons are misunderstood creatures. Not only are they rare, even in mythology, but they're difficult to describe. Everyone agrees, however, that they are tough and powerful. Stone Blind is a beautiful retelling of the epic legend of Medusa the gorgon. After she's assaulted by Poseidon in Athene's temple, Athene seeks revenge on Medusa and curses her with a power that is capable of destroying everything Medusa loves with one look. 

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

17. The Spare Room by Andrea Bartz

Ballantine Books

Release date: June 20

What it's about: Reese's Book Club author, Andrea Bartz, is back with a new domestic thriller. In this pandemic-themed Single White Female mystery, Kelly leaves her former fiancé to move in with an old high school friend in Virginia. When she arrives she is warmly greeted by Sabrina and her politician husband, but soon finds out their former beloved house guest has recently gone missing.  

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

18. Standing in the Shadows by Peter Robinson

HarperLuxe

Release date: April 11

What it's about: A 1980's cold case in London is reopened when an archaeologist uncovers a body at a home in 2019. The unsolved murder of a university student, Alice, is linked to this body, as determined by detective Banks, in this intriguing Sherlock Holmes-type mystery by late author Peter Robinson. 

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

19. Tell Her Everything by Mirza Waheed

Melville House Publishing

Release date: February 14

What it's about: Tell Her Everything is a psychological thriller in the form of a memoir, if the memoir was written by either Dr. Frankenstein or Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. The doctor's eerie and evolving story is addressed to his estranged daughter, Sara. He expresses that although given the orders from the hospital he worked at in the unnamed country where he transferred to, he feels extreme guilt and regret about the painful procedures he administered on alleged prisoners.

You can order this book through Bookshop here!

20. The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda

S&s/ Marysue Rucci Books

Release date:  April 11

What it's about: Ten years ago, two vans full of high schoolers on their way to a service trip crashed, killing multiple students and teachers. The following year, one of the survivors dies by suicide, and their friend group vows to return every year to commemorate the tragedy. The annual reunion goes from bad to worse when Cassidy, who was already reluctant to attend, learns that another friend is dead, leaving the entire group worried that they're all in danger.

You can order this book through Bookshop here!