Given my profession as a wedding photographer, you might think it’s all love stories in this household. But you’d be wrong! I tend to go for a darker mystery to balance out my days of love stories.
Here are 9 psychological thrillers that you may have missed and should definitely check out:
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
This one shocked me when it got further into it. It gave total goosebumps vibes in the best 90s-nostalgic way, with a grown-up twist.
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
Loosely inspired by Jane Eyre, it drops that classic framework into a glossy Southern setting full of money, secrets, and carefully curated lives.
This read constantly plays with morality and ambition. No one is purely innocent, and the book leans into the idea that survival and marriage can be transactional.
There is a Frida McFadden book by the same name. Totally grab that too!
The Measure by Nikki Erick
Less of a heart-pounding thriller and more of a quietly devastating, must-read that sparks real conversation.
Everyone in the world receives a box containing a string that reveals exactly how long their life will be. Multiple storylines explore how that single piece of knowledge reshapes relationships, ambition, love, fear, and morality.
11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King
This is an oldie but goodie. I called my best friend 60% through to ask why it was feeling like a love story. Little did I know the depth of her “just you wait”. I never expected this to stick with me for months beyond reading.
More than a “simple” time travel plan to save JFK. the question of whether changing the past is worth what you lose in the present.
The Butcher by Jennifer Hillier
The story centers on a string of brutal murders tied to a family and a past that refuses to stay buried. This book explores obsession, trauma, and the danger of secrets.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
This story follows Carlota, the sheltered daughter of a scientist whose experiments blur the line between human and animal. She begins to question her father’s work…and boy, should she ever!
The Housekeeper by Natalie Barelli
The story follows a woman who takes a housekeeping job in a wealthy household, quickly discovering that nothing about the family or her role in their lives is as simple as it seems.
Carefully hidden secrets keep driving the twists.
The Last One at The Wedding by Jason Rekulak
The story follows a father who reconnects with his estranged daughter just before her lavish wedding. As he’s pulled into her new, ultra-wealthy world, small details begin to feel off, and his concerns are more than valid.
New & You Should Grab it: Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston
I went back and forth on this one a few times, but wound up loving it! The beginning of the book hands you a lot of information about how the main women’s lives may be intersecting. As things unraveled, more than we expected was revealed.
Do you have any psychological thrillers to add to this list? Let us know in the comments.
