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This year there won’t be a shortage of exciting thrillers to add to your TBR list. Whether you prefer a locked room puzzle or a family crime saga, these driving new readings are guaranteed to keep you enthralled until the twisty end. Here are ten captivating thrilling novels not to be missed in 2021.
Shiver by Allie Reynolds (January 19)
In the French Alps, this exciting thriller with locked rooms revolves around five friends who, after more than ten years, reunite on a mountain top in a remote ski area. As soon as they arrive, they quickly discover that the resort is deserted. What is waiting for them is a game to remind them of the sixth member of their group who disappeared years ago. Alternating between the present and a decade earlier, this lively debut is full of suspense and thrills that will keep you reading late into the night.
Do No Harm by Christina McDonald (February 16)
This gripping and contemporary thriller follows a mother who turns to selling opioids in desperate effort to raise money for her son’s cancer treatment. But when one of her clients ends up dead, she is forced into a dangerous game of cat and mouse – with her own cop on the other end of the chase.
The girls are all so nice here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn (March 9th)
This suspenseful and curvy thriller is about two former best friends who return to their alma mater for a college reunion. There they quickly find that someone is targeting them in revenge for what they did ten years ago. The Girls Are All So Nice Here are devastatingly dark and full of tension. They offer a juicy, unwavering portrait of the complexities of friendship and social ambition.
When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain (April 13th)
In this breathtaking and atmospheric detective novel, an experienced detective returns to her hometown after a personal tragedy. When she arrives, she learns that a local teenage girl has disappeared in a case that is eerily reminiscent of one from her childhood. As her past and present collide, she is further mired in a complex conundrum that leaves you glued to the page.
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While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams (May 11th)
Between fighting voter suppression and an important role in Georgian politics, Stacey Abrams has written several hugely popular romance novels – and now she is conquering the world of legal thriller. Set against the backdrop of the Supreme Court, Abram’s electrifying novel follows a talented young court clerk who unexpectedly becomes the legal guardian of a judiciary after falling into a coma under suspicious circumstances.
The other black girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris (June 1)
As the only black employee in her prestigious publisher’s imprint, Nella Rogers is thrilled when another black woman works next to her in the booth. However, her excitement quickly turns into fear as her new hire becomes increasingly competitive – and threatening notes appear on her desk warning her to leave. Inspired by the author’s own experiences in publishing, this electrifying thriller is an excellent observation of the microaggression that can make a workplace toxic.
The virgins of Alex Michaelides (June 15)
This captivating thriller revolves around a charismatic Cambridge University professor who is implicated in a series of murders on campus. Combining Greek mythology with psychological tension, this intriguing, curvy tale is the perfect antidote to your summer reading boredom – and yes, it has already been selected for an adaptation of a television series.
Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens (August 3rd)
Chevy Stevens returns in this driving thriller about two women who unknowingly set off on a collision course with a murderer when they return to Cold Creek, a dark stretch of the highway long known as the scene of mysterious disappearances. Dark Roads is another worthy contribution from the accomplished mystery storyteller.
A Slow Fire Burns by Paula Hawkins (Aug 31)
Four years after her last novel, Paula Hawkins is back with a new secret set on a London houseboat. After a young man was murdered, the police are investigating three women with separate links to the victim and the same motives for revenge. Full of unpredictable twists and turns, this obsessively readable thriller will leave you guessing all the way to the last page.
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead (September 14th)
Colson Whitehead’s latest work is set in Harlem in the 1960s and focuses on a furniture salesman who leads a double life after being involved in a robbery. Part family saga, part detective novel, Harlem Shuffle is a delightfully entertaining adventure that only solidifies Whitehead as one of the most eclectic writers today.
For more secrets and thriller goodness, check out these secrets you may have missed in 2020. If cozy secrets are more your jam, these cuddly toys will hit shelves in the first half of 2021.
