2016’s Most Pulse-Pounding Thrillers

The Girls, by Emma Cline
Cline’s eerie debut centers on a fictionalized version of the Manson murders, but it’s far more than just a novel about that gruesome crime spree. The Girls’ real focus is on cult psychology and the compelling social pressures that can lead flocks of young people (in particular, young women) to follow a sociopath. The story is told from the perspective of Evie Boyd, a lonely teen who’s drawn into the dangerous, exotic world of Manson-like figure Russell through her infatuation with his intriguing and beautiful follower Suzanne. Evie’s narrative is far more interesting than many of the countless stories told from the perspective of a cult leader, and her voice sets up an enthralling roller coaster of a read.

The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins
Hawkins’ debut has been loudly proclaimed as the natural heir to Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, and while the comparison is a bit reductive, it shares many of its predecessor’s undeniable charms. For fans of unreliable narrators, like those found in Gone Girl or Before I Go to Sleep, Hawkins’ debut is a dark cocktail of a thriller, combining a compelling central mystery, characters whose judgment and revelations you can’t fully trust, and plenty of bad decision making. Though she’s an extreme example, Rachel, the divorced, unemployed alcoholic at the center of this story, is a relatable anchor in a sea of uncertainty. Each morning on her fake commute following a firing, Rachel fantasizes about a couple whose home the train passes. Until the day she sees—or thinks she sees—something that destroys her fairy-tale view of the couple’s lives. The ensuing path to the truth is a winding road.

The Chemist, by Stephenie Meyer
Meyer is back and breaking out of her Twilight mold with a shadowy government thriller. Here the action involves a woman on the run from her previous employer, a clandestine government agency. The problem with being an expert in your field, and an asset to your super-secret, super-scary agency, is that when the Powers That Be think you’ve become too dangerous, they’ll stop at nothing to eliminate the threat. Much like her previous efforts, Meyer’s latest combines action, suspense, and compelling characters to make for an eminently readable novel. Here’s a sentence rarely typed: both fans of the Jason Bourne stories and Twihards alike will find something to enjoy in this page-turner.

The Whistler, by John Grisham
By now, you know exactly what you’re getting when you crack open a Grisham novel—and that’s a good thing. The master of legal drama is back with his standard blend, this time taking us on a tour of the murky backwaters of judicial corruption in the Sunshine State. The Whistler has it all: crooked judges, a crusading investigator, large-scale casino graft, a down-on-his-luck lawyer dead-set on doing right, and a whole lot of Florida. Top all of that off with an element of extreme danger, and you’ve got a recipe for tightly plotted intrigue.

The Obsidian Chamber, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast is back for an astounding 16th novel, only this time he’s missing and presumed dead after the events of Crimson Shore . In his absence, things go predictably awry. His ward, Constance, is kidnapped, and his bodyguard, Proctor, gets a chance to play the lead, strapping in for a bumpy ride as he pursues Constance’s kidnapper. Of course, Pendergast isn’t dead, but that so much of the action is carried by other characters makes this a uniquely fresh installment in the long-running series. The Obsidian Chamber adds even more layers of complexity and excitement to a long-running series that has never gone stale.

All the Missing Girls, by Megan Miranda
Miranda seizes the opportunity to disorient you right from the start, telling her story about the disappearances of two young women in reverse. Ten years ago, Nicolette Farrell left her tiny hometown after the disappearance of her best friend. Now she has returned to deal with family issues, just in time for another woman to go missing. From that setup, the rest of the story is told backward, starting 15 days after the disappearance of Annaleise Carter, the second woman, and working toward the day she goes missing. It’s a glittering, gripping psychological mystery that will keep you in suspense all the way to the very beginning.