In 2022, bookworms barely had the time to pick their favorite reads of the year before starting to research what to read in 2023—and thrillers are having a huge moment. From upcoming titles from some of your favorite authors to hot new debuts, here are some of our most anticipated reads for thrillers and suspense novels in 2023.

Don’t miss all the best must-read thrillers of 2022 here>>

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins (1/3)

Emily and Chess were inseparable as children but as time went on, they found themselves to be distant by the time they got into their thirties. Chess invites Emily on a trip to Italy to reconnect and Emily can’t wait to go. The Villa Aestas used to be known as Villa Rosato and has a terrifying past. Hosted for the summer by a rock star in 1974, a chain of events resulted in success of the friend group and the murder of one. As Emily gets wrapped up in the villa’s history, she finds there may have been more to the story, all while the tension with Chess rises.

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Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica (1/10)

Jake Hayes has gone missing immediately after a fight with his wife, Nina. Nina’s coworker and friend, Lily, believes she was the last one to see Jake before he vanished and tells her husband, Christian, who convinces Lily to not tell anyone what happened before Jake disappeared. Meanwhile, Nina is not stopping at finding out where Jake is and what led to his disappearance.

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All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham (1/10)

It’s been a year since Isabelle Drake’s toddler, Mason, was taken from his crib in the middle of the night, and the case has since gone cold. Isabelle hasn’t slept since Mason went missing, except for the occasional nap or small blackouts. When she reluctantly agrees to join a true-crime podcaster to find answers, Isabelle revisits her past and begins to question her memories of what happened the night Mason went missing.

The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis (1/17)

In 1981 Los Angeles, seventeen-year-old Bret is a prep school senior who is curious about the enigmatic new student, Robert Mallory. Soon, Robert becomes involved in Bret’s tight knit circle—but is harboring a secret. As Bret’s obsession with Robert intensifies, he’s also following the case of a serial killer in Los Angeles called the Trawler. When the Trawler begins to taunt Bret, he wonders how close this killer is to him and his friends.

Tenkill by Shannon Kirk (1/17)

Greta is on the run from her own law firm, after completing fleeing with data to conduct an investigation into a tale of corruption that goes really far back. But, Greta cannot do this alone and enlists the help of a genius crew including a tech guru, a summer associate who may also be a psychopath, a reporter, an art restorer, her own brother, and her love interest. Teaming up in Salem, Massachusetts, the group reviews a ton of evidence in their pursuit of the truth regarding Tenkill, a hospital in Boston.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano (1/31)

Author, mother and amateur sleuth Finlay Donovan is no secret to crime. When she and her partner-in-crime and bestie, Vero, accidentally destroy a car, now Finlay must deal with the Russian mob. To make up for the car, she gets an assignment to find a contract killer who may also be a police officer. Not only must Finlay meet her deadline for her book, but track down a killer without being noticed by the sexy cop, Nick.

Exiles by Jane Harper (1/31)

Federal Investigator Aaron Falk thought he would be traveling to his small home town in Southern Australia for a vacation and the christening of a friend’s baby. This also marks the one year anniversary of the disappearance of Kim Gillespie, who went missing during a town festival with no leads. Kim’s daughter makes a plea, asking anyone with any information to come forward, and Aaron finds himself drawn to the case as he infiltrates his way into Kim’s circle of friends and family.

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The House Guest by Hank Phillippi Ryan (2/7)

When her rich and powerful husband dumps her, Alyssa Macallan is finding out the hard way how messy a divorce can get. She suspects he is going to leave her with nothing when the FBI shows up at her door. Then Alyssa meets the mysterious Bree Lorrance, who is running from her own relationship problems, and Alyssa offers Bree her guest house. The friendship goes to a heart-pounding place when Bree has an idea about how the two women can take care of each other’s problems.

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (2/21)

Bodie Kane is a successful podcaster and film professor who is trying to leave her past behind her. From the family tragedy she experienced to the four years at a New Hampshire and the murder of a classmate, Bodie just wants to forget it all. When the boarding school offers Bodie the change to teach a two-week course, she is curious about the murder of her classmate and the conviction of Omar Evans, the school’s athletic trainer. When Bodie begins to look into the case and her memories of that year, she finds she may have been more connected to the case than she realized.

The Angel Maker by Alex North (2/28)

Katie Shaw used to have everything she could want in life, until a stranger took it all away from her. Now, Katie lives in guilt over what happened to her brother, all while trying to raise her own child. When Katie is informed that her brother, Chris, has gone missing, her life crashes down before her eyes once again. Detective Laurence Page is investigating the murder of a professor and finds this case could be related to Katie and Chris as well as a serial killer who was rumored to have been able to see the future.

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It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison (2/28)

Olivia Bender just wants to be a mother, but has had no success with fertility treatments and IVF. Just as Olivia feels like it will never happen, she and her husband, Park, are told by the police that Park’s son is the prime suspect in a murder investigation. But, Park and Olivia don’t have children; this must be a mistake. Then, Park admits that he previously had donated sperm to a clinic and truly has no idea how many times it was sold. As the investigation continues and Olivia is dealing with the fact her own husband may have fathered a murderer, she finds that it’s hard to hold it against him when she’s hiding her own secrets from Park as well.

The Maid’s Diary by Loreth Anne White (3/1)

Kit Darling is a maid who seems harmlessly nosey. Sure, she likes to snoop around when it comes to the wealthy families she works for, and it seemed like harmless fun, until Kit saw something that it could destroy the couple she works for if it got out. While this may seem like an advantage for Kit, this also puts her at risk. Now, Mallory Van Alst, a homicide cop, is called to a brutal scene at a luxurious home with blood everywhere and no body. The homeowners are gone and the maid is missing. As Mallory investigates this crime, she realizes that nothing about this case is as it seems.

The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson (3/7)

Private investigator Henry Kimball is experiencing a blast from the past when the chilling Joan enters his office asking him to investigate her husband. Henry knows Joan from his previous life as a high school English teacher. Joan suspects her husband is cheating, but the case takes a twisted turn when Henry finds two dead bodies in an empty home in the suburbs. In order to solve this case, Henry must not only revisit his past, but also get assistance from an old enemy, Lily Kintner.

What Have We Done by Alex Finlay (3/7)

Jenna, Donnie and Nico have just found themselves being forced to reunite after twenty-five years apart. But, this is no happy reunion: someone is trying to kill them. The group has to revisit their past where they were survivors of the Savior House, a group home for parentless teens that was shut down after several children disappeared.

How I’ll Kill You by Ren DeStefano (3/21)

Sissy has never had what most would consider a normal life. While she’s the more level-headed one in her family, her two serial killer sisters leave nothing but destruction in their wake. Now that she’s arrived in Arizona, it’s Sissy’s turn to make a man fall in love with her and then kill him. Her target? Widower Edison. The problem? Sissy actually falls for Edison just as her restless sisters are reminding her that someone has to die.

The Last Word by Taylor Adams (4/25)

Emma Carpenter is a recluse who is spending her time house-sitting with her golden retriever on the Washington coast. Emma doesn’t have much contact with anyone, other than the mysterious old man who lives next door and the owner of the house. After reading a gruesome horror novel that was not written very well by H.G. Kane, Emma posts a negative review online that erupts in an argument with none other than the author of the novel. Following the argument, Emma begins to have strange experiences at night and wonders if the author could be stalking her too. After all, H.G. Kane’s backlist all involves stories of stalking and murder.

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Something Bad Wrong by Eryk Pruitt (5/1)

Jess Keeler is a true-crime podcaster who has just returned home to investigate a cold case that her grandfather was working on. In 1972, Deputy Jim Ballard, Jess’s grandfather, was investigating the murders of two teens and expected this to be the case that if he solved would be his career highlight, until his own mind got the best of him. Now Jess is reviewing Jim’s notes with the help of Dan Decker, a disgraced reporter. As Jess gets further and further into the investigation, she comes to find that a family secret may have been what really threw the case off.

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What Remains by Wendy Walker (6/13)

Elise Sutton is a cold-case detective with a sense of order in both her work life and professional one. All of that changes in a department store ehrtr Elise is forced to make a decision in which to save one life, she has to take another. While everyone considers Elise to be a hero, she is full of guilt. Then, she connects with Wade Austin, the man whose life she saved. But Wade isn’t his name and he’s far from who he appears to be. Saving his life was only the catalyst in a deadly game that puts Elise and everyone she loves in jeopardy.

The Shadow Girls by Alice Blanchard (6/25)

The Burling Lake series continues when Natalie Lockhart has to face some deadly secrets the town has been holding. Luke Pittman is still in the hospital in a coma, there’s an unsolved murder of the most respected witch in town, and the long-lost disappearance of Natalie’s old best friend. Now, Natalie is determined to finally get answers and tie up loose ends before everything comes crashing down.

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Hurricane Blonde by Halley Sutton (8/8)

Salma Lowe was a child-star from a family of Hollywood royalty whose world was turned upside down when her sister, Tawney, was murdered in the 90s and her killer was never caught. Tawney was dubbed by the media the “Hurricane Blonde” for her off-set behavior. Now, Salma is a tour guide for the Stars Six Feet Under bus tour; she spends her days showing tourists where famous actresses have died. When a dead woman who looks exactly like Tawney is found at her old house, wearing her unique hairclip, Salma questions if the killer that got away has struck again.

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