Feature Image Credit: @katiebookmarked

Whether you’re seeking the perfect thriller or something to have you hiding underneath the covers and up all night, 2021 has got you covered. Even as the year winds down, the thrillers never do. For the readers who love a good plot twist or the ones who can’t wait to see if they named the killer — this thriller must-read list is just for you.

All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris

Sleeping with your white boss one night and finding him dead the next morning can do a lot to a girl’s psyche — even for Ellice Littlejohn, a Black corporate attorney. When she finds Michael dead in his office, the shock causes her to ignore the first step of calling the police and walk away from the scene.

As an attorney, she knows it was a bad move, but the circumstances called for it, and besides, she’s mastered keeping secrets. Then days later, Ellice gets promoted to the very same office her dead lover had, but she knows the timing is too soon and ultimately suspicious. Trying desperately to keep her name out of the light but also wanting to reveal her company’s hidden secrets, Ellice begins to dig until she discovers things even, she couldn’t fathom.

Bath Haus by P. J. Vernon

After living with a boyfriend who’s also a trauma surgeon and can be a bit controlling at times, Oliver Park finds himself needing a night one. While Nathan, his boyfriend, is traveling, Oliver visits a local gay bathhouse to have a little fun. Oliver, who should feel guilty, is only focused on being discreet and fulfilling his indiscretion, just for the night. Yet even Oliver should know that nothing ever stays hidden, and soon he’s put into a situation that goes from bad to worse. With his life now in danger, Oliver fears that he will slip back into his life when he was an addict but starts Oliver has something more to fear and it’s closer to him than he thinks.

Her Name Is Knight by Yasmin Angoe

Nena Knight’s tale is an action-packed thriller that reveals moments of human trafficking, death and abuse. As a child, Nena is kidnapped from her village in Ghana and turned into a highly trained assassin. With plenty of opportunities to kill, she slowly regains the power that was ripped from her life, one kill at a time.

Split into a dual timeline of Nena’s past and her present, the story tells of how her family gets murdered, how she’s sold and held into captivity, and how she saves the life of a young girl in a dark alley while on an assignment in Miami. Saving a life opens Nena’s eyes to a life of more than just killing. So, when she discovers the man responsible for her pain, she’ll take on one last assignment to stop him and all the bloodshed he’s caused.

Impostor Syndrome by Kathy Wang

This page-turning corporate thriller follows two protagonists, Julia Lerner and Alice Lu, who experience life in the technology industry. Julia, a Russian orphan, is hired right out of college to work for a large social media company, Tangerine, and send intelligent information back to her homeland. Alice, a first-generation Chinese American, handles the IT support for Tangerine. During one routine check, Alice discovers unusual suspicious activity, but as she starts to suspect it’s Julia behind the activity, will Alice reveal and uncover her as a spy? Only time will tell.

A Glimmer of Death by Valerie Wilson Wesley

Widow Odessa Jones, also known as Dessa, has the ability to read emotions and foresee danger, an ability that normally comes in handy. Her sight couldn’t predict that she would end up alone after her husband dies with a failed business living in New Jersey. Needing a job, she starts work with an obnoxious realtor, but soon when his murder happens, Dessa’s not sure what to do. One thing she is certain: the murderer could be anyone, and it is up her to use her gifts and uncover the killer.

Unbreakable by Cari Hunter

This is a suspenseful thriller that will have you hanging onto each page. When Elin Breckenridge comes out bloody and holding a gun, Dr. Grace Kendal has little choice but to agree to help the woman. Now, Grace is deep into Elin’s nightmare, and the two are on the run for their survival. Only, Grace isn’t sure who is targeting them, and the more she searches for answers the more it becomes clear that Elin is tied to murder. And Grace just might be the next target. Racing against time, Detective Sergeant Safia Faris takes the charge of solving the murder connected to Elin, and Faris’ investigation soon reveals the kidnapping and something much worse.

When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain

Anna Hart is a detective assigned to handle every missing person’s case that crosses her desk. Anna lives for her job, but as a tragedy strikes her, she must step back and take time to grieve. The only problem is as soon as she arrives back in the town of Mendocino, in Northern California, where she grew up, she finds a missing young girl. Then Anna remembers a similar case when she was just a kid, and that is all it takes for her to dive into the hunt, bringing up pieces from her past she thought were long buried.

Lightseekers by Femi Kayode

Nigerian criminal psychologist Dr. Philip Taiwo is respected all around for the work he does investigating difficult psychological cases, so it’s no surprise when a powerful Nigerian politician wants him to look into the public torture and lynching of three university students in Port Harcourt. He’s truly interested in why crimes happen, but he’ll admit he is no detective. What does shock Taiwo is his miscalculation for thinking it would be as straightforward case as it appeared. But when he arrives in town, Taiwo can immediately tell more is to uncover, and more than one person is quick to quiet the incident. He’ll determine the reason behind that, among others.

Dead Woman’s Pond by Elle E. Ire

Connected to the supernatural world in more ways than one, Flynn Dalton thinks she’s finally starting to cope with her ties to it. But her psychic girlfriend, her interaction with the infamous Dead Man’s Pond, and her ex-lover’s ghost that appears to warn her about her life have her a little more spooked than normal. Now in order to save her life, Flynn must embrace the supernatural and her girlfriend’s help while embracing the abilities in herself that she keeps denying.

Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey

This story centers around two kindred spirits, Thora, and Santi. Both strangers to an unknown city by chance or fate, they continuously meet time and time again. They soon realize that their lives intersect at different ages and situations, from a married couple to student and teacher, from friends to enemies. Part tragedy, part fantasy, the two must determine why and how their situation keeps them together before their many lives soon come to a complete end.