Psychological thrillers are works that start off exciting readers and then keep developing till the conclusion. They keep readers intrigued by adding peril and exploiting plot twists or red herrings to end each chapter on a cliffhanger. The goal is to keep the reader enthralled and hooked such that they can’t put the book down. The fact that thrillers are frequently blockbusters is due to their addictive nature. As the term suggests, a Psychological Thriller deals with the complex mental state of one or more characters, either the narrator or the antagonist. Psychological thrillers may occasionally involve the pursuit of a criminal who has a psychological issue and needs to be apprehended by studying how his mind functions. Here are 9 Best Psychological Thriller Books of 2022 so far.

Road of Bones By Christopher Golden

Siberia’s Kolyma Highway is 1200 miles of gravel packed permafrost within driving distance of the Arctic Circle, surrounded by sparse trees in a snow-covered wilderness with a dim, dusky sky perpetually overhead. Fatal car accidents are frequent on this tiny path where motorists must contend with hazardous circumstances like ice surfaces, poor visibility, and an average temperature of 60 below zero. But road users are not the only ones who suffer because of it. It is a vast cemetery for gulag inmates in the former Soviet Union and is known as the Road of Bones. Thousands of people died from exhaustion and left their remains where they fell, where they were ploughed under the permafrost road and destroyed by the cold.

Felix “Teig” Teigland, a documentary producer who is fascinated by history, is in Russia to drive the highway in order to film Life and Death on the Road of Bones. He plans to visit Akhust, which has been called “the coldest location on Earth,” and collect ghost stories and local lore along the way. But when Teig and his team get there, they discover a deserted town, one catatonic nine-year old girl along with a pack of hungry wolves that are faster and more intelligent than any pack of natural animals should be. Teig’s friends encounter even more strange and puzzling phenomena while being pursued by the supernatural creatures along the Road of Bones, as if the ghosts of Stalin’s victims were stalking them. Teig will be stretched to the limit on this arduous voyage, which also compels him to face his previous transgressions.

Stay Awake By Megan Goldin

Liv Reese awakens in a taxi’s back seat with no memory of how or where she got there. A stranger who claims to live in her flat answers the door as she is dropped off at her brownstone. To call for assistance, she reaches for her phone, only to find that it is gone. A knife covered in blood has taken its place. STAY AWAKE is scrawled all over her hands, like graffiti on her skin. Liv was flourishing as a productive writer for a hip magazine two years ago. She’s now bewildered and confused in a New York City that doesn’t resemble the one she recalls.

She glances at the local news and is terrified to see stories of a crime scene where the blood of the victim was used to write a message across a window that is identical to the one that is inked on her hands. Liv discovers herself on the run after committing a crime she doesn’t recall. However, there is someone who is aware of what she did and will stop at nothing to totally erase her memory.

A Flicker In The Dark By Stacy Willingham

Six young girls vanished in Chloe Davis’ tiny Louisiana village when she was twelve years old. Chloe’s father was apprehended as a serial killer before the end of the summer and immediately imprisoned. Chloe and the rest of her family were left to deal with the aftermath, the reality, and trying to move on. Twenty years later, Chloe is getting ready for her wedding while working as a psychologist in private practise in Baton Rouge. She is now able to barely hold onto the joy she has worked so hard to get.

However, there are times when she feels just as powerless over her life as the problematic teenagers she treats. Then another local teen girl goes missing, followed by another, and that horrific summer suddenly returns. Stacy Willingham has developed an unforgettable heroine in a compelling thriller that will appeal to lovers of Gillian Flynn and Karin Slaughter in her debut book, which actress Emma Stone has already optioned for a limited series and sold to a dozen countries worldwide.

Things We Do In The Dark By Jennifer Hillier

The stunning new thriller Things We Do in the Dark is written by Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts best-selling novelist Jennifer Hillier. The long-hidden history of Paris Peralta, who is suspected of killing her famous husband, now poses a threat to her future. Paris Peralta is aware that she will be charged with murder when she is arrested in her own bathroom while covered in blood, carrying a straight razor, and her famous husband lying dead in the bathtub behind her. Even though it appears horrible, she is not most concerned about what it is.

It’s only a matter of time before someone from her long-hidden past recognises her and destroys the new life she’s fought so hard to construct, along with the unwanted media attention that is currently around her. In a trial that captivated Canada in the early 1990s, Ruby Reyes, sometimes known as the Ice Queen, was found guilty of a related murder 25 years previously. When Reyes is unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to reveal all of Paris’ secrets because she is aware of who Paris truly is. With no other option, Paris must finally face the troubled past she managed to flee.

Nothing More To Tell By Karen M. Mc Manus

After learning of her favourite teacher’s horrific murder, which made news after the body was discovered in the woods behind their school by three Saint Ambrose students, Brynn left Saint Ambrose School four years ago. Never was the matter resolved. Brynn is eager to learn the truth now that she’s returning home and beginning her ideal internship at a true-crime programme. Tripp Talbot, her former best friend, was one of the children who located Mr. Larkin, opening the door for her. Without his version of events, the other two kids might have been charged with Mr. Larkin’s murder; nevertheless, because of Tripp, they now hold the highest positions in Saint Ambrose society.

Both Tripp and his buddies have never forgotten what he did that day for them. Similar to how he is still aware that everything he told the cops was false. Digging into the past is sure to upend the present, and when Brynn starts looking into what occurred in the woods that day, she learns information about Tripp Talbot, Mr. Larkin, and Saint Ambrose that might potentially change everything. A murderer got away with it four years ago. That they might be closer than anyone imagines makes them even more dangerous.

Our Crooked Hearts By Melissa Albert

Ivy, 17, and her soon-to-be ex almost run over a young woman who is standing in the middle of a tree-lined road while returning from a party. It’s just the beginning of a series of unsettling occurrences and gifts, including a dead rabbit in the driveway, a strange mixture her mother buried in the backyard, and a box of mementos from her childhood stashed in her parent’s closet safe. The most unnerving part is that the boy next door helps rusted memories of Ivy and her mysterious mother’s past to resurface. If Ivy is to survive the darkness creeping in, she must wrestle with these issues and more. This captivating and fast-paced novel, which alternates between Ivy’s modern suburban community and her mother’s 1990s Chicago magic-soaked world, shoots towards a denouement sure to keep readers up all night.

My Wife Is Missing By D.J. Palmer

Michael Hart’s family vacation turns into a nightmare when he learns that his wife and two kids have vanished from their hotel room in New York City. He is horrified and believes they have been abducted. When Michael learns that his wife, Natalie, appears to have gone very willingly, taking their children with her, his desperate attempt to find them takes an unexpected turn. The truth about Michael’s history, which he can’t tell the police, might be the reason Natalie fled, though. Finding Natalie may depend on unravelling his lies, but Michael is aware that doing so could also be his downfall.

He must now approach the only person who can make public what he has been concealing in order to locate his wife. Natalie believes she understands Michael completely and has devised a strategy to get away from him forever. However, one element poses a threat to her plans: sleep, or more precisely, the lack of it. Natalie’s insomnia has gotten worse to the point where she now experiences delusions ever since the devastating discoveries about her spouse came to light. The stakes for Natalie could not be higher because her children’s lives are in danger. Natalie needs someone to turn to for assistance because she is struggling on her own, running low on resources and energy, and trying to avoid coming into Michael, who is on the hunt and closing in quickly.

The Golden Couple By Greer Hendricks Sarah Pekkanen

Wealthy suburbs of Washington prior to Marissa becoming unfaithful, Marissa and Matthew Bishop appeared to have it all. Their seemingly flawless relationship is actually riven by work and a lack of connection. She wants to do the necessary repairs out of love for her husband and for their eight-year-old son. Avery Chambers comes in. Avery is a therapist who misplaced her licence to practise. Though they must follow her unconventional ways, it doesn’t stop her from offering crisis counselling to individuals who need it. The Bishops are in need of help. They all come into contact as they walk through Avery’s door and Marissa admits to having an affair. Because the biggest secrets are still kept a secret and more than just a marriage is now in jeopardy.

The Other Guest By Helen Cooper

In this suspenseful novel, two very different women are forced to examine everything and everyone they hold in the wake of a horrific tragedy at an opulent Italian resort. Amy, Leah’s vivacious 21 year old niece, unexpectedly drowned in the lovely lake close to her family’s resort in Northern Italy one year ago. Having finally succumbed to her grief, Leah makes the first trip back to Lake Garrard since Amy’s passing. What she discovers as soon as she gets there surprises her sister, brother-in-law, and niece Olivia who is still alive appear to have forgotten all about Amy and fought to have her death ruled an accident by drowning despite ambiguous circumstances.

Even though her research puts her relationship with her family and her life in jeopardy, Leah knows she must probe past the resort’s stunning exterior to learn the truth about what really happened to Amy. A beautiful bartender sweeps Joanna off her feet while she is getting over a shocking breakup in Central England. Joanna came to the conclusion that he could be a little bit too good to be true when she found out that he is fleeing from something from his past and that their meeting might not have been a coincidence. The two ladies become involved in a perilous scheme, and what ensues is a fast-paced cat-and-mouse game set against an Italian lakeshore.

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