Best thriller of the first half of 2026? > Likes and Comments

Now that we're half way through 2026, what has been your favorite book (or 3-5 books) so far this year?

My top 5 so far are:


Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd
The Keeper by Tana French
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
Three Reasons for Revenge by Dervla McTiernan
Redbelly Crossing by Candice Fox

Here are my top 4. However, I had 5 other 5-star books that rated almost as high.

Cold Zero by Brad Thor & Ward Larsen
First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong
The Crossroads by C.J. Box
Fury in Death by J.D. Robb

PamG wrote: "Here are my top 4. However, I had 5 other 5-star books that rated almost as high.

Cold Zero by Brad Thor & Ward Larsen
[book:First Sign of Danger|23112..."

Great list Pam. You've had a great year so far :)

I am taking notes from this thread. What interests me is how different the answers are: some look driven by pace and action, others by atmosphere or moral pressure. That is usually what decides whether a thriller stays with me after the plot details fade.

Vera wrote: "I am taking notes from this thread. What interests me is how different the answers are: some look driven by pace and action, others by atmosphere or moral pressure. That is usually what decides whe..."

I think that's the good thing about thrillers. There is such a wide range of genres, pacing, intensity, topical commentry, historical and atmospheric settings that your reading can be very varied.

Carolyn, I like that your list spans such different kinds of tension. It is a useful reminder that a best thriller does not have to be the fastest one: sometimes atmosphere, or the sense that a character is making the wrong choice, is what carries it.

Very true Vera. The characters and how they behave under pressure or difficult circumstances are so important in thrillers. That was particularly important in the first three books I've listed there. Those three writers (Kidd, French and Hepworth) all write terrific characters with personalities and flaws that make them real and unique.

Carolyn wrote: "My top 5 so far are:


Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd
The Keepe..."</i>

I totally agree with four of your top 5. The only reason it’s not five for five is I still need to read Redbelly Crossing. Planning to rectify that soon!

I’d add Death and Other Occupational Hazards [bookcover:Death and Other Occupational Hazards by Veronika Dapunt.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Vera, you've put your finger on something I think about a lot as a writer — the distinction between pace-driven tension and choice-driven tension. The best thrillers don't just accelerate; they narrow the character's options until every scene feels like the only path left. That's what made Cold Zero (which PamG mentioned upthread) work so well for me — the stakes weren't just external, they were the result of decisions the protagonist couldn't undo. Do you find that your reading mood shifts between those two kinds of tension, or do you have a clear preference?

My reading mood does shift, but choice-driven tension tends to stay with me longer because it makes the suspense personal. Pace can be exhilarating, yet I remember the moment a character realizes that every available option will cost something.

Not find mine yet

One of the books I've enjoyed this year was Hangman by Faye Kellerman. It's not the fastest-paced thriller, but I really liked how much attention it gives to the investigation itself and the characters behind it. Those are usually the stories that stay with me the longest.

Vera, that distinction you're drawing really resonates — choice-driven tension stays with me longer too, and I think it's because the reader co-owns the decision. When a character chooses the costly option, we feel the weight of it alongside them, whereas pace-driven tension is more of a ride we're being taken on. That's why the most re-readable thrillers tend to be the choice-driven ones — on a second read, you see every fork in the road differently knowing what's coming. Do you ever find yourself re-reading a thriller specifically to watch how the choices line up?

Sean, I hear you — sometimes narrowing down a best-of list is harder than finding the books in the first place. What kind of thriller do you usually gravitate toward when you want something that really sticks? Pace-driven or more of a slow-burn character study?

Very much action thriller, and have a list of favourites

Love a bit of fast pace.

Sean, fast-paced action thrillers at their best feel almost like a controlled burn — the pacing pulls you forward but every beat still lands. Since you mentioned having a list of favourites, I'd love to hear which one stands out as the gold standard for pacing. Any title you keep coming back to?

Daniel wrote: "One of the books I've enjoyed this year was Hangman by Faye Kellerman. It's not the fastest-paced thriller, but I really liked how much attention it gives to the investigation itself and the charac..."

Daniel, I appreciate you mentioning Hangman — books that invest in the investigation itself and the people behind it tend to reward a different kind of attention, don't they? There's something grounding about a thriller that trusts the reader to sit with the details rather than racing past them. Do you find yourself gravitating toward procedurals and character-driven mysteries more often than pure action thrillers?

Mel, yes, definitely — I think what draws me in is watching a character work through a problem methodically rather than just reacting to whatever the plot throws at them next. There's a kind of intimacy to that; you get to know how someone thinks, not just what they do. I actually write in that space myself (forensic-focused crime fiction), so maybe I'm biased, but I do think procedurals reward patience in a way pure action thrillers rarely try to.

Daniel wrote: "Mel, yes, definitely — I think what draws me in is watching a character work through a problem methodically rather than just reacting to whatever the plot throws at them next. There's a kind of int..."

Daniel wrote: "Mel, yes, definitely — I think what draws me in is watching a character work through a problem methodically rather than just reacting to whatever the plot throws at them next. There's a kind of int..."

That's a great perspective, Daniel — and I think writing in the forensic space gives you a lens most readers don't have. You're absolutely right that there's an intimacy in watching a character work through a problem methodically; it reveals how they think, not just what they do. That kind of interiority is harder to pull off than it looks, and it's what separates a memorable procedural from one that just ticks boxes. Do you find that writing forensic fiction has changed how you read thrillers — do you catch yourself analyzing the investigative logic even when you're trying to just enjoy the ride?

Mel, That's definitely happened. I catch myself wondering whether the evidence would actually support a conclusion or whether an investigator would realistically take that next step. But I try not to let it get in the way of enjoying the story. If the characters feel real and the investigation follows its own internal logic, I'm happy to go along with it—even if I'd handle a few details differently in real life. In the end, I'm still reading as a fan first and a writer second.

Great to see new topics, so thanks you three for joining in and building our group discussions.

Daniel, I really appreciate that perspective — 'reading as a fan first and a writer second' is such a healthy way to approach it. I think there's a real skill in letting the story carry you even when your professional eye catches the seams. The best thrillers make that balance feel effortless: the craft is invisible enough that you stay immersed, but rewarding enough that a second read reveals the architecture underneath. Do you find that certain authors make it easier to stay in 'fan mode' than others, or does it depend on what you're in the mood for?

Liz wrote: "I totally agree with four of your top 5. The only reason it’s not five for five is I still need to read Redbelly Crossing. Planning to rectify that soon!

I’d add Death and Other Occupational Hazards by Veronika Dapunt...."


I hope you enjoy Redbelly Crossing Liz. My favourite books by Candice Fox are still the Crimson Lake series and this is probably more like those than her recent novels set in the US.
I have Death and Other Occupational Hazards to read soon, so looking forward to it!

Mel, I think certain authors definitely make it easier. John le Carré is one for me — I stop thinking about structure because the tension seems to grow naturally from the characters and their choices. Tana French can have the same effect, especially when the psychology and atmosphere take over.

Mood matters too, though. Sometimes I want a tightly plotted thriller, but more often I find myself drawn to slow-burn mysteries where the silences, small details, and things that don't quite fit are allowed to accumulate. Those are probably the books where I forget about the mechanics most easily and just become a reader.

What about you? Who makes it easiest for you to forget the architecture and simply follow the story?

Daniel, your distinction between tension growing from character choices and tension produced by visible plot mechanics is useful. In a slow-burn mystery, is there a point where accumulated silence and small details become too diffuse for you, or can strong psychology carry a very loose investigation?

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



a clear 4 star

Vera, for me, strong psychology can carry a loose investigation quite far, as long as the silence and small details still feel purposeful. There does come a point, though, when atmosphere alone starts to feel like stalling. I don’t need a tightly visible plot, but I do need the sense that the details are accumulating toward something.

Purposeful is the key distinction for me too. A slow burn can remain tense even when the investigation is loose, but each quiet detail has to narrow the emotional or moral space. Once the details stop changing what the reader suspects, atmosphere starts to feel like delay.

Vera, agreed — a detail only earns its place if it shifts what the reader suspects. Once it just confirms what we already believe, atmosphere starts doing the job pacing should be doing.

Does that standard change for you by genre, or do you hold literary mysteries and straight thrillers to the same bar?

Daniel, I hold both to the same underlying bar: a detail should change the reader's interpretation. The timing differs. A straight thriller usually needs the shift to affect urgency or suspicion quickly; a literary mystery can let it deepen character or moral ambiguity before it moves the investigation. But if it only decorates what we already know, genre doesn't excuse it.

That makes sense, Vera. I especially like the distinction between a detail changing the reader’s interpretation immediately and changing the moral weight of what they already know.

I think that’s where slow-burn mysteries either succeed or fail. The detail may not speed up the plot, but it still has to change the reader’s relationship to the case, the character, or the truth.

Have you read a recent mystery that handled that particularly well?

Not a recent publication, but Gone Girl is still my clearest example. Its later disclosures do not simply add information; they force the reader to reinterpret tone, motive, and even earlier moments of apparent vulnerability. I am still looking for a newer mystery that changes the moral weight of its clues as effectively.

That's a great way of putting it. The strongest reveals don't just answer questions—they change the meaning of what we've already seen.

Gone Girl is certainly a memorable example. If you find a more recent mystery that achieves the same effect, I'd love to add it to my reading list.

My favorites so far:

Slow Horses by Mick Herron
I've enjoyed the TV series so much that I had to read at least one of the books. Enjoyed it immensely, although the ending departs mightily from the TV version (which I liked better).

Endless Night by Agatha Christie
There is mystery attached to this story, but the pace of events and the tension before the twist at the end made it more of a thriller for me. Very dark indeed (for an Agatha Christie story), but very good. I'd read it again.

The Stand by Stephen King
Am I allowed to include this one in a list of 'thrillers'? This story operates in a number of genres and IMHO the 'thriller' genre is one of them. I liked the first half of the book better than the last half (where I felt he made some plot choices that either did not make sense or just seemed lazy), but it was a quite a ride nonetheless.

Mike wrote: "My favorites so far:

Slow Horses by Mick Herron
I've enjoyed the TV series so much that I had to read at least one of the books. Enjoyed it immensely, although th..."

I enjoyed the TV series as well and want to read the books.

Mike wrote: "My favorites so far:

Slow Horses by Mick Herron
I've enjoyed the TV series so much that I had to read at least one of the books. Enjoyed it immensely, although th..."

Good choices Mike!
I don't think I've read Endless Night but it's hard to beat a good Agatha Christie, especially a dark one.

I love the Slow Horses novels and the way the TV series has translated the characters and humour so well. Especially Lamb - he is everything you imagine from the books. Well worth reading, Mike, if you can find the time :)

I would say The Stand as a dystopian thriller definitely fits!