The Best New Thriller Books of Summer 2020

June 23, 2020 – As a child, Olivia disappeared one night while sleepwalking, only to be found safe days later. After years of enduring fame, Olivia moved away and changed her name. With the 20th anniversary of her miracle rescue coming up, she starts sleepwalking again, only to wake up to the dead body of someone she used to know. An edge-of-your-seat thriller, I couldn’t get enough of this mystery. With well-rounded characters and surprises that just keep coming, it’s on my shortlist for one of the best summer reads of 2020. Read more →

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

July 7, 2020 – Among the best new thriller books out this summer is the US debut of the Swedish bestseller, The Golden Cage. After falling in love with Jack, Faye sacrificed everything to help him succeed. Now they are billionaires, wealthier than they ever could have imagined. Wealth may have its privileges but for Faye, it feels much more like a golden cage. As their marriage deteriorates, Faye decides its time to stop taking her husband’s abuse and get her revenge. Read more →

July 28, 2020 – In the best new thriller novels, there are two sides to every story, and usually the truth lies somewhere in-between. BBC correspondent Anna Andrews returns to her hometown to report on the murder of one of her high school best friends. Complicating matters, her ex-husband, DCI Jack Harper, is investigating the case. As the investigation continues, past secrets come to light and both Jack and Anna find themselves suspects in the case. A solid psychological thriller, Feeny keeps you guessing until the end –  letting you believe you know the truth, then twisting it until you suspect you finally understand, before twisting it again. Read more →

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Flatiron Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

August 4, 2020 – Rachel Cunningham has spent the last 15 years in a self-imposed exile living in a psychiatric facility. Now Rachel begins to question if she did murder her parents when she was a child. What if it was someone else? Maybe even her sister. Full of twists and turns, reviews are coming in strong for this psychological thriller set in the remote woods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Read more →

August 4, 2020 – Fern Douglas has an overwhelming feeling of deja vu when watching the news. Astrid Sullivan has been kidnapped again. Fern doesn’t remember the story from twenty years ago when Astrid was kidnapped as a teen, but she can’t shake the sense that she somehow knows Astrid. With one-dimensional characters, I was underwhelmed by Collins’s middle of the road summer thriller. I was hoping her all-too-obvious plot would be a red herring, but sadly it ended exactly as I expected. Still, if you aren’t too picky about new release thrillers, this could be a satisfying choice for a quick read. Read more →

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

June 23, 2020 – Fleeing an abusive husband, Claire Cook has planned for months for the perfect escape. A chance meeting at the airport results in Claire switching tickets and identities with another woman. When Claire’s original flight crashes, everyone thinks she’s dead. Now is her chance to remake herself as Eva. But Eva had her own secrets. Read more →

July 14, 2020 – Broke and recently fired, Emily has hit rock bottom. Until she lands the perfect job as a housekeeper for a wealthy couple on a remote French estate. But is this offer too good to be true? Luckily, the rather flighty protagonist comes into her own as the novel progresses, or this novel would have been really hard to read. Right away, you know something is off about this family, but Downes does a good job keeping you guessing what the big reveal will be. Unfortunately, the climax wasn’t nearly as thrilling as I expected. If you are looking for new thriller novels for a summer vacation, this would be for a read, though not something you’ll be raving about to all your friends. Read more →

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

July 28, 2020 – Years ago, pool girl Tabitha Girard had an affair with Connor Ford, a patron at the local country club. She was heartbroken when he married his wife Nina for money. After Nina’s suicide, Tabitha and Connor’s love story has finally come full circle. Until Tabitha finds Nina’s diary, accusing Connor of her murder. Is Connor responsible? Is he in love with Tabitha, or is he just using her as a scapegoat? Read more →

August 18, 2020 – After her maternity leave, Laura returns to work at a successful advertising agency only to find herself sidelined by the new hire. In her absence, Mia has ingratiated herself into the workplace, with her own reasons for desperately wanting to stay. Meanwhile, Janie, the CEO’s wife, becomes convinced her husband is having an affair. A deadly fire reveals the tangled layer of secrets of these three ambitious women. If you are looking for the best new thriller books with complicated relationships, then you’ll want to keep your eye on the page-turning action of Three Perfect Liars. Read more →

August 18, 2020 – Pediatrician Liz Trenchard doesn’t know what to think when her friend shows up in the ER with her injured baby girl. Jess has always been the perfect mom, and yet her story of how Betsey suffered a skull fracture doesn’t add up. Vaughan’s new book was a difficult one for me to read. My heart broke for a mom who so obviously was having mental health problems unnoticed by her friends and family. With a slower pace, Little Disasters is a drama with a hint of mystery instead of an edge-of-your-seat read. Although probably only a three-star read for me, I think it would make a great book club choice from the summer 2020 books, sparking a conversation on postpartum depression and mental health. Read more →

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

May 5, 2020 – When millionaire Zach Grayson is arrested for the murder of his wife Amanda, he enlists his friend Lizzie Kitsakis to defend him. However, as Lizzie dives more into Amanda’s secrets, she begins to wonder: What if Zach is guilty? The truth of their picture-perfect marriage also makes her question whether her own marriage can be saved. A salacious legal thriller that could be just what you need to spice up your summer reading. Read more →

June 2, 2020 – On a remote island, the perfect wedding turns deadly in this thrilling mystery. The high profile wedding between a television star and a magazine publisher is supposed to be the perfect event. Set off the coast of Ireland, all the stops have been pulled out. Yet once the guests arrive, past conflicts come into play and someone turns up dead. Was it the bride? The best man? The wedding planner? Foley keeps you guessing until the end, giving each suspect a firm motive to want to commit murder. If you are looking for the best new thriller books of 2020, The Guest List is the perfect page-turner to read. Read more →

July 7, 2020 – Paul Adams left home long ago, driven out by an infamous murder. His best friend Charlie Crabtree committed a shocking murder of a mutual friend and then disappeared. Now Paul’s back to care for his ailing mother when a copycat strikes. From the author of The Whisper Man comes this creepy thriller sure to give you nightmares. Read more →

August 4, 2020 – Rachel Krall, the host of a popular true-crime podcast, gets more than she expected she begins to investigate a rape trial in a small town. A mysterious woman named Hannah is stalking Rachel, leaving her notes begging her to investigate the death of Hannah’s sister twenty-five years ago. Could that cold case be connected to the current trial?Captivating from start to finish, Goldin has penned one of the best thriller books of 2020. The coverage of the rape trial gives the feel of a good legal thriller, keeping you wondering how the jury will decide. Add in the cold case, and you’ll be guessing how the two cases connect. I was impressed with the ending, and predict people will be talking about this one. Read more →

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

June 30, 2020 – Maggie Holt has always lived in the shadow of her father’s bestselling horror book – a “true” story of their twenty days living in a haunted house when she was five. Having inherited the infamous house from her father, she is determined to fix it up. Ghosts aren’t real, so there’s nothing to worry about, right? Jumping between her father’s novel and Maggie’s return to the house, Sager keeps you on edge the whole time. With creepy happenings and crazy twists and turns, Home Before Dark will be one of the best thriller fiction books to curl up to this summer. Read more →

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Dutton through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.