Freida McFadden, John Grisham and More Share Their Top Thrillers of the 21st Century

Freida McFadden is the author of 30 novels, including THE HOUSEMAID, NEVER LIE and THE TEACHER.

3 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Lee Child is the man who dreamed up Jack Reacher, the action-hero star of 30 thrillers and counting.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

S.A. Cosby is the award-winning author of 5 crime novels, including BLACKTOP WASTELAND and RAZORBLADE TEARS.

2 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Gillian Flynn is the author of DARK PLACES, SHARP OBJECTS and GONE GIRL, which revolutionized the psychological thriller genre.

6 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Stephen King has written more than 60 books, many of which have been adapted for film and television. His most recent is NEVER FLINCH.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

John Grisham’s second legal thriller, THE FIRM, became a best-seller when it was published in 1991, and so has every book he has written since.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Ruth Ware, a mainstay of the thriller world, burst onto the scene in 2015 with IN A DARK, DARK WOOD.

5 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Jane Harper is the author of THE DRY and 5 other thrillers, all set in small-town Australia.

5 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Scott Turow, who reimagined the legal thriller in 1987 with PRESUMED INNOCENT, has written 13 novels.

3 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Alyssa Cole is a best-selling writer in multiple genres; her most recent thriller is ONE OF US KNOWS.

2 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Lucy Foley’s thrillers include THE GUEST LIST and THE HUNTING PARTY.

6 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Daniel Kraus, whose novels span multiple genres, won the 2025 Pulitzer for ANGEL DOWN.

Alex Michaelides is the author of, most famously, THE SILENT PATIENT.

8 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Sophie Hannah has written 22 thrillers and 6 mysteries that continue the adventures of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot.

2 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

James Patterson is a literary juggernaut who has written or cowritten more than 200 books; his latest, DELUSIONAL, comes out this month.

8 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Liz Moore is the author of, most recently, LONG BRIGHT RIVER and THE GOD OF THE WOODS.

7 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

John Sandford is the best-selling author of multiple series; his latest book is REVENGE PREY.

2 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Brad Meltzer has written 14 thrillers, most recently THE VIPER.

3 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Riley Sager’s latest book is THE UNKNOWN.

6 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Lisa Gardner’s latest book is YOU’LL BE SORRY.

2 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Janice Hallett has written 6 epistolary mysteries; her 7th, THE SILENT APPEAL, comes out at the end of August.

6 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Jeffery Deaver is the author of more than 40 crime novels, most recently THE GRAVE ARTIST, which he co-wrote with Isabella Maldonado.

1 of these appears on the 50 Best list.

Peter Swanson has written 12 thrillers, including THE KIND WORTH KILLING and EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS.

5 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Jean Hanff Korelitz’s thrillers include THE PLOT and THE SEQUEL.

1 of these appears on the 50 Best list.

Jessica Knoll’s books include LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE and HELPLESS.

6 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

C.J. Box writes the Joe Pickett series.

6 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Stephen Graham Jones is an award-winning horror author whose books include THE BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER and MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW.

3 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Gillian McAllister’s novels include WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME and HOW TO DISAPPEAR.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Lisa Scottoline has written 38 novels, most recently THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Chris Pavone’s latest thriller is THE DOORMAN.

5 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Flynn Berry’s thrillers include UNDER THE HARROW and NORTHERN SPY.

8 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Simone St. James’s most recent horror-inflected thriller is A BOX FULL OF DARKNESS.

7 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Victor LaValle’s books include THE BALLAD OF BLACK TOM, THE CHANGELING and LONE WOMEN.

5 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Gilly Macmillan is the author of 9 critically acclaimed best-sellers, including WHAT SHE KNEW and THE NANNY.

6 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Dervla McTiernan is an award-winning crime novelist whose books include was WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? and THE RUIN.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Charles Cumming has written 14 critically acclaimed spy novels, most recently ICARUS 17.

2 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Ashley Audrain’s novels include THE PUSH and THE WHISPERS.

5 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Jordan Harper’s most recent book is A VIOLENT MASTERPIECE.

5 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

A.J. Finn is the author of THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW.

2 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Nita Prose is the author of the best-selling Molly the Maid series.

3 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Catherine Ryan Howard’s thrillers include 56 DAYS and THE NOTHING MAN.

7 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Craig Johnson writes the Sheriff Walt Longmire series.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Elly Griffiths’s most recent book is THE FROZEN PEOPLE.

2 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Adrian McKinty’s thrillers include THE ISLAND and THE CHAIN.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Clare Mackintosh is a police-officer-turned-thriller-writer whose books include I LET YOU GO and I SEE YOU.

2 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Kashana Cauley’s most recent novel is THE PAYBACK.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Rachel Hawkins’s thrillers include THE WIFE UPSTAIRS and RECKLESS GIRLS.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Ben H. Winters is the author of THE LAST POLICEMAN and UNDERGROUND AIRLINES.

6 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Christopher Bollen’s most recent thriller is HAVOC.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Andrea Bartz’s most recent book is THE LAST FERRY OUT.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Teddy Wayne’s latest thriller is THE AU PAIR.

2 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Chris Bohjalian has written 26 books, including THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT and THE LIONESS.

5 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Abby Endler is the founder of Crime by the Book, a crime fiction-focused website and Instagram.

5 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Tilly Fitzgerald is the creator of @tillylovesbooks on Instagram.

1 of these appears on the 50 Best list.

Sara Bregasi is the creator of @saras_mystery_bookclub on Instagram.

3 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Blake Crouch’s most recent thriller is UPGRADE.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Leodora Darlington’s debut thriller, THE EXES, was published earlier this year.

4 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Kimberly McCreight’s most recent novel is SOMEONE ELSE’S HUSBAND.

7 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Patrick Hoffman’s most recent book is FRIENDS HELPING FRIENDS.

5 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Julie Clark’s most recent novel is THE GHOSTWRITER.

2 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Hank Phillippi Ryan’s most recent novel is ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS.

5 of these appear on the 50 Best list.

Katy Hays is the author of THE CLOISTERS and SALTWATER.

5 of these appear on the 50 Best list.