With Goodreads Choice Awards becoming largely a popularity contest, I decided that this year I wanted to share what I consider to be the best new books that I read in 2023.
These are the ones that I would’ve nominated. There may be a couple that overlap, but there are a lot here that I think should have been on the awards list.
Having read and loved every single one of these books, I chose them for their content, enjoyment, and reading experience – rather than the level of ratings or number of reviews they have.
I hope this gives you something new and amazing to add to your tbr!
In no particular order, these are my top, mystery, thriller, and horror reads from the past year:
Top Mystery/Thriller Books of 2023:
She Started It by Sian Gilbert
If you like a good revenge story, then this one is for you! It’s dark and sinister, and I just ate up the drama. This one reads like a guilty pleasure imagining of getting back at the ones who made your life a living Hell.
“… a twisty summer debut thriller about a group of young women whose Caribbean bachelorette party takes a sinister turn. It’s Lord of the Flies meets And Then There Were None…but with Instagram and too much prosecco.”
The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden
A fantastic debut, with characters you will fall in love with, a creepy, dark setting, and a plot that will keep you hooked until the end.
“A gripping and atmospheric debut that is at once a chilling gothic mystery and a love letter to Victorian fiction.”
Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena
The best book by this author to date! I devoured this in two days. The title says it all, and you will never know what to expect or who to believe. Highly recommend!
“Welcome to Stanhope – a safe neighborhood. A place for families. Nothing will prepare you for the truth.”
The Coworker by Freida McFadden
This author is usually hit or miss for me. I didn’t really enjoy her most popular novel. But this one had me totally absorbed. I listened to the audio. It is the epitome of popcorn thriller enjoyment.
“Two women. An office filled with secrets. One terrible crime that can’t be taken back.”
Dark Corners by Megan Goldin
Rachel Krall is back and better than ever. This is the second book in a series and I actually enjoyed this one a lot more than the first, which is rare. I loved the podcast elements in the audiobook. I enjoyed the setting and themes in this one. It kept me guessing the entire time.
“Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin’s acclaimed Night Swim returns to search for a popular social media influencer who disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer.”
The Last Word by Taylor Adams
I literally read this in one day. I was completely enthralled and I couldn’t put it down. It’s a super fast-paced, slasher-style story. Personally, I thought this was way better than No Exit, and I hope he writes more like this in the future.
“After posting a negative book review, a woman living in a remote location begins to wonder if the author is a little touchy—or very, very dangerous—in this pulse-pounding novel of psychological suspense and terror.”
Don’t Let Her Stay by Nicola Sanders
Y’all… the twists in this book left me reeling! This is my first experience with this author and I will definitely be reading the next release. The psychological terror is chilling. I was so uncomfortable in the best way. And the ending!! SO good.
“Someone inside your house wants you dead, but no one believes you…”
The Trouble with Drowning
I did not expect to love this one as much as I did. At times heart-warming, and at others gut-wrenching, it had me feeling all the things. It is disturbingly relatable for some of us who have struggled with mental health and relationships. Can’t wait to see what this author does next.
*Check trigger warnings – this book touches on some difficult topics.
“As demons from her past begin to surface, Kat’s mental health craters, and this halcyon dream slips through her fingers. Obsessed with reclaiming her idealized life, Kat develops an insidious plan to not only bring Jacob back into her world but also punish anyone who dares to replace her.”
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
I’m obsessed with this author’s writing style. She knows how to craft a puzzle that grips you. I know this wasn’t everyone’s favorite, but for me it just really worked. It’s dark, creepy, twisty, psychological, and emotional. I enjoyed everything about it, the characters, the plot, the pacing, the atmosphere. (P.S. I just finished reading her 2024 release and it’s just as good! Definitely a favorite thriller author of mine now.)
“For decades afterward, the friends have kept a secret worth killing for. But now Olivia wants to tell, and Naomi sets out to find out what really happened in the woods―no matter how dangerous the truth turns out to be.”
Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
This is a bit of a weird one, and definitely not an easy read. The things that Sally went through as a child will get to you. But I loved her character so much. It is multiple POV and multiple timelines. The pacing is a bit slower than I typically prefer, but nonetheless, this is a book that will stick with me.
“The internationally bestselling author of Lying in Wait returns with a wickedly dark, twisted, and brilliantly observed new novel about an enigmatic woman confronting her unknown past.”
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
My favorite book by this author to date! This one is a masterpiece. I read this months ago and I still think about how good it was. This twists in this book are shocking and you’ll never see them coming. It’s dark, creepy, and sinister. Highly recommend!
“Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.”
The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda
This is my favorite book by this author to date! It was so good. I loved the way the two narratives were structured, and the multiple POVs. I felt deeply for the characters and what they went through as teenagers. It really devastated and affected me. She builds this story up in perfect layers that make you want to keep turning the pages. A powerful story and perfectly paced.
“Seven hours in the past. Seven days in the present. Seven survivors remaining. Who would you save? And—as they promised long ago—each survivor will do whatever he or she can do to save one another. Won’t they?”
The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
I loved this one even more than her debut, The Lost Apothecary. It’s got a vivid historical setting, atmospheric prose, and feminist appeal that we love from her. It’s full of suspense and illusions. I was hooked into the mystery and the passion of the characters.
“A spellbinding tale about two daring women who hunt for truth and justice in the perilous art of conjuring the dead.”
Top Horror Books of 2023:
Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates
If you are looking for a wintery, locked-room, survival, one-by-one, type of story, this is for you! It reads like a horror movie. It is dark and disturbing and will keep you guessing. The atmosphere really comes to life.
“From bestselling author Darcy Coates comes Dead of Winter, a remote cabin in the snowy wilderness thriller that will teach you to trust no one. There are eight strangers. One killer. Nowhere left to run.”
The Drift by C.J. Tudor
I’m obsessed with this author, and this book in particular. It just has all the things I love in a story. It’s apocalyptic, multiple POVs, claustrophobic, weird mysterious happenings, immersive settings, nightmare-inducing, clever plotting, eerie and ominous, gory, witty dialogue, quirky characters, foreboding and nail-biting. Highly recommend!
“Three ordinary people risk everything for a chance at redemption in this audacious, utterly gripping novel of catastrophe and survival at the end of the world.”
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
I was skeptical at first and did not expect to love this one as much as I did. I hadn’t read from this author before, but after this one I immediately went and checked out his backlist and I will be reading anything else that comes next. I loved everything about this book. I was completely absorbed into this story the entire way through.
“Crafted by a modern master of magical suspense, Lone Women blends shimmering prose, an unforgettable cast of adventurers who find horror and sisterhood in a brutal landscape, and a portrait of early-twentieth-century America like you’ve never seen. And at its heart is the gripping story of a woman desperate to bury her past—or redeem it.”
The Stranger Upstairs
I know this one hasn’t been getting the best ratings, but I completely disagree. I really enjoyed it. It’s a fast, popcorn read with human evil and paranormal elements. It has an unhinged, unreliable narrator. It’s haunting and bizarre. I thought the writing was compelling and the story exciting. If you’re able to suspend belief and you’re looking for an escapist read, this is a great book.
“A social media influencer with a secret past buys a murder house to renovate, but finds more than she bargained for behind the peeling wallpaper in this gothic psychological debut.”
Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong
This one is for the horror movie lovers out there. It’s the perfect locked-room, supernatural, fast-paced, creepy read. If you like the vibes of this cover, then you’ll love the story – the atmosphere and plot match perfectly with what the cover is giving. It goes all the way with the paranormal aspects.
“There are tensions and secrets, whispers in the woods, and before long, the discovery of a hand poking up from the earth. Then the body that goes with it… But by that time, someone has taken off with their one and only means off the island, and they’re trapped with someone—or something—that doesn’t want them leaving the island alive.”
Midnight Showing
This is the sequel to Malice House, which I highly recommend if you haven’t read it. It’s the perfect blend of paranormal horror and gothic fantasy. Although I didn’t quite love this one as much as the first one, I still really enjoyed it and thought it was a fun continuation to the plot, character arcs, and expanding story world. I also just love our main character, Haven, and another particular character that I won’t mention because it would be spoilers.
“Book 2 in The Malice Compendium series by New York Times bestselling author Megan Shepherd, featuring dark magic and family secrets with a contemporary horror tone.”
Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
This is a strange one, which if you’ve read from this author before you could probably already guess that. I wouldn’t recommend this to everyone, but if you like weird, atmospheric, slow-build, character-driven horror, then you’ll like this one. The pacing is a little slow. But when I got to some of the reveals at the end, it changed my whole perspective on this book and made me want to go back and re-read it knowing the truth.
“Looking Glass Sound is the newest twisty psychological horror novel from Catriona Ward, the internationally bestselling author of The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial.”
My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon
I love this author and her writing style. She builds tension and suspense so well in her stories. This one is pretty intense on both the psychological and paranormal aspects. I think this one is my favorite book by her so far. It explores mother-daughter relationships gone wrong. The audiobook is also done really well.
“A spine-tingling psychological thriller about a woman who, after taking in her dying, alcoholic mother, begins to suspect demonic possession is haunting her family.”
Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison
This is a very popular author, but was actually new to me this year, and I absolutely loved her writing. I now have two of her previous books on my shelf to read. I really enjoyed this one. I find religious cult stories to be fascinating and engaging, and this one goes all the way with it. The more I think about it, the more I realize how much I enjoyed my reading experience of this. Just let go of your previously held notions about the world and enjoy this sinister ride of a book.
“A cynical twentysomething must confront her unconventional family’s dark secrets in this fiery, irreverent horror novel from the author of Such Sharp Teeth and Cackle.”
What were your favorite thriller and horror books of 2023?
Let me know in the comments below ⬇️
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