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This new year is already looking to be so jam packed full of absolutely amazing thriller books coming our way, I really cannot wait for all of these exciting new book releases coming in 2026!
So many of our favorite thriller authors are coming in strong at the start of 2026 with much anticipated new thriller releases, and the release calendar keeps the hits coming as far as we can see. If you’re already planning and looking to get ahead with the upcoming thriller releases for 2026, I’ve got you covered with this master list.
I’ll keep this list updated as the year goes on and new books are announced and released.
Read this list of the best new Thriller book releases coming in 2026
January 2026 Thriller new releases
The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave
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Release date: January 6 2026
Laura Dave continues Hannah Hall’s pulse-pounding journey in the riveting and deeply moving sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and Apple TV+ show, The Last Thing He Told Me.
The Storm by Rachel Hawkins
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Release date: January 6 2026
HURRICANE SEASON CAN BE MURDER. St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that’s survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.
Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston
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Release date: January 13 2026
Two women. One dead husband. And only one alibi.
It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara
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Release date: January 13 2026
A gripping new thriller from Andrea Mara, the #1 international bestselling author of ALL HER FAULT, now streaming on Peacock.
Your neighbors have secrets. How far would they go to keep them?
Woman Down by Colleen Hoover
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Release date: January 13 2026
In this twisty thriller from New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a frustrated author looks for her muse in a remote hideaway, but what she finds defies all expectations…and reality.
You’ll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya
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Release date: January 13 2026
In this captivating cat-and-mouse thriller, a struggling actress is only just beginning to enjoy the life sheʼs always wanted after inadvertently killing her rival—but now she must contend with the woman who threatens to take it all away.
My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
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Release date: January 20 2026
The New York Times bestselling Queen of Twists is back with a psychological masterpiece that will leave you questioning everything you know about love, identity, and revenge.
All the Little Houses by May Cobb
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Release date: January 20 2026
Adults can behave badly too… From the author of The Hunting Wives comes a deliciously wicked new thriller about mean girls, mean moms, and the delicious secrets inside all the little houses.
Dead in the Water by John Marrs
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Release date: January 20 2026
From the multi-million copy bestselling author comes a chilling tale about life flashing before your eyes―including terrifying scenes you don’t remember.
The Society by Karen Winn
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Release date: January 20 2026
Rumors about the Knox and its influence have swirled through Boston for centuries. While some believe the secret society is merely an elite social club, others are convinced it hides something more sinister…
Such a Clever Girl by Darby Kane
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Release date: January 20 2026
Darby Kane, author of the #1 international bestseller Pretty Little Wife, returns with a gripping domestic thriller in which a family goes missing and a long-buried family mystery resurfaces.
Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden
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Release date: January 27 2026
A brand new twisted thriller that will have you cheering “good for her!” from the #1 New York Times bestselling and global sensation Freida McFadden, author of The Housemaid!
February 2026 Thriller new releases
It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica
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Release date: February 3 2026
Two families at a secluded lake resort are at the center of a chilling crime in this twisty thriller from the bestselling author of Local Woman Missing
In Her Defense by Philippa Malicka
Release date: February 3 2026
As a sensational celebrity libel trial unfolds, a young woman at the periphery secretly wields the power to make or break the case. But with her own hidden past, will she dare to speak up?
We Were Never Friends by Kaira Rouda
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Release date: February 3 2026
Sisters? Forever. Friends? NEVER. Who knew a reunion weekend could be so deadly?
The Exes by Leodora Darlington
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Release date: February 3 2026
Who hasn’t wanted to murder an ex—figuratively, at least? In this explosive debut thriller, a woman’s seemingly perfect romantic life is on the verge of collapse as she uncovers a hidden history surfacing dark secrets that have deadly consequences.
Good Intentions by Marisa Walz
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Release date: February 3 2026
Even the best intentions can grow into obsession . . . On the surface, Cady has the perfect life. She has a thriving luxury event-planning business, the man she’s loved since she was seventeen, and a social calendar she can barely keep up with. She also has Dana, her identical twin, her most trusted confidante. But when Dana dies suddenly, before Cady can say goodbye, everything shatters.
How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson
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Release date: February 3 2026
A humorous, swoony, and downright terrifying slasher rom-com in which a cinephile gets caught in the middle of a murder spree at a speed-dating event and must use her encyclopedic knowledge of the romance and horror genres to make it as a real-life Final Girl.
Ours Is a Tale of Murder by Nora Murphy
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Release date: February 10 2026
One quiet neighborhood. Three different families. Bound by murder.
The Jills by Karen Parkman
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Release date: February 10 2026
In this propulsive debut, a Buffalo Bills cheerleader will stop at nothing to solve the disappearance of her best friend and teammate, navigating the dark underbelly of a hardscrabble city, the grime and glamour of professional cheerleading, and her own tangled family history.
When I Kill You by B.A. Paris
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Release date: February 17 2026
The multimillion-copy and New York Times bestseller B. A. Paris returns with a triumphant, unsettling next suspense novel, When I Kill You.
Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove
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Release date: February 17 2026
Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award winner Jennifer K. Breedlove brings coastal Maine to life in Murder Will Out, a lighter, modern gothic mystery that’s as atmospheric as it is heart-warming.
Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams
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Release date: February 17 2026
From the critically acclaimed author of No Exit and The Last Word comes a story of two friends who embark on an ill-fated caving expedition—and the dark truth of what happens deep underground.
Adrift by Will Dean
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Release date: February 17 2026
The author of the “master class in suspense” (Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author)The Chamber returns with a high-tension thriller about a family’s descent into darkness that is perfect for fans of Dennis Lehane and Lisa Jewell.
The Hard Line by Mark Greaney
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Release date: February 17 2026
The Gray Man, the world’s deadliest assassin and apex predator, discovers he’s really the prey in the most shocking entry of this #1 New York Times bestselling series.
The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall
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Release date: February 24 2026
There is a girl in a basement.
The door has stopped opening.
The light is gone.
How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson
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Release date: February 24 2026
“If you picked up this book because you truly want to get away with murder, you will not be disappointed. Simply turn the page and we’ll get started.”
Pinky Swear by Danielle Girard
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Release date: February 24 2026
From Danielle Girard, the USA TODAY bestselling author who “effortlessly ratchets up the tension” (J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author), comes a pulse-pounding thriller about a young woman whose surrogate disappears just days before the baby’s due date, leading to a frantic search that uncovers dark truths and the power of a mother’s love.
March 2026 Thriller new releases
Strangers in the Villa by Robyn Harding
Release date: March 3 2026
From the international bestselling author of The Drowning Woman, a psychological thriller about a couple rocked by infidelity who moves to a villa in Spain’s Costa Brava to rebuild their relationship, only to welcome a pair of visitors who have no intention of leaving.
Missing Sister by Joshilyn Jackson
Release date: March 3 2026
Revenge…It’s all relative.
Born three minutes apart, Penny and Nix Albright grew up doing everything together, close as only twins can be. But when Nix dies in a tragic accident soon after college, she leaves behind a cryptic voicemail that has Penny guilt-ridden and desperate for justice.
The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives by Elizabeth Arnott
Release date: March 3 2026
A remarkable trio whose lives have been cracked wide open by their husbands’ crimes unite to catch a serial killer in this dazzlingly captivating novel.
The Primrose Murder Society by Stacy Hackney
Release date: March 3 2026
Witty, endearing, and wildly entertaining, this Southern cozy mystery is a little bit Gilmore Girls, a little bit Finlay Donovan, with a big helping of Only Murders in the Building.
Served Him Right by Lisa Unger
Release date: March 10 2026
Ana Blacksmith has gathered her closest friends and sister Vera for a brunch to celebrate her recent breakup from her boyfriend Paul. But when shocking news about Paul arrives, all eyes are on Ana, the angry ex with a bad reputation. Suspicions only intensify when Ana’s best friend falls deathly ill after the brunch.
She Fell Away by Lenore Nash
Release date: March 10 2026
A State Department diplomat must confront the ghosts of her past as she searches for a missing American woman in New Zealand in this pulse-pounding and unputdownable thriller.
This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum
Release date: March 10 2026
Best friends Benny and Joy like to say they’ve been saving each other’s lives since the moment they met. Until the day Joy disappears and Benny is suspected of murder . . .
A Lie for a Lie by Ren DeStefano
Release date: March 10 2026
A deadly game of cat and mouse unfolds when a housewife with a secret life takes on a tech billionaire with secrets darker than her own . . . from the author of How I’ll Kill You.
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson
Release date: March 17 2026
Ten heists. Ten suspects. A murder mystery only Ernest Cunningham can solve in this delightfully clever and twisty new novel in Benjamin Stevenson’s bestselling series—perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Anthony Horowitz.
I’ve spent the last few years solving murders. But a bank heist is a new one, even for me. I’ve never been a hostage before.
The Antique Hunter’s Murder at the Castle by C.L. Miller
Release date: March 17 2026
The third novel in the “delightful, page-turning” (Tom Ryan, USA TODAY bestselling author) Antique Hunter Series finds Freya, Aunt Carole, and friends searching for a missing colleague in picturesque Scotland.
The Survivor by Andrew Reid
Release date: March 24 2026
A hijacked New York subway train, an anonymous killer, and a young man trapped by his hidden past converge in a breathless, breathtaking thriller
Robbie McNeil’s Hit List by Brianna Heath
Release date: March 24 2026
For fans of This Girl’s a Killer and Joanna Wallace comes a quirky, queer, crime-filled mystery following a contract killer who breaks all her rules when she is hired to kill someone who doesn’t exist…
The Keeper by Tana French
Release date: March 31 2026
On a cold night in the remote Irish village of Ardnakelty, a girl goes missing. Sweet, loving Rachel Holohan was about to be engaged to the son of the local big shot. Instead, she’s dead in the river.
Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones
Release date: March 31 2026
What do you do when love turns deadly?
THE PERFECT COUPLE
Charlie and Freya used to be the picture-perfect couple. Happy and in love, Freya enjoyed a rewarding job heading up a charity’s fundraising efforts, and Charlie was fast becoming one-to-watch on the London culinary scene―if you couldn’t be them, you wanted to be with them.
Sorry for Your Loss by Georgia McVeigh
Release date: March 31 2026
The story of two people, both as magnetic as they are dangerous, who get caught in an electric game of cat and mouse
The question is, Who is the predator and who is the prey?
April 2026 Thriller new releases
The Girls Trip by Ally Condie
Release date: April 7 2026
From the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and instant USA Today bestseller The Unwedding, a novel of suspense and friendship about three friends who decide to disappear from their lives for a few days while on a trip to a national park—only to have one of them vanish.
The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
Release date: April 7 2026
Six authors.
One private island.
Seventy-two hours to write the ending that will change their lives.
Guilt by Keigo Higashino
Release date: April 7 2026
A tour de force crime novel from one of the international masters of the form, where a simple murder case questions the simple notions of good and evil, guilt and redemption.
Last One Out by Jane Harper
Release date: April 14 2026
Carralon Ridge, a once vibrant village in rural New South Wales, has become a shell of itself, its houses and buildings bought up and left to rot by the mining company operating at its borders. A decade into its slow death, surrounded by industrial noise and swathed in thick layers of dust, the skeletal town is all but abandoned, with just a handful of residents clinging onto what remains.
The Missing Ones by A.R. Torre
Release date: April 14 2026
In an exclusive and close-knit community, the secrets of the past threaten to destroy three women in a shocking novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author A. R. Torre.
Hope Rises by David Baldacci
Release date: April 14 2026
Walter Nash began a journey down a dark path of seemingly no return, and now he finds himself questioning everything that got him there in this thrilling sequel to Nash Falls from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci.
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
Release date: April 21 2026
From Sally Hepworth, the New York Times bestselling author of The Soulmate and The Good Sister, comes a twist-filled, darkly funny mystery about the two kinds of people no one ever expects to be murderers: little girls and old ladies.
Meet Mad Mabel.
Her First Lie by Lucinda Berry
Release date: April 21 2026
In this chilling prequel to The Perfect Child, USA Today bestselling author Lucinda Berry plunges readers into the dark origins of a family’s secrets, where good intentions pave the road to unspeakable acts and a mother’s love might be the deadliest inheritance of all.
Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu
Release date: April 28 2026
“Thank you for your interest in our school, but we regret to inform you that…” you’re not special. You’re too average. You’re too boring.
Well, in that case, she’ll have to show them just how interesting she can be.
A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz
Release date: April 28 2026
They’re making a major feature film of the first Hawthorne/Horowitz mystery novel. Except—they’re behind schedule, they’ve run out of money and . . . oh! The star has just been murdered.
How to Cheat Your Own Death by Kristen Perrin
Release date: April 28 2026
From the gritty streets of 1960s Soho to the lofty galleries of present-day West London, two interlocking mysteries decades apart unfold in this latest instalment in the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series
May 2026 Thriller new releases
Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister
Release date: May 5 2026
There is nothing that Simone won’t do for her daughter, Lucy. The two have always been close, and with Lucy about to leave home for university, they depart the UK for a vacation to Texas to spend some quality time together. But when Simone awakens on their first morning in the desert, Lucy is gone, missing from their rental cabin. In her place is a cell phone, and a voice on the other line issues a shocking ransom demand. Don’t tell the police. Come to this location. And be prepared to do a deal…
The Fine Art of Lying by Alexandra Andrews
Release date: May 5 2026
From the critically acclaimed author of Who is Maud Dixon? comes a riveting new novel about a young wife and mother in a world of wealth and privilege, whose rash mistake sets off a domino effect of murder and betrayal.
In the beginning, there was art.
A Murder in Hollywood by Michael Crichton
Release date: May 5 2026
In the glitz and decadence of 1970s Hollywood, an era when sex and drugs are readily available on any movie set, the writer of the next Western blockbuster, Bloodrock, has just been found dead in his motel bathtub. Now publicist Harvey Jason is desperately trying to keep the project on track while the famed Harlow Perkins, a brilliant and ruthless investigator, begins to unravel the mystery and hunt the killer down.
Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray
Release date: May 5 2026
Nothing is as it seems—and no one is telling the truth—in this page-turning thriller about a young lawyer forced to defend a man on trial for murder against the mentor who taught her everything: her husband.
The Anniversary by Alex Finlay
Release date: May 12 2026
Every year he comes for them . . .
On May 1, 1992, Jules Delaney and Quinn Riley hardly know each other.
Jules is high school queen bee in a small Midwestern town when she survives a brutal attack by the elusive May Day Killer―a predator who strikes every May 1st and then vanishes without a trace. Quinn, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, is arrested the same night after trying to break up a fight and nearly killing someone.
The Kindness of Strangers by Emma Garman
Release date: May 12 2026
London, 1953. Jimmy Sullivan lies dying on the drawing room floor while his housemates look on, their lives about to change forever.
One foggy night in the dead of February, a young man arrives unannounced at 42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea. Self-styled Bohemian Mrs. Honor Wilson—who runs a minor literary journal and lodgings from this timeworn Victorian house—introduces him to her “dear house guests”: Robbie, the writer; Mina, the teenage sleuth; George, the debutante; and Saul, the haunted refugee. Jimmy Sullivan is a family friend, Honor says—yet clearly, something is not right. Despite everyone’s misgivings, she lets the stranger move into the attic.
This Town Won’t Tell by Rhodi Hawk
Release date: May 12 2026
A single mom finds herself mixed up with the wrong people in this twisting crime novel perfect for fans of C. J. Box and Ruth Ware.
In the snowy mountain town of Suspicion, Montana, single mom Janey Hendee waits tables at the local roadhouse—and on the sly, she runs an underground card game. All to give her daughter a better life than the one she had.
The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh
Release date: May 19 2026
Carrie and Johan marry on a beach in Thailand only months into their whirlwind romance. Carrie, a British surgical intern, is too happy to care that she’s being impulsive. But as the wedding festivities stretch into the night, a group of armed men suddenly swarm the beach, taking Johan away. She never sees him again.
Murder at the Hotel Orient by Alessandra Ranelli
Release date: May 19 2026
In modern Vienna, American Sterling Lockwood is the loyal concierge at the infamous Hotel Orient, where cameras are banned, aliases are required, and every guest has something to hide. After the double murder of two guests, including a tech mogul building an Austrian surveillance state, Sterling must turn detective. But finding the truth will require breaking the Orient’s sacred code of secrecy, while keeping a few secrets of her own.
The Final Target by Nora Roberts
Release date: May 26 2026
He showed up at Arden Bowie’s debut author appearance with a copy of her novel and an eager smile. He showered her with compliments and got her autograph. Then he came to her next event. And the one after that.
Dustin was just an aspiring writer who wanted advice, Arden reassured herself. But after giving in to one of his incessant invitations and chatting with him over coffee, she discovered that ignoring her inner alarm bell had been a terrible mistake…
Beneath a Broken Sky by Joshua Moehling
Release date: May 26 2026
It’s a hot, miserable summer in the small town of Sandy Lake. Detective Ben Packard has settled into his life here just in time for a tornado to sweep through the county, causing irreparable damage. Trees are felled, homes destroyed, and people are desperate. Worse, the winds have blown in a group of storm chasers with something to hide.
Night Objects by Eli Raphael
Release date: May 26 2026
It is true that I wished him dead dozens of times. Hundreds, even. But I, Lenny Winter, did not kill that boy.
Lenny Winter is fifteen years-old when she moves with her parents to an aging houseboat off the rugged coast of Washington. She imagines a quiet life spent charting constellations and chasing her dream of becoming an astronomer. Instead, a sudden tragedy shatters her world and catapults her to Blanchard, a renowned boarding school for the Pacific Northwest’s elite, where wealth and tradition rule.
The Last Book Club by Joanne Rock
Release date: May 26 2026
A book club’s murder mystery game goes fatally wrong in this page-turning mystery, perfect for fans of The Block Party.
Making friends in a new town can be murder, so when Jordyn is invited to attend a book club meeting in her new Saratoga Springs neighborhood, it’s safe to say she’s excited. But she has no intention of making friends with the tight-knit group—she has plans for revenge.
The Case Study by Nicole Lundrigan
Release date: May 26 2026
When Mia was a young woman, she read a magazine article about a murderous teenage girl with a rare and disturbing psychiatric delusion. Fascinated by the details, she sought out the doctor who’d treated the girl, and eventually married him. Twenty years later, Mia’s curiosity is piqued once again when her husband announces that his famous case study will be republished—and that he will be reconnecting with his former patient.
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