Top 10 Best Thriller Books in the UK 2021 (Stephen King, Gillian Flynn and More)

Simone St James has been writing for a few years, but it wasn't until her breakout novel, The Broken Girls (2018) that she really caught mainstream attention. The Sun Down Motel is her latest offering, and has been perfectly described by one journalist as 'deliciously creepy'. 

This novel follows Carly Kirk, a lady who has never been able to give up on her aunt who disappeared from Sun Down before she was born. So, as all good nieces do, she decides to take a trip, only to find herself caught in the same mysteries that took her aunt. The book brilliantly weaves dual timelines, suspense and otherworldly elements. 

Months before this book was published, it was being cited in the US government and corridors of The Pentagon as a book that all Americans should read. You see, although this is a novel, it takes a very real look at what the beginning of the end might look like for your typical small town.

The book follows protagonist John Matherson as he tries to keep his family together and help his community survive in the face of technological failure. While initially a thriller, the book is also interlaced with varying themes such as our reliance on technology, how fragile we are as a civilization, and why we seem unable to learn from history. 

Hurricane Katrina devasted the US in 2005; not only was it the costliest tropical cyclone on record at the time, causing about $125 billion worth of damage, but it also took the lives of over 1800 people. In true investigative journalism fashion, this book takes you into the lives of those who tried, and struggled, to survive and maintain life among the chaos. 

If that's not enough, months after the disaster, many healthcare workers were accused of hastening the death of some of their patients by injecting them with drugs. Taking a total of six years to research, Fink exposes the dilemmas that healthcare workers face, as well as how unprepared the world is for natural disasters. 

This novel is as classic a cat and mouse story as you will ever find. A far-right underground militia group is hell-bent on ridding the sitting French president. After multiple failed attempts, they call in the infamous hitman known only as the Jackal. Will Lebel, the savvy Parisian police detective, have time to solve the mystery of the man's identity? 

It's fair to say that this isn't the most creative plot. But it is an award-winning story that is still regularly regarded as a leader in the field. It doesn't need to focus on being clever, instead, it's the author's ability to create and capture your emotions. Take it from us, Forsyth will have you on the edge of your seat and staying up way later than you should for just one more page. 

When Lila Ridgeland murders her abusive partner, a popular teacher called Aaron Payne, she leaves him in his car overnight outside the school and stages it as suicide. However, she soon finds this isn't going to be plain sailing, as her ex-husband's body has disappeared. 

This debut novel from Darby Kane with is crammed with so many twists you're going to have neck pain. It's filled with nuanced characters and an all-too-believable evil hidden under the peaceful community. The central theme that runs throughout is simple: how far will someone go when they discover the person they're married to is a monster?

When most of us think of aeroplane hijacking, 9/11 undoubtedly comes to mind. However, over a period of five years starting in 1968, this happened nearly once a week in the US. The disillusioned would use whatever they could – guns, bombs, jars of acid, to name a few – and they would seize commercial flights to either escape or hold to ransom. 

This book takes a look at some of the most famous stories, particularly the incident with Willam Holder and Catherine Kerkow who made it to Algeria with $1.5 million in cash. As fast-paced as a Concorde, we would advise you to remain seated and buckled up and enjoy the ride. 

Stephen King is an author that needs no introduction, having sold over 350 million copies of his books worldwide. His novels span many genres from horror, suspense and crime to fantasy and supernatural, and his skills know no end. This offering from 2019 further proves that there's no sign of him slowing down. 

The book centres on 12-year old Luke Ellis, who has been abducted and taken to a place called The Institute after his parents were brutally murdered. Here, he finds many other children, all of whom have special, X-men-like talents. Institute director Mrs Sigsby and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting these talents from the captured children, so for Luke, it's a race against time to escape before it's his turn. 

In the span of thirty-two minutes, the world as we know it dies, and a new one is born. Following a breach at a U.S government facility, a night of carnage and chaos takes place. When the sun rises, the world is forever changed, and all that is left is darkness, death and some things much worse. 

In this novel, Cronin combines an epic, relentlessly suspenseful journey and a chronicle of human perseverance in unprecedented circumstances. You'll explore themes such as morality, faith and the future, and you'll be doing that for a while because this is one hefty book. 

Whilst traditionally considered a true crime book, and the one to catapult the genre into the mainstream at that, the relentlessly paced way that Capote writes could easily have this pigeoned as a thriller too – which is why it finds itself in our ranking today. 

In the book, the author carefully reassembles and investigates a 1959 murder in Kansas City. He explores the characters of the young killers responsible, Perry Smith and Dick Hickcock, as well as examining the subsequent trial and execution of those mentioned. Filled with suspense and empathy in equal measure, this is a powerful and emotionally charged read.  

While many authors have one or two their best books bought and made into TV shows or films, we think it's a fitting ode to Gillan Flynn's abilities that each of her three novels has been adapted in some way. In both a literary sense and a multimedia sense, the prized asset is by far her modern classic – Gone Girl. 

Originally published in 2012, the story follows Nick Dunne as his wife disappears on the couple's fifth wedding anniversary. With signs of a struggle, all roads point to him, and he doesn't help himself with silly lies and unexpected secrets, all the while maintaining his innocence. If you haven't read this, it's a certified must-have, and one that every thriller fan will enjoy.