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5 Insanely Good Psychological Thriller Books For Book Club
Check out the best psychological thriller picks for your book club.
Psychological thrillers are amazing books for any reading group. They’re suspenseful, twisty, and guaranteed to kick off some heated debates. If you’re looking for great 2025 book club picks with dark secrets, unreliable narrators, and shocking endings, these must-read thrillers are exactly what you need.
I’ve included gritty domestic thrillers, eerie slow-burn mysteries, and fast-paced psychological suspense. Plus, I’ve added some great book club questions to keep the discussion going!
Psychological Thriller Books For Book Club
The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
I really enjoyed reading The Boyfriend. It follows Sydney who has a terrible luck with dating. But now finally she meets the perfect guy, handsome, charming, a doctor. But then, women start turning up dead, and the prime suspect is a mystery man who dates his victims first. Sydney wants to believe her boyfriend isn’t involved, but something feels off. Your book club will love this twisty, and impossible to put down thriller. I think you should definitely check out all of Freida McFadden’s books for your book club. They’re full of surprises And don’t forget to check out the 35 Book Club Questions For The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden.
Why Your Book Club Will Love It:
• Fast-paced and easy to binge in one sitting
• Twists that will shock you
• There is so much to discuss for example: how well do we really know the people we date?
Book Club Questions:
1. Would you have fallen for Sydney’s boyfriend?
2. What’s the biggest red flag she ignored?
3. Did you guess the ending?
4. What would you have done in Sydney’s situation?
5. Discuss the themes of online dating?
6. What moment made you gasp?
7. Who was the most interesting side character?
8. Would this make a good movie? Who would you cast?
9. What would you ask the author if you could?
10. What do you think happens after the last page?
11. If you had to sum up this book in one word, what would it be?
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None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
None of This Is True is one of the most recommended books of 2024. And I completely agree, it’s a great psychological thriller with jaw-dropping twists. It starts with a true crime podcaster, Alix, meeting her birthday twin Josie. But Josie is… strange. And before Alix realizes what’s happening, Josie has wormed her way into her life. Then Josie vanishes, and suddenly, Alix is the subject of a crime story herself. This was also one of the engaging thriller audiobooks I really loved. Also check out 37 Book Club Questions For None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
Why Your Book Club Will Love It:
• True crime + psychological thriller
• The kind of slow-burn suspense that sticks with you
• Twists that make you rethink everything
Book Club Questions:
1. Would you have let Josie into your life?
2. What’s the most chilling moment in the book?
3. Who was more dangerous—Josie or Alix?
4. Did you see the ending coming?
5. What would you have done differently if you were Alix?
6. How did the podcast format add to the story?
7. Did you feel bad for Josie at any point?
8. Who would you trust less in real life: Josie or Alix?
9. What do you think really happened to Josie?
10. How does this book compare to other thrillers you’ve read?
11. If this was a documentary, would you believe it?
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Never Lie by Freida McFadden
Never Lie is another addictive psychological thriller I highly recommended for your book club. It centers around the newlywed who couple gets trapped in a snowstorm in an abandoned house. While stuck, Tricia finds old tapes from the psychiatrist who used to live there and what she hears is disturbing. The deeper she digs, the darker things get. And then she finds the tape that changes everything. Super fast-paced, full of twists, and perfect for book club because you will want to talk about the story. Check out 44 Book Club Questions For Never Lie by Freida McFadden
Why Your Book Club Will Love It:
• Locked-room mystery and psychological thriller combination
• Super fast-paced book
• It has a really twisty ending that you won’t see coming
Book Club Questions:
1. Would you stay in that house or leave the second you had a chance?
2. Did you trust Ethan from the start?
3. What was the creepiest part of the book?
4. Which tape shocked you the most?
5. What’s your theory on Dr. Hale’s disappearance?
6. Did you like Tricia as a main character?
7. What would you do differently if you were in Tricia’s shoes?
8. How did the winter storm make the story even more gripping?
9. Are you happy with the ending ?
10. Would this make a better movie or a TV show?
11. What’s one word to describe this book?
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The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry
The Perfect Child was a really intense and eerie thriller I’ve ever read. It’s about a couple struggling to have a baby, so they decide to adopt a little girl. She loves her new dad but can’t stand her new mom, and things go downhill fast. As her behavior gets more disturbing, the mom starts to unravel, but the dad won’t believe her. This is a psychological thriller with serious horror vibes. This is a really disturbing book club book. Also check out 47 Book Club Questions For The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry
Why Your Book Club Will Love It:
• This is a psychological thriller with a really intense horror vibes
• There are many themes of motherhood and trauma
• A truly disturbing but unforgettable thriller
Book Club Questions:
1. Would you have adopted Janie?
2. What’s the scariest thing she did?
3. Did you feel bad for Janie at any time?
4. Did you side more with Christopher or Hannah?
5. What do you think really happened in Janie’s past?
6. Would therapy have helped?
7. What moment made your jaw drop?
8. How did you feel about the ending?
9. Did this book change how you feel about adoption?
10. What do you think happened after the book ended?
11. If this was a movie, what would be the scariest scene?
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What Lies Between Us by John Marrs
What Lies Between Us was a dark and completely addictive thriller. We follow Maggie and Nina who live in the same house, but their relationship is far from normal. Nina locks Maggie in the attic every night. But Maggie has secrets of her own. The twists in this one just keep coming. Also check out 45 Book Club Questions For What Lies Between Us by John Marrs + PDF Guide
Why Your Book Club Will Love It:
• A mother-daughter thriller
• So many plot twists, you won’t know what to believe
•Perfect dark, messed-up psychological thriller
Book Club Questions:
1. Who did you trust more, Maggie or Nina?
2. What was the biggest twist for you?
3. Did you feel bad for either of them?
4. If you were in this situation, what would you do?
5. Discuss the importance of the house in the story?
6. What’s the most shocking moment?
7. Do you think the ending was fair?
8. Who do you think suffered more?
9. How did your feelings about Maggie and Nina change?
10. If this was a Netflix series, would you watch?
11. What would you title a sequel?
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Why Psychological Thrillers Are Great for Book Clubs
If you ask me, psychological thrillers are the best book club picks. These books are really engaging and fast-paced. Book club members will have so much to talk about these twists and characters. Let me list the reasons with examples.
•Jaw-dropping twists. Nobody reads The Wife Between Us and just shrugs. Same with The Silent Patient, The Girl on the Train, and The Family Upstairs. These books get strong reactions.
• Totally binge-worthy. This is the reason I love reading thrillers. Even the busiest book club members won’t have trouble finishing a good thriller.
What To Discuss in a Book Club?
So, you’ve read the book, now what? Some books practically force discussions (like The Silent Patient), but if you’re ever stuck, here are some go-to questions: You can also check out these 51 Really Good Book Club Questions for Any Book.
1. Discuss first reactions: Did the book hook you right away, or did it take time to get into?
2. Characters: Who did you love? Who did you want to throw the book at?
3. Plot twists: Did anything shock you?
4. Themes: What themes did you observe?
5. Would you recommend it? And if so, to whom?
How To Make Book Club More Fun?
Book clubs don’t have to be just sitting around discussing themes (unless that’s your vibe). I love making them interactive. Here are a few things that have worked for me.
• Themed Snacks & Drinks: Food always brings people together, so why not have the best snacks while discussing the book? I’ve found that a great appetizer makes the conversation even better. Check out my post on 33 Book Club Snacks That Are Almost as Good as the Plot
• Character Debates: Have people take sides Was Joe from “You misunderstood or just plain creepy? Was the ending of “Gone Girl” satisfying or frustrating?
Final Thoughts: Which One Will Your Book Club Pick?
I think each of these psychological thrillers is fast-paced, shocking, and impossible to put down for any book club discussions! Let me know what other books you would add to the list.
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Stephy George
