Thriller Books for Teens
New Young Teen Thrillers
Book cover of Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson
Blood in the Water
by Tiffany D. Jackson
 
Brooklyn-born Kaylani feels like a fish out of water spending the summer on Martha’s Vineyard with wealthy family friends, the Watsons. When a shocking murder - or was it a drowning, or a shark attack? - rocks the community to its core, Kaylani must solve the mystery while uncovering sinister truths that may change her life as she knows it.
TEEN THRILLERS JACKSON TIFFANY
New Teen Thrillers
Book cover of Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph
Dead Fake
by Vincent Ralph

As the niece of an infamous murderer, Ava refuses to join in the latest craze at Bleak Haven High: a mysterious website allowing students to view their own AI-generated slasher movie “deaths.” As classmates’ deepfakes become reality, Ava must catch the killer or become the next victim.
TEEN THRILLERS RALPH VINCENT
Book cover of In the Company of Killers by Elora Cook
In the Company of Killers
by Elora Cook

A horrific murder in Tasha’s family unearths their dark roots in the most powerful Mafia branch in New York - and Tasha is set to inherit it all. Vowing vengeance on the new mob behind the hit, Tasha recruits help from Leo, the heir to his own family’s dangerous empire.
TEEN THRILLERS COOK ELORA
Book cover of Kill Creatures by Rory Power
Kill Creatures
by Rory Power

Last summer, Nan’s three best friends disappeared into Saltcedar Canyon. After a year of dodging questions and grieving their loss, Nan attends their memorial, which is interrupted by the shocking return of one of the missing girls alive. Everybody is overjoyed - that is, except Nan...after all, she’s the one who killed them.
TEEN THRILLERS POWER RORY
Book cover of Murder Between Friends by Liz Lawson
Murder Between Friends
by Liz Lawson

Grace, Ally, and Henry were best friends - until Grace’s eyewitness testimony put Henry’s brother, Jake, away for murder. When Grace later doubts what she saw, Jake, confusingly, doesn’t want her help; and Ally and Henry must learn to trust Grace once more to prove Jake’s innocence.
TEEN THRILLERS LAWSON LIZ
Book cover of Oxford Blood by Rachael Davis-Featherstone
Oxford Blood
by Rachael Davis-Featherstone

In this dark academia thriller, high-achieving Eva dreams of reading English at Oxford - maybe even with her best friend (or are they more?), George...until he shows up dead. A shocking secret points social media suspicion to Eva, and she must clear her name while catching the killer.
TEEN THRILLERS DAVIS RACHAEL
Book cover of Reasons We Break by Jesmeen Kaur Deo
Reasons We Break
by Jesmeen Kaur Deo

Despite warnings of Rajan’s reputation since his release from juvie, Simran can’t deny his thoughtfulness and their forbidden attraction. When Rajan’s old gang tries forcing him back in, Simran becomes his bookkeeper, attempting to clear his debts and keep him out of prison. Neither is likely to get through the brewing gang war unscathed...if they survive it at all.
TEEN THRILLERS DEO JESMEEN
Book cover of Red as Royal Blood by Elizabeth Hart
Red as Royal Blood
by Elizabeth Hart

Ruby, a servant to the royal family, is shocked to be named the next heir to the throne just before the king’s death. While contending with a kingdom in crisis, the king’s angry widow, and three annoyingly handsome but entitled princes, she discovers a note from the king claiming he was murdered...and that she might be next.
TEEN THRILLERS HART ELIZABETH
Book cover of The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson
The Scammer
by Tiffany D. Jackson

Jordyn, studying prelaw at a prestigious, historically Black university, is shocked to find her new best friend’s brother, ex-convict Devonte, crashing on their sofa. Jordyn senses something sinister beneath Devonte’s charm, intelligence, and advice to a growing group of followers - and when her roommate goes missing, she must uncover the mystery.
TEEN THRILLERS JACKSON TIFFANY
Book cover of This Is Where We Die by Cindy R. X. He
This Is Where We Die
by Cindy R. X. He

Two years ago, a ski holiday turned into a nightmare when only six of eight friends survived. Now, Sadie has rented an exclusive private island for the weekend - but in a terrifying twist, the friends are stranded and hunted by an unseen killer. The past has caught up with them, and they’ll need to crack the case before they all wind up dead.
TEEN THRILLERS HE CINDY
Book cover of We Won't All Survive by Kate Alice Marshall
We Won't All Survive
by Kate Alice Marshall

Mercy, hailed as a hero for saving lives during a school shooting, is recruited by a billionaire TV host to compete on a survivalist reality show - one with a cash prize that could send her sister to college. But as the contestants arrive at the off-grid location, something isn’t right. When the group becomes trapped, resources run low, and someone winds up dead, surviving this show takes on a new meaning.
TEEN THRILLERS MARSHALL KATE
Classic Thrillers for Teens
Book cover of Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide
Ace of Spades
by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

When competing valedictorians Devon and Chiamaka become prefects at their elite academy, they’re targeted by the anonymous bully "Aces," who reveals secrets via texts that upend their lives and threaten their future plans. As this sick prank intensifies into a dangerous game, can the two stop Aces before things become deadly?
TEEN THRILLERS ABIKE-IYIMIDE FARIDAH
The Girl in the Castle by James Patterson and Emily Raymond book cover
The Girl in the Castle
by James Patterson & Emily Raymond

Now, Hannah Doe is admitted to Belman Psych for hallucinations and delusions. In 1347, Hannah Dory, starving with her village in a brutal winter, seeks food and shelter in the baron's castle; if she is caught stealing, she will surely hang. Now, Hannah reconciles her past and present and recruits abnormal psychology student Jordan to help her rescue her sister - if Jordan will believe her.
TEEN THRILLERS PATTERSON JAMES
Book cover of The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry
The Girl I Used to Be
by April Henry

When Olivia’s mother was murdered and her father disappeared, he was the prime suspect. Fourteen years later, new evidence proves his innocence, and the killer is still at large. Can Olivia uncover the truth before she becomes the next target?
TEEN THRILLERS HENRY APRIL
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson book cover
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
by Holly Jackson
 
Five years after the murder of Andie by her boyfriend, Sal, Fairview remains haunted by her story - though high school senior Pip can't shake the feeling that the town has it wrong. As Pip reexamines the closed case, she discovers a trail of dark secrets that may point to Sal's innocence and put her own life in danger.
TEEN THRILLERS JACKSON HOLLY
Book cover of The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
The Cheerleaders
by Kara Thomas

There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook - and Monica’s sister was the last to die. Five years later, Monica’s world unravels upon discovering letters in her stepdad’s desk, a years-old cell phone, and a strange new friend at school. Some people in town know more than they’re saying, and somehow, Monica is at the center of it all.
TEEN THRILLERS THOMAS KARA
Book cover of The Lost by Natasha Preston
The Lost
by Natasha Preston

While investigating the disappearance of their classmate, Piper and Hazel become targets themselves. Kidnapped by three wealthy grad students and locked away in a building designed to test their survival, the girls refuse to give up without a fight.
TEEN THRILLERS PRESTON NATASHA
Book cover of The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Naturals
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Cassie, a natural at reading people, is invited to live with other exceptional teenagers to help the FBI crack infamous cold cases. Sarcastic, privileged Michael uses his knack for reading emotions to get under her skin, and brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling while keeping her at arm’s length. When a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than any of the Naturals could have imagined, and it will take all of their gifts just to survive.
TEEN THRILLERS BARNES JENNIFER
Book cover of None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney
None Shall Sleep
by Ellie Marney

In 1982, Emma, a psychology student and serial killer survivor, and Travis, a U.S. Marshal candidate whose father was murdered, are recruited by the FBI to interview juvenile killers. While gaining information for an active case from one of the country's most notorious incarcerated murderers, Emma must avoid becoming tangled in his web of expert manipulation and solve the case before it's too late.
TEEN THRILLERS MARNEY ELLIE
Sadie by Courtney Summers book cover
Sadie
by Courtney Summers

When a stranger implores radio host West to find missing teen Sadie, he learns that this isn't an average runaway story. Sadie, armed with a switchblade, fled home to avenge her little sister, determined to make the man who took her life pay with his own. Alternating between Sadie's unflinching voice and the podcast tracking the clues she's left behind, an unsettling mystery unfolds.
TEEN THRILLERS SUMMERS COURTNEY  
Book cover of That's Not My Name by Megan Lally
That's Not My Name
by Megan Lally

Shivering and bruised, a teen wakes up on the side of the road with no memory of how she got there - or who she is. When a frantic man claims to be her father and that her name is Mary, she hopes she has her life back. Meanwhile, Drew was the last person to see Lola before her disappearance, and the whole town is convinced of his guilt. The longer Lola is missing, the fewer leads there are to follow...and the more danger they both are in.
TEEN THRILLERS LALLY MEGAN
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus book cover
Two Can Keep a Secret
by Karen M. McManus

When Ellery is forced to move to deceivingly picturesque Echo Ridge - where her aunt went missing as a teen and the homecoming queen was murdered five years ago - it’s clear that everyone has something to hide. As new anonymous threats loom over homecoming and another girl goes missing, Ellery must uncover the truth before it’s too late.
 TEEN THRILLERS MCMANUS KAREN
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