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Fable Thrillers

Thrillers are suspenseful plot-driven novels that are often dark in nature. The protagonists confront both psychological and physical danger in a journey to the darker side of life.

Psychological thrillers give readers the opportunity to explore individual motivations from a birds-eye perspective. This allows readers to predict how individuals faced with impossible choices would play out in real-world situations.
- Psychology Today

Skip to Thrillers book selections
What is the Thriller Genre?
Thrillers are suspenseful plot-driven novels that are often dark in nature. The protagonists confront both psychological and physical danger in a journey to the darker side of life, and the plot keeps the reader on the edge of their seats until the final pages of the book. 
Some thrillers involve the pursuit of an elusive character, while others unravel secret plans or large-scale conspiracies. Thrillers can also combine elements of other genres such as mystery, sci-fi, romance, and action-adventure. 
The bestselling author Dan Brown helped catapult thrillers into the popular imagination, and he described what makes a great thriller:
“A good thriller must teach me something about the real world. Thrillers like ‘Coma,’ ‘The Hunt for Red October’ and ‘The Firm’ all captivated me by providing glimpses into realms about which I knew very little – medical science, submarine technology, and the law.”
What are the best thriller fiction novels?
The thriller genre has exploded in popularity in recent years, as readers love getting lost in these obsessive narratives and twisty plots. These books have inspired hundreds of great films and TV shows as well, perfectly calibrated for the screen.
In Psychology Today, one doctor suggests that thrillers have mental health benefits as well:
“Psychological thrillers give readers the opportunity to explore individual motivations from a birds-eye perspective. This allows readers to predict how individuals faced with impossible choices would play out in real-world situations.”
Fable’s team loves to read thrillers, and we’ve picked out a few great novels for our community! 
My Sister the Serial Killer by  Oyinkan Braithwaite digital book - Fable

My Sister the Serial Killer

By Oyinkan Braithwaite

  Sharp as nails and full of deadpan wit, Oyinkan Braithwaite's deliciously deadly debut is as fun as it is frightening.

A Stranger in the House  by Shari Lapena digital book - Fable

A Stranger in the House

By Shari Lapena

A domestic thriller packed full of secrets, and a twisty story that never stops—about a woman who can’t remember what she was doing or where she was during a car accident that changed her life forever.

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum digital book - Fable

The Bourne Identity

By Robert Ludlum

His memory is a blank. Even his name is a mystery. Marked for death, he is racing for survival through a bizarre world of murderous conspirators—led by Carlos, the world’s most dangerous assassin. Who is Jason Bourne? The answer may kill him.

The Firm  by John Grisham digital book - Fable

The Firm

By John Grisham

When Mitch McDeere signed on with Bendini, Lambert & Locke of Memphis, he thought that he and his beautiful wife, Abby, were on their way. Now the FBI has the lowdown on Mitch’s firm and needs his help.

When No One Is Watching  by Alyssa Cole digital book - Fable

When No One Is Watching

By Alyssa Cole

Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times Notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning.

Forty Acres by Dwayne Alexander Smith digital book - Fable

Forty Acres

By Dwayne Alexander Smith

Read the page-turning, provocative thriller that will forever change the way you think about slavery and its legacy in today’s America.

Version Zero  by David Yoon digital book - Fable

Version Zero

By David Yoon

A lightning-fast and scorchingly observant thriller about how we can save ourselves from the very real perils of a virtual world.

Before She Disappeared  by Lisa Gardner digital book - Fable

Before She Disappeared

By Lisa Gardner

A propulsive thriller featuring an ordinary woman who will stop at nothing to find the missing people that the rest of the world has forgotten.

Every Last Fear  by Alex Finlay digital book - Fable

Every Last Fear

By Alex Finlay

A family made infamous by a true crime documentary is found dead, leaving their surviving son to uncover the truth about their final days.

The Forest of Stolen Girls  by June Hur digital book - Fable

The Forest of Stolen Girls

By June Hur

A haunting historical mystery sure to keep readers guessing until the last page.

Uncover more thrillers at Fable!
You can read two classic works of thrilling suspense with Fable’s free book clubs.
Start with these clubs that feature free books:
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, a book club moderated by Elif Batuman.
Simultaneously a work of psychological realism and religious mysticism, Dostoevsky’s innovative manipulation of time and memory proved instrumental in the work of later authors including Henry James, Joseph Conrad, Virginia Woolf, and James Joyce.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar by Maurice Leblanc, book club moderated by Jason Boog.
Arsène Lupin, with his characteristic wit, plots throughout nine short stories to steal many of France’s best antiques and artworks from under their owners’ noses. Only his classic opponent Detective Ganimard has the brilliance to attempt to foil Arsène’s plans, albeit with mixed results.
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