There’s no question that we girlies love our thrillers and true crime. You’ve probably seen the TikToks: the boyfriend swaddled up in a blanket and shielding his eyes while the girlfriend leans in, eyes wide, absorbing every word of Dateline or Gone Girl. The truth is, we’re not the psychopaths our boyfriends think we are — we’re simply trying to get educated. As stated so eloquently by Amanda Vicary, an associate professor of psychology at Illinois Wesleyan University, “Women like true crime because they can learn something from it. They can learn how not to be killed, essentially.”
Not to mention, who doesn’t love being completely absorbed in a thriller? They’re perhaps the most exhilarating, addicting book genre. When you start reading a thriller, you simply can’t stop. The plots are fast-paced, high-stakes, and unpredictable: everything you could want in a book. That said, summer is coming up, and thrillers happen to make for a great beach read.
But have you ever had that feeling when you’re trying to read while sunbathing, and you just can’t get the angle right? Whether it’s the glare of the sun (which you so desperately try to cover with your book) or you’re straining your arms to hold your book at the perfect angle (and end up dropping it on your face), or even worse, you have to lay on your tummy and end up only tanning your backside; physical books can be a nuisance on the beach.
Luckily, we have the perfect solution: audiobooks. What better antidote to boredom while tanning than a total page-turner? Without the pages?
These ten audiobook thrillers on Spotify are ideal to get you started:
- None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
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Known for her “superb pacing, twisted characters, and captivating prose” (Buzzfeed), Lisa Jewell does not disappoint with None of This Is True. In this captivating novel, popular podcaster Alix Summer crosses paths with an unassuming woman named Josie Fair, who happens to share her birthday. They run into each other again when Josie tells Alix that she might be a good guest for her podcast, as her life is twisted and complicated. Though Alix is unsettled by Josie, she can’t resist continuing to make the podcast with her. Josie entangles herself in Alix’s life but suddenly disappears, leaving Alix to realize she has become the subject of her own true crime podcast. Incredibly, this novel is perfect to listen to on audiobook, as it contains a literal podcast within the novel—adding an otherwise unachievable extra layer of experience to the story.
- All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers
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Written by Ashley Flowers, host of the #1 true crime podcast Crime Junkie, this incredible debut novel is expertly written and told. Everyone in a small town in Indiana remembers the murder of January Jacobs, a six-year-old girl discovered in a ditch, whose killer was never found. But Margot Davies, also six years old at the time of the murder, is especially haunted by the murder, even as she’s grown up and moved to New York to become a journalist. When she returns to care for her ill uncle, news breaks out that a five-year-old girl in the next town over disappears in a manner similar to January, and Margot determines to solve the murder of January and find Natalie. Terrifyingly, the police, Natalie’s family, and the townspeople not only seem to be hiding something but also resisting Natalie’s search.
- First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
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As Reese Witherspoon explains, this fast-paced novel has “everything you could want in a thriller: secret identities, a mysterious boss, and a cat & mouse game that kept me guessing the whole way through.” Evie Porter has the ideal life: she’s a sweet Southern girl with a loving boyfriend, a home with a white picket fence, and a posh group of friends. But she doesn’t exist. Evie is set on a job with her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith, who gives her the mark: Ryan Summer. The problem is Evie begins to see a different life for herself as Ryan begins to get under her skin.
- Never Lie by Freida McFadden
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Tracy and Ethan are newlyweds searching for their ideal home when they visit the remote manor previously belonging to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who disappeared just a few years prior. The two end up stuck in the estate together due to a blizzard when Tricia finds a secret containing transcripts from every patient Dr. Hale ever interviewed, discovering the horrifying events that preceded Dr. Hale’s disappearance, tape by tape. Listen to the audiobook here.
- The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan
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Multiple cast members bring the characters of this novel to life on audiobook. When childhood sweethearts Nicole and Tom suddenly win the lottery and, with it, everything they could ever desire, their lives change entirely for the better. Until Tom is found dead in their new swimming pool, and Nicole is left alone, devastated and confused. There’s another young couple living in the Manor they build their new home on, a middle-aged housekeeper, and Tom’s pal from school to keep her company — but can she trust them? Is Nicole’s life also in danger?
- The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
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This psychological suspense novel is so engrossing that praise is nearly universal. Not to mention, the dual narration for the husband and wife main characters makes the audiobook even more gripping. Sarah Morgan is a powerful defense attorney, but her husband, Adam, is not so successful. A struggling writer with little success, Adam begins to tire of his relationship with Sarah, who seems to be constantly working. So, he begins to have an affair with Kelly Summers in their second home. When Kelly is murdered and Adam is arrested for her murder, Sarah finds herself defending her own adulterous husband. But could Adam be guilty?
- The Silent Wife by A. S. A. Harrison
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Countless rave reviewers insist this novel was so gripping they devoured it in one sitting. Told in alternating voices, this story captures the lives of Jodi and Todd, who are at a rough place in their marriage. But they have a lot at stake—namely, the affluent life they lead in their waterfront condo. He’s a committed cheater, and she lives in denial. He lives two lives. She becomes a killer with nothing left to lose.
- The Guest List by Lucy Foley
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The alternative POVs in this novel will keep you constantly guessing. In this story, reminiscent of a beloved Agatha Christie novel, a celebrity wedding celebration turns deadly. Resentments and petty jealousies stack up as the groomsmen play an old drinking game, the bridesmaid “accidentally” ruins her dress, and the bride’s oldest friend, who happens to be a guy, gives a discomfortingly affectionate toast. And then someone dies.
- Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
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This unflinching and fast-paced novel investigates “our culture’s obsession with serial killers and true crime” (Harper’s Bazaar) as two women, Pamela Schumacher and Tina Cannon, determine to work together to find justice for the infamous murders enacted in a Florida sorority house in 1978.
- Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
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This shocking, suspenseful thriller embodies the danger of domestic secrets. Shelby Shelbow disappears first, then Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter. Then Delilah, only a block away. A once seemingly safe, sleepy town is disrupted by fear. But the case goes cold until, 11 years later, Delilah mysteriously returns.
So girls, charge your headphones and put on your bikini because these ten thrillers will have you so addicted you’ll want to listen to one after the next. Or, if the thrillers sound too thrilling and you’d rather opt for a more heart-warming than bone-chilling read this summer, check out Spotify’s new Spicy audiobooks hub for some smutty (or not so smutty, if that’s not your thing) romance audiobooks and my article on that here.