Gripping Debut Thrillers You’ll Be Obsessed With This Year

Fancy a psychopath in your next read? Chloe is a first year student, your typical ‘girl next door.’ But she’s also a psychopath. When she’s not studying other psychopaths and attending her classes at university, she’s plotting to kill her childhood best friend, Will Bachman. But when you hear what he did to her, you might just be on her side…

This debut novel from Vera Kurian is a fast-paced, clever and utterly gripping read, described by author Louise O’Neill as, “Impossible to put down.” Perfect for fans of How To Kill Your Family, You, and Killing Eve.

This book took over Bookstagram around its release in January 2026, so it’s no surprise it seems to be on everyone’s TBRs!

Kate is in the wrong place at the worst possible time. The hotel where she is staying has been taken under siege. She also has a big secret. How would she explain to her family what she was doing in that hotel? That’s if she lived to tell the tale… She must face the most confronting situation of her life, discovering what matters most.

It’s a deeply suspenseful and thought-provoking debut, and if you’re already curious about Room 706, this needs to go onto your TBR immediately! With well-respected authors such as Erin Kelly describing it as, “A suspenseful real-time page-turner” and Jennie Godfrey saying it is, “Unputdownable”, you know you’re in for a treat with this one.

This chilling debut set in New York’s Dutchess County is a layered exploration of family secrets, sibling misconceptions, and an unsolved murder. Marlowe returns to her family’s estate for the holidays, and discovers a murder on the property that takes her back to her best friend’s disappearance twenty years previously. 

It’s a gripping mystery, weaving past and present as Marlowe questions her memories and confronts hard truths. This one is sure to keep you guessing until the final pages!

There’s something about an influencer thriller that really grabs my attention, especially from a brand new author. And this is one of them! Everyone wants to be influencer, Sydney Kent, or be with her. Caitlyn and Lucy find it impossible to step out from her shadow. But when the women are invited to post content for a secluded new retreat in the Catskills, it seemed a fresh start was on the cards. When an unexpected snowstorm hits however, there’s no way out of this place. And there’s also a killer on the loose.

Secrets, lies, and scandals are buried deep into this book. Is the killer one of them? Who can be trusted? This one is perfect for those of you who like a locked-room thriller with plenty of tension.

Twenty years after being Harvard roommates, five friends indulge in a secret tradition they’ve kept alive since their campus days, a harmless elimination-style “killing” game. The game is a nod to their younger selves and a tribute to their sixth roommate they lost too young. But this year, Sara wants out, and for good reason. That’s until she discovers there is a small fortune waiting for the winner at the end of it all…

There is plenty of suspicion, immense danger and unthinkable secrets in this one. A chilling read for fans of a good dark academia book!

When I saw the authors who had given quotes for this book, it instantly went on my list of ones to watch! Released January 2026, Darkrooms is a crime mystery set in Ireland. When two girls went into the Hanging Woods twenty years ago, only one of them returned. Caitlin vowed never to go back there, no matter what, but after the news of her estranged mother's sudden death, she finds herself back in the town where everyone knows each other's business, where the memories resurface.

Described by readers as haunting, chilling and masterful, it’s a debut you won’t want to miss out on!