Ah, spring. The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming… and someone just got murdered in the prologue.
If you’re like me, your idea of the perfect spring break doesn’t involve beaches and cocktails— Wellll… okay, maybe beaches, and definitely sunshine, but probably not so many people. Mainly it involves plot twists, shady characters, and trying to guess whodunit before the author absolutely wrecks you in chapter twenty.
These five thrillers bring the suspense, the secrets, and the kind of mind games that’ll have you side-eyeing everyone you know. Let’s dive in—just don’t trust anyone.
1. Hemlock by Kiersten Modglin
If secrets had a zip code, they’d all live in Hemlock.
When the main character returns to her eerie hometown after her mother’s death, she uncovers way more than just family drama. Think cryptic journals, suspicious locals, and that signature Modglin madness where every chapter ends in “wait, WHAT?”
Perfect for: Fans of small-town suspense, buried secrets, and final twists you will not see coming.
Amazon Says:
She thought she’d escaped her poisonous past…
Thirteen years ago, Maggie Ellis left her small town and vowed to never return. In her rearview mirror were two men she loved and an ominous secret that would forever haunt her.
Now, tragedy has brought her back, and she’s determined to forget that fateful night. But in a town like Myers, with familiar faces and chilling memories lurking around every corner, moving on is easier said than done.
Before the ink can dry on the closing documents for her new residence, Maggie begins to feel unsettled. In every room, there’s the unmistakable sensation she’s being watched. The strange sounds, odd smells, and bizarre occurrences only add to her paranoia.
There’s something sinister about her new home…
When she discovers the devastating truth about the house and its grim history, Maggie’s worst fears are realized. In order to survive, she must unearth the secrets she’d always planned to keep buried.
After all, they say that home is where the heart is, but as Maggie knows, home is also where the skeletons lie.
2. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Nothing says spring cleaning like scrubbing secrets off every surface in a rich person’s creepy house.
This book is bonkers in the best way. A woman with a shady past takes a job as a live-in maid… and realizes the house (and its family) might just kill her sanity first. And the ending? Let’s just say it deserves its own TikTok reaction video.
Perfect for: Anyone who likes fast-paced, jaw-dropping reads with female leads who don’t play around.
Amazon says:
“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…
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Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.
I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day.
But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.
I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.
But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.
They don’t know what I’m capable of…
3. The Photo Album by Brian O’Sullivan
Almost twenty years after his mother’s murder, Bobby finds a photo album that flips everything he thought he knew upside down.
This one’s layered, emotional, and gripping, with a nostalgic 90s setting and a slow-burn unraveling of the truth. You’ll start with questions and end with your jaw on the floor.
Perfect for: Readers who love a mix of mystery, emotional depth, and a protagonist you’ll root for ‘til the very last page.
Amazon Says:
A long-dormant mystery comes to life in THE PHOTO ALBUM!
When Bobby McGowan discovers an old photo album belonging to his mother – who was murdered twenty years ago – he becomes convinced that one of the photos holds the key to finally solving her murder.
Despite the protests of his father and sister, Bobby marches forward with the investigation. He builds a website dedicated to the murder of his mother, and receives a message from the purported killer. There is no turning back now.
With danger lurking around every corner, THE PHOTO ALBUM will leave you gasping for air.
If you enjoy the works of Michael Connelly, Thomas Harris, or David Baldacci, you’ll love this page-turning novel.
Don’t miss out on this thrilling read – order your copy now!
4. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
This modern Southern Gothic retelling of Jane Eyre is juicy, twisty, and just the right amount of sinister. It’s part thriller, part domestic suspense, and totally bingeable.
Perfect for: Fans of unreliable narrators, dark romance, and secrets hiding behind manicured lawns.
Amazon says:
Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients.
Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.
But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie––not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for.
Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past––or his––catches up to her?
With delicious suspense, incisive wit, and a fresh, feminist sensibility, The Wife Upstairs flips the script on a timeless tale of forbidden romance, ill-advised attraction, and a wife who just won’t stay buried. In this vivid reimagining of one of literature’s most twisted love triangles, which Mrs. Rochester will get her happy ending?
5. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
Everything looks perfect. The house. The couple. The life. Until you look a little closer…
This book is straight-up anxiety in hardcover form—in the best way. It’ll have you questioning what really goes on behind perfect smiles and picket fences. Short chapters, high tension, and a villain you will loathe with your whole soul.
Perfect for: People who love domestic thrillers, psychological manipulation, and books that make you yell “RUN!” at the pages.
Amazon says:
Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He’s a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister.
Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You’re hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You’d like to get to know Grace better.
But it’s difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are inseparable.
Some might call this true love. Others might wonder why Grace never answers the phone. Or why she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. Or why she never seems to take anything with her when she leaves the house, not even a pen. Or why there are such high-security metal shutters on all the downstairs windows.
Some might wonder what’s really going on once the dinner party is over, and the front door has closed.
Final Twist
Spring might be the season of new beginnings—but in these thrillers, it’s also the perfect time for old secrets, fresh crimes, and a whole lot of mental whiplash.
So brew a cup of something cozy, grab your favorite throw blanket (or alibi), and settle in. These books won’t just keep you guessing—they’ll keep you up all night.
If you still need to grab your copy of any of these great titles, you can get them here on Amazon. Or get one for free when you sign up for a free trial from Audible.
Until next time, keep it brash, keep it springin’, and keep it true to you!
