20 Best Thriller Audiobooks to Get Your Heart Racing

Few stories lend themselves to audio better than thrillers. Not only does listening give you time to play detective and try to figure out the mysteries with the characters, but it also adds to the suspense. There’s no way to quickly flip through the tense, nerve-wracking parts—and that’s what makes hearing them so much more exciting. Whether you enjoy classic detective thrillers, or something more sinister and psychological, there are endless stories to choose from. Here are the 20 best thriller audiobooks to get you started.

Triptych

By: Karin Slaughter

Narrated by: Michael Kramer

Series: Will Trent, Book 1

Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins

Release date: 08-11-06

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 7,693 ratings

Triptych, the first installment in Karin Slaughter’s Will Trent series, is set in Atlanta, where women are being mutilated at the hands of a vicious serial killer. As his crimes cross unexpected boundaries, those attempting to crack the case are forced to do the same. Detective Michael Trent and vice cop Angie Polaski, former lovers turned steadfast enemies, must work together to find the murderer, but not without the help of an unlikely teammate—an ex-con who has stumbled upon the case. Narrator Michael Kramer gives a performance with the flair of noir, his voice reminiscent of detectives from the classic film genre.
You

By: Caroline Kepnes

Narrated by: Santino Fontana

Series: You, Book 1

Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins

Release date: 09-30-14

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 20,245 ratings

Caroline Kepnes’s You offers a dark perspective on murder mysteries unlike most. Told from the point of view of a serial killer obsessed with a striking, young writer, You places listeners in a unique position where they develop sympathy and understanding for Joe, the protagonist, all the while waiting with bated breath to see how his murderous plot will unfold. What makes listening to this story so gripping is that you feel like you’re hearing from Joe directly, slowly being entranced and trapped by him as twisted plans progress. Tony Award winner Santino Fontana’s empathetic, genuine depiction of Joe gets you into his head...more than you may like.
Killing Floor

Jack Reacher, Book 1

By: Lee Child

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Series: Jack Reacher, Book 1

Length: 17 hrs and 47 mins

Release date: 10-27-15

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 19,417 ratings

Lee Child’s debut novel (and the first story in the hit Jack Reacher series), Killing Floor tells the story of a man passing through the town of Margrave, Georgia...only to be arrested for murder almost immediately. Audie Award-winning narrator Dick Hill’s gravelly voice adds to the grit and grime of the character he portrays as he tries desperately to prove his innocence. His narrative pace lets you listen along and try and solve the mystery with Hill, while still keeping you on the edge of your seat and eager to hear what the next chapter will reveal.
The Woman in the Window

A Novel

By: A. J. Finn

Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee

Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins

Release date: 01-02-18

Language: English

4 out of 5 stars 31,108 ratings

For fans of Alfred Hitchcock and Agatha Christie, A. J. Finn’s The Woman in the Window is sure to satisfy. This listen tells the story of a reclusive woman, Anna, who is convinced she witnessed a crime at a neighbor’s home. A woman who loves to spy on her neighbors while drinking one-too-many glasses of wine, Anna must come to terms with what she saw as dark secrets begin to unfold around her. Actress Ann Marie Lee’s narration gives you insight into Anna’s mind, bringing her character to vivid life as she struggles to determine whether what she saw was a figment of her imagination—or something much worse.
Don't Let Go

By: Harlan Coben

Narrated by: Steven Weber

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

Release date: 09-26-17

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 10,948 ratings

Actor and audiobook fan favorite Steven Weber is unparalleled when it comes to setting a suspenseful tone. In Harlan Coben’s Don’t Let Go, Weber’s fast-paced narration makes it easy and exciting to follow along while his performance of Napoleon Nap Dumas, in particular, stands out with its boldness and wit. When Nap was in high school, his brother and brother’s girlfriend were found mysteriously dead near the railroad tracks. At the same time, Nap’s girlfriend Maura ended things suddenly and disappeared without a trace. Years later, as Nap investigates a murder case, he finds Maura’s fingerprints on the suspect’s car and has no choice but to face his past to help solve the murder.
Behind Her Eyes

A Novel

By: Sarah Pinborough

Narrated by: Anna Bentinck, Josie Dunn, Bea Holland, Huw Parmenter

Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins

Release date: 01-31-17

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 19,274 ratings

Louise, one of the main characters in Sarah Pinborough’s Behind Her Eyes, is a single mom looking for love. When sparks fly with the wrong person—her new boss, David—as Louise simultaneously befriends his wife, Adele, things begin to get complicated. But while this story starts with a modern-day love triangle, it quickly evolves into something dark, revealing a deep flaw in Adele and David’s marriage. This intriguing listen is enlivened by four exceptional narrators telling the story in tandem, making it easy to keep track of different characters and narratives while adding a layer of complexity and nuance to the story.
The Chemist

By: Stephenie Meyer

Narrated by: Ellen Archer

Length: 17 hrs and 1 min

Release date: 11-08-16

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 39,814 ratings

Though you may know Stephenie Meyer for her young adult series Twilight, she’s since turned toward the thriller genre. In The Chemist, a former government agent exposed to dark secrets is chased down after her team decides she’s a liability. Her only trusted companion is dead, and now she must live on the run. As the narrator of this ex-agent’s tale, Audie Award winner Ellen Archer successfully does what many narrators work for years to accomplish: giving each character a unique voice so that secondary and even tertiary characters stand out. Her lively, animated narration depicts the fiery mind of the protagonist on the run, leaving your heart racing with each word.
Gone Girl

A Novel

By: Gillian Flynn

Narrated by: Julia Whelan, Kirby Heyborne

Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins

Release date: 06-05-12

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 58,448 ratings

When the beautiful, fascinating Amy Dunne goes missing from her home after what looks to be a violent kidnapping, the natural suspect for the police is her husband, Nick. He furiously maintains his innocence, and with a marriage that seemed so perfect, even effortless, it’s difficult to imagine he could’ve harmed the woman he loved. But as incriminating secrets begin to find their way into the public eye, it becomes clear that neither Amy nor Nick were as content and happy as they pretended to be. Told in an immersive narrative style that alternates between the intimate perspectives of Nick and Amy, this story will have you looking at the people in your life and wondering how well you really know them after all. With dual-narration from Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne, the result is what one Audible listener called “completely rave worthy” as you can feel the angst, anger, apathy, vengeance, brokenness, tension, and the myriad of other emotions through their voices.
The Silent Patient

By: Alex Michaelides

Narrated by: Jack Hawkins, Louise Brealey

Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins

Release date: 02-05-19

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 69,492 ratings

The Silent Patient is a listen that turns the thriller genre on its head. After all, from the beginning of this story, we know exactly who the killer is: Alicia Berenson. A fabulous and famous painter with a seemingly perfect life, Alicia captures the fascination of the public and becomes an object of obsessions, when she abruptly murders her husband one night in their beautiful London home and then falls silent, refusing to speak. One of the obsessed is Theo Farber, a criminal psychologist who can’t rest until he’s uncovered Alicia’s secrets. Narrating partners Jack Hawkins and Louise Brealey play the many characters in this story to perfection, illustrating each person’s personality, nuances, and degree of innocence (...or guilt) in exquisite and emotional detail. And even if you’re a frequent thriller listener, you may be surprised to find that this is one case you can’t solve yourself.
One Good Deed

By: David Baldacci

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Series: An Archer Novel, Book 1

Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins

Release date: 07-23-19

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 13,811 ratings

Shortly after being released from prison and on the hunt for his first job during parole, Archer, a former World War II soldier, finds himself in a situation that could send him right back to where he came from. In One Good Deed by David Baldacci, the listener is brought along on Archer’s journey as he is forced to prove his innocence as the suspected murderer in a small town, using skills gleaned from prison and the battlefield to solve the case. Audie Award winner Edoardo Ballerini’s narration makes Archer’s journey to vindicate himself all the more unforgettable. His tone is confident and strident, with the perfect air of mystery as he seamlessly switches between the different people of the province, expertly portraying both male and female characters.
The Silence of the Lambs

By: Thomas Harris

Narrated by: Frank Muller

Series: Hannibal Lecter Series, Book 2

Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins

Release date: 04-07-11

Language: English

5 out of 5 stars 7,389 ratings

Though most people recognize The Silence of the Lambs from its brilliant film adaptation starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster, the novel it’s based on is truly superb in its own right. A followup to Thomas Harris’s Red Dragon, which introduced audiences to the chilling yet charming cannibalistic killer Hannibal Lecter, this listen follows FBI agent Clarice Starling as she is assigned to the case of a mysterious serial killer known as Buffalo Bill. And in order to get inside a killer’s mindset and crack the case, Starling finds an unlikely bedfellow in Lecter. Frank Muller’s performance is nothing short of excellent. He changes his timbre and voice to match the pace of the piece, flitting between different accents with ease, so that even if you already know the ending, you’ll still enjoy listening along again and again.
The Da Vinci Code

A Novel

By: Dan Brown

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Series: Robert Langdon, Book 2

Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins

Release date: 01-01-06

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 12,662 ratings

Following the success of Angels & Demons, Dan Brown brings expert symbologist Robert Langdon back to solve another murder in The Da Vinci Code. When Professor Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu are called in regarding a violent crime perpetrated at the Louvre, they’re soon thrown into a battle between extreme religious sects that unlocks a world of unforeseen puzzles and mysteries. One of the benefits of listening to this thriller is your ability to analyze and solve the case alongside Langdon. Paul Michael delivers this listen with ease, teetering between quick and meandering. It’s easy to find yourself not only breezing through this story, but also deep-diving into the alternate religious history Dan Brown has crafted.
The Wife Between Us

By: Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins

Release date: 01-09-18

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 34,295 ratings

In The Wife Between Us, an ex-wife stalks her replacement, a near-carbon copy of herself. Vanessa, the divorceé, tracks Nellie, who is promised to her ex-husband, despite knowing very little of the wedding plans. Vanessa is determined to prevent their marriage and will do whatever she can to stop it. Nellie, on the other hand, isn’t even sure if she’s ready to get married. But as the date draws closer...so does Vanessa. Despite the tension between the two women, Audie Award winner Julia Whelan narrates with a pleasant, deep voice, moving between masculine and feminine characters with ease. Her performance is sure to keep listeners guessing, unsure of who is lying and who is telling the truth in this twisted tale.
The Girl on the Train

A Novel

By: Paula Hawkins

Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey, India Fisher

Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins

Release date: 01-13-15

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 140,146 ratings

In The Girl on the Train, Rachel Watson, recently divorced and slowly crumbling under the weight of alcoholism, is forced to relive her pain each time her train passes by her former home—where her ex-husband now resides with the woman he left her for—on her daily commute. To dull the pain, liven up her dreary life, and further self-destruct, Rachel crafts idealistic stories about their neighbors, imagining up lives she wishes she could have herself. But when Rachel sees something shocking through the train window, and can’t help but dig into what happened, she sets off a chain of events with shocking consequences. Rachel’s perspective isn’t the only one you’ll hear in this twisty listen—two other women complete the story, sharing experiences that will leave listeners sifting through each version for grains of truth. Each of the three narrators craft bold portraits of each character, making you sympathize with each perspective quickly...and wonder who, exactly, has the most accurate version of reality.
Shutter Island

By: Dennis Lehane

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins

Release date: 12-09-08

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 3,195 ratings

Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island tells the tale of an island that houses the eerie Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. In the summer of 1954, widower US Marshal Teddy Daniels and his partner Chuck Aule are called to Shutter Island to look for an escaped patient, Rachel Solando, a murderer who was locked away under closely guarded care. Narrator Tom Stechschulte avoids melodrama while keeping the suspense and tension mounting as Teddy and Chuck piece together the clues left behind by Rachel, while trying desperately to avoid being slowly driven to madness themselves.
The Hunt for Red October

A Jack Ryan Novel

By: Tom Clancy

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Series: A Jack Ryan Novel (chronological order), Book 3, A Jack Ryan Novel (publication order), Book 1

Length: 18 hrs and 42 mins

Release date: 05-15-18

Language: English

5 out of 5 stars 10,925 ratings

Scott Brick’s performance of The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy makes this nearly 19-hour listen hard to pause. The Hall of Fame Narrator’s cool, calm delivery complements Jack Ryan’s gripping journey to find the Red October, a ballistic submarine coveted by both the Russians and the Americans. Set during the Cold War, CIA analyst Ryan has little to do with the investigation, until a photograph of the Red October lands on his desk, looping him into the mystery to find it. Now caught between two warring countries, he must hunt down the formidable undersea weapon as it moves West— before it falls into the wrong hands.
The Talented Mr. Ripley

By: Patricia Highsmith

Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly

Series: Ripley, Book 1

Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins

Release date: 01-24-12

Language: English

4 out of 5 stars 3,402 ratings

Patricia Highsmith’s beloved thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley was adapted into several films and a television series shortly after its smash-hit success. What makes this story such a fan favorite is no secret: Highsmith’s insights into the mind of a compassionless man determined to create—and steal—a carefree, luxurious life from his wealthy friends are utterly fascinating. Mr. Ripley, the main character, is brought to life by narrator Kevin Kenerly, who delivers each line with a jittery tension and anxiety, making listeners feel as nervous as Mr. Ripley himself. The worse things get, the more Mr. Ripley is driven to make violent, rash decisions that will have you feeling uneasy but eager to hear how it ends.
The Verdict

By: Nick Stone

Narrated by: David Thorpe

Length: 21 hrs and 17 mins

Release date: 12-28-14

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 8,541 ratings

If aligning yourself with your greatest enemy could make your career, would you do it? This is the essential question posed to legal clerk Terry Flynt when Vernon James, a millionaire accused of murder (who happens to be a man Flynt knows and loathes), needs his help to prove his innocence. Plunging into the details of the crime, Flynt also finds himself sinking down into the dark secrets of his own past, reliving the moments that derailed the course of his life and left James an enemy. David Thorpe, a former member of the BBC Radio Drama Company, superbly narrates this thrilling audiobook that explores the boundary between subjectivity and impartiality as well as how our emotions can influence what we believe is the truth. The Verdict: a dazzling, fast-paced mystery that’s designed to leave listeners craving answers.
Bluebird, Bluebird

By: Attica Locke

Narrated by: J. D. Jackson

Series: A Highway 59 Novel, Book 1

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Release date: 09-13-17

Language: English

4 out of 5 stars 2,723 ratings

This thriller brings us to Lark, East Texas, where racial tension has been simmering just below its boiling point for decades. When Darren Matthews, a black Texas Ranger all too familiar with the prejudices of his hometown, is reluctantly called back, he arrives to find two people dead and decades of resentment and hate threatening to erupt catastrophically. Bluebird, Bluebird earns a spot on our list not only for being a hugely entertaining thriller, but also a timely look at the intersection of race and justice. It’s a gripping story placed in a rich, fully-realized setting that pairs Attica Locke’s skillful prose with narrator J.D. Jackson’s crisp, procedural performance.
The Last Mile

By: David Baldacci

Narrated by: Kyf Brewer, Orlagh Cassidy

Series: Memory Man Series, Book 2

Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins

Release date: 04-19-16

Language: English

4.5 out of 5 stars 20,781 ratings

It’s hard to go wrong with a David Baldacci mystery, and in The Last Mile, we get yet another excellent fast-paced thriller from the New York Times best selling author. In this installment, Detective Amos Decker of Baldacci’s Memory Man returns—this time, on a special FBI task force. Decker isn’t your average investigator. Thanks to lingering side effects from a football injury sustained years prior, he has an impeccable memory and is unable to forget a single detail of any given event. But when the detective finds himself engrossed in a potential wrongful conviction case that bears eerie similarities to his own life, he begins to question: Is it a coincidence or is it much, much more? Kyf Brewer and Orlagh Cassidy’s dual narration of the male and female characters elevate this story to a true performance, keeping the listener rapt as Decker clambers to solve the case—and, in doing so, uncovers secrets about the unsolved mysteries lingering in his past.

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