best short thriller novels

One great short thriller novel is 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson. It's a chilling story set in a small town where an annual lottery has a very dark and unexpected outcome. Another is 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It's a psychological thriller that delves into the mind of a woman slowly losing her sanity. And 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe is also a classic short thriller, with the narrator's descent into madness over a perceived evil eye being quite gripping.

For beginners, 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe is a great start. It's short, easy to read, and very suspenseful. The narrator's obsession and guilt are palpable. Another good one is 'The Monkey's Paw' by W. W. Jacobs. It has a simple yet spooky premise that draws you in quickly. And 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl is also suitable as it has a unique and engaging plot that doesn't require a lot of prior knowledge of the thriller genre.

Suspense is key. The best short thriller stories keep you on the edge of your seat, making you wonder what will happen next. For example, stories like 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson build tension by slowly revealing the dark nature of the lottery in the small town.

Some of the 2018 best thriller novels include 'The Woman in the Window' by A.J. Finn. It's a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats with its unreliable narrator and a mystery that unfolds within the confines of a house.

One of the best 2017 thriller novels is 'The Dry' by Jane Harper. It's set in a drought - stricken Australian town and has a great mystery at its core. Another is 'Before the Fall' by Noah Hawley. The story of a plane crash and the subsequent investigation is full of twists and turns. And 'The Girl Before' by JP Delaney is also notable. It's about a woman who moves into a minimalist house with some very strange rules and a dark past.

Some of the best 2019 thriller novels include 'The Silent Patient' by Alex Michaelides. It's a gripping tale about a criminal psychologist trying to get a mute patient to talk about her crime. Another great one is 'The Institute' by Stephen King. It involves a mysterious institute and children with special powers. Also, 'The Chain' by Adrian McKinty is quite good. It has a unique and terrifying concept of a chain of kidnappings.

The 'Da Vinci Code' by Dan Brown is a popular thriller that combines mystery and historical elements. 'The Bourne Identity' by Robert Ludlum is also great. It follows a man with amnesia trying to figure out his identity while being chased. And 'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Christie, with its isolated setting and series of murders, is a masterful thriller.

One of the best Indian thriller novels is 'The Girl in Room 105' by Chetan Bhagat. It combines mystery, love, and suspense in a college setting. The story revolves around a young man who tries to solve the mystery of a girl's death in his hostel room.

Well, 'The Silent Patient' by Alex Michaelides was also a popular 2020 thriller. It's about a famous painter who stops speaking after shooting her husband. The story is filled with twists and turns as a psychotherapist tries to figure out what really happened. And then there's 'The Wife Upstairs' by Rachel Hawkins, a modern - day take on 'Jane Eyre' with a thrilling and unexpected plot.

One great one is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's a classic where the narrator's paranoia and guilt drive the story. Another is 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson, which has a disturbing small - town ritual that keeps readers on edge. And 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl, where a woman's unexpected reaction to her husband's betrayal makes for a thrilling read.