Top 15 in Thriller
Week of June 29, 2026

by Mary Higgins Clark
Fleeing the humiliating arrest of her husband-to-be on the eve of their wedding, Celia Kilbride, a gems and jewelry expert, hopes to escape from public attention by lecturing on a brand-new cruise ship, the Queen Charlotte. She meets Lady Emily Haywood, the owner of a priceless-- and cursed-- emerald necklace that she intends to leave to the Smithsonian after the cruise. Three days out to sea Lady Em is found dead-- and the necklace is missing. As the list of suspects grows Celia, with the help of her new friends Willy and Alvirah Meehan, sets out to find the killer.

by Peter Heller
A NATIONAL BESTSELLER "A fiery tour de force... I could not put this book down. It truly was terrifying and unutterably beautiful." -Alison Borden, The Denver Post From the best-selling author of The Dog Stars, the story of two college students on a wilderness canoe trip--a gripping tale of a friendship tested by fire, white water, and violence Wynn and Jack have been best friends since freshman orientation, bonded by their shared love of mountains, books, and fishing. Wynn is a gentle giant, a Vermont kid never happier than when his feet are in the water. Jack is more rugged, raised on a ranch in Colorado where sleeping under the stars and cooking on a fire came as naturally to him as breathing. When they decide to canoe the Maskwa River in northern Canada, they anticipate long days of leisurely paddling and picking blueberries, and nights of stargazing and reading paperback Westerns. But a wildfire making its way across the forest adds unexpected urgency to the journey. When they hear a man and woman arguing on the fog-shrouded riverbank and decide to warn them about the fire, their search for the pair turns up nothing and no one. But: The next day a man appears on the river, paddling alone. Is this the man they heard? And, if he is, where is the woman? From this charged beginning, master storyteller Peter Heller unspools a headlong, heart-pounding story of desperate wilderness survival.

by C. J. Box
A twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother go on the run in the woods of North Idaho, pursued by four men they have just watched commit murder---four men who know exactly who William and Annie are, and who know exactly where their desperate mother is waiting for news of her children’s fate. Retired cops from Los Angeles, the killers easily persuade the inexperienced sheriff to let them lead the search for the missing children. William and Annie’s unexpected savior comes in the form of an old-school rancher teetering on the brink of foreclosure. But as one man against four who will stop at nothing to silence their witnesses, Jess Rawlins needs allies, and he knows that one word to the wrong person could seal the fate of the children or their mother. In a town where most of the ranches like his have turned into acres of ranchettes populated by strangers, finding someone to trust won’t be easy. With true-to-life, unforgettable characters and a ticking-clock plot that spans just over forty-eight hours, C.J. Box has created a thriller that delves into issues close to the heart: the ruthless power of greed over broken ideals, the healing power of community where unlikely heroes find themselves at the crossroads of duty and courage, and the truth about what constitutes a family. In a setting whose awesome beauty is threatened by those who want a piece of it, Blue Heaven delivers twists and turns until its last breathtaking page. Blue Heaven is the winner of the 2009 Edgar Award

by Vince Flynn
THE NEW YORK TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER The brand new thriller featuring CIA operative Mitch Rapp. Rapp is bruised and battered after his time in the Near East but, however high the odds seem to be stacked against him, he always returns ready to risk everything again. But is the pressure beginning to get too much? AMERICAN ASSASSIN, book one in the series, is soon to be a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE starring Dylan O'Brien (Maze Runner), Taylor Kitsch (True Detective) and Michael Keaton. Praise for the Mitch Rapp series 'Sizzles with inside information and CIA secrets' Dan Brown 'A cracking, uncompromising yarn that literally takes no prisoners' The Times 'Vince Flynn clearly has one eye on Lee Child's action thriller throne with this twist-laden story. . . instantly gripping' Shortlist 'Action-packed, in-your-face, adrenalin-pumped super-hero macho escapist fiction that does exactly what it says on the label' Irish Independent 'Mitch Rapp is a great character who always leaves the bad guys either very sorry for themselves or very dead' Guardian

by Dale Brown
State-of-the-art action in the air, on land and at sea as the USA is drawn into conflict with China in this compelling and authentic new tale from an acclaimed master of the modern action-thriller.

by Jeanine Cummins
*NOW A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME* 'Breathtaking... I haven't been so entirely consumed by a book for years' Telegraph 'I'll never stop thinking about it' Ann Patchett FEAR KEEPS THEM RUNNING. HOPE KEEPS THEM ALIVE. Vivid, visceral, utterly compelling, AMERICAN DIRT is an unforgettable story of a mother and son's attempt to cross the US-Mexico border. Described as 'impossible to put down' (Saturday Review) and 'essential reading' (Tracy Chevalier), it is a story that will leave you utterly changed. Yesterday, Lydia had a bookshop. Yesterday, Lydia was married to a journalist. Yesterday, she was with everyone she loved most in the world. Today, her eight-year-old son Luca is all she has left. For him, she will carry a machete strapped to her leg. For him, she will leap onto the roof of a high speed train. For him, she will find the strength to keep running.
by E. O. Chirovici
ONE MAN'S TRUTH IS ANOTHER MAN'S LIE. When big-shot literary agent Peter Katz receives an unfinished manuscript entitled The Book of Mirrors, he is intrigued. The author, Richard Flynn is writing a memoir about his time at Princeton in the late 80s, documenting his relationship with the famous Professor Joseph Wieder. One night in 1987, Wieder was brutally murdered in his home and the case was never solved. Peter Katz is hell-bent on getting to the bottom of what happened that night twenty-five years ago and is convinced the full manuscript will reveal who committed the violent crime. But other people's recollections are dangerous weapons to play with, and this might be one memory that is best kept buried.

by Jack Higgins
Pocket Books, publisher of 16 Higgins bestsellers, now presents an extraordinary novel that reunites retired British agent Liam Devlin and renegade American Martin Brosnan. The two legendary guerrillas of the most ruthless wars take on a terrorist who delivers maximum destruction for whoever pays.

by Shan Scott
Shelly, bright, young, beautiful and with the world at her feet. A steady relationship and a promising future. Death brings a change to her cocooned world, her sanity is challenged, relationships destroyed, her reputation in tatters. Can the one thing that has ruined her life become her salvation? Can she begin to truly see herself? To see her world for something utterly different than what she thought it was? This gripping, edge of your seat thriller will have you guessing at every twist and turn. Join Shelly as she learns the dark truth about what lies behind her vivid eyes. Things will never be the same again... (Book #1 Second Sight Series)

by David Baldacci
A winning mix of power and politics. -- USA TodayBaldacci delivers. -- New York Daily NewsPowerful....The story will leave readers lying awake at night. -- Associated PressFast and scary. -- CosmopolitanNon-stop action, taut plotting, sizzling suspense. -- Stephen Coonts, author of Under SeigeTotal deceit...the ultimate betrayalSidney Archer has been living the perfect life -- a loving husband, adorable daughter, and a successful career at a major Washington law firm. Suddenly her husband is killed in a fiery plane crash, and her life is shattered. But the nightmare is just beginning: the FBI believes that her husband was responsible for the crash, and that he is still alive. Did he betray his wife and his country? The hunt is on for Jason Archer -- and the startling truth which threatens to destroy the country's most powerful individual.

by Stuart Woods
Stone Barrington clashes with a determined adversary in the latest non-stop thriller from #1 New York Times-bestselling author Stuart Woods. Stone Barrington and his latest paramour are enjoying a peaceful country retreat when their idyll is broken by an unwelcome stranger. He was sent by an enemy, someone who'd be happy to silence Stone and all his collaborators for good . . . only it's soon clear that Stone is not an easy man to target. But with boundless resources and a thirst for vengeance, this foe will not be deterred, and when one plot fails another materializes. Their latest plan is more ambitious and subtle than any they've tried before, and the consequences could remake the nation. With the country's future in the balance, Stone will need to muster all his savvy and daring to defeat this rival once and for all.

by Matthew Reilly
Science-fiction thriller, set in America's most secret military installation, hidden deep in the Utah Desert. The President has come to inspect the base, but is unaware of the hostile forces that are waiting inside. Includes illustrations and an interview with the author on the writing of the book. Author's previous titles include the bestsellers 'Ice Station' and 'Contest'.

by Dan Chaon
"A psychologist in suburban Cleveland, Dustin is drifting through his forties when he hears the news: his adopted brother Rusty is being released from prison. Thirty years ago, Rusty received a life sentence for the massacre of Dustin's parents, aunt, and uncle. The trial came to epitomize the 1980s hysteria over Satanic cults; despite the lack of physical evidence, the jury believed the outlandish accusations Dustin and his cousin made against Rusty. Now, after DNA analysis has overturned the conviction, Dustin braces for a reckoning"--Dust jacket flap.

