Summary
Autumn is a big season forhorrorandthrillerbooks, butmany exciting new releases are hitting shelves over the summer— and there are some particularly good ones to look out for in August 2024. Although many of themost-anticipated horror and thriller books of 2024are already out, there are still chilling tales to devour during the latter half of the year. August features a good mix of both genres, with stories from recognizable authors and newcomers alike.
Fast-paced thrillers make forgreat beach reads, and more intense horror breaks up the influx of summer romances and seasonal thrillers nicely. With fall fast approaching, it’s also a great time to put spooky reads on your radar.Summer horror and thriller releases can be saved for closer to Halloween, and August 2024’s lineup includes quite a few gems to add to any season’s TBR pile.
15 Thriller Books With Twist Endings That Didn’t Disappoint
A good psychological or crime thriller should keep readers guessing until that big final plot twist, and these suspenseful books won’t disappoint.
9House Of Glass By Sarah Pekkanen
Release Date: August 02, 2025
Sarah Pekkanen’sHouse of Glassis a thriller getting a lot of attention in August 2024, and judging by its impressive 4.08Goodreadsrating, it’s one of the author’s best books to date.House of Glasstakes place after the Barclay family’s nanny falls to her death — though the circumstances surrounding her demise suggest she could just as easily have been pushed. Nine-year-old Rose Barclay is completely silent after the woman’s death, suggesting she might know the truth. As Attorney Stella Hudson handles custody cases, she’s charged with getting Rose to talk.
However, when Stella arrives at the Barclays, she finds herself pulled into the family’s web of lies. Their secrets will keep Stella — and readers — guessing throughoutHouse of Glass, making it a promising thriller.Pekkanen’s latest promises to unpack the lies picture-perfect families often tell, and it sounds like just the story for anyone looking for an adrenaline-fueled good time.
8The Unmothers By Leslie J. Anderson
Fans offolk horror moviesshould keep an eye out forThe Unmothersin August 2024, as Leslie J. Anderson’s book promises to reimmerse readers in the popular genre.The Unmothersfollows a grieving journalist named Marshall who is sent to a small town to investigate bizarre whispers— ones that claim a human child was recently birthed by a horse. Naturally, Mashall doesn’t believe her trip to Raeford will amount to anything. However, when the corpses of a human and horse are uncovered, she quickly changes her mind.
As Marshall digs deeper into the strange incident, she begins unearthing generations-old secrets. And these secrets might be better left buried.The Unmotherssounds like an eerie, fascinating story, and its synopsis promises to tackle subjects like “female rage, bodily autonomy, and generational trauma.” Needless to say, it sounds like a must-read addition to 2024’s horror lineup. Hopefully, its execution lives up to its brilliant premise.
7House Of Bone And Rain By Gabino Iglesias
Gabino Iglesias is known for the award-winning novelThe Devil Takes You Home,and it’s no surprise the author’s August 2024 book is highly anticipated among horror and thriller readers.House of Bone and Rainhas an immediately gripping cover, and its synopsis is just as compelling. Iglesias' latest follows a group of teenage boys on a quest for revenge after one of their mothers is killed. Getting vengeance will mean facing down the “drug kingpin of Puerto Rico” — a man no one has ever survived a confrontation with.
If this setup doesn’t sound thrilling enough,House of Bone and Rainalso teases supernatural elements, making it an intriguing addition to August’s lineup. Given its 4.50 averageGoodreadsrating, early reviewers are clearly enjoying Iglesias' newest novel. It sounds well worth checking out, especially for fans of the author’s previous work.
6Mask Of Flies By Matthew Lyons
Mask of Fliesby Matthew Lyons is another exciting horror book hitting shelves in August 2024, and its cover alone is incredibly haunting. Pitched as a mash-up ofThe OutsidersandIt Follows — an intriguing selling point —Mask of Fliesfollows criminal Anne Heller as she hides out at her family’s cabin in the aftermath of a failed bank robbery. She takes her accomplices and a hostage police officer with her, and when one of the former dies, things spiral out of control.
A Mask of Fliessounds like the right book to pick up if you’re looking for something to keep you up all night.
Despite her friend Jessup’s death, he returns to the cabin in a new form — and it seems like the supernatural may prove a more pressing problem for Anne than the police. The only way she’ll surviveA Mask of Fliesis by uncovering her mother’s secrets while she’s at the cabin. It’s a promising setup, andthat places Lyons' latest firmly in the most-anticipated horror category for August.A Mask of Fliessounds like the right book to pick up if you’re looking for something to keep you up all night.
5This Is Why We Lied By Karin Slaughter
Release Date: July 13, 2025
Karin Slaughter is one of the biggest thriller authors out there, andshe’s releasing a new book in August 2024:This Is Why We Lied. The latest addition to theWill Trentseries,This Is Why We Liedwill follow the GBI agent and medical examiner Sara Linton as they embark on their honeymoon. What’s meant to be a peaceful stay at McAlpine Lodge turns into a mystery when the facility’s manager, Mercy McAlpine, turns up dead.
With a storm trapping visitors at McAlpine Lodge, it’s obvious the killer is somewhere on the mountain where it’s located — and they just might go after someone else. Will and Sara will be forced to piece together the mystery, which means unraveling the other guests' secrets. Overall,This Is Why We Liedsounds like a thrilling return to the world of Will Trent.
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Snatched (novella)
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Busted (novella)
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Cleaning the Gold (novella written with Lee Child)
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4You Will Never Be Me By Jesse Q. Sutanto
Jesse Q. Sutanto, the author ofDial A for AuntiesandVera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders, is back with a new book in August 2024 — and it sounds as fun as her previous releases.You Will Never Be Meis a thriller centered on the timely topic of influencers, and it sounds like it could even delve into themes of obsession.You Will Never Be Mesees influencer Meredith Lee “lightly” stalking her protégé, Aspen Palmer, after Aspen gets big and stops talking to her.
You Will Never Be Mehas one of the most unique thriller concepts of 2024, and knowing Sutanto, it’s likely to be a hit.
As Meredith starts messing with Aspen, Aspen finds her influencing career going downhill. She’s determined not to let that happen, but when Meredith disappears, it threatens everything she holds dear.You Will Never Be Mehas one of the most unique thriller concepts of 2024, and knowing Sutanto, it’s likely to be a hit. It’s a new release readers should keep on their radars. It sounds like the perfect fast-paced summer read.
3We Love The Nightlife By Rachel Koller Croft
Another novel about “toxic female friendship,“We Love the Nightlifeis another August 2024 release to keep an eye on— and Rachel Koller Croft’s new book puts a supernatural twist on the subject. A horror/thriller story about vampires,We Love the Nightlifeopens in 1979, when Amber and Nicola connect on the dance floor of a disco in London. Nicola, who is a vampire, wishes to keep their glamorous partying dynamic going forever. However, 50 years after they meet, Amber is ready to leave Nicola behind.
The problem? The women who leave Nicola tend to end up dead. And Nicola, sensing that Amber is distancing herself, suggests they open their own club. Amber must play the part of her friend and business partner, all while trying to escape. It sounds like a terrifying ride for Amber, butWe Love the Nightlifepromises a gripping and entertaining vampire story for readers.
2Clown In A Cornfield 3: The Church Of Frendo By Adam Cesare
Adam Cesare’sClown in a Cornfieldbooks are perfect for horror fans who don’t scare easily, andClown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendocontinues the series in August 2024. On the heels of Quinn’s most recent encounter with Frendo, she sets out to stop the clown and his followers once and for all. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done.
Quinn’s attempt to confront and eliminate the True believers promises to take her to all-new places — dangerous ones at that. With the promise to explore “the villains inside us all,“Clown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendosounds as dark and intriguing as Cesare’s previous installments. Hopefully, it lives up to the series' legacy.
1Crypt Of The Moon Spider By Nathan Ballingrud
Release Date: August 16, 2025
Crypt of the Moon Spiderby Nathan Ballingrud is set to round out the horror book releases for August 2024, and if the novel’s cover doesn’t draw readers in, its premise surely will. Set in 1923,Crypt of the Moon Spider followsVeronica Brinkley as she “is touching down on the moon for her intake at the Barrowfield Home for Treatment of the Melancholy.” The facility’s treatments may be impressive, but there’s more going on there than first meets the eye.
It’s hard to say what kind of “trouble” will unfold at Barrowfield once Veronica arrives there, but the synopsis suggests it goes back to the spider silk used there. Ballingrud’s latest sounds eerie and mysterious, which is a great reason to pick it up. Its impressiveGoodreadsrating of 4.37 also hints that it will be one of the biggesthorrorreleases of August.
