12 Must-Read Romantic Thriller Books That Perfectly Combine Spice and Suspense

Toni Anderson is a prolific, beloved romantic thriller writer. If you’re diving into her oeuvre, start here, with the first book in her best-selling Cold Justice series. It centers on FBI agent Mallory Rooney, who’s on the hunt for the serial killer who abducted her sister nearly two decades ago. Her path soon crosses with that of Alex Parker, a covert government assassin who’s also tracking down the killer.

This steamy, suspense-filled story centers on Reddit-famous detective Fiona, who’s determined to take down the tech company that stole her late brother’s invention. When things go awry and Fiona is accused of a murder she didn’t commit, she’ll need a little help from actual P.I. Maurice to find the real culprit.

For decades, Nora Roberts has been many readers’s introduction to the romantic thriller genre, and she has plenty to choose from. This 2012 novel was her 200th (see, plenty) and is a favorite for many fans. It follows a woman now known as Abigail Lowery, who catches the eye of small-town police chief Brooks Gleason just as some extremely dangerous figures from her past re-emerge 12 years after she left her old life behind.

Following her absolutely iconic Gallagher Girls series of YA romantic spy thrillers, Ally Carter began dabbling in the adult version of the genre with this 2023 novel. It starts with a woman waking up in Paris with no memory and an extremely handsome man helping her escape from the people out to kill her. It turns out she’s not an international spy, but the twin sister of one—so she’ll have to work very closely with the mysterious man to sort things out.

Selena Montgomery may not sound familiar, but what if I told you that’s the pen name for a certain well-known Georgia politician? It’s true: In addition to being an inspiring legislator, lawyer, and voting rights activist, Stacey Abrams is also an acclaimed fiction writer. It all began with this 2001 romantic thriller, in which intelligence operative Raleigh Foster is tasked with infiltrating a terrorist group—with her very sexy new partner, Adam Grayson, posing as her lover. A high-stakes spy plot and the fake-dating trope? Be still, my heart!

Another heavyweight of the romantic thriller genre, Karen Rose’s first book remains a fan favorite. It begins almost a decade after Mary Grace Winters faked her own death to escape her abusive husband and adopted a new identity far away from him. But suddenly, her peaceful new life—and new love—are threatened when his obsessive search for her gets way too close for comfort.

Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty has written plenty more Australia-set thrillers, including this 2011 novel, in which unlucky-in-love hypnotherapist Ellen finally strikes up a sweet romance with a kind, gainfully employed(!) man. But things get more complicated when he reveals that he’s being stalked by his ex-girlfriend…who may or may not have already inserted herself into Ellen’s life.

When famous podcast host Joy and her husband Xander go missing, Joy’s co-host Benny becomes the prime suspect. But things aren’t so clear-cut: An unpublished draft of Joy’s memoir reveals secrets, including details about both Joy’s marriage and her intense relationship with Benny, shedding new light on the couple’s mysterious disappearance.

Now a movie starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, this Colleen Hoover novel is heavy on romance and thrills. The titular character is an author struggling to finish her bestselling series after a debilitating accident, so her husband, Jeremy, hires an up-and-coming suspense novelist, Lowen, to pick up where Verity left off. The more time Lowen spends at the couple’s home, the closer she gets to Jeremy, and the more unsettling details about their past she discovers.