Isolated Alaska, a remote island and Lincoln Rhyme headline 20 best upcoming thrillers of 2026

Family Secrets Turn Deadly

In Monica Arya’s The Favorite Girl, a young woman takes a job with a wealthy family in search of a fresh start, then discovers that her employers may have sinister intentions. The new edition was released November 10, 2026, and its first printing features sprayed edges.

Investigations Under Pressure

Amy Meyerson’s The Chaperones follows a school camping trip to a remote California island. After two children disappear in a storm, a search uncovers a body and dangerous secrets. The book is scheduled for December 1.

In Thunderbird Ranch, released November 10, Detective Kate Graham investigates a murder after a celebration at a luxurious Texas ranch. Laura Griffin’s story centers on a powerful family’s rivalries, buried secrets and dangerous lies. Laurie L. Dove’s Cry of the Rain Crow, due December 8, follows Tribal Marshal Starr as she investigates an oil worker’s death on Saliquaw Nation while pursuing cases involving missing women.

Clues, Arson And Missing People

Jeffery Deaver brings back Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs in The Collateral Heart, scheduled for November 17. The pair investigate deadly New York City arsons and cryptic clues that point to a larger plan.

In Lisa Howells’s Wolf Point, newly promoted police sergeant Terril Black searches an isolated Alaskan community for a missing teenage girl as a severe winter storm threatens to block rescue efforts. Its release date is December 1. Kevin Jagernauth’s The Longest Death, due in the U.S. on the same date, follows two lovers in 1950s America whose planned heist spirals toward catastrophe.

Courtroom And Espionage Plots

The Murder Trial by James Patterson and Nancy Allen is scheduled for November 23. An 18-year-old accused of killing her politically prominent adoptive parents maintains her innocence, as a courtroom battle reveals secrets beneath the family’s polished image.

Anna Pitoniak’s The Swiss Agent, due December 1, returns to CIA officer Amanda Cole. Its international espionage plot involves Swiss bankers, Russian oligarchs and a corruption scheme targeting NATO, while questions arise about the loyalty of fellow intelligence officers. Nick Harkaway’s The Taper Man is listed for November 17, but no plot details are provided.