Christmas thrillers tap into a different seasonal tension than traditional holiday mysteries.
Where classic whodunits lean on puzzles and atmosphere, thrillers thrive on velocity—secrets detonating at the worst possible moment, families unraveling under the weight of expectation, and the holiday’s enforced cheer becoming a pressure point rather than a comfort. Snowstorms trap characters in isolated settings. Gift‑giving becomes a stage for revelation. And beneath the glow of the season, danger feels sharper, more intimate.
The novels below deliver that heightened pulse. They span psychological suspense, domestic noir, police‑led manhunts, and darkly inventive crime fiction. What unites them is their ability to turn Christmas into a catalyst—an accelerant that pushes characters toward the truth, or toward each other, or toward something far more dangerous.
1. The Gift (2023) by Freida McFadden: A domestic‑suspense thriller built on a seemingly thoughtful Christmas gift that sets off a chain of paranoia, suspicion, psychological manipulation, and McFadden’s signature twist‑driven pacing. What begins as a holiday surprise quickly becomes a dangerous test of trust.
2. Christmas Revenge (2022) by A.J. Campbell: A tense, emotionally charged thriller about a long-buried grievance that resurfaces during the holidays, turning Christmas into the perfect cover for payback. As tensions rise, it becomes clear that forgiveness was never part of the plan.
3. The XMAS Day Butcher (2023) by Spencer Guerrero: Dark, brutal, and unapologetically grim, this holiday thriller strips Christmas of its warmth entirely. Spencer G. blends serial‑killer tension with an advent calendar of clues, delivering a story that pushes the holiday‑thriller boundary into grittier territory. Get ready for a high-contrast borderline horror of twinkling lights against a man destined to find his wife.
4. 25 Days (2020) by P.J. Jacobsen: A psychological thriller structured around a countdown to Christmas. Jacobsen uses the calendar format to build momentum, layering dread as the holiday approaches.
5. The Christmas Jigsaw Murders (2024) by Alexandra Benedict: A puzzle-driven thriller where murders unfold like pieces of a larger design. Readers are invited to assemble clues alongside investigators as Christmas draws nearer. Benedict blends riddles, escalating danger, and a sharply drawn cast to create a holiday story that’s both playful and sinister.
6. Twice on Christmas (2023) by McGarvey Black: A sharp psychological thriller centered on two Christmases, years apart, linked by a crime that refuses to stay buried. Black’s pacing and emotional acuity make this a standout seasonal suspense novel of identity, memory, and the fractures that surface during the holidays.
7. The Christmas Killer (2020) by Alex Pine: A police‑led thriller set in a snowbound village. Fall into isolation, snow, and a ticking clock that create a tense, atmospheric manhunt.
8. An Unwanted Guest (2018) by Shari Lapena: A locked‑in winter thriller set at a remote inn. While not strictly a Christmas novel, its snowstorm setting, ensemble cast, and escalating danger make it a perfect holiday read for thriller fans. Lapena excels at claustrophobic suspense and shifting suspicion.
9. Last Christmas (2023) by Maria Frankland: A psychological thriller about fractured relationships and the secrets that surface during the holidays. Frankland’s character‑driven tension makes this a strong seasonal pick.
10. The Christmas Party (2023) by Mikayla Davids: A domestic thriller where a holiday gathering becomes the catalyst for betrayal, secrets, and a dangerous unraveling. Davids plays with surface-level cheer and the darker motivations hiding beneath it.
11. Christmas Presents (2022) by Lisa Unger: Unger blends psychological depth with seasonal unease, delivering a thriller where gifts come with consequences and trust is dangerously misplaced. Emotional intimacy becomes the real threat.
12. You Better Watch Out (2023) by James Murray & Darren Wearmouth: A high‑octane thriller with a cinematic feel. Murray and Wearmouth deliver escalating danger, sharp pacing, and a holiday setting that amplifies the stakes. Familiar warnings take on a deadly literal meaning.
Thalia Mercer is a writer covering mystery and thriller fiction, with a focus on book-to-screen adaptations and contemporary reading culture. She writes about why certain stories resonate—and how they translate beyond the page.
