From The Secret History to Pretty Little Liars, I really love a good Friend Group Thriller. What is better than a story about a group of friends, former friends or frenemies tied together by a dark secret? Here are some of my favorites. Check out my list of Best Friend Group Thrillers!
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Best Friend Group Thrillers to Read and Watch
- Friend Group Thriller and Suspense Books to Read
- Friend Group Thrillers to Watch
- Where to Find Young Adult Friend Group Thrillers!
What is a Friend Group Thriller?
Here’s how I define it:
A Friend Group Thriller or Suspense Novel is about three or more friends (or former friends) who are tied together by a dark secret they are keeping. The secret can be in the past (usually in a suspense novel) or in the present (in a thriller) of the story. Or both.
And two can keep a secret .. if one of them is dead.
Most Influential Friend Group Thriller
I’d argue that the most famous and influential Friend Group Thriller was this 1992 book:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt (1992)
Why the Secret History is on my list of Friend Group Thrillers
- The OG Friend Group Thriller and Dark Academia trendsetter!
- New England setting
- Rich friends, poor friend dynamic
In the book, a group of quirky outcasts at a small New England college fall into the orbit of a charismatic professor. The friend group includes twins Charles and Camilla, plus students Richard, Francis, Henry, and Bunny. The book is narrated by Richard, who reflects upon the events that led to Bunny’s murder.
The Note by Alafair Burke (2025)
2025 is off to a great Friend Group Thriller start with this story:
- A fun Hamptons setting
- Featuring three friends who have undergone public “cancellation” and are trying to lay low on their girls trip
- But drama (and a dead body) follows them. Who is the killer?
- Oh, and they were at the same summer camp fifteen years ago .. where someone else died
This fun book has I Know What You Did Last Summer vibes.
Check out my Review of The Note by Alafair Burke
Bad Tourists by Caro Carver (2024)
Why Bad Tourists is on my list of Friend Group Thrillers:
- It’s a combo vacation thriller and friend group thriller, which is a common pairing.
- The friends have a surprising connection that I don’t think I’ve seen before
- It has some crazy twists and turns and felt a little (in both location and vibe) like One Perfect Couple.
Check out my Review of Bad Tourists with spoilers!
The Fury by Alex Michalides (2024)
Why The Fury is on my list of Friend Group Thrillers:
- Slippery (possibly unreliable) narrator
- Theater setting and themes
- Friend group trip to a private Greek Island
- Are they friends or frenemies?
The book is narrated by Elliot Chase, who is describing how one of his friends were murdered. Shades of The Secret History, right?
Check out my review of The Fury with SPOILERS and my wacky theory about the ending.
Only if You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham (2024)
Why Only if You’re Lucky is on my list:
- College friends with a big secret
- Dark/toxic female friendship themes
- Past present narrative
Check out my Review of Only if You’re Lucky with SPOILERS for all the details.
2022 and 2023 were HUGE years for Friend Group Thrillers. I will be adding to this list, so if you have suggestions, please make them in comments.
There Should Have Been Eight by Nailini Singh (November 2023)
Why There Should Have Been Eight is on my list:
- A group of friends (and significant others) gathers at a remote estate
- They are memorializing a friend of theirs who died
- One by one, they also start dying
check out my Review of There Should Have Been Eight with SPOILERS!
The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda (2023)
Check out my Review of The Only Survivors and my Only Survivors Spoiler Discussion.
- An 1990s “I Know What You Did Last Summer” vibe
- An Outer Banks setting
- High school secrets in the past
- Twist at the end, but some readers found the ending a little wacky
What Have We Done by Alex Finlay (2023)
Check out my Review of What Have We Done.
Why is What Have We Done on the List?
- Trauma bonded friend group
- Former foster kids
- The group is stalked by a mystery enemy
The Secrets We Buried by Becca Day (2023)
Here’s my Review of The Secrets We Buried.
- “Desperate Housewives” vibe
- Rich people behaving badly
- Nosy YouTuber tries to solve the crime
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall (2023)
I reviewed What Lies in the Woods!
- A Slenderman or Heavenly Creatures vibe
- Podcast element
- Two best friends who played “the goddess game” in the woods
- Their testimony put a serial killer in jail
- They were lying
The It Girl by Ruth Ware (2022)
Here’s my Review of The It Girl and my It Girl Spoiler Post!
I also put this one on my Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022 list!
- Dark Academia vibes
- Agatha Christie classic mystery vibes
- Elite Oxford University setting
- Past-present timeline
In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead (2022)
Here’s my Review of In My Dreams I Held a Knife.
- Mean Girls vibe
- College reunion gone wrong
- Unlikeable characters
- Revenge plot with a person coming after the killer of one of the friends
The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones (2022)
Here’s my review of The Guilt Trip and my Guilt Trip Spoiler Discussion Post.
- Couples trip plagued by secrets and lies
- Former college friends and their now spouses
- Wedding Thriller
- Lots of twists and turns!
Best Friend Group Thrillers to Watch
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
- Classic mystery
- European setting
- Con artist themes
I put this book on my list of Travel Thrillers and Books to Read if You Love White Lotus. It’s a great movie with a star-studded cast!
If you love The Talented Mr. Ripley, check out my review of Ladykiller, which is loosely inspired by Ripley.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
- A group of friends hiding a terrible secret
- Anonymous threats one year after a terrible accident
If you’re an older millennial or a Gen X, you might remember the Lois Duncan book. The 1997 movie starrs 90s icons Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Hewitt, Ryan Phillippe, and was written by Kevin Williamson.
There’s also a new remake of I Know What You Did Last Summer on Amazon Prime. I’m going to watch it and report back, so make sure you’re subscribed to my newsletter!
Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017)
- High school setting
- Anonymous threats to a group of friends
- A missing Queen Bee
Ok, so I watched this and loved it … at first. But this show was an amazing Friend Group Thriller for a few seasons.
How to Get Away With Murder (2015-2020)
- Law students united by a dark secret
Again, to me, this was a show that started strong and then eventually lost its way. But it’s a classic friend group murder in the first season at least!
Love young adult books? Check out my List of YA Friend Group Thrillers. I mean, what is more terrifying than high school drama?
