100+ Thriller Story Ideas for your next Bestseller in 2025

The Fatal Photograph

Lara, a passionate freelance photographer capturing community events, accidentally snaps a picture of a crime scene that unveils more than she bargained. As she’s pulled into a web of conspiracy, she teams up with Ryan, a skeptical detective with a chip on his shoulder who reluctantly relies on her street smarts. Together, they expose a local conspiracy hiding beneath the surface, leading to life-threatening situations.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍

The Vanishing Artist

Tommy, a struggling art curator in a bustling city, discovers that a famous artist has gone missing right before an exhibition. When he investigates, he uncovers a dark history of the artist’s past involving notorious mob ties. With the help of Clara, a fierce but haunted art historian, they embark on a dangerous hunt that leads them into a hidden world of forgery and betrayal.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The Confession Tape

Renee, a dedicated podcaster known for exposing local cold cases, discovers an old tape of a confessing murderer. As she delves deeper into the story, she finds herself receiving threatening messages, and her investigation forces her into a deadly game with those who want to keep the truth buried. Only Jake, her loyal but reluctant partner, can help her navigate the confusion before it’s too late.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍

The Customer No One Saw

Tess, a hard-working barista, starts noticing a mysterious customer who visits her café each week—always the same order, always at the same time. When he suddenly goes missing, she teams up with Mark, a small-town detective with his own troubled past. Together, they unravel a dangerous secret, only to discover that the quiet café has ties to something much larger than they imagined.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Chasing Shadows

Sophie, a talented but reclusive playwright, finds herself drawn into a real-life mystery when the lead actor of her latest production vanishes without a trace. With the help of Eddie, the brooding yet charming stage manager who’s hiding his own secrets, they must sift through tangled relationships in the theater world to uncover the actor’s whereabouts, leading to a shocking finale.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍

The Good Neighbor

Jordan, a recently divorced single mother, begins to worry when her seemingly perfect neighbor, David, starts exhibiting strange behavior. As she becomes increasingly convinced he’s hiding something sinister, she partners with Nina, her tech-savvy best friend, to investigate. Their sleuthing leads them to shocking truths about both David and their neighborhood’s hidden past.

Hot Meter: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

The Lost Heir

Helen, a smart and determined historian specializing in genealogies, receives a mysterious letter informing her that she might be the heir to a hidden fortune. As multiple individuals pursue her, she partners with Lucas, a cynical but witty private investigator, unraveling a deadly legacy entangled in betrayal from generations past.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The Inherited Burden

Cara, a young lawyer, inherits an old family estate only to find it filled with cryptic laws binding her to the estate’s tragic history. When she uncovers a series of murder cases tied to the property’s former inhabitants, she must join forces with Sam, a ghostwriter who believes in the supernatural, to uncover how far this legacy will go to protect its secrets.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍

The Encryption Game

Oliver, a disgraced software engineer now living off-grid, receives a cryptic message promising redemption through a series of challenging puzzles. Maya, a savvy ex-CIA analyst who has her own reasons for seeking justice, persuades him to help solve a case long covered up by corrupt officials. Their collaboration spirals into a dangerous game of deception requiring them to outsmart those willing to kill for their secrets.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Breath of Secrets

Evie, a passionate environmentalist, discovers an underground testing lab responsible for air pollution affecting her town. After capturing evidence unnoticed, she’s suddenly targeted. Teaming up with Alex, an ex-military operative drawn to her plight, together they investigate the corporate collusion while narrowly escaping life-threatening threats.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍

The Body In My Backyard

Gina, an aspiring landscape designer, finds a body buried in her newly bought property. When the police suspect her, she partners with her neighbor, Colin, an amateur detective with a past. As they dig deeper into the history of the neighborhood, they uncover a cold case linked to wronged lives and deadly revenge.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍

A Web of Lies

Vera, a sharp-tongued journalist with a penchant for scandal, stumbles upon a high-profile politician’s scandal during a routine interview. Teaming up with the disillusioned aide, Evan, who has firsthand knowledge of the politician’s dark past, they race against time to deliver the story before it gets buried along with those who oppose it.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍

Threads of Deceit

Isabella, a skilled textile artist, discovers ancient fabric swatches with obscure markings in her small town that hint at a lost civilization. When people begin to die under suspicious circumstances, she unravels an unexpected historical cover-up with the help of Simon, an enigmatic archaeologist tied to the mystery.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The Silent Witness

Elena, a forensic linguist with a gift for decoding messages, discovers a series of anonymous letters threatening a local celebrity. She reluctantly partners with Nick, an ex-cop turned bodyguard, and together, they navigate the underground world of fame, media, and crime, racing against time to expose the sender before they strike again.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍

The Codebreakers

Milo, a brilliant college student, discovers a hidden book in the library with cryptic codes that lead to a series of bank heists involving faculty members. Teaming up with Zara, a fiercely loyal coding whiz, they piece together the secret society, generating dangers along the way as they aim to expose the truth.

Hot Meter: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

The Unraveled Threads

Tara, an ace detective known for her intuition, becomes embroiled in a case when a string of art forgeries leads her to a dark auctioning ring. With the help of Victor, a charming yet mysterious art dealer with unclear intentions, they explore a hidden world where art may cost lives.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍

Shattered Innocence

Katherine, a dedicated child psychologist, takes a leave of absence after discovering a cover-up involving a local school’s abuse allegations. Teaming with Derek, a disillusioned journalist who believes her claims, they expose the dark undercurrents hiding in their seemingly perfect community.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍

The Footprints of Yesterday

Max, a young, enthusiastic historian dedicated to unearthing the secrets of a historical town, finds clues that suggest its colorful past is based on hidden murders. Collaborating with Amy, a skeptical archaeologist with her reasons for skepticism, they navigate conflicting interests determined to both reveal and conceal.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍

Uncharted Waters

Ryan, a reserved diver, discovers an abandoned shipwreck while exploring his childhood cove. When he finds a diary hinting at buried treasure—and unsolved disappearances—he joins forces with Lena, a daring treasure hunter, navigating dangerous trails toward unveiling the secrets hidden beneath the waves.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🤍

The Invisible Ink

Dina, an introverted book historian, stumbles on old letters that reveal a hidden identity of a revered author. With the fandom of a contagious literary community on her plate, she recruits the charismatic Miles, a book barista who believes in the beauty of forgotten stories, to reveal a monumental literary scandal.

Hot Meter: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️