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Top 5 young adult thrillers, selected by award-winning author Sarah Wishart

The bestselling author chooses five captivating young adult mysteries

A young person in silhouette on a dark, misty road

Image: Atharva Tulsi on Unsplash

Young adult thrillers to keep teenage readers on the edge of their seat, from high-school mysteries to catfishing.

Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis  

The daughter of a horror film director isn’t scared of anything – until she arrives at Harrow Lake, the location of her dad’s most disturbing slasher movie. This is a deliciously dark and creepy young adult thriller that will keep you awake at night!  

Win Lose Kill Die by Cynthia Murphy

High school turns deadly fast and the bodies start piling up as someone targets the brightest and best at Morton Academy – a compulsive and twisty read that will keep you guessing.  

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Getting Away with Murder by Kathryn Foxfield 

I binge-read this high-octane book over a weekend – a rogue AI takes control of its own learning with murderous results for a group of teenagers at a high-tech escape-room complex. Tense and thrilling.  

Every Word a Lie by Sue Wallman  

Someone is catfishing to kill – and everyone is a suspect! This is a fast-paced book which will make you tear through the pages until you piece together all the clues.  

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

Eighteen-year-old Red and her friends are on a road trip – and a sniper has them in their sights. I’m a huge fan of Holly’s best-selling A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy, and this explosive young adult thriller is just as compulsive, addictive and page turning. 

Four Good Liars by Sarah Wishart is out now (Harper Collins, £8.99). You can buy these titles from The Big Issue shop on Bookshop.org, which helps to support The Big Issue and independent bookshops.

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