10 Gripping Mystery Thriller Books Set in the Woods You Won’t Be Able to Put Down

If you want something mysterious and thrilling, but don’t need ghosts, witches, or werewolves, these books are perfect for you to kick off the spooky season. The woods alone can be unsettling enough—isolated trails, dark canopies, and the sense that someone (or something) could be watching. From tense survival stories to chilling thrillers, here are 10 mystery thriller books set in the woods that will give you the perfect dose of atmospheric suspense.

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1. "The Memory Wood" by Sam Lloyd

A young chess prodigy is abducted and taken deep into a forest where nothing is as it seems. As captor and captive play a chilling game of wits, secrets buried in the trees begin to surface, twisting every move into something darker and more dangerous.

You’ll love it if… You like your thrillers with enough plot twists to make a pretzel jealous.

2. "In the Woods" by Tana French

A detective is called to investigate a child’s murder near the very woods where his own traumatic past lies buried. As the case unravels, he must confront whether the truth is even something he wants to find.

You’ll love it if… You prefer detectives who are just as mysterious as the cases they investigate.

3. "One by One" by Ruth Ware

A glamorous corporate retreat in the snowy Alps goes horribly wrong when an avalanche traps the guests. As tension mounts and bodies pile up, the wilderness outside feels no safer than the killer within. Survival becomes a game of trust—where choosing the wrong ally could be fatal.

You’ll love it if… You love reading about fragile friendships breaking under pressure.

4. "The God of the Woods" by Liz Moore

At an elite summer camp in the Adirondacks, a teenage girl vanishes without a trace. As the search unfolds, dark histories, hidden family secrets, and the unforgiving forest collide in a chilling literary thriller.

You’ll love it if… You’re drawn to atmospheric, slow-burn mysteries with layered characters.

5. "Girls of Brackenhill" by Kate Moretti

When a woman inherits a crumbling estate in the Pennsylvania woods, memories of her sister’s disappearance come flooding back. The sprawling forest whispers with secrets — and the answers she’s feared for years may be closer than she ever imagined.

You’ll love it if… You enjoy yelling “Don’t go in there!” at fictional characters who definitely go in there.

6. "The Shadows" by Alex North

A man returns to his childhood town, where decades earlier a grisly murder in the woods left scars that never healed. As copycat crimes emerge, he realizes the forest still has unfinished business with him—and the shadows he thought he escaped may be closer than ever.

You’ll love it if… You’re drawn to stories where the past refuses to stay buried.

7. "The Hunting Party" by Lucy Foley

A group of old university friends gathers for a New Year’s Eve holiday at a remote Scottish estate surrounded by forest. Snow cuts them off from the outside world, old tensions rise, and when one of them is found dead, it’s clear not everyone will leave alive.

You’ll love it if… You’ve ever secretly ranked your friend group by “most likely to murder”.

8. "What Lies in the Woods" by Kate Alice Marshall

Three childhood friends survived a brutal attack in the woods—or so they said. Their testimony put a killer behind bars, but the truth was never as simple as they claimed. Decades later, when long-buried secrets claw their way to the surface, the women are forced back into the darkness they thought they’d escaped, where every lie has a price.

You’ll love it if… You crave books where female friendships are as twisted as the plot.

9. "The Last Time I Lied" by Riley Sager

Years after three girls disappeared from a summer camp cabin, a woman returns as a counselor, determined to uncover what really happened. But the forest hasn’t forgotten, and the secrets she buried are waiting.

You’ll love it if… You’re hooked on unreliable narrators who can’t escape their own lies.

10. "These Silent Woods" by Kimi Cunningham Grant

Deep in the Appalachian wilderness, a father and daughter live off the grid, hidden away from the world. But when the outside begins to close in, their fragile peace unravels, and the forest that once sheltered them threatens to expose the secrets they’ve fought so hard to keep.

You’ll love it if… You believe every cabin in the woods should come with a free existential crisis.

There’s just something about the woods (beautiful by day, bone-chilling by night) that makes them the perfect backdrop for a mystery or thriller. These books prove that every rustle in the leaves could be a clue, a threat, or just a squirrel with bad timing. And when you’re ready to branch out beyond the shadows, we’ve got plenty of other fall reads to match every mood—whether you want cozy, spooky, or somewhere in between.

Happy reading!