The best thriller & suspense audiobooks for long drives & road trips
A long drive needs a thriller & suspense audiobook that grips — propulsive plot, a narrator who carries hours of runtime, a story you stay in the driveway to finish. Every title below won the Audie Award in the thriller & suspense category, the audiobook industry's own pick for the best thriller & suspense production of its year, which makes them the safest road-trip credits. The most recent winner is Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell (2026).
| Audiobook | Author | Narrator(s) | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Don't Let Him In | Lisa Jewell | Richard Armitage, Joanne Froggatt, Tamaryn Payne, Gemma Whelan, Louise Brealey, Patience Tomlinson | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2026) |
| Lone Wolf | Gregg Hurwitz | Scott Brick | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2025) |
| All the Sinners Bleed | S. A. Cosby | Adam Lazarre-White | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2024) |
| Greenwich Park | Katherine Faulkner | Laura Kirman | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2023) |
| Local Woman Missing | Mary Kubica | Brittany Pressley, Jennifer Jill Araya, Gary Tiedemann, Jesse Vilinsky | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2022) |
| When No One Is Watching | Alyssa Cole | Susan Dalian, Jay Aaseng | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2021) |
| The Institute | Stephen King | Santino Fontana | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2020) |
| Crimson Lake | Candice Fox | Euan Morton | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2019) |
| The Fourth Monkey | J. D. Barker | Edoardo Ballerini, Graham Winton | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2018) |
| Cross Justice | James Patterson | Ruben Santiago Hudson, Jefferson Mays | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2017) |
| The Patriot Threat: Cotton Malone | Steve Berry | Scott Brick | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2016) |
| Those Who Wish Me Dead | Michael Koryta | Robert Petkoff | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2015) |
| The Hit | David Baldacci | Ron McLarty, Orlagh Cassidy | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2014) |
| Red, White, and Blood: The President's Vampire | Christopher Farnsworth | Bronson Pinchot | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2013) |
| The Nightmare Thief | Meg Gardiner | Susan Ericksen | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2012) |
| The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest | Stieg Larsson | Simon Vance | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2011) |
| Darling Jim | Christian Moerk | Stephen Hoye, Justine Eyre | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2010) |
| Child 44 | Tom Rob Smith | Dennis Boutsikaris | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2009) |
| Heart-Shaped Box | Joe Hill | Stephen Lang | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2008) |
| The Dead Yard | Adrian McKinty | Gerard Doyle | Audie Thriller & Suspense (2007) |
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best thriller & suspense audiobook for a road trip?
Among award winners, the most recent Audie Thriller & Suspense winner is "Don't Let Him In" by Lisa Jewell (2026) — a strong road-trip pick. Every audiobook on this page won the Audie Award in the Thriller & Suspense category, so any of them is a safe choice for a long drive.
How long are award-winning thriller & suspense audiobooks?
Most run roughly 8 to 16 hours — long enough to cover a full day of driving on a single audiobook. Exact runtimes are listed on each title's Audible page.
Where can I listen to these audiobooks?
All are available on Audible. A free 30-day Audible Premium Plus trial includes one credit — enough to download and keep one of these thriller & suspense audiobooks even if you cancel before the trial ends.
More thriller & suspense guides: every Audie-winning thriller & suspense audiobook · thriller & suspense audiobooks for beginners · all listening guides · best audiobooks by award.