If you want to get your pulse pounding but don’t enjoy aerobics, here is my list of thrillers that actually thrill.

Thrillers that Actually Thrill…

Vertical Run by Joseph Garber. Each morning in his forty-fifth floor executive suite, David savors the quiet moments before the workday begins. Until today, when his boss walks in and aims a gun at him, murder glinting in his eye.

Calculated Risk by Katherine Neville. Verity Banks is the one of the most powerful women in finance, but she still reports to a man. Her boss not only refuses to implement her security plan to safeguard customers’ deposits, he also sabotages her shot at becoming director of security at the Federal Reserve. Outraged, Verity decides to take revenge. Fans of Dan Brown’s complicated historical thrillers will love Katherine Neville’s books.

The Girl in the Vault by Michael Ladwidge. Mentioning Neville’s Calculated Risk brought this revenge thriller to mind. It’s summer in New York City and Faye Walker has it all. She’s not only scored one of the most highly coveted internships in all of Wall Street, she’s also just met the love of her life. With her natural-born gift for numbers, Faye is a shoo-in for a full-time position at the illustrious merchant bank. Then, while she awaits her offer and her signing bonus, a treacherous betrayal arrives instead.

Thrillers that Actually Thrill

Company Man by Joseph Finder. Nick begins to uncover a conspiracy against him, involving some of his closest colleagues. He doesn’t know who he can trust – including the brilliant, troubled new woman in his life.

The Butcher’s Boy by Thomas Perry. Murder has always been easy for the Butcher’s Boy—it’s what he was raised to do. But when he kills the senior senator from Colorado and arrives in Las Vegas to pick up his fee, he learns that he has become a liability to his shadowy employers. (Despite the description, the character is likable and you will be cheering him on. Thomas Perry is the thriller writers thriller writer.)

Just One Look by Harlan Coben. When Grace Lawson picks up a newly developed set of family photographs, there is a picture that doesn’t belong- a photo from at least twenty years ago with a man in it who looks strikingly like her husband, Jack. And though Jack denies it’s him, he disappears that night, taking the photo with him.

The Girl Beneath the Sea: A Thriller (Underwater Investigation Unit Book 1) by Andrew Mayne. Coming from scandalous Florida treasure hunters and drug smugglers, Sloan McPherson is forging her own path, for herself and for her daughter, out from under her family’s shadow. An auxiliary officer for Lauderdale Shores PD, she’s the go-to diver for evidence recovery. Then Sloan finds a fresh kill floating in a canal—a woman whose murky history collides with Sloan’s.

Thrillers That Actually Thrill continued…

The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books Book 1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written.

After Death by Dean Koontz. Michael Mace, head of security at a top-secret research facility, opens his eyes in a makeshift morgue twenty-four hours following an event in which everyone perished—including him and his best friend.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley. Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment– he’s not there.

Irreparable Harm (Sasha McCandless Legal Thriller Book 1) by Melissa F Miller. Attorney Sasha McCandless has one ambition: Make partner at the best firm in town. Then a plum assignment plunges her into a world of deceit and danger. As she digs into the evidence, people around her start to die.

And Even More…

Thrillers That Actually Thrill…

Quantum: A Thriller (Captain Chase Book 1) by Patricia Cornwell. On the eve of a top secret space mission, Captain Calli Chase detects a tripped alarm in the tunnels deep below a NASA research center. A NASA pilot, quantum physicist, and cybercrime investigator, Calli knows that a looming blizzard and government shutdown could provide the perfect cover for sabotage, with deadly consequences. Truth to be told, I enjoyed these more than the Kay Scarpetta stories.

Where Eagles Dare by Alistair MacLean. An oldie but goodie. Winter 1943, and US General Carnaby has been captured by the Nazis. He is being held in a fortress high in the Bavarian Alps. A special team of British commandos, a US Army ranger and a female secret agent is hurriedly assembled. Their mission: parachute into the area, break into the alpine Castle, and rescue General Carnaby before the Germans can interrogate him.

I am stopping for now at a baker’s dozen of favorite titles. Truly, if you like these books you will need to spend a few months reading everything else these authors have written. For more reading suggestions, check out Best Vacation and Exotic Location Mysteries. You can also see my reviews at BookBub.