If you're as obsessed with The Celebrity Traitors as we are, you need to read these 20 twisty thrillers

If you're anything like us, you'll have been glued to the screen for this season of The Celebrity Traitors. Hannah Fry's lack of game face... The hidden connections between the contestants...

To fill the time between episodes (Friday to Wednesday has never felt so long!), here are some of my favourite thrillers where back-stabbing, betrayal and lies are the order of the day. These are books that are guaranteed to keep you glued to the page, waiting for the next plot twist.

Witch Trial by Harriet Tyce

It's no suprise that former The Traitors contestant Harriet Tyce has written a gripping thriller, full of the kind of twists she witnessed first-hand on the show. The story is told from the point of surgeon Matthew who is a member of the jury at the trial of two school girls accused of causing the death of their friend by witchcraft: as he finds out more and more about the case, he becomes obsessed. Harriet does a brilliant job of building the tension to an almost unbearable pitch, until the reader is just as invested as Matthew in whether the two girls actually are witches. The book explores how the truth is often ignored in favour of feelings and how a legal case is swiftly turned into a full-fledged ‘witch trial’ on the platform of social media, well before even a shred of evidence is presented.

Isolation Island by Louise Minchin

A cast of celebrities head to a remote Scottish island for a reality survival show, where everyone has secrets and a body turns up in this thriller from the former breakfast TV presenter.

Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

Jewell gets better with every book she writes, and this compulsive, twisty thriller, about three women who are all connected to a con man, demands to be read in one sitting.

The Christmas Cracker Killer by Alexandra Benedict

With shades of Agatha Christie, this is an entertaining festive murder mystery with edge. Crossword compiler Edie O’Sullivan is spending Christmas in a posh hotel on a Scottish island when her fellow guests start dropping dead, one by one. The only clues are riddles tucked inside Christmas crackers, and Edie finds herself in the middle of a twisty whodunnit.

The Escape Room by LD Smithson

There’s been a legion of thrillers about reality TV shows recently, but this stands out for the clever escape room-style puzzles that form part of the plot. After her sister breaks her leg, Bonnie steps in to take her place on The Fortress TV show – but it soon becomes a matter of life or death.

The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha

You can feel the stress coming off the in this slow burn thriller set during a family reunion on a luxury private island off the west coast of Scotland.

The wealthy Agarwals are gathered so that patriarch Raj can decide how to split his petrochemicals empire between his three children – but with a family this dysfunctional, bitter secrets, betrayals and back-stabbing come bubbling to the surface and the weekend ends in murder. The TV rights have recently been bought for this book and we can’t wait to see it on the screen!

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

I love a clever thriller that pulls the rug from under your feet and this edge-of-your-seat read certainly does that. When new mum Camilla hears there’s a hostage situation nearby, the last thing she expects is that her husband is involved – or that he’s the gunman… McAllister gets better with every book.

59 Minutes by Holly Seddon

Oh my goodness, this is one of the tensest books I’ve read in a long time. Carrie is walking through Waterloo Station on her way home to her three-year-old daughter when her phone pings with a warning of an imminent nuclear attack. Elsewhere, two other women are racing to find loved ones. The very definition of a ‘just one more chapter…’ book.

The Compound by Aisling Rawle

The Traitors meets The Hunger Games in this compelling novel set during the filming of a reality TV show where the contestants will do anything to win. An entertaining takedown of performance culture and consumerism.

Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson

This clever thriller tells the story of Wendy’s 25-year marriage to Thom in reverse, starting from the night she attempts to kill him. There are hints about a secret from their teenage years that binds them together and the reveal is everything you want it to be.

The Outsider by Jane Casey

From page one, this gripping thriller rips along like a runaway train. Policeman Rob is working undercover within a notorious crime family, but he struggles to keep up the pretence as he becomes more and more involved. Although this is a standalone, fans of Casey’s Maeve Kerrigan series will be delighted by the appearance of a few favourite characters.

The Only Suspect by Louise Candlish

I’m a huge fan of this thriller writer’s clever, serpentine stories - Our House is a favourite. When the waste ground behind his house is approved for development, it spells trouble for Alex, who is hiding a big secret – but what? Just when I thought I’d figured it out, along came another twist!

The Woman On The Ledge by Ruth Mancini

This twisty mystery is truly original and I didn’t have a clue what was coming! When a woman falls from the 25th floor of an office building in the heart of London, Tate – the last person to see her – is arrested on suspicion of murder. But had they really not met before, as Tate claims?

The Trip by Rebecca Ley

Six old friends plan a blissful weekend in Marrakech. But two of them have been hiding a dark secret for 20 years and this unfinished business hangs heavily over the group. The beautiful and insightful writing makes this perfect for fans of smart drama.

The Fall by Gilly Macmillan

A £10m pound lottery win means a new life for Nicole and Tom – but the dream soon turns into a nightmare when Tom is found face down in their pool. Everyone assumes it was a terrible accident until the post-mortem throws up questions. Told from multiple points of view, including journal entries, this is the kind of addictive, twisty thriller made for reading in one go.

A Slow Burning Fire by Paula Hawkins

I was hooked on this perfectly paced thriller. After a 23-year-old man is found dead on his houseboat in London, it triggers suspicions about three women who knew him: troubled Laura, who was with him on his last night alive; Carla, his estranged aunt; and Miriam, the neighbourhood busybody.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

The author of You Should Have Known (which became the TV series The Undoing, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant) returns with another compulsive thriller of lies and betrayal. When a promising young writer dies before finishing his first novel, his tutor helps himself to its plot. The completed book is a huge hit – but someone knows what he’s done…

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

I raced through this pacy page-turner. Scientist Lyla has been talked into appearing on the One Perfect Couple TV show by her actor boyfriend – but within days, she’s stranded on a paradise island with the other contestants, one of whom will do anything to win.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Power couple Jules and Will have whisked their friends and family away to a remote Irish island for their high-profile wedding. All is going to the bride’s (highly detailed) plan, until a scream during the evening do and a body is found. Foley is brilliant at building up the tension to breaking point and the creepy setting really adds to the atmosphere.

None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

The queen of the plot flip returns with another addictive thriller that will keep you guessing all the way. When podcaster Alix and dowdy Josie meet on a night out and realise they are birthday twins, Josie comes up with an idea for a show about the two of them. But the more Alix finds out about Josie, the darker it gets…