There’s nothing like diving into a well-written and fast-paced mystery novel, but these thriller shows are more interesting than their source material. Hollywood often looks to the literary world for new adaptations, and some particularly fun shows were books first. That includes Prime Video’s sweet teen drama, The Summer I Turned Pretty, as well as the darker Netflix hit, Mindhunter.
Although heartwarming romances and clever comedy books can make solid TV shows, a thriller novel makes an especially intriguing adaptation, as you’re drawn into the frightening or strange premise right away. From their strong openings to their smart twists and reveals, these thriller shows got it right — and were even a bit better than the source material.
Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017)
The juicy TV show has stronger character development and more fun twists than the Pretty Little Liars book series by Sara Shepard. Getting to know Alison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse) and her four best friends over seven seasons becomes a real pleasure. Since each friend has such a distinct personality, from sporty to creative to inquisitive, they’re endlessly relatable.
The structure of a long-running TV series is particularly well-suited to this mystery. You’ll want to find out if Ali went missing or has been tragically found dead, but you’ll also want answers to the many questions sprinkled throughout. These layered mysteries make for a perfect binge-watch.
Pretty Little Liars also has particularly strong mid-season and season finale cliffhangers, which emphasize the danger each character is in and makes you want to see more.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (2024-)
Young adult novels about murders in small towns are a dime a dozen, and they might not be the most distinct premise for a TV show. However, Netflix’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder shines because watching the main character, Pip Fitz-Amobi (Emma Myers), investigate the disappearance of older student, Andie Bell.
It’s also nice to actually see the tiny town that author Holly Jackson wrote about, even if the location is slightly different in the jump from the U.S. version of the book to the screen. The backdrop gets lost a bit in the book, but on-screen, Pip’s comforting house, the sanctuary of her bedroom, and the charming streets look great.
Sharp Objects (2018)
Any Gillian Flynn adaptation is bound to be fantastic — just look at Gone Girl — and Sharp Objects is no exception. Despite how good the 2006 book is, the HBO series manages to surpass it, especially when it comes to one element. The image of a dollhouse is a common thread throughout this dark story, and this object is used perfectly in the big reveal in the final episode.
There are also quite a few disturbing shots that land better on TV than they would if you were simply reading words on a page. One of the bleakest? When Camille Preaker (Amy Adams) takes a bath at the end of episode 1, and viewers learn she has words etched into her skin. When you see this in front of you, you can’t forget it as easily, and that emphasizes the haunting nature of trauma.
The Stranger (2020)
While Harlan Coben is a popular and entertaining author, the Netflix adaptations of his books are often a little more memorable than the source material. The Stranger stands out because, while the title character is intriguing in the book, she truly comes into her own on-screen.
The image of a woman who knows everyone’s secrets — and lurks while wearing a baseball cap — works so well because she seems like an average, unassuming person at first glance. It’s shocking that anyone who appears so ordinary could be so scary.
Although her costume is a simple hat and less obvious than Ghostface’s striking black and white mask or Freddy Krueger’s striped sweater, it’s still effective. Every time you see the woman in the cap, there’s a sense of dread, and that tone is amped up in the series more so than in the book.
The Stranger TV show also succeeds in actually showing the title character rather than just having other characters talk about her. If that was the case, she wouldn’t have such a large, looming presence in everyone’s lives.
Big Little Lies (2017-2019)
Adapted from Liane Moriarty’s 2014 book, HBO’s Big Little Lies goes much deeper than the novel. While the book has a dark sense of humor, the show is serious and thoughtful, and that feels like the right move.
As a result, the Big Little Lies TV show is more unsettling than the source material. While Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgård) hurts his wife Celeste (Nicole Kidman) on the page, it’s more powerful on the screen since you’re actually looking at it.
The change of setting from Sydney, Australia to Monterey, California, is also an excellent idea. The sweeping views of water and the unimaginable amount of wealth in that area drive home the commentary on class and privilege that is hinted at in the novel. This beachy location also contrasts the trauma that Celeste and Jane (Shailene Woodley) are coping with.
The Undoing (2020)
Clever Grace Fraser (Nicole Kidman) is a well-developed wife and mother in the novel You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz, which was published in 2014. But one element of her character is captured better on-screen: her fashion sense.
It’s fun seeing Grace’s colorful coats, which make more of an impression on the television. A novel captures someone’s interior dialogue, thoughts, and emotions. However, the makeup and costume departments of a TV show can have a good time showing how the characters express themselves through their physical appearance.
The Undoing also makes a huge change, as you don’t know if Grace’s husband, Jonathan (Hugh Grant), committed murder until the big reveal in the finale. This makes for a much more entertaining story. When the killer or motive is left ambiguous, at least for a while, you want to keep tuning in.
We Were Liars (2025-)
Before watching Prime Video’s teen series, it might have seemed hard to improve upon E. Lockhart’s beloved 2014 book, We Were Liars. With strong writing and the Beechwood Island setting, it’s a great read. But the whimsical, poetic tone of the novel comes to life here, and the big twist at the end of We Were Liars is much better, too.
The scenes of Cady Sinclair Eastman (Emily Alyn Lind) on the beach are dreamlike and fun in the book and TV series. But, when you learn the truth about Cady and her relationship to her love interest Gat Patil (Shubham Maheshwari) and cousins Johnny (Joseph Zada) and Mirren Sinclair (Esther McGregor), it’s even more powerful on-screen.
We Were Liars has a mysterious, haunting tone, but in order for the story to properly land, you have to see the raw emotion on Cady’s face. The show achieves that, and watching her changing expressions allows you to empathize with her. Since the story is about rich people who can sometimes be tough to like, that’s important.
The Hunting Wives (2025-)
May Cobb’s 2021 novel has so many classic thriller elements that it just had to be adapted. The murder at the heart of the story, the small Texas town of Maple Brook, and the wealthy female characters are all fascinating in the book.
However, a major change was made to the ending, and it works better because it’s so unexpected. When crafting a thriller tale, it’s crucial to make at least one part different, whether it’s an unusual motive, a strange scene of the crime, or a killer no one would guess.
In the case of The Hunting Wives, the culprit is more shocking in the show than in the book. There’s a fine line between wrapping things up with a pat explanation that barely works and ensuring that the big reveal is both logical and surprising. Thankfully, the new ending is the latter.
You (2018-2025)
Netflix’s You is now so popular that it can be hard to recall that it was a book series first. Caroline Kepnes’ four novels, which were published between 2014 and 2023, chronicle Joe Goldberg’s violent and shocking journey via a second-person narrative.
The talented Kepnes created this singular character and gripping world, but the story is more exciting on-screen. Seasons 1 and 2 are the most faithful adaptations of the first two books, You and Hidden Bodies, as they find Joe obsessing over Beck (Elizabeth Lail) in New York City and Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) in Los Angeles.
However, season 3 makes changes to book 3, You Love Me, as Joe and Love don’t raise their baby boy Henry in the California suburbs in the novel. This was an excellent book-to-screen shift, as their fun dynamic raises many questions: Is Love more dangerous than Joe? Can she really escape him? Is there a way for them to be happy?
The You books also don’t feature Ellie Alves (Jenna Ortega), who is arguably one of the most unique characters on the show. She’s one of the only people who Joe is actually kind to, which humanizes him, even though he’s still one of the most problematic characters in a thriller show.
