Within the Andrew Z. Thomas/Luther Kite series, readers can find titles “Desert Places,” “Locked Doors,” “Break You” and “Stirred.” The series follows novelist Andrew Thomas as he’s framed for murder in the first book. He’s blackmailed to do as his adversary orders, otherwise risk being turned into the police. In later books, Thomas comes up against new and old antagonists, including the titular Luther Kite.

Readers repeatedly call the series fast-paced, eerie and tense. It keeps readers on the edges of their seats. While reviewers say the first book relies on tropes of the horror and thriller genres, the later books take a more original approach.

In a small gold-mining town in the late 19th century, the residents suddenly vanished. Their belongings and homes stayed put, but no bones or other remains were found. 116 years later, a history professor and his journalist daughter trek to the abandoned town hoping to find answers. All they know are the legends and that a previous expedition was never heard from again. “Abandon” is told through two narratives in different timelines as readers piece together what exactly happened to this mysterious small town.

When Will and Devlin suddenly lose their wife and mother, Will immediately is under suspicion by local authorities. The two flee, but are soon tracked down by an FBI agent, but not to arrest Will. Rather, he informs the two that their case is one among many. This is how Crouch’s crime thriller “Snowbound” begins, keeping readers hooked from page one.

In another demonstration of his skills in the thriller genre, Crouch’s “Run” describes five days during which a spree of murders occur across the country. At the start of the novel, narrator Jack Colclough reads his name on the list of those to be killed. He doesn’t know why the murders are happening. His only option is to run and hide.

As one of Crouch’s most well-known books, “Dark Matter” is a science-fiction thriller that follows one man as his reality is flipped upside down. Jason Dessen is walking home one evening when a masked assailant knocks him unconscious. When Jason wakes, he’s strapped to a gurney and told “welcome back.” In this new reality, he isn’t married to his wife, his son was never born and he is a renowned scientist. The story follows Jason as he tries to determine what is real through a mind-bending and terrifying journey.

Barry Sutton is an investigator who’s looking into False Memory Syndrome. This mysterious ailment implants false memories into individuals and ultimately drives them mad. Neuroscientist Helena Smith in creating a technology that would allow people to preserve their memories and reexperience them. As Barry learns more, he uncovers a devastating truth that threatens their minds and pasts.

One day, Logan Ramsay suddenly finds himself able to concentrate better, read faster and require less sleep. These new skills grow more intense. Soon, Logan learns that his genome has been hacked and he is the first of many to experience an “upgrade.” His new abilities make him the only one who can stop such an invasion on humanity, but doing so will cost him.

In “Pines,” the first book in the trilogy, Secret Service agent Ethan Burke arrives in a small Idaho town looking for two missing federal agents. An accident puts him in the hospital and he wakes without a phone or ID. Everyone around him is friendly, but something feels wrong. As Ethan digs deeper, he uncovers unsettling truths about this small town and begins to wonder if he’ll ever escape.

The following two books in the series follow Ethan and the town of Wayward Pines. This trilogy is one of Crouch’s most well-known series of books and was adapted into a TV show.