Psychological Thriller Short Stories

Evie and her daughter, Asteria, are fleeing an abusive cult when they meet a stranger in an abandoned Arizona shopping mall. Fate hasn’t set Nameless on their trail. It’s a premonition, and a chance to make reparations for a failure from his past he can’t even remember. This time, Nameless must do everything in his power not to fail those who trust him with their lives.

This could be the most important mission of Nameless’s life. Because it’s putting him on a collision course with his own past and the nation’s future. The target: a fortified redoubt in the golden hills of California, the hub of a new world order that’s unthinkably close at hand. The time has come for Nameless to face its designer: the nihilist mastermind behind the One Solution. It’s also time for Nameless to discover who he is and was, and what brought him to this fateful endgame. But will the truth be a breaking point? Or a turning point?

What strange science made Nameless who he is? What catastrophes have been erased from his memories? In the stunning conclusion of this series, the dark past comes flooding back, and Nameless must decide how much he really wants to know. In Indiana, a murderous psycho has kidnapped his own six-year-old stepson, Jamie, and secreted him away in a subterranean cave. It’s become their bunker. For Nameless, the case is breaking down his defenses, and it may force him to face his memories.

This issue of Assemble Artifacts is packed with thrillers, sci-fi, horror, and more. It features Hongfei Liu's brilliant artwork and stories of elite survival, supernatural battles, and eerie mysteries. You'll find haunting twists on a childhood tale, genetic secrets with life-or-death stakes, and unsettling explorations of relationships under pressure.

In these psychologically daring, chillingly suspenseful pieces, the author of We Were the Mulvaneys and Blonde writes about women facing threats past and present, once again cementing her reputation for "great intelligence and dead-on imaginative powers" (Los Angeles Times Book Review).

A deadly black widow has eliminated three husbands and counting. But Nameless knows her one weakness. To bring truth and its consequences to her crimes, the vigilante must spin a web of his own in part three of the Nameless series. Lucia - current last name, Rickenbah - has made a fortune by marrying rich men who tend to drop dead. But the superstitious blonde believes in more than money and murder. Nameless’s job is to scare a confession out of Lucia, and as the psychological warfare escalates, even he may be in for a shock.

Lack of sleep is a form of torture. And Emily has been tortured for six months now. Ever since her sister unexpectedly died, Emily’s sleeping pattern died too. And now her sanity is in question. The once cozy confines of her home have become a maze of unsettling noises and eerie occurrences. Every creak and every oddity feels like an intruder lurking just out of sight.

A series of suspicious deaths in a retirement home draws Nameless into the confidence of a terrified former resident - and into the dark heart of a shocking conspiracy. In part five of the Nameless series, it’s time to hunt. Oakshore Park is Michigan’s most exclusive assisted-living community. Presided over by two killer angels of mercy, it’s also THE go-to facility in assisted dying. For a cut, they make impatient heirs happy. Nameless must concoct a scheme just as cunning.

The legendary writer Patricia Highsmith is best remembered today for her chilling psychological thrillers The Talented Mr. Ripley and Strangers on a Train. A critically acclaimed, best-selling author in Europe, Highsmith has for too long been underappreciated in the United States. Eleven is Highsmith's first collection of short stories, an arresting group of dark masterpieces of obsession and foreboding, violence and instability.

After almost twenty years, Mary Ellen’s return to her hometown is like entering a surreal and haunting nightmare. She had thought she left this all behind for good. The reason for her return? Her father’s funeral. But this trip back is more than just grieving and receiving condolences - it’s a reckoning with the ghosts of a past she worked hard to forget.

Meet the extraordinary Kendra Michaels in this gripping short story by the #1 bestselling duo of Iris and Roy Johansen. Kendra Michaels's astonishing powers of observation and analysis have made her a go-to for law enforcement agencies all across the country. Her other senses, hyper-developed...

When Dan accidentally grabs the wrong luggage at the airport, he stumbles upon a shocking discovery - a stolen masterpiece by Vincent van Gogh. Suddenly thrust into the dangerous world of international art theft, Dan must outwit a ruthless criminal who will stop at nothing to reclaim the priceless painting. This gripping thriller explores the dark underbelly of the art world and the high-stakes risks one man must take to do the right thing.

In a world obsessed with the pursuit of immortality, a brilliant scientist unveils a secret elixir that promises eternal life. As billionaires vie for this coveted prize, their desires set in motion a chain of events that will expose the dark consequences of unchecked ambition. In The Elixir's Curse, the boundaries of human existence are redefined, and the price of immortality is revealed in a gripping tale of power, vanity, and wisdom.

Join Lyla’s therapy sessions and step into her mind. Come on in and hear her story, but be warned - you will not be able to leave until she has answers. Told by Lyla herself, she is ready to disclose all to her psychiatrist - in return for his help. A last attempt to heal her soul. Meeting the love of her life, Peter, seemed the perfect escape.

Lust. Revenge. Greed. Hunger. Desire doesn’t care if you’re at the bottom of the ladder or the top of your game. Six masters of psychological suspense craft tales about people crossing moral lines in pursuit of their deepest desires. In these short stories, even the most mild-mannered characters can spin out of control when passion is at play. Hold on tight—there’s no turning back.

Adela Bess is a recent graduate in the field of psychology. She has an interview to work with the prominent doctor, Ferris Hoover. She has heard nothing but great things about him. However, the hospital is in shambles and the patients are in poor condition. The plan is for Ms. Bess to work side by side with Dr. Hoover assisting him in his psychiatric work

In this psychological short thriller, an elderly loner, who spends most of his days at home, becomes the subject of a home invasion. A young and unmasked man with a gun soon arrests the elder to a chair, beginning a daylong ordeal that both men will never forget.

Two frightening psychological thrillers, as only Willow Rose can deliver it. Better Watch Out: Some kids are scared of the dark, others of monsters living under their beds. Some are even afraid of clowns. None of those things scare Sara. But she is terrified of one man who comes to her house every year in the middle of the night. The Bird: When five-year-old Winnie finds a little bird that is hurt, she wants to take it in and take care of it. Her mother is reluctant. She is terrified of birds. As she rightfully should be.

Two horrifying psychological thrillers from the Queen of Scream, all-star best-selling author Willow Rose. Mommy Dearest: When Crystal meets her future mother-in-law for the first time, she is excited. She knows it might be a challenge to have her live with them for an entire month, but still. It’s an old woman we’re talking about here. How much trouble can she cause? Chain Letter: They received a letter. They dismissed it as a prank, but as they soon will learn you never...ever ignore a chain letter.

When Ella boards a sumptuous charter off the coast of Australia, she feels…dread. Her husband, Mac, the social butterfly who makes these wellness retreats so much easier to navigate, is stuck at work, leaving her exposed to the other passengers. Luckily, she forms an instant bond with the charismatic Chloe, a newly single woman salving a broken heart. But as the friendship grows, Ella discovers they share more than the need for an escape, and their devastating connection has the power to forever alter their lives.