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Quick answer: If you loved Strangers on a Train, try The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ripley Under Ground, Deep Water, Double Indemnity, The Postman Always Rings Twice and Crime and Punishment. Each one is a tense psychological thriller about guilt, obsession and killers you can't stop thinking about.
Patricia Highsmith's 1950 debut follows architect Guy Haines, who meets the charming, unstable Charles Bruno on a train. Bruno proposes they “swap” murders: he will kill Guy's unfaithful wife if Guy kills Bruno's father, so neither has a motive. Guy laughs it off, until Bruno carries out his part and demands Guy do his. Readers love its psychological tension. These books share its guilt and its dark suspense.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Mood | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Talented Mr. Ripley | Patricia Highsmith | Chilling | readers who want more Highsmith |
| Ripley Under Ground | Patricia Highsmith | Chilling | readers who want Ripley's sequel |
| Deep Water | Patricia Highsmith | Chilling | readers who like marriages and murder |
| Double Indemnity | James M. Cain | Noir | readers who like murder plots |
| The Postman Always Rings Twice | James M. Cain | Noir | readers who like doomed plots |
| Crime and Punishment | Fyodor Dostoevsky | Classic | readers who like guilt |
| Gone Girl | Gillian Flynn | Modern | readers who like dark marriages |
| The Secret History | Donna Tartt | Literary | readers who like guilty friends |
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | Gothic | readers who like obsession |
| Before I Go to Sleep | S.J. Watson | Modern | readers who like unreliable memories |
| The Girl on the Train | Paula Hawkins | Modern | readers who like train-based thrillers |
| A Kiss Before Dying | Ira Levin | Classic | readers who like charming killers |
| The Woman in Cabin 10 | Ruth Ware | Modern | readers who like trapped travel |
| Eight Perfect Murders | Peter Swanson | Modern | readers who like homages |
| The Kind Worth Killing | Peter Swanson | Modern | readers who want a modern Strangers |
1. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
A young man murders to take another's life.
Best for: readers who want more Highsmith.
2. Ripley Under Ground by Patricia Highsmith
Ripley's art forgery scheme unravels.
Best for: readers who want Ripley's sequel.
3. Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith
A husband tolerates his wife's affairs until he doesn't.
Best for: readers who like marriages and murder.
4. Double Indemnity by James M. Cain
A man helps a woman kill her husband.
Best for: readers who like murder plots.
5. The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
A drifter and a wife plot murder.
Best for: readers who like doomed plots.
6. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
A student commits murder.
Best for: readers who like guilt.
7. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
A wife disappears.
Best for: readers who like dark marriages.
8. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Students cover up a murder.
Best for: readers who like guilty friends.
9. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A bride haunted by a first wife.
Best for: readers who like obsession.
10. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
A woman wakes each day with no memory.
Best for: readers who like unreliable memories.
11. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
A commuter is drawn into a disappearance.
Best for: readers who like train-based thrillers.
12. A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin
A young man kills his pregnant girlfriend.
Best for: readers who like charming killers.
13. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
A journalist witnesses something on a cruise.
Best for: readers who like trapped travel.
14. Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
A bookseller's list of perfect murders comes alive.
Best for: readers who like homages.
15. The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson
A stranger offers to help kill a wife.
Best for: readers who want a modern Strangers.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Strangers on a Train: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Strangers on a Train. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
For more Highsmith, The Talented Mr. Ripley and Deep Water are essential. If you want a modern take on the same premise, The Kind Worth Killing is perfect. Noir fans should read Double Indemnity. For guilt and paranoia, Crime and Punishment is the classic.
Related: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Strangers on a Train about?
Two strangers discuss swapping murders, and one actually does it.
Is there a movie?
Yes. Alfred Hitchcock directed a 1951 film.
Is the book different from the film?
Yes. In the book, Guy does commit the second murder.
Who is Charles Bruno?
A charming, unstable rich man who proposes the swap.
When was it published?
In 1950, as Highsmith's first novel.
Is it scary?
It is tense and psychological rather than gory.
What should I read next?
The Talented Mr. Ripley.