101 Thrilling Suspense Quotes

In the realm of storytelling, suspense serves as the heartbeat that quickens our pulse and keeps us teetering on the edge of our seats. Whether it's the subtle tension of an unraveling mystery or the nerve-wracking anticipation of a dramatic twist, suspense has the unparalleled power to captivate and enthrall. We've meticulously assembled a collection of 101 thrilling suspense quotes from literary classics, cinematic masterpieces, and unforgettable television moments, each chosen to highlight the art of keeping audiences riveted. Prepare to immerse yourself in a world where every word holds the potential to surprise, and every turn of phrase keeps you guessing what lies just beyond the next chapter.

1. “Koji's mouth twitched in disgust. "Who are you people?" he asked, as he had before. "You're not..." But he didn't even dare say that dangerous word-- ninja.” - Cheryl Aylward Whitesel

2. “The Legend of the Firefish,first in the Trophy Chase Trilogy by George Bryan Polivka, is a winner....filled with action,adventure, danger, intrigue,surprise,suspense....The characters Polivka created are fresh and interesting....A must read for fantasy lovers, and a highly recommended drating for others who want a good story. Rebecca LuElla Miller A Christian Worldview of Fiction Website” - George Bryan Polivka

3. “Brannagh Maloney had lived with disappearances all her life. They were as familiar to her as the changing of the Fundy tides. People who disappeared left cast-off shadows of themselves, murky tremblings that slunk out of corners on drizzly autumn afternoons. They lurked offstage, silent or sighing or reaching out to run a finger across her arm. They were the curtains fluttering in the window on a breezeless morning, the musty scent that arose when opening an abandoned cellar door. LET THE SHADOWS FALL BEHIND YOU (Kunati Books)” - Kathy-Diane Leveille

4. “Listen carefully. I'd crush you like a bug for causing my wife one single moment of pain. Believe it. Fear it. ” - (Roarke)J.D. Robb

5. “Tonight I’ve been dealing with a known killer, a male whore, a scam artist and now I’ve graduated to talking to a mayor. Who’s next? The President of the National Association of Rodents?” - V. Alexander

6. “I love you, Katherine James. I love you with everything I am. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. Remember that."Gabe Rossiter” - Pamela Clare

7. “There was an infinitesimal pause while he watched her face, as though he half expected her to recognise it, before he went on, 'My friends call me Thorn,' and gave her a smile of such devastating charm that she blinked.Her hand clasped in his, her senses zinging from his touch and that stunning smile, she stared into his dark, handsome face until, realising that she was gawking at him like some overgrown schoolgirl, she withdrew her hand and asked quickly, 'What do your enemies call you?” - Lee Wilkinson

8. “Roarke: The bodies of the three men were found floating in the Chattahoochee River.Eve: I think it'd be embarrassing to be dead in the Hoochie-Coochie River.Roarke: ChattahoocheeEve: What's the difference?Roarke: Quite a bit, I'd think.” - J.D. Robb

9. “Do as little harm to others as you can; make any sacrifice for your true friends; be responsible for yourself and ask nothing of others; and grab all the fun you can. Don't give much thought to yesterday, don't worry about tomorrow, live in the moment, and trust that your existence has meaning even when the world seems to be all blind chance and chaos. When life lands a hammer blow in your face, do your best to respond to the hammer as if it had been a cream pie.” - Dean Koontz

10. “That made love—not grace—the magic ingredient. Then anew thought hit her. Perhaps love was grace. A shiver wentup her spine. What did that make anger? The antithesis ofgrace?” - Penelope Marzec

11. “I kissed her, a long hard kiss. Because baby didn't know it, but baby was dead, and in a way I couldn't have loved her more.” - Jim Thompson

12. “The reader is the final arbiter.” - Sam Reaves

13. “Random line from BURNING DARKNESS: Fonda Raine stepped out of the back end of a month in hell a hardened warrior, ready to undertake the most important task of her life: kill Eric Aruda.” - Jaime_Rush

14. “The moment seemed endless, but it was probably only half that.” - Steve Toltz

15. “Shouldering the duffel bag with the Marine Corps bulldog, Old Man knocked Jan's photo off the bed table. He turned to stone staring down at the photo. His face then splintered into hurt. Tears seeped into his eyes. He grappled for the nearest bedpost and slumped forward on extended arms. His shoulders jerked and head sagged a little while his heart broke. Old Man cried the mute cry of men of his generation.” - Ed Lynskey

16. “Siry answered with one simple, shattering word. "Veelox.” - D.J. MacHale

17. “All these girls swooning over hunky vampires, what they really want is to give away their freedom, to be controlled and told what to do and not have to think -- and never die, of course. It's sick is what it is. I don't want to be a forever-young living corpse.” - Dean Koontz

18. “I do not possess the ability to draw or paint.I can’t sing or dance.I can’t knit or sew. But I am an artist. I have the ability to put onto paper, words that tell an intriguing story. I am a writer. A writer is someone who, with just words, can paint a beautiful picture. A writer can open up a world of imagination you didn’t realize was possible. When you open up a book and become so consumed in the story, you feel like you’re a part of it… you’re standing next to that character and feeling the same way that character feels, That’s the art of a writer. I am an artist. My inspiration is the world around me.My paintbrush is my words.My easel is my computer.My canvas is the mind of my reader.” - Aubrey Becker

19. “From DW:I got it. “Here's the thing,” I said. "I'm not going to be the government's bitch.” - Tamara Rose Blodgett

20. “It’s not so much where I want you,Sophie, as it is how. Nothing tastes quite like a woman, and no woman tastes like you. - Marc Hunter” - Pamela Clare

21. “Her name was Mora ... and she was waiting.” - M.L LeGette

22. “Katherine stared intently at the cold, hard steel. She knew it would be loaded and that, if need be, there was extra ammunition in the back of the drawer. She would not be one of those girls, the ones who sit idly by and wait for the answers to come to them.” - Gwenn Wright

23. “They had pulled me from the hemorrhaging, dying body of my mother and turned me over to the care of the man who was not my father. He had taken me home to their tiny apartment above the old hardware store and done what little he knew to take care of me. It took less than six weeks for him to realize his mistake. Maybe even less than six hours, but he never abandoned me. He clung to me as though I was the last remnant of some great and powerful love. And that gave me hope that maybe my mother was really something else and not just some girl who got knocked up by a guy whose name she didn’t even know. She was something special, someone worthy of a man’s loyalty and devotion.--Rocky Evans” - Gwenn Wright

24. “Do not be so ridiculous, I can more easily find you someone else.” Gripping the bars of his prison so strongly that the bones of his knuckles showed prominently through his pale skin, the monster growled again, “I will have no other.” Nearing the end of his patience, Klaus demanded, “Why? Why are you being so impossible?” Turning to the diminutive creature beneath the blanket, he smiled nastily, his light red eyes gleaming, “Because he wants her.” - Gwenn Wright

25. “I am the Love that Dare not Speak its Name” - Alfred B. Douglas

26. “Crap. I was hopin’ all things ugly had been raptured, but you’re still muckin’ up the planet.”“We must share the same faith, honey. ’Cause beauty checked out when you showed up.” - Courtney Vail

27. “Impertinent submissive,” Raoul snapped, and his dark brown eyes turned mean. “Nothing new for this one. You're doing a lousy job of bringing her to heel, Marcus.”“Bring me to heel? Like I'm a dog?” Without thinking, Gabi instinctively yanked away and snapped out, “Bite me.” - Cherise Sinclair

28. “She reached for the hilt of her sword, but like a flash he drew the dagger that was at his waist and held it at her throat with his other hand pressed behind her neck.“Now, now princess, that is not the proper way to behave. I have not even threatened you,” he looked her over, “yet.” - B.C. Morin

29. “The mosquitos are so big they eat you alive wear your shoes.” - Joe R. Landon

30. “I always assumed it owed more to the fact that he didn't like me.” - Rick Yancey

31. “Only God is the Giver and Master of Creativity and imagination because they are gifts that can only come from Him Alone!” - Miss Cheyenne Mitchell

32. “When Carri died, I felt like I had lost everything, except my life, and my memories of her. Now I can’t even dream of her...” - Richard Finney

33. “Oh God,” Jenna said, “will you shut up and kiss me before I change my mind?” - Richard Finney

34. “Your life is a book; make it a bestseller.” - Shanon Grey

35. “When you stop chasing your dreams, your dreams start chasing you.” - Dez Del Rio

36. “Suspense is like a woman. The more left to the imagination, the more the excitement. ... The conventional big-bosomed blonde is not mysterious. And what could be more obvious than the old black velvet and pearls type? The perfect ‘woman of mystery’ is one who is blonde, subtle and Nordic. ... Although I do not profess to be an authority on women, I fear that the perfect title [for a movie], like the perfect woman is difficult to find.” - Alfred Hitchcock

37. “Myron lay sprawled next to a knee-knockingly gorgeous brunette clad only in a Class-B-felony bikini, a tropical drink sans umbrella in one hand, the aqua clear Caribbean water lapping at his feet, the sand a dazzling white powder, the sky a pure blue that could only be God's blank canvas, the sun a soothing and rich as a Swedish masseur with a snifter of cognac, and he was intensely miserable.” - Harlan Coben

38. “An hour before his world exploded like a ripe tomato under a stiletto heel, Myron bit into a fresh pastry that tasted suspiciously like urinal cake.” - Harlan Coben

39. “It seemed to me that Mr. Forrester would approve of a woman who could follow him in conversation and not be baffled by ledgers and currency conversions. I had grossly overestimated him.” - Gwenn Wright

40. “She says it is a school for bluestockings which, according to her, is really only a fashionable way of saying it is a school for ugly girls who cannot find suitable husbands. To tease her, for I believe it is one of his greatest pleasures in this life, my father bought a pair of blue silk stockings for me the day we received my letter of acceptance. That evening and the next, father and I dined alone.” - Gwenn Wright

41. “If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there".” - Brian Bianco

42. “The northern star changes its position every ten thousand years, but friendships can last for all eternity.— RJPeters” - R.J. Peters

43. “Hope you didn't bring any spiders into the van with you,' Simon put in. 'Hey, I'm thinking we could take you back outside and hose you down, just to make sure. You'd definitely smell better if we did, which, I mean, bonus.' Jeremy scraped both hands through his hair again, then beat them clean against his thighs. 'Believe me, Simon, if we had access to a garden hose, I'd be the first to turn it on myself. I feel foul.''Hate to break it to you, Archer, but that feeling is not lying to you,' Simon said with mild relish.” - M. Chandler

44. “A hard man is nice to find” - Tom Barry

45. “We ran on the fuel of youth and hormones and ignorant arrogance, imagining we had the whole world and the workings thereof figured out.” - Gwenn Wright

46. “WEST SALEM ~ October 2011A sudden vision, fraught with malevolence and darkness, obscured her sight. The face of a menacing figure turned from the shadows of his grisly handiwork and stared at Sorcha.Her muscles tensed. By the Goddess, could he see her?Please! No!She wanted to scream, to run, but the vision ensnared her into the horrific moment like a fly in a spider's web.” - Chérie De Sues

47. “There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human's mind against the Enemy. He wants men to be concerned with what they do; our business is to keep them thinking about what will happen to them.” - C.S. Lewis

48. “Rene Caron takes my breath away!” - Teresa Lynn

49. “Las mujeres, claro está, deben pensar en ellas mismas.” - Agatha Christie

50. “¡El dinero es ridículo! ¡El crédito es ridículo! ¡Convenga usted en que la vida tiene mucho de ridículo!” - Agatha Christie

51. “You may suppose that perhaps this Walter T. Wallace found his destiny in food and passed down to his progeny a legacy like that of the great Colonel Sanders. The folks here in Wallace County would love to be able to tell you this is so. But no, like their granddaddy, the Wallace men were thievin’ crooks, always with a scheme ready to separate the weak from their hard-earned money.” - Gwenn Wright

52. “What do you want, MacGuffin, a duel?”“No.” Julian held out both hands, one palm flat, the other held over it in a fist. “Rock, paper, scissors. Two out of three.”Ty rolled his eyes and held out his fist, apparently willing to play. Julian hit his palm three times, and Ty kept time with his fist in the air. But when Julian threw a paper, Ty reached into his jacket with his other hand and pulled his gun, aiming it at Julian.“Ty!” Zane said in exasperation from the front seat.“Glock, paper, scissors. I win.”“You are an ass,” Julian muttered.” - Abigail Roux

53. “Keep a spur handy.” - Meg Mims

54. “It’s easier to spew hatred, but actually watching yourself doing it is a whole different story.” - Imani Wisdom

55. “my new website is now live on www.danielborough.com There are free short stories to download on it. Have fun!” - Daniel Borough

56. “Ugly people kill people all the time. But when pretty people did, it got attention.” - Chelsea Cain

57. “Her body was spattered with tiny bits of the reverend’s flesh and blood, like someone had combined shrimp and tomato soup and then forgot to put the lid on the blender.” - Chelsea Cain

58. “There are people in this world so rich that when it rains they simply fly away on private jets in search of sun.” - Peggy Kopman-Owens

59. “The French know the intrinsic value of holding on to the past, its pleasures, its promises, and its tender mercies.” - Peggy Kopman-Owens

60. “This would become a lifelong pattern, sitting in my comfort zone high above the world in some sort of self-imposed exile.” - Peggy Kopman-Owens

61. “If you focus your eyes towards the horizon, everything and everyone walking in front of you becomes a blurry mass. That's what everyone else became. All of their dark wool suits began to mesh into one, and they began to rhythmically march in unison, all while I gazed at the sliver of sky that seemed to be pressed tightly in between the skyscrapers. I kept on walking and staring at the sky, and I began to notice the skyscrapers becoming larger and larger, and before I knew it, I had to turn to get to my building, and of course, the automat.” - Cristina Martin

62. “Only I was capable of saving her now, and that, as far as anyone could argue, may have made me worse than all the devils and the demons, but it also, more accurately, made me better than all the angels and gods.” - Jared S. Anderson

63. “Meaning, yes -- I don't really exist except on the page or in the back of your brain. But if you think it's weird a fictional character's telling this story, you ain't seen what happened, yet.” - Kyle Michel Sullivan

64. “The Piper's playing again, and there's a full orchestra.' There was a long silence as Andrew deciphered the cryptic statement. 'A FULL orchestra?” - D.J. Stutley

65. “It was the first time her eyes had really met mine and to be honest I think there was more warmth between the lamb chops in the freezer." Daniel meeting Felicity in Cousin Felicity and the Eels of Misty Point.” - Kaal Kaczmarek

66. “These were not the belongings of the past prisoner he had imagined. These were a lady’s things—hairpins and stockings and a glove. There were more clues waiting but William no longer felt certain he wanted to know the dark secrets of this cell.” - Gwenn Wright

67. “Why did you shoot him?""You weren't around," I replied, my teeth gritted in pain. "If you'd been here I'd have shot you instead.” - John Connolly

68. “Know this much:regret nothing.Each part of your journey is essential to the whole.The moment you are experiencing is as important as your destination.Ninetah,the Daskiny Healer in The Traveler” - Jenna Lindsey

69. “In the end, it doesn’t matter, but I wanted you to know; I needed you to know because I read your text to Sarah. You told her I was everything you never thought you could have, and I’m telling you, you’re everything I never knew I wanted, but I’m so glad you’re here.” - Cate Beauman

70. “I was murdered. Even though my heart continued to beat, I was very much deceased. All faded to black” - M.C. Webb

71. “Muerte sin resurrección” - Roberto Martínez Guzmán

72. “Virginia screamed, grabbing for the door handle and nearly throwing herself from the moving car. James swerved to the side of the road, slamming on the brakes before she killed herself trying to escape. As it was, she flung herself from the car, falling to her knees and scrambling to her feet. Then she ran. Took off like a bolt until she rounded the bend and disappeared from view. 'Way to go, slick,' AJ said snarkily, climbing into the front seat. 'You ran her off.” - Brandi Salazar

73. “I thought about the current contamination of beaches, raw sewage spilling into oceans and streams, the hole in the ozone, forests being stripped, the toxic-waste dumps, the merry plunder of mankind added to the drought and the famine that nature dishes up annually as a matter of course. It's hard to know what's actually going to get us first. Sometimes I think we should just blow the whole planet and get it over with. It's the suspense that's killing me.” - Sue Grafton

74. “Bastará decir que soy Juan Pablo Castel, el pinto que mató a María Iribarne; supongo que el proceso está en el recuerdo de todos y que no se necesitan mayores explicaciones sobre mi persona. (63)” - Ernesto Sabato

75. “The dimples spread across his face again and Megan couldn’t help but melt a little” - Debra Chapoton

76. “Nothing is ‘wrong’ with me, Dan. What’s wrong with you? she said in the same eerily quiet voice, dark eyes fixated on Dan, as she breathed heavily.” - Martin Hopkins

77. “Join us. Play the game. It will bring you an untold number of rewards and you will finally have some direction and purpose in your lives. Take control of yourselves and those around you. Bend them to your will and all worldly pleasures will be yours...” - Martin Hopkins

78. “This much I know already: When Tommy and the Big Brains, in whispered, wry asides, talk about Project 88715, they call it something else. They call it the "Adam Project.” - Michael Grant

79. “There is a distinct difference between "suspense" and "surprise," and yet many pictures continually confuse the two. I'll explain what I mean. We are now having a very innocent little chat. Let's suppose that there is a bomb underneath this table between us. Nothing happens, and then all of a sudden, "Boom!" There is an explosion. The public is surprised, but prior to this surprise, it has seen an absolutely ordinary scene, of no special consequence. Now, let us take a suspense situation. The bomb is underneath the table and the public knows it, probably because they have seen the anarchist place it there. The public is aware the bomb is going to explode at one o'clock and there is a clock in the decor. The public can see that it is a quarter to one. In these conditions, the same innocuous conversation becomes fascinating because the public is participating in the scene. The audience is longing to warn the characters on the screen: "You shouldn't be talking about such trivial matters. There is a bomb beneath you and it is about to explode!" In the first case we have given the public fifteen seconds of surprise at the moment of the explosion. In the second we have provided them with fifteen minutes of suspense. The conclusion is that whenever possible the public must be informed. Except when the surprise is a twist, that is, when the unexpected ending is, in itself, the highlight of the story.” - Alfred Hitchcock

80. “What did you tell me, Jesse? Sure Jake, Stephanie will do exactly what you tell her. Sure Jake, protecting her will be a piece of cake. “Snorting in disbelief, he added, “Being at war is safer compared to this shit, and it’s a hell of a lot easier than looking after your girlfriend.” - Nina D'Angelo

81. “Annabelle, I'm going to kill you!" I cried, frowning at the mess. Then I glanced down the stairway and gasped.It looked like someone had beaten me to it.” - Cleo Coyle

82. “Depression is not dramatic, but it is total. It’s sneaky - you almost don’t notice it at first. Like a cat burglar, it comes in through an open window while you’re sleeping. It takes little things at first; your appetite, your desire to return phone calls. Then it comes back for the big stuff, like your will to live.Then next thing you know, your legs are filled with sand. The thought of brushing your teeth fills you with dread, it seems like such an impossible task. Suddenly you’re living your life in black and white – nothing is bright, nothing is pretty anymore. Music sounds tinny and distant. Things you found funny seem dull and off-key.” - Lisa Unger

83. “Eve: "Where's Mister Scary?"Roarke: "Summerset has the night off."Eve: "You mean the house is Summerset-free? Damn shame we have to waste it with work.” - J.D. Robb

84. “Eve: "She completely eye-fucked you." Roarke: "I know. I feel so cheap and used." Eve: "Shit. You got off on it. Men always do." Roarke: "True enough, which is why we're so often cheap and used.” - J.D. Robb

85. “But suspense presupposes uncertainty. No matter how nightmarish the situation, real suspense is impossible when we know in advance that the protagonist will prevail (as we would if Woolrich had used series characters) or will be destroyed. This is why, despite his congenital pessimism, Woolrich manages any number of times to squeeze out an upbeat resolution. Precisely because we can never know whether a particular novel or story will be light or dark, allegre or noir, his work remains hauntingly suspenseful.("Introduction")” - Francis M. Nevins

86. “THERE WAS ALWAYS a boy in your life that common sense and the prayers of parents told you to stay away from: fast talker, fast car, and fast hands. He was the boy your father kept a loaded shotgun by the door for and met on the front porch if he ever thought about venturing onto his property…let alone the threshold. He was the tall, dark, mysteriously handsome, and uncharacter-istically quiet one that made you wonder what was going on in his head, and that little voice in your head said it wasn’t always so honorable. He was the boy you broke all of the rules over because bad-boys equaled excitement and the rebel in you liked the ride.” - A.J. Lape

87. “As a writer, I will go down any dark alley, inch my way through the tightest crawl space, and feed on your every fear. I will take your sense of calm and tear it to shreds. - Horror Author Barbara Watkins” - Barbara Watkins

88. “Jesus honey, your husband ain’t dead, he’s in hiding.” He growled, watching her visibly flinch. - Jase Devlin” - Nina D'Angelo

89. “I want to keep living in this beautiful dream-world of ours.” - David Dennis

90. “The Professor is coming...” - M Hopkins

91. “She hit the button again, holding her breath this time until she heard it.Soft, sibilant, as insubstantial as the breaths that came before: Shannon. The voice whispered Shannon. The blood rushed out of her head. Her heart knocked hard in her chest. Her knees buckled and she grabbed the counter to keep from falling. She was starting to hyperventilate, had to calm it down before she was taken by a full-blown panic attack. Paper bag. Think. Think! Drawer below the silverware, next to the sink. Over the nose and mouth. Breathe slowly, slowly.Holding the bag against her face, Shane slid to the floor with her back against the cabinets, legs splayed, lungs heaving. It couldn’t be him. It couldn’t be Jordan. Jordan was dead.” - Jane Taylor Starwood

92. “Your eyes betray a sadness that only a worthy man can conjure, but never solve” - Taona Dumisani Chiveneko

93. “I appreciate the gesture, but you don't have to undress in order to apologize” - Taona Dumisani Chiveneko

94. “Abel Muranda fought off furious red ants with mandibles that could cut through a miser's padlock.” - Taona Dumisani Chiveneko

95. “His kiss was like no other! His kiss was enchanted and fairy-tale like. He applied pressure, but just enough to feel his tenderness and warmth. I could feel his heart beating wildly as he pressed his chest against my chest all the while his loving lips brushed up against mine with a care-filled affection. His tongue lightly licked the outer edges of my mouth, and then searched for my tongue. The pursuit allowed a marriage of both tongues to meet - inspiring a mingling tango of hot and heavy French kissing to manifest profusely. We kissed like two hot and horny teenagers, our mouths moving and craving each others lips, in animalistic desires!” - Keira D. Skye

96. “Everything changes except human behavior and its consequences.” - Stephanie M. Sellers

97. “There was a bright flash of brilliant white light, like the midday summer sun reflecting off of a freshly cleaned mirror.And then it was gone.” - Raymond Rice

98. “Every single time it was grand. I loved the moment when you announce the stickup and everything suddenly goes brighter and sharper and the world seems to spin faster. You show them the gun and say hand it over and there's no telling what's going to happen in the next tick of the clock.” - James Carlos Blake

99. “We are going to hell together. But we're coming back alive. Don't forget that.” - Atsuko Asano

100. “Indignation is often the best defense.” - Diane Capri

101. “No matter how offensive she's been to me, she continues to act as if she has some sort of God-given right to keep coming back for more favors.” - Diane Capri