12 Revenge Books Best Served Cold

Everyone has moments where they just want to throw caution to the wind and avenge themselves from someone who has wronged them. But usually, you don’t go through with it because society doesn’t like revenge…at least, in real life.

But in fiction? People devour it and savor the catharsis of a double-layered pleasure. Things don’t really end well for all sides involved. The bad guys may finally get punished but those seeking vengeance turn themselves into monsters in the process.

Best Revenge Novels

Revenge stories mostly appear in mystery and thriller fiction. The anxious atmosphere, blurred morals, and complex characters lend well to the concept’s sense of tragedy and fury.

If you’re someone who enjoys such thorny narratives, check out this list of the best revenge books to add to your reading list.

1. True Grit by Charles Portis

Mattie Ross is only fourteen when her father is gunned down for his life, his horse, and $150 in cash. Bent on vengeance, she pursues her father’s killer all the way into Indian territory.

Joining her quest is a US Marshal past his prime and a Texas ranger doggedly tracking the same prey as them. Together, they scour the land in search of a criminal who has joined a gang the three might not be able to handle by themselves.

2. Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

Monza Murcatto has burned, pillaged, and murdered her way through Styria on behalf of her employer. It’s made her famous—in fact, too famous to ignore. Fearing a power grab, she is thrown down a mountain and left to die.

But though her body is broken almost beyond repair, her thirst for vengeance moves her forward. Seven men will die, even if she has to cut her way through a nation a second time to find them.

3. The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox

Edward Glyver stalks a man he doesn’t know and stabs him to death. The act is mere practice, a premise for the eventual murder of his hated rival: Phoebus Daunt.

Glyver chronicles his fall from grace, his journey of desperation, and his all-consuming desire for revenge. All for a stolen future that he will do anything to reclaim.

4. First Wives Club by Olivia Goldsmith

Three well-to-do, middle-aged women are replaced by their husbands for trophy wives—younger, sexier, better. They all come together when a friend commits suicide after being abandoned by her callous husband.

Calling themselves the First Wives Club, the three seek to undermine, foil, and conquer their former spouses as revenge. And in the process, they find themselves shedding the weaknesses that let others control them in the first place.

5. The Collective by Alison Gaylin

It’s been five years since her daughter’s death and Camille Gardener is still seeking justice. The young man responsible is still walking free, protected by privilege.

Her quest introduces her to the Collective, a secret group of women with a desire for justice in a world where privileged people get away scot-free. Their answer? Ruthless, coordinated murder.

6. Confessions by Kanae Minato

With her daughter dead, Yuko Moriguchi lives for only one thing: punishing those responsible. And when those responsible are her own students, she finds the most diabolical way to punish them.

Her last lesson becomes a terrifying story about two of her students that their peers never knew. It’s a lecture they will never forget, and one that some of them may not survive.

7. The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

Three years ago, Alex Craft’s sister was murdered and the killer walked free. But it taught her a lesson, one of violence.

Getting away with punishing your own sister’s killer is gratifying. But what about the other people that need to be taught a lesson?

8. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Under a tyrant’s reign, all maji are murdered in a bid to eradicate magic for good. And on the night magic disappeared, Zélie Adebola lost a mother.

Learning of a scroll that can restore what is lost, Zélie takes off on a journey across the land. But Orïsha is full of dangers, some of which may be closer to her than she thinks.

9. The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

Ming Tsu thought his days of violence were already over when he falls in love and escapes to a different life. But when his wife Ada is kidnapped, Ming Tsu must go back to being a killer in service of a different master.

But he’s already tasted freedom and peace. And he’ll go to any lengths just to taste them again.

10. Devil’s Peak by Deon Meyer

Cape Town finds itself the center of a series of brutal killings. Only, the victims are dangerous criminals, and the public loves the killer for it.

Always one step behind the city’s avenger, Inspector Griessel must tread carefully as he struggles to do the right thing. But the path he takes will lead him to an explosive confrontation the likes of which he has never seen.

11. Nutshell by Ian McEwan

Trudy has never been a faithful wife. She’s kicked out her husband from their home, with his banal brother taking his place. The two intend to murder the hapless husband and steal his money.

But Trudy’s unborn child sees and hears everything. He vows retribution against his mother and uncle, just as soon as he gets born.

12. Fat Tuesday by Sandra Brown

The plan was simple. All Burke had to do was kidnap his nemesis’ wife, Remy. But that plan swiftly gets derailed when an unexpected connection forms between the two.

Now he’s facing a war on two fronts, a showdown with his enemy and a secret rearing out of his past. Times ticking, because Fat Tuesday’s when all masks are stripped away.

What makes a good revenge story?

There are a lot of reasons why people like reading revenge stories. They’re an excellent mix of anxious atmospheres, compelling characters, and interesting twists.

Vengeance is a strong emotion and is, therefore, a strong motive that makes you identify with the protagonist. The blurring of morals strengthens this concept, making you doubt a character’s actions and thought processes. Is revenge justified, and are the methods being used worth the character’s morality?

Then there’s the concept of good and bad. Society teaches you that when bad things happen, they must be corrected and the bad guys punished. That desire to see justice prevail motivates you to keep reading. Especially when the evildoers keep on taunting you (and the hero) with their evil.

What’s your favorite revenge novel? Share it in the comments below!

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Cole Salao

Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!