Book picks similar to
Reckless by R.J. McBrien


thriller
fiction
tbr
who-s-most-likely-to

The Vacancy


Elisabeth Carpenter - 2021
    But behind the closed doors of Dorothy's house, she quickly discovers that nothing is as it seems.When Dorothy's manuscript throws up striking similarities to events in Rachel's own life, she becomes convinced that the past she's tried to hide is catching up with her.Then the phone calls start. The parcel arrives. The blood shows up in the bathroom.And Dorothy's friend disappears.Terrified of being blamed for murder, Rachel has nobody left to turn to.Because who can she believe when she doesn't even trust herself...?

Insanity (Insanity #1)


Andre Gonzalez - 2017
    Balancing school, work and plans for the future, he learns that dreams are merely far-fetch fantasies.After his college mentor emphasizes a major problem ignored by society—mental health—Jeremy grows obsessed with shedding light on this epidemic.When the corporate world and pressures of life begin to spiral out of control, Jeremy decides to carry out an experiment to save the ill who have been shunned by society. How far will Jeremy’s experiment lead him before reaching deadly conclusions? Insanity is the first novel in the gripping Insanity Series. If you like fast-paced thrillers, exploring twisted minds, and dark truths, then you’ll love this high-octane series by Andre Gonzalez!Buy Insanity to join Jeremy in his demented experiment!

The Wall (Alex Demarchelier #1)


I.C. Cosmos - 2019
     Alex bolted upright in her bed, startled. She held her breath and listened intently. Nothing moved. She slowly leaned on her pillow and lingered in the sweet realization that the nightmare wasn’t real. She was OK. Then reality hit. She wasn’t OK. Her life was falling apart. Fast. Looking in from the outside, she was still living her dream. She had a loving husband, wonderful home, thriving business, recognition, prestige. Seemingly she had it all. But she didn’t… Nothing prepared her for this. Nothing. No warning, no signs telling her ‘run away as fast as you can and never look back.’ Nothing she could see. Because she never tangoed with evil before. As it races to its final surprising twist, this gripping thriller takes readers on a page-turning journey filled with love, betrayal, and revenge.

All That Was Lost


Alison May - 2018
    Fifty years later she is Patrice Leigh, a nationally celebrated medium. But cracks are forming in the carefully constructed barriers that keep her real history at bay.Leo is the journalist hired to write Patrice's biography. Struggling to reconcile the demands of his family, his grief for his lost son, and his need to understand his own background, Leo becomes more and more frustrated at Patrice's refusal to open up.Because behind closed doors, Patrice is hiding more than one secret. And it seems that now, her past is finally catching up with her.May thrills in this English familial mystery, adding enticing plot layers as intricate and divisive as the themes she introduces.'Intriguing with a cast of complex characters that keep you fascinated, this is a page-turner and surprisingly tender' Katie FForde'A resonant, emotional story about grief, loss and love with a complex, tragic heroine--a fake psychic reaching the end of her career. Although it's about death, this story is never depressing, and ultimately it's about recovery and healing' Julie Cohen'A beautiful and compelling story that delves into what is real, what we are willing to believe and the power of grief' Liz Fenwick'"All That is Lost" is a bold, beautiful thought-provoking novel, that sensitively confronts difficult themes' Rowan Coleman'It is a triumph. What Alison May has produced is an intimate and affecting study of loss, grief and identity that is just wonderful.' Linda's Book Bag'What an interesting and unique book... a fascinating, at times heart-wrenching, look at secrets, the cost of keeping them hidden, and whether hiding them requires lies.' Fireflies and Free Kicks

Once Upon a Lie


Lisa Ballantyne - 2020
    1 bestselling author of The Guilty One is back with a gripping and emotional new moral thriller about a woman, a child, the gulf that stands between them, and about how far people will go to keep a secret...Magpie is an independent, unconventional and troubled woman with secrets. Returning home late one night she finds a young girl covered in bruises who claims to have run away from home. Deciding to protect her at all costs, Magpie takes the child home with her. At first this is easy, because of her bohemian lifestyle, but it soon becomes clear that someone is looking for the child.In a story that reaches from the mid-20th Century to the present day, we discover why Magpie has risked everything to hide the child, and what she herself is running away from.

The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon


Glenda Young - 2020
    You deserve to know the truth about the McNallys.'When a newborn baby girl is found abandoned with nothing but a scarlet ribbon tied to her basket, Ada Davidson, housekeeper of the wealthy McNally family's home, the Uplands, takes her into her care. Sworn to secrecy about the baby's true identity, Ada names her Jess and brings her up as her own, giving Jess no reason to question where she came from.But when Ada passes away, grief-stricken Jess, now sixteen, is banished from the place she's always called home. With the scarlet ribbon the only connection to her past, will Jess ever find out where she really belongs? And will she uncover the truth about the ruthless McNallys?

The Pupil


Ros Carne - 2020
    She is well-regarded by her peers. Her clients are happy. But behind the scenes her life is disordered. Her son grows increasingly distant from her. The married man she is sleeping with fails to give her what she needs.When a trainee lawyer is allocated to Mel it is poor timing. The last thing she wants is a pupil watching her every move. And Natasha does watch. She sees each detail – and every mistake. Mel cannot shake the feeling that Natasha isn’t just learning the job. She is learning Mel.Natasha is good at getting what she wants, and now Mel has the power to give her all she desires. But when Mel chooses not to, Natasha knows just what Mel’s vulnerabilities are – and how to turn them against her. Mel’s secrets could ruin her. But who will be believed?A twisted and gripping tale of desperation and revenge perfect for fans of Renée Knight, Sarah Vaughan and Michelle Frances.

That Woman


Helen Monks Takhar
    The suspense keeps you hooked right until the last page!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5***** There’s a new girl at work.Young, beautiful, confident, she’s everything you used to be. You’re flattered when she befriends you.So when your boss starts giving her your work, at first you think it’s a mistake.But then, one Sunday, the new girl turns up in your local pub. The next week, she starts dressing like you…Now she’s taking control of everything. Because she doesn’t just want your job – she wants your life…‘A truly creepy tale of jealousy and obsession.’ Woman & Home‘A hypnotic dance of gaslighting and revenge.’ People‘Guaranteed to start the mother of all office fights.’ I News*A previous version of this novel was published with the title Precious You.*___Your favourite authors can’t stop talking about That Woman:‘Dark, disturbing, compulsive. I was genuinely terrified reading this.’ Adele Parks‘An intergenerational clash between two women, played out to a shocking finale. Nail-biting.’ Harriet Tyce‘Creepy and unnerving… a breathtaking debut.’ Samantha Downing‘A deliciously dark, addictive and twisted page-turner.’ Alice Feeney‘What a debut! Twisty, explosive, and hugely compelling, with hints of Gone Girl.’ Will Dean‘Twisted, dark and shocking. Absolutely terrific.’ Jo Spain‘Will change the way you look at your colleagues forever.’ Phoebe Morgan‘Supremely twisted and completely riveting’ Katie Lowe

Call Me Mummy


Tina Baker - 2021
    except for a daughter of her very own. So when she sees Kim—heavily pregnant, glued to her phone and ignoring her eldest child in a busy shop—she does what anyone would do. She takes her. But little foul-mouthed Tonya is not the daughter that Mummy was hoping for.Meanwhile Kim is demonised by the media as a 'scummy mummy', who deserved to lose Tonya and ought to have her other children taken too. Haunted by memories of her own childhood and refusing to play by the media's rules, she begins to spiral, turning on those who love her.Though they are worlds apart, Mummy and Kim have more in common than they could possibly imagine. But it is five-year-old Tonya who is caught in the middle...

Beautiful Liar


Louise Mullins - 2016
    But appearances can be deceptive. Erica describes her successful, lawyer husband as handsome and charismatic when she recounts their whirlwind marriage. But nothing is what it seems.  What is Erica hiding?Was Joel’s death really an accident? Sometimes the truth can be ugly.

Over the Borderline


Leanna Floyd - 2019
    She convinces her childhood friend, Jacob, to move to Tampa after his latest fiasco, where he finds a job at a legal firm, which is defending Zach Barton, a rich, young entrepreneur who is accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend. When Brooke has to provide expert testimony in Barton’s trial, Jacob and Brooke end up on opposite sides of the courtroom. As Brooke prepares to testify, she discovers a pattern of violent, impulsive behavior in Barton’s past, eerily similar to those of the Surfside Killer, the case she has been asked to help profile for the FBI. Brooke is swirling in dangerous waters with the killer lurking on the fringe of her life. Who will be his next victim? Will Brooke’s knack for profiling be enough to keep her safe?

Slice


David Hodges - 2010
     THERE’S A KILLER INSIDE THE POLICE STATION. A police station should be a safe place. But not when there’s a psychotic serial killer working there. THE FIRST VICTIM IS FOUND GRUESOMELY MUTILATED IN HIS MOST SENSITIVE AREA. HE IS DRESSED IN A JUDGE’S WIG. Detective Superintendent Jack Fulton takes on the grisly murder enquiry and discovers that his murderer might actually be one of the police station staff. MORE EMINENT VICTIMS FOLLOW. KILLED IN THE SAME SADISTIC MANNER. The press nickname the razor-wielding assassin “The Slicer.” With the killer stalking the shadowy Victorian building, Fulton has to contend not only with press harassment and police who will stop at nothing to get a result, but also with other problems much closer to home. As the killer leads him on a grim game of cat and mouse, Fulton has little idea of just how personal that game is about to become . . . YOU WON’T WANT TO PUT THIS ONE DOWN Perfect for fans of Rachel Abbott, Robert Bryndza, Mel Sherratt, Angela Marsons, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell. THE AUTHOR A former police superintendent, with thirty years’ service. Since ‘turning to crime’, he has received critical media acclaim, including a welcome accolade from Inspector Morse’s creator, the late great, Colin Dexter, and he is now a prolific novelist with eleven published crime novels and an autobiography on his police career to his credit. His previous police experience has enabled him to provide a gritty realism to his thrillers and his Somerset Murder Series, featuring feisty female detective, Kate, and her partner, Hayden, has gone from strength to strength, attracting interest in the United States as well as in the UK. DETECTIVE KATE HAMBLIN MYSTERY SERIES Book 1: MURDER ON THE LEVELS Book 2: REVENGE ON THE LEVELS Book 3: FEAR ON THE LEVELS Book 4: KILLER ON THE LEVELS Book 5: SECRETS ON THE LEVELS Book 6: DEATH ON THE LEVELS STANDALONES SLICE

The 24th Name


John Braddock - 2018
    Then he left the CIA and went back to his birth name. He went back to being a normal American. Back to being a guy who trusts authorities to solve crimes and stop bad things. Back to being a guy who doesn't need to get involved. Then, Jake Beamer called. And he took on a twenty-fourth name.

The Family Friend


C.C. MacDonald - 2021
    IT ONLY TAKES ONE TO DESTROY YOU.Erin lives an idyllic life by the seaside with her baby boy and Australian fiancé. She's upbeat and happy - a natural mum.At least that's what her thousands of followers on Instagram think.In reality, Erin is struggling with anxiety and finding it difficult to connect with her screaming son. So, when an agent offers to make her the biggest Instamum out there, she can't refuse.And when Amanda, a family friend who's visiting from Australia, says she'll move in and babysit to help make it happen, it seems like the stars have finally aligned for Erin's exciting new career.But there's something Amanda isn't telling her.Something that will destroy Erin's carefully curated persona online.___________________________ Praise for HAPPY EVER AFTER: 'Kept me gripped and kept me guessing' Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said'Excellent domestic noir, chillingly plausible... I loved the ending' Jo Spain, author of The Confession'An absorbing story, a bunch of unexpected twists, great writing. I totally lost myself in this book' John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

The Woman on the Pier


B.P. Walter - 2021
    Because he failed to meet her that day.He’s the reason why her daughter is dead.And so she makes a choice. He’s the one who’s going to pay.That is her promise. Her price.Set between Essex, Kent, and Australia, The Pier is a dark suspense thriller brimming with secrets and lies seeping across three generations. A must-read for fans of Lucy Foley and Rosamund Lupton