Book picks similar to
In The Dark by Vikki Patis


thriller
first-only
psychological-thriller
mystery-thriller

Devotion


Alex Sinclair - 2019
    He is angry with her and careless toward Ava.Something has changed. Something is wrong.As Katherine feels her mind slipping away from her, she wonders if she has been wrong about the man she loves. Is Corey really that bad? Katherine is about to find out… Alex Sinclair is also the author of He's At Your Door. Devotion is an unmissable psychological thriller, which readers of domestic noir will love. It will also appeal to fans of authors like Cara Hunter, Lucy Dawson and Samantha Hayes.

A Simple Lie


Mary Bush - 2019
    With foreclosure looming she acts in desperation, lying to get a position as an assistant to the county medical examiner. Val’s relieved. She won’t be homeless. But Val didn’t count on the lie trapping her in a dangerous game with a killer. Val quickly becomes involved in the case of Francine Donohue, who disappeared from her neighbourhood and is discovered dead six months later. The bizarre circumstances surrounding the murder are not the first of their kind. With the evidence pointing to a serial killer, and a calling card Val understands, she quickly gets sucked into the case.   As Val is pulled in further, the situation takes a darker turn. Someone is aware of the lie she told. Someone who is prepared to kill…

Looking for Leo


J.A. Baker - 2021
    Lynda, a stern secondary school teacher who unwillingly gave evidence against him, recognizes her tutor as the troubled boy from all those years ago, bringing him the unwelcome attention he fears.When Sarah, a bored housewife, hears about Ashton’s return, she convinces herself he is responsible for Leo’s disappearance and reports him to the police.Terrified, the boy remains locked in a soundproof room, growing ever more scared of his unpredictable captor.But just who took Leo and why?And will he be found before it’s too late?

All Your Lies


O.C.S. Francis - 2021
    Even now she can’t escape the memories - the secluded cottage, a figure in the distance on a deserted beach, and the face that will always haunt her.She’s tried hard to forget what happened and now feels sure her terrible secret is buried forever.Until the messages start…Someone is watching. Someone is waiting. Someone has the power to expose the truth, and to destroy everything that Amber loves.

Don't Tell


Paul Williams - 2020
    But Carrie has no idea her world is about to be turned upside down when she finds a single earring in her husband Steve’s car. At first, she suspects the man she loves is having an affair, but the truth may be far more sinister… For the past few months, the young female victims of a brutal killer have been washing up on beaches, bloated and mutilated. A serial killer is on the loose and formerly sleepy neighbourhoods now huddle in a state of terror. And when a chilling discovery links Steve to the most recent murder victim, Carrie is catapulted into a nightmare world. Is her husband capable of the most horrendous crimes, and if he is, does she have it in her to bring him to justice?Paul Williams is also the author of the critically-acclaimed thriller Twelve Days. Don't Tell is a twisty and gritty psychological thriller which will appeal to fans of authors like John Marrs, Steve Cavanagh and Cara Hunter.

I Can Be a Better You


Tarryn Fisher - 2016
    It's because everything she desires is next door: The husband, the child, and the life that belongs to someone else.

Close My Eyes


Beverley Harvey - 2021
    I couldn’t breathe – something was crushing my chest – all I could see was darkness. A terrible fear, pulling me under. And all because of a glimpse of a face I hadn’t seen in years.Since then I’ve realised: this is a memory of an attack. Something vicious happened to me years ago – a night that changed my life, without me even knowing. My family and friends don’t believe me – they say I’m imagining things, but I know I’m right. What I don’t know is who was responsible. And I won’t stop until I find out.Wherever the truth leads me. Whatever betrayals are uncovered. Whatever the risk.A heart-stopping psychological suspense novel that asks: who do you trust the most? Your friends? Your family? Or your own mind? Fans of T.M. Logan, Claire McGowan and Lisa Jewell will be gripped by Close My Eyes.

I Let Him In


Jill Childs - 2021
    I thought I was over it. I thought I’d finally learned to block it out. But I’m right back there, all over again, inside the house, and I’m afraid...When Louise Taylor is hit by a car as she cycles home in the rain following a fight with her boyfriend, she’s left hurt, confused, and housebound in her cramped apartment while she recovers. And worse, something tells her it wasn’t an accident.Desperate to keep busy and distract herself from the flashbacks to her childhood that are beginning to resurface, she hires Edward – a friend of a friend – to repaint her shabby living room and, hopefully, keep the past at bay.But when Edward arrives – quiet, considerate and handsome – Lou instantly feels like they’ve met before, that she can trust him. Tired of carrying the guilt alone after all these years, Lou tells Edward her secret. And to her surprise, he doesn’t pull away. He doesn’t gasp, or grimace or preach about what she did. And Lou is so relieved to finally be free of this burden at last.Until she learns that Edward has a secret of his own. One he’s been waiting a very, very long time to tell...A gripping domestic drama from a USA Today bestselling author full of twists and turns, and with a very unexpected ending. Fans of Amanda Prowse, Kerry Fisher and Jodi Picoult won’t be able to stop turning the pages.

Blame


Patricia Dixon - 2021
    Hoping for a fresh start in France she unexpectedly and inconveniently falls in love. Unbeknown to Frankie, back in England, the wheels of fate are set in motion when Herbert Dunne, a convicted murderer, is released from prison.When he moves in with Margaret, a woman who he has formed an unlikely relationship with, their dark sides gradually emerge allowing inner demons to blossom. News of Herbert’s release once again rocks the small village of Elkdale and as they remember the young woman he murdered, old scars are reopened. But what is Herbert hoping to achieve by stirring up the past?Soon, bitter emotions surface and someone seeks revenge. Someone who is going to make sure they all pay the price…

The Rival


Charlotte Duckworth - 2018
    She blames ASHLEY for destroying her life. But is what happened really Ashley's fault?THEN:When Helena hires Ashley to work with her, she's startled but impressed by her fierce ambition. They form a dream team and Helena is proud -maybe this is the protégé she's always wanted to have? But soon Helena realises that nothing will stand in the way of Ashley's drive to get to the top. And when Helena discovers she is pregnant, she quickly realises how vulnerable her position is, with devastating consequences.The Rival is an addictive psychological suspense about ambition, female rivalry, mental health and motherhood and how far you'd ever go to get what you want.

Don't Believe Her


Jane Heafield - 2021
    It casts doubt on Lucy's claims that he’s left her. When Tom does not reappear the next day, the police are called, and he is reported missing. But Detective Reavley isn’t sure he trusts either of the women.As accusations of extramarital affairs and violence come to light, the tension between the women comes to a head.Where is Tom? And is Lucy really responsible for his disappearance?Or is something far more sinister behind the mystery?

The Secret by the Lake


Louise Douglas - 2015
    This is where Julia spent her childhood. But she used to have an older sister, Caroline, whom she rarely speaks about...Who disappeared at just seventeen...Who has a secret the whole village wants kept hidden for ever...Louise Douglas's beautifully crafted and haunting page-turner will hold you in its grip.

The Chain


Joy Richards - 2021
    What does it take to make a house a home?When four sets of strangers all decide to move, their lives become linked and changed forever.Paul is a young man who is struggling to piece his life back together.Married couple Florence and John are having problems.The empty-nesters Claire and Michael are adapting to their new life.Sarah and Alex are a city power couple who are hoping to relocate.As each of them navigate the troublesome path of buying and selling houses, relationships come under strain.Does moving to a new house mean a fresh start? And is home really where the heart is?

The Other Daughter


Shalini Boland - 2019
    And now she’s back. Two-and-a-half-year-old Holly is playing happily in a pink plastic playhouse, while her mother Rachel sips coffee and chats with a friend nearby. It should be an ordinary day for all of them. But, in the blink of an eye, it turns into every family’s worst nightmare. Holly is taken by a stranger and never found. Nine years later, Rachel is living a quiet life in Dorset. She’s tried to keep things together since the traumatic day when she lost her eldest daughter. She has a new family, a loving partner and her secrets are locked away in her painful past. Until one afternoon when Rachel meets a new school parent Kate and her teenage daughter Bella. Rachel’s world is instantly turned upside down – she’s seen Bella before. She’d recognise that face anywhere – it’s her missing child. And she will stop at nothing to get her back…

NOT MINE TO TAKE: a dark and twisty, psychological thriller


Keiron Cosgrave - 2021
    What starts out as an escape soon becomes something far more sinister.The locals in the nearby town seem resentful of her presence and Erin can't understand why?Alone and isolated, cut off from the mainland twice a day, Erin's imagination runs wild.Is someone out there? Is someone watching her every move?Is someone biding their time?Not Mine to take was briefly published under the pan name CB Cox.