Book picks similar to
The Lost Girls by Helen Pryke


bloodhound-books
thriller
bullying-intimidation-stalking
thrillers

The Art of Danger


Stuart Doughty - 2020
    Three men are murdered to get a dull, forgotten painting. A crazy, pointless heist? Or something far more sinister?In this action-packed crime-thriller, the tough ex-cop and firearms specialist Kite is up against a foreign spy who’s planning havoc and mayhem, not an art show. To complicate matters, Kite’s being followed by a kooky – and sexy – young woman. Where does she fit in? Even worse, Kite’s got a shameful secret in his past that he thinks is well hidden – until he realises someone’s on to it and the odds stack up to produce an action-packed thriller.What Kite is chasing down isn’t just a painting: it’s the most explosive art in the world. Can he stop the impending cataclysm?

Quiet Time


Stephanie Kane - 2001
    He demands total respect from his family. He'll accept nothing less. The Scotts are quiet, they keep to themselves--and to the neighbors, they seem like any other family. Then the Scotts' facade shatters one sun-drenched morning in May.Sari Siegel is engaged to Tim Scott when his mother is found murdered. Sari barely knows the Scotts, but even she can sense the terrible secrets that seethe below the surface. Sari knows something about Peggy's murder, but she isn't telling... at least not yet. For if she does, her own dreams of a perfect life with Tim will shatter.There are some family traditions no one wants to keep.

The Brotherhood


Jo Fenton - 2018
    Captivated by their leader, Dominic, she leaves her old life behind and moves to the countryside to join them. But life in The Brotherhood is not as safe as it first appeared. When engineer Mark joins The Brotherhood, Melissa finds herself conflicted between her growing feelings for him and her crush on Dominic. With their leader's initial encouragement, Melissa and Mark grow close. But as her haven becomes a prison, Melissa's newfound happiness is destroyed by Dominic’s jealousy. How can she escape and save the ones she loves?

The Heart Ladder


Sibby Spencer - 2021
    Leaving behind everything she knew, including the mystery of what happened to the father of her unborn child after he went missing behind enemy lines. Three decades on and her son, thirty-something slacker Dan, knows he's wasting his life in pubs, nightclubs, and his dead-end job. That all changes, though, when a man with storied eyes and an old army jacket introduces himself as the father Dan never had a chance to know.But is Jacob, a battered and broken war veteran, really who he claims to be?As he and Dan kindle their relationship, more and more comes under question; including Jacob's true purpose in seeking Dan out, the unanswered mysteries of his past, and the pivotal role he'll play in Dan's uncertain future. Soon, Dan comes to understand that his life is very far from meaningless - and that the choices he's being forced to make might have deadly and irredeemable consequences.

With Wanton Disregard


Gwen Banta - 2018
     Tim is at a crossroads in his life when he meets Lauren: the beautiful wife of a prominent Long Beach physician who has been brutally murdered. In spite of the mounting evidence against Lauren, Tim fights to prove that she is not involved. But when Lauren suddenly goes into hiding, more savage murders occur in the exclusive Long Beach enclave of Belmont Shore. As Mulrooney pieces together the evidence proving that the murders are connected to the Connolly case, he makes a startling discovery about the next intended victim, and must risk his reputation, his shield, and his life to solve the case - and stay alive.

Girl, Lost


Vikki Patis - 2020
    Patis is proving herself to be the queen of page turning reads.' - Tiffany McDaniel, author of The Summer That Melted EverythingI was never missing. I just didn't want to be found.On a bright summer's day in 2013, Freya Rivers disappears, leaving twin sister Imogen behind. Did Freya leave to travel alone without telling anyone?When friend Emily also disappears three days later, Imogen knows there's something dark lurking beneath the surface.Five years later, Imogen is living in Australia, having searched the world for her sister. So, when her mother calls, she knows it's time to return home. Because Emily is back. And she has a child with her. Where has Emily been and why did she disappear?Does she know Freya’s whereabouts?Imogen is desperate to uncover the truth about her twin and the truth is closer to home than she ever imagined…A gripping and suspenseful psychological thriller by bestselling author Vikki Patis. Girl, Lost will appeal to fans of domestic noir, as well as to readers of authors like C.L. Taylor, Claire McGowan and B A Paris. Longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize 2020. 'Enthralling and emotional, the story twists and turns right up to the very satisfying conclusion. A cracking read!'- Rona Halsall, author of One Mistake'Beautifully written, perfectly paced, a story that drags you in and doesn't let you go... Without a doubt, one of the best books I've read in quite a while.'- Valerie Keogh, author of The Three Women'Girl, Lost, is so well written and captures the youth of the main characters with such authenticity. They were well rounded and deep. The mystery of where Freya went kept me totally glued, sneaking moments I didn’t have spare to carry on reading... Fab read!'- Carla Kovach, author of The Next Girl

Girl, Abandoned


Peter R. Stone - 2018
    A gripping novel full of twists and turns about a city caught in the grip of an unprecedented crime wave, the girl who strives to reconcile with the mother who abandoned her, the mother who still wants nothing to do with her, the loathsome estranged twin sister; the unwanted relentless love interest and the ruthless vigilante with an unknown agenda.

The Formula


Sam Artigliere - 2017
    Lauren Remley. Salty Manhattan homicide detective Joe Tenacce and his partner, Jen Salito, are assigned the investigation.Tenacce quickly realizes that, to solve the case, he will need to enlist the help of his son Danny, a theoretical physics-graduate-student-turned-religious-cryptologist whom he despises. Their quest for "the book" and its meaning takes the Tenacces and Salito on a harrowing journey over two continents, through layers of increasingly complex ciphers, all while being pursued by a clandestine cult who will stop at nothing to obtain the book for their own nefarious designs.Can Danny and the detective duo find and decode the book? If so, what does the book say and can they keep it out of the hands of their enemy. Finally, what is the significance of the narrative—woven throughout the novel— that describes the tragic life of physicist Michael Richards?These are the questions that arise as the plot winds and turns toward its surprising end.A Dan Brown-like thriller, but with a twist!

No Way Out


D.C. Brockwell - 2020
    But what exactly does that mean and what does she want with him?Meanwhile, Detective Constable Nasreen Maqsood gets assigned to Danny’s missing persons case, and not only does she want to crack it so she can prove to her male superiors that she’s right for the job; she also wants to find Danny as they used to be old school friends.Still trapped, Danny realises there are other bees in the bunker, new ones and ones that are coming to the end of their usefulness. What happens to a bee that is taken to C Wing? What happens when your time is up? Nasreen has no idea what she’s up against and for Daniel, the clock is ticking…

Shadow Kill


David Caris - 2021
    Betrayed by his employer and left for dead, Kovac decides to lie low in Tokyo.His plan? Revenge...But when a young woman asks him to protect her from the yakuza, Kovac feels duty-bound to help. She’s a victim of abuse, and long experience tells him if he doesn’t step in tonight she’ll be a corpse before dawn.As Kovac works to uncover the truth of his last job, he finds himself drawn into a conspiracy which goes well beyond the yakuza to a new and terrifying multinational cartel. One that will stop at nothing to control the global drug trade.The kingpins are certain they’ve covered all bases. They're well-funded and utterly ruthless. But they’ve failed to account for one man – John Kovac.SHADOW KILL is the first in a fast-paced, unflinching thriller series that won't in any way shortchange you on action. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, Mark Greaney and Mark Dawson.

Snatched From Home: What Would You Do To Save Your Children?


Graham Smith - 2015
    Penniless and desperate the couple turn to crime as a way to raise the ransom. Hot on their heels is recently bereaved DI Harry Evans and his Major Crimes team. Evans is fighting against enforced retirement and his replacement – DI John Campbell – is foisted upon him along with other cases. If he must leave the police then he wants one last big case before he goes. In a race against time Victoria and Nicholas must evade the police while continuing to add to the ransom fund. If they don’t pay up on time the kidnappers have threatened to amputate their children’s limbs with an oxy-acetylene torch. Can they save their children before time runs out?

The Last Insurgent (The Michael Wolfe Saga Book 2)


J.C. Fields - 2021
    

I'm Still Here


Jon Mills - 2018
    But as the anniversary of her brothers abduction approaches, Kara receives news of her mother’s death and is drawn back to her rural hometown in the Olympic Peninsula to tie up loose ends. She soon makes a shocking discovery that brings into question the facts surrounding her brother’s case, her mother’s obsession, and the man who pled not guilty.
In a race against time to find the real killer, Kara must risk losing her mind, jeopardize the safety of those close and face her darkest fear, all to answer the question — who is truly innocent?
Full of twists and turns that keep you guessing, I’m Still Here delivers a captivating mystery thriller that forces you to question how far you would go to solve the disappearance of a loved one.

Into The Silence


David F. Berens - 2020
    All by different authors.

Candles and Roses


Alex Walters - 2016
    Soon McKay and his team start to identify a disturbing pattern behind the killings.Why are candles and roses placed around the bodies?What is this twisted murderer trying to achieve?While the police follow their own leads, a young woman who discovered the first victim begins an investigation of her own.As the case unfolds McKay will be forced to face his own demons.To catch the killer McKay must discover the true motive and untangle the web of truth and lies.Candles and Roses is the first book in the explosive new DI McKay Series.