Book picks similar to
Shh by Jocelyn Dexter


pigeonhole
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psychological-thriller
thrillers

Black Wood


S.J.I. Holliday - 2012
    But with Claire suffering memory loss and no evidence to be found, nobody believes Jo's story. Twenty-three years later, a familiar face walks into the bookshop where Jo works, dredging up painful memories and rekindling her desire for vengeance. And at the same time, Sergeant Davie Gray is investigating a balaclava-clad man who is attacking women on a disused railway, shocking the sleepy village of Banktoun. But what is the connection between Jo's visitor and the masked man? To catch the assailant, and to give Jo her long-awaited justice, Gray must unravel a tangled web of past secrets, broken friendship and tainted love. But can he crack the case before Jo finds herself with blood on her hands?

The First Day of Spring


Nancy Tucker - 2021
    "That was all it took for me to feel like I had all the power in the world. One morning, one moment, one yellow-haired boy. It wasn't so much after all."Meet Chrissie... Chrissie is eight and she has a secret: she has just killed a boy. The feeling made her belly fizz like soda pop. Her playmates are tearful and their mothers are terrified, keeping them locked indoors. But Chrissie rules the roost -- she's the best at wall-walking, she knows how to get free candy, and now she has a feeling of power that she never gets at home, where food is scarce and attention scarcer.Twenty years later, adult Chrissie is living in hiding under a changed name. A single mother, all she wants is for her daughter to have the childhood she herself was denied. That's why the threatening phone calls are so terrifying. People are looking for them, the past is catching up, and Chrissie fears losing the only thing in this world she cares about, her child.

Trust Me


Hank Phillippi Ryan - 2018
    An accused killer insists she's innocent of a heinous murder.A grieving journalist surfaces from the wreckage of her shattered life.Their unlikely alliance leads to a dangerous cat and mouse game that will leave you breathless.Who can you trust when you can't trust yourself?Trust Me is the chilling standalone novel of psychological suspense and manipulation that award-winning author and renowned investigative reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan was born to write.

After the Silence


Louise O'Neill - 2020
    When morning broke Nessa Crowley's lifeless body lay in the garden, her last breath silenced by the music and the thunder.The killer couldn't have escaped Inisrun, but no one was charged with the murder. The mystery that surrounded the death of Nessa remained hidden. But the islanders knew who to blame for the crime that changed them forever.Ten years later a documentary crew arrives, there to lift the lid off the Kinsellas' carefully constructed lives, determined to find evidence that will prove Henry's guilt and Keelin's complicity in the murder of beautiful Nessa.In this bold, brilliant, disturbing new novel Louise O'Neill shows that deadly secrets are devastating to those who hold them close.

Whistleblower


Tess Gerritsen - 1992
    Horrified by his broken body, Cathy rushes him to the hospital, praying for his survival.But, her nightmare had just begun. Because Victor is running for his life, and their shocking encounter has put Cathy in mortal danger. Victor has uncovered a terrifying secret - and the trail leads all the way to Washington, where powerful men will go to any lengths to silence him.Victor's story sounds like the ravings of a mad man, but the haunted look in his eyes-and the bullet hole in his shoulder-tell a different story. As each hour brings pursuers ever closer, Cathy has to wonder, is she giving her trust to a man in danger or trusting her life to a dangerous man?

The Maidens


Alex Michaelides - 2021
    Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek Tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld?When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life.

The Castaways


Lucy Clarke - 2021
    A HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME.WISH YOU WERE HERE?THINK AGAIN…It should be like any other holiday.Beautiful beaches.Golden sunsets.Nothing for miles.You’ll never want to leave.Until you can’t…

Don't Say It


Mick Bose - 2018
    The death of a new born child. Every day for her is a living battle. She is recovering slowly, but the brutal murder of a woman close to her home rocks her peaceful world. Another woman is killed in the same way. Kirsty now makes a terrifying discovery – the murders of both these women point to her husband, Jake. He is the local doctor and knew both women well. Piece by piece, the jigsaw falls into place, and Kirsty is spellbound as she realises what her husband is capable of. Then she finds the evidence that could utterly destroy her: Did Jake kill her baby son? As her life unravels, Jake becomes more suspicious. Soon, Kirsty knows her life is in danger, and she has to act fast to make the police believe her. But by then, it might be too late…

Envy


Amanda Robson - 2019
    But Faye’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems – she has a terrible secret, and slowly but surely, it is threatening to destroy her and everything she holds dear.When Faye’s daughter Tamsin goes missing after school, the police turn to Erica. But is Erica the only one who has been enviously watching Faye? Or is there another threat hiding in the shadows…?An unsettling, claustrophobic thriller about jealousy, greed and desire from Sunday Times bestseller Amanda Robson.

Black Out


Lisa Unger - 2008
    Her husband, Gray, loves her fiercely; together, they dote on their beautiful young daughter, Victory. But the bubble surrounding Annie is pricked when she senses that the demons of her past have resurfaced and, to her horror, are now creeping up on her. These are demons she can't fully recall because of a highly dissociative state that allowed her to forget. Disturbing events trigger strange and confusing memories for Annie, who realizes she has to quickly piece them together before her past comes to claim her future . . . and her daughter.

Twist of Faith


Ellen J. GreenEllen J. Green - 2018
    The photo shows a shuttered, ramshackle house on top of a steep hill. On the back, a puzzling inscription: Destiny calls us.Ava is certain that it’s a clue to her elusive past. Twenty-three years ago, she’d been found wrapped in a yellow blanket in the narthex of the Holy Saviour Catholic Church—and rescued—or so she’d been told. Her mother claimed there was no more to the story, so the questions of her abandonment were left unanswered. For Ava, now is the time to find the roots of her mother’s lies. It begins with the house itself—once the scene of a brutal double murder.When Ava enlists the help of the two people closest to her, a police detective and her best friend, she fears that investigating her past could be a fatal mistake. Someone is following them there. And what’s been buried in Ava’s nightmares isn’t just a crime. It’s a holy conspiracy.

Vanishing Girls


Lauren Oliver - 2015
    But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

Isolation


Sarah K. Stephens - 2020
    A killer is among them.Home should be the safest place, but what if it isn’t?When a wealthy family goes into lockdown after a vicious virus sweeps the nation, their fragile relationships are put to the test. Mark, the invalid father and husband, is a wreck.The children are scared.The mother, Brenna, is unravelling.And when a member of the household staff starts to show symptoms, it leads them down a dark and deadly path.Will they all get out of lockdown alive? Or will isolation be the end of them?Sarah K. Stephens is also the author of the bestselling psychological thrillers The Anniversary and It Was Always You. Isolation is a chilling and suspenseful psychological thriller which will appeal to fans of authors like BA Paris, Clare Mackintosh and Fiona Barton.

Liars


Anita Waller - 2020
    One Deadly Secret. One Huge Regret.Wendy and Nell have been best friends since childhood but when someone threatens to ruin their relationship, tough decisions must be made. Nell leaves for France while Wendy embarks on marriage and motherhood.Both keep in touch, sending letters baring all, or are they?They hide the truth that homesickness, violence, loneliness and murder form the backdrop of their lives.Some truths are too hard to face and, as time goes by, shame and fear keep Wendy and Nell apart.But when a twisted, deceitful face from the past turns up, obsession and heartbreak wreak havoc on their lives. Someone is seeking revenge and recompense. And someone is a killer.It’s time for Wendy and Nell to face their demons and the truth. But can the bond that has held them together for three decades survive or, will the seismic repercussions of buried secrets break them forever?

Cuckoo


Sophie Draper - 2018
    She hadn’t seen Elizabeth in years, but the remote farmhouse offers refuge from a bad relationship, and a chance to start again.But going through Elizabeth’s belongings unearths memories Caro would rather stay buried. In particular, the story her stepmother would tell her, about two little girls and the terrible thing they do.As heavy snow traps Caro in the village, where her neighbours stare and whisper, Caro is forced to question why Elizabeth hated her so much, and what she was hiding. But does she really want to uncover the truth?A haunting and twisty story about the lies we tell those closest to us, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Cass Green.