Book picks similar to
Daddy's Little Girl by William Malmborg
horror
thriller
serial-killer
ku
Homecoming Queen
John Hall - 1996
They haven’t had one at the high school in a long time, not since the Homecoming Queen died 25 years ago in that dreadful car accident. Everyone remembers Brenda Sheldon as the most beautiful Homecoming Queen Westdale High had ever seen. Now everyone is excited about Homecoming Queen and is thinking what’s past is gone and forgotten...Or is it? Melissa Brady is thrilled to be a Homecoming Queen contestant, something she has always dreamed of. Finally, she's getting everyone's attention—including that of handsome football star Seth Powell. All of a sudden everything seems perfect for her. Maybe too perfect. One by one, the other Homecoming Queen contestants start having horrible accidents. Deadly accidents... One is horribly burned. Another is attacked by a swarm of killer bees. People are spooked and are beginning to ask, is this Brenda Sheldon's ghost out for revenge? Or is it someone else, someone evil? The truth is even more terrifying than beautiful and brave Melissa Brady could ever imagine...
Reviews
3.66 average rating all editions, 141 ratings, 9 reviews, added by 348 people, 161 to-reads, 86% of people liked it.—Goodreads
5.0 out of 5 stars (4 reviews)—Amazon
***** 5 stars Scream Queen John Hall wowed me with this terrifying tale of jealousy, greed & murder.—A customer
Homecoming Queen is my favourite book. I would give it 10/10 because it’s the best book I’ve ever read.
Mystery and suspense seems to wrap you up in an exciting blanket, nonstop! It was one of the few books that actually gave me chills.
Titles By John Hall
HOMECOMING QUEEN KILLER CHRISTMAS SUMMER SHARE
About The Author
As a teenager, John Hall devoured a diet of classic horror movies such as Halloween, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Some of his more recent favorite horror movies are the Scream and Saw franchises. When he began reading adult horror, his instant favorites were Stephen King, John Saul and Dean Koontz. Most recently he’s a fan of dark suspense authors such as Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware, Shari Lapena, B.A. Paris, A.J. Finn, Liv Constantine and Lisa Jackson. John Hall’s novels will appeal to fans of Karen McManus, E. Lockhart, Natasha Preston, Lois Duncan, Joan Lowery Nixon, R. L. Stine and Caroline Cooney. John grew up in Brooklyn, with a younger brother and over twenty cousins (yes, it’s true!) but now lives in New York City. Readers can email him at: johnhallauthor@gmail.com
The Keeper
T.F. Allen - 2019
Angel, spirit, or ghost—the Keeper doesn’t know exactly what he is. But he knows he needs to protect Michael Delacroix, a famous artist who is kidnapped and locked in a windowless room deep beneath a Napa Valley vineyard. Desperate to save the only person who knows he exists, the Keeper uses his abilities to convince two strong-willed women to search for Michael: a reporter who thinks her visions are signs from the Universe, and a nun who swears she hears the voice of God. Together they close in on the kidnapper—a psychotic killer who also hears a voice inside his head, pushing him toward murder. But once the Keeper learns the tragic reason he feels so connected to Michael, is it too late to save him? Finalist for the Claymore Award
Spare Room
Dreda Say Mitchell - 2019
The live-in owners are a kind and welcoming couple. Everything is fine until she finds a suicide note hidden in her room. But when the couple insist this man didn’t exist and that Lisa is their first tenant, Lisa begins to doubt herself.Compelled to uncover the secrets of the man who lived in the room before her, Lisa is alarmed when increasingly disturbing incidents start to happen. Someone doesn’t want Lisa to find out the truth.As the four walls of this house and its secrets begin to close in on Lisa, she descends into a hellish hall of mirrors where she’s not sure what’s real and what’s not as she claws her way towards the truth…
This room has already claimed one victim?
Is it about to take another?
The Nothing Man
Catherine Ryan Howard - 2020
Now an adult, she is obsessed with identifying the man who destroyed her life.Supermarket security guard Jim Doyle has just started reading The Nothing Man--the true-crime memoir Eve has written about her efforts to track down her family's killer. As he turns each page, his rage grows. Because Jim's not just interested in reading about the Nothing Man. He is the Nothing Man.Jim soon beings to realize how dangerously close Eve is getting to the truth. He knows she won't give up until she finds him. He has no choice but to stop her first ...
Plain Jane: Brunettes Beware
Cristyn West - 2010
A Patterson-style thriller with a dash of Hannibal...A city paralyzed by a serial killer stalking the night, taking a most gruesome trophy.The only standing in the murderer's way is an FBI profiler...recently released from a mental institution.Plain Jane combines the swift action of Patterson with the macabre of Harris.Just remember to keep the lights on when reading this one!
Twelve Days
Paul Williams - 2019
Totally gripping"
Ten people. Twelve days. One killer.
Ten people meet for a reunion at a remote castle, organised by a preacher who once held them in a Christian cult. One by one, the old friends are brutally murdered, and yet their killer remains hidden in their very midst.Rafe attends the reunion at the castle for one reason only: to settle once and for all how he really feels about his childhood obsession, Suzanne. Rivalry reignites at the outset as the men who all loved and fought over Suzanne are brought together once more.Is Suzanne the reason for these serial killings?Is the murderer a jealous unrequited lover?Or is she the femme fatale with a bloody agenda?
As tension mounts, Rafe must play this deadly game in order to identify and neutralise the hidden serial killer before he himself becomes the next victim…
Twelve Days is a twisty, gripping and claustrophobic crime thriller which you won't be able to put down. It will appeal to fans of authors like Mark Edwards, John Marrs and Caroline Mitchell.
The Millionaire's Wife
Shalini Boland - 2017
That her greatest fear is about to come true. That it’s her turn next.Uncover a web of lies and deceit in this chilling, twisty suspense thriller.
Finding Claire Fletcher
Lisa Regan - 2012
By morning she’s gone, and the one clue she left behind sends Connor on a desperate mission to unravel a decade-old mystery—her abduction.Presumed dead for the last ten years, Claire Fletcher has been living her life as “Lynn,” a woman in the terrifying grip of her captor. After her unforgettable night with Connor, Claire clings to the hope that she’ll see him again, that he’ll follow her into the dark. But anyone who gets close to Claire has a way of turning up dead…and she’s unwittingly made Connor next on the list.Before long, it becomes disturbingly clear: finding Claire Fletcher isn’t just going to be dangerous—it could be deadly.Revised edition: This edition of Finding Claire Fletcher includes editorial revisions.>
Every Last Secret
A.R. Torre - 2020
Watch your husband, watch your friends, and watch your back.Cat Winthorpe has worked hard to get what she has: a gorgeous home; social standing; and William, her successful, handsome husband. Then a friendly new couple moves into the estate next door. While cautious, a good neighbor like Cat greets them with open arms and warm hospitality.Neena Ryder isn’t a fellow lady of leisure. A life coach with off-the-rack dresses, personal issues, and a husband who hasn’t delivered, she’s anxious to move up in the world. This beautiful new town is a step in the right direction. It’s also making Neena aware of what she doesn’t have. Namely, William. When Neena’s infatuation escalates into obsession, it’s just a matter of eliminating a few obstacles to get the life she wants. The life next door.As Neena’s secret fixation grows, so does her friendship with Cat. But beneath their cordial interactions is a wealth of temptations, secrets, and toxic jealousy. For both women, the desire for a perfect life can turn perfectly dangerous.
Man Down
Roger Smith - 2014
A life that seems prosperous and peaceful until a home invasion plunges them into an orgy of bloodshed. As three masked gunmen terrorize the Turners, exposing the fault lines in a marriage built on a foundation of lies, John is forced to confront the truth about his complicity in an unspeakably brutal crime in Johannesburg a decade ago and ask himself a question: is it payback time?Man Down is both a harrowingly propulsive thriller and a meditation on moral ambiguity and the roles choice and chance play in the shaping of a life.Praise for Man Down"Smith, without apology, confronts the 'banality of evil' dear to Hannah Arendt. He is a novelist-gunslinger unafraid to show the path to disaster." Marianne Magazine"Man Down, a thriller about violence and guilt, takes you by the throat like a cat takes a rat, and the reader will emerge with a renewed fascination with Smith's kamikaze side." Libération"Clever, dark and suspenseful." Huffington Post Quebec"Man Down has both Shakespearean and Hitchcockian influences and yet has this inimitable fearlessness that only Roger Smith can muster. Read it if you dare." Dead End Follies"This very dark novel, with its expertly constructed plot and apocalyptic climax, uses extreme violence to portray a society where the boundaries between good and evil no longer exist." Nord-Pas-de-Calais Gazette"Beautifully built, exciting--a really good thriller that hits hard. Very hard." Nyctalopes"Very well written, the timelines are beautifully handled, and Smith can elicit suspense like few other thriller writers. Genuinely gut-wrenching." The Gamblers Blog"Sensitive souls should steer clear, but this very dark thriller hits the mark." Action-Suspense Blog"Roger Smith is not holding back: violence engulfs every page, breaking bones and families. The pungent odor of meth can't hide the stink of blood and fear. Quentin Tarantino watch out!" Jeune Afrique"Excellent. In this book Roger Smith has reached the pinnacle of Machiavellian manipulation and cruelty and one wonders how he'll ever be able to invent characters more twisted and tormented than these." Unwalkers Praise for Roger Smith"Roger Smith is the crime genre's greatest tragedian." Spinetingler Magazine"Smith's writing is astonishing." The Cleveland Plain Dealer"Smith has a unique ability to plunge readers into his nightmare visions." The Times"If you are a fan of George Pelecanos or Dennis Lehane, give Roger Smith a close look." Bookpage"Smith writes with the brutal beauty of an Elmore Leonard in a very bad mood." The Washington PostRoger Smith's novels are published in eight languages and two are in development as feature films. Website: rogersmithbooks.com
Hide Your Fear
Kevin O'Brien - 2017
It stores memories . . . and hides secrets. Divorcee Caitlin Stoller and her children recently moved into a charming old Tudor-style house in the coastal town of Echo, Washington. The place was a bargain, but as weeks pass, Caitlin starts receiving messages first friendly, then unsettling, hinting at the property s dark past . . . YOU'LL STAY ALIVE Caitlin's teenage daughter, Lindsay, isn't fitting in at school. To make matters worse, there are stories about local high school students who've disappeared without a trace, all star athletes, like Lindsay. Then there are the rumors that their new home is cursed. Caitlin doesn't want to believe the whispers, but something strange is going on. Personal items go missing, and there are too many accidents . . . IS IF HE NEVER FINDS YOU The Watcher knows how to get inside the Stollers' home and inside their heads. The rumors are true . . . but the full horror is even worse. There's no escaping the nightmare that started here long ago, and no place to hide from a killer who knows exactly how this story will end.
I Will Make You Pay
Teresa Driscoll - 2019
A mysterious caller with a chilling threat. Journalist Alice Henderson hangs up, ready to dismiss it as a hoax against the newspaper. But the next Wednesday, the stalker makes another move—and it becomes clear that this is all about Alice.Someone wants her to suffer, but for what? Her articles have made her a popular local champion—could it be her past rather than her work that’s put her life in danger? Alice is determined not to give in to fear, but with the police investigation at a dead end, her boyfriend insists on hiring private investigator Matthew Hill.With every passing Wednesday the warnings escalate, until it’s not only Alice but also her family in the stalker’s sights. As her tormentor closes in, can Alice uncover what she’s being punished for before the terrifying threats become an unthinkable reality?
Perfectly Broken
Jullian Scott - 2017
He leaves their bodies virtually unrecognizable- carved and bloody. Cassie Miller was supposed to be one of those bodies. She was taken by the Carver and held hostage in a basement cell for days. But Cassie refused to end up like the other women and she fought back, escaping her prison. As she recovers both physically and mentally, she begins to wonder if she truly did escape. Her life has been forever tainted by the monster in the dark. But then Jack Stone enters her life, bringing light into the darkness. Detective Jack Stone has been investigating the Carver's victims from the very beginning. Each murder was haunting in its own way but when Cassie's file ends up on his desk, Jack will never be the same. When Cassie is found alive, Jack is given a detective's greatest gift- a surviving victim. She could be the key to unraveling the entire web of horror. As he gets to know Cassie, Jack realizes that she also holds the key to something else- his heart. Jack and Cassie find themselves falling in love in the worst of circumstances. Their romance is forbidden, but it's also undeniable. When the Carver comes after Cassie again, Jack will stop at nothing to keep her safe. As he dives deeper into the mind of a killer, Cassie faces the demons of her past. Will their love conquer all, or will the Carver add one more woman to his body count.
The Perfect Life
Susanna Beard - 2020
She has a beautiful house, a happy marriage to James Jessop, with two sons, Ben and Harry — and she’s just won the lottery. £29 million!The loyal best friendNatalie has never quite kept up, but she’s finally in a relationship with a new boyfriend, Nick. She’s been best friends with Heather since they were bullied at school. But will her friend’s new fortune change their friendship?A dream come true turns into a paranoid nightmareThe Jessops’ comfortable life dissolves into chaos. Heather starts receiving anonymous, hateful messages. She begs Natalie to escape with her to Spain, along with a few other close friends. But away from the spotlight in London, things go from bad to worse. Then the unthinkable happens and Heather realizes she can’t trust anyone. Not even her best friend.Nothing will ever be the same againCharged with menace, this unputdownable, edgy story of jealousy and suspicion by critically acclaimed author Susanna Beard redefines the depths of the psychological thriller.
Don't Trust Her
Elizabeth Boles - 2021
So when the letter arrives at her doorstep, the message is clear—pay up or have your world destroyed. With nowhere to turn, Court succumbs to the blackmailer’s demands. But she can’t forget about the letter. It haunts her. A girls’ weekend away offers the perfect distraction. She and her three closest friends head to a remote cabin in the Appalachians for a much-needed retreat. But the fun comes to an abrupt end when an unexpected ice storm strands them without electricity and phones. And then one friend never wakes up.It looks like an accident, but as secrets start to spill—secrets related to the blackmail letter—and suspicions swirl through the cabin, Court discovers her friends aren’t who she thinks they are. And maybe, just maybe, her friend didn’t die accidentally at all. Perhaps she was murdered. Now, Court must decide who's lying, who's telling the truth, and who can be trusted. Otherwise, she could be the next to die.