Book picks similar to
The Cleansing by J.A. Baker


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thriller
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Rachel's Garden


Louise Worthington - 2021
    Adam’s temper rages when he discovers he is infertile. She seeks solace in the arms of her gardener and falls pregnant.Dreams become reality—and a garden grows, but as every gardener knows, even the most beautiful plants can be toxic.Can Rachel find the happiness she craves, or will the toxic past take root and lead her down a dark path?Rachel's Garden is a brilliantly dark and moving psychological thriller. It's the perfect read for fans of authors like S.E. Lynes, Clare Mackintosh and Lisa Jewell, Rachel's Garden will have your pulse racing and your heart in your mouth from start to finish.

Scared to Breathe


Kerena Swan - 2019
    But when Lewis, Dean’s brother, vows revenge, Tasha is afraid and no longer feels safe in her own home. Tasha’s partner, Reuben, hopes to marry her and start a family soon. But Reuben is concerned about Tasha’s state of mind and urges her to see a doctor When Tasha is left a derelict country house by her birth father, she sees an opportunity to escape Luton and start a new life. After visiting Black Hollow Hall she sees it as the perfect opportunity to live a life without fear. At first Tasha feels liberated from her troubles. The gardener, William, who is partially paralysed but employed to maintain the grounds of Black Hollow Hall, is welcoming. But soon Tasha realises the Hall is not quite the idyll she imagined.When she discovers that a woman jumped to her death there years ago following the murder of her husband, strange events begin to take place and Tasha fears for her safety.Have the Rigby family found her?Is someone trying to scare her into selling the house?Or is she suffering from paranoia as Reuben suggests?   As Tasha’s sanity is put under pressure she begins to wonder if Black Hollow Hall is going to be her salvation or her undoing… Kerena Swan is also the author of the unmissable psychological thriller Dying to See You. Scared to Breathe is a compelling thriller which will appeal to fans of authors like Clare Mackintosh, Cara Hunter and Shalini Boland.

The Perfect Daughter


Kerry Wilkinson - 2021
    She knows this winding country road like the back of her hand, dodges the potholes with ease. But then she hears a crunch. A thud. She slams on the brakes.Since Katie’s dad left it’s just been the two of us, but we’re a team – singing in the kitchen at cheesy pop songs, tackling her homework. My teenage daughter is everything to me.But one night, as we’re curled up in front of the TV, the messages start. I keep my phone away from Katie so she can’t see the terrifying words: I know what you did. Now you’re going to do something for me…I have no choice but to obey. Because if I go to the police, come clean about what I did to protect my girl, all the questions and prying eyes would soon discover Katie’s secret too. And that would tear her life apart.So I drive where they tell me, do what they say, send the photo evidence they want. I feel sick when they ask me to cause someone harm, and it’s clear they know everything about our lives. I thought I was keeping a secret to keep my girl safe. But have I actually put her in even more danger?An absolutely addictive thriller about how far a mother would go for her child, with a twist that will leave you gasping. Fans of Shari Lapena, Lisa Jewell and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down.

Don't Let Him In


Howard Linskey - 2021
    Except, as she reads through his notes, it's clear he was sure he was about to uncover the truth. And then she hears that there are unanswered questions about his death.It's unnerving, reading through his theories alone in their tall, creaking family house on the seafront.If she didn't know better, she'd swear she thought she heard someone outside her door...

Death's Dark Veil


Patricia Dixon - 2019
    On a cold February day, both women leave home hoping to rebuild their lives, not knowing their worlds will soon collide.When fate eventually brings them to Tenley House, the home of a bitter, domineering matriarch who controls her fickle son and terrorises her adoptive granddaughter, the women find themselves in danger. Behind the facade of propriety, amidst secrets and lies, the truth will unfold when evil is awakened… Hiding in plain sight and sworn to avenge the wrongs of the past, something stalks the corridors of Tenley. It listens and waits patiently, lurking in shadows, tormenting its prey and when the time is right, begins to strike down the occupants of Tenley, one by one... Deceptively dark with a creeping sense of menace, this is the tale of two young women drawn together by circumstance and heartbreak. Patricia Dixon is the bestselling author of Over My Shoulder and They Don't Know. Death's Dark Veil is a suspenseful and brooding psychological thriller which will appeal to fans of authors like Lisa Jewell, Lianne Moriarty and Kerry Fisher.

The Good Teacher


Rachel Sargeant - 2010
    This riveting story about a murdered teacher is perfect for fans of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR.Even the good have to die.A beloved teacher is murdered and left in a ditch beside a country lane. His wife is found beaten and gagged in their suburban home.Even the best schools have secrets.New detective Pippa Adams learns that the teacher ran a homework club for vulnerable pupils. But what did he really teach them?Even the perfect family has something to hide.When Pippa scratches the surface of the school community, she meets families who’ve learned a shattering lesson. And finally uncovers the good teacher’s darkest secrets…Previously published as LONG TIME WAITING, now fully updated.

What Did I Do


Jessica Jarlvi - 2018
    From her life. From herself. When two murders take place in Chicago, Kristin quickly finds herself a prime suspect. The problem is she can't be sure of what she did or didn't do.DID THEY MAKE ME DO IT...In fear for her life, Kristin flees abroad to start her life over. But it's not that easy to escape the past. And whatever she's done, someone is on her tail, wanting her to pay. The question is: could she be a killer and not even remember?Page-turning, gripping, dark, and utterly addictive, this is one thriller that you won’t be able to put down. Perfect for fans of Cara Hunter, Mark Edwards, Caroline England.

The Silence


Joss Stirling - 2019
    The eccentric owner, Bridget, is keen to share her house with like-minded artists so also living there is Jonah – charismatic, volatile and pursuing a career in acting. But his past continues to dog him, both a curse and a blessing as his edgy persona gains traction in the acting world.Jenny is herself battling demons; unable to speak after a catastrophic incident when she was a teenager, she is reliant on strong painkillers to dull the constant pain. Gradually, an insidious addiction takes hold and Jenny’s life spirals out of control. A malevolent energy has gripped the house and Jenny, Jonah and Bridget find themselves battling to save not only their sanity, but also their lives…

The Game


Luca Veste - 2020
    . .THEY KNOW WHAT YOU DID You receive a call, an email, a text – someone knows your secret and they want to ruin you.AND THEY’RE OUT FOR BLOOD If you don’t do what they say, they’ll tell everyone what you’ve been hiding. They will come after you, destroy you, and they aren’t afraid to kill.  IT’S TIME TO PLAY THE GAMEWhy readers love Luca Veste's novels . . . 'High-concept serial killer thriller with twists and heart. Stunning' STEVE CAVANAGH 'A fast-paced mystery about friendships, secrets and fears with a twist in the tail that fooled me completely' CHRIS EWAN ‘Properly Stephen King-style creepy’ IAN RANKIN ‘Perfectly terrifying' AMANDA JENNINGS ‘A dark and brilliant thriller from a writer who just gets better and better’ MARK BILLINGHAM ‘An entertainingly nasty piece of work' CHRISTOPHER BROOKMYRE

Never Out of Sight


Louise Stone - 2017
    A mother’s betrayal.Every mother knows never to let their child out of their sight. But Freya has been distracted recently, and now her teenage daughter, Zoe, is missing.Freya knows that the only way to bring Zoe back is to tell the truth, but when your whole life is built on secrets and lies, the truth could destroy everything. Surely there’s no harm in telling just one more little white lie?

Don't Say a Word


Rebecca Tinnelly - 2019
    . .Connie lost her words at the age of five, the day she witnessed her mother and father's untimely death.Since then she has been all but mute, only being able to choke out a few select words. Now, years on, Connie's husband is on his deathbed and all she can do is quietly sit by his side.But there are so many dreadful secrets locked up in Connie's silent prison. And time is running out to set them free . . .

The Deadly Truth


Valerie Keogh - 2020
    

A Text Before Dying


McGarvey Black - 2021
    The Perfect Nightmare.Spying from her window in New York City with high-powered binoculars, conspiracy theorist Zoe spots a man and woman on a park bench. Zooming in, she finds she can read the texts on the woman’s phone. Her initial excitement turns to alarm when the woman’s texts outline a plan to murder the man she is sitting next to. The police department is trying to manage a pandemic and catch a serial killer who has murdered six women. So, when Zoe reports the conspiracy to commit murder, the police have little time or patience for her theories. Committed to saving the life of the man on the bench, Zoe and her best friend Sean pursue all angles until Zoe finds herself in grave danger.But those around her keep wondering, is there really a murder plot or is it all in Zoe’s head?

A Place to Lie


Rebecca Griffiths - 2018
    The countryside is a welcome change from the trauma they know back home in the city; a chance to make the world a joyful playground again. But in the shadowy woods at the edge of the forest hide secrets that will bring their innocence to a distressing end and make this a summer they will never forget.There was a dark, dark houseYears later, a shocking act of violence sends Joanna back to Witchwood. In her great aunt's lonely and dilapidating cottage, she will attempt to unearth the secrets of that terrifying summer and come to terms with the haunting effects it has left on her life. But in her quest to find answers, who can she trust? And will she be able to survive the impending danger from those trying to bury the truth?

Don't Say a Word


A.L. Bird - 2017
    Lawyer Jen Sutton knows it better than most. And she’ll go to any length to protect her son from what – and who – lies outside their front door.A loving mother.Some might say she’s being over-protective. But isn’t it a mother’s duty to protect her child from harm?A family built on a lie.Jen has kept her secrets safe. Until the postcard arrives, signed by the one person she hoped would never catch up with her… and her new case begins to feel a little too close to home.One thing is clear: Jen has been found. Now, she faces a choice. Run, and lose everything? Or fight – and risk her son discovering the truth.Don’t Say a Word is the electrifying new psychological thriller from AL Bird – perfect for fans of CL Taylor and Sue Fortin.