Book picks similar to
Flowers for the Dead by C.K. Williams


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Traces of Her


Amanda Brittany - 2019
    Rose isn’t surprised anymore when her free-spirited step-sister, Willow, decides to disappear off somewhere without notice. But something feels different this time. When Willow sends her a mysterious package containing photographs of suspects in a cold case she is obsessed with solving, Rose realises she needs to find her sister before things get out of hand.A missing girl. With no sign of Willow to be found, Rose takes up the search for answers about the deaths that shook a small Cornish village eighteen years before. But what is the connection between Willow and the two sisters marked by tragedy?Time is running out. Someone knows where Willow is and what happened all those years ago. And they will do anything to stop the truth from coming out. Can Rose find Willow and the answers she needs, before it’s too late?

The Dare


Lesley Kara - 2021
    But someone from her past wants answers. From the bestselling author of The Rumor and Who Did You Tell? comes The Dare, an electrifying novel of suspense. "I read The Dare in two big gulps--it's pacey, has great characters, and there's a flip worthy of Simone Biles."--Fiona Barton, New York Times bestselling author of The WidowAt the time it was exciting. A game of dare, but one that had motive and justification. Children can be so judgmental, can't they? I can still hear her cry as she toppled forward, the dull thud of her body as it landed on the pavement.Lizzie and Alice are the best of friends, as close as can be. Until the day when they're out playing by the train tracks and a childish spat triggers Lizzie's epilepsy. When she comes to, she finds an unimaginable horror: Alice has been killed. Lizzie is devastated, and as she tries to cope with her grief, she is shocked to find herself alienated from Alice's friends and relatives, who are convinced Lizzie and "the dare" somehow had a role in her friend's death.I knew that whatever she wanted me to do, I'd do it. Like that first, dreadful dare.Years later, Lizzie has tried to move on. She's engaged to a wonderful man and is starting a new life in London. But someone from her past isn't willing to forgive and forget. And they'll do anything to pry answers from her. Even if Lizzie doesn't know them herself.

All That Was Lost


Alison May - 2018
    Fifty years later she is Patrice Leigh, a nationally celebrated medium. But cracks are forming in the carefully constructed barriers that keep her real history at bay.Leo is the journalist hired to write Patrice's biography. Struggling to reconcile the demands of his family, his grief for his lost son, and his need to understand his own background, Leo becomes more and more frustrated at Patrice's refusal to open up.Because behind closed doors, Patrice is hiding more than one secret. And it seems that now, her past is finally catching up with her.May thrills in this English familial mystery, adding enticing plot layers as intricate and divisive as the themes she introduces.'Intriguing with a cast of complex characters that keep you fascinated, this is a page-turner and surprisingly tender' Katie FForde'A resonant, emotional story about grief, loss and love with a complex, tragic heroine--a fake psychic reaching the end of her career. Although it's about death, this story is never depressing, and ultimately it's about recovery and healing' Julie Cohen'A beautiful and compelling story that delves into what is real, what we are willing to believe and the power of grief' Liz Fenwick'"All That is Lost" is a bold, beautiful thought-provoking novel, that sensitively confronts difficult themes' Rowan Coleman'It is a triumph. What Alison May has produced is an intimate and affecting study of loss, grief and identity that is just wonderful.' Linda's Book Bag'What an interesting and unique book... a fascinating, at times heart-wrenching, look at secrets, the cost of keeping them hidden, and whether hiding them requires lies.' Fireflies and Free Kicks

The Light Through the Leaves


Glendy Vanderah - 2021
    But when she returns, Viola is gone. A breaking point in an already fractured marriage, Viola’s abduction causes Ellis to disappear as well—into grief, guilt, and addiction. Convinced she can only do more harm to her family, Ellis leaves her husband and young sons, burying her desperate ache for her children deeper with every step into the mountain wildernesses she treks alone.In a remote area of Washington, a young girl named Raven keeps secrets inside, too. She must never speak to outsiders about how her mother makes miracles spring from the earth, or about her father, whose mysterious presence sometimes frightens her. Raven spends her days learning how to use her rare gifts—and more important, how to hide them. With each lesson comes a warning of what dangers lie in the world beyond her isolated haven. But despite her mother’s cautions, Raven finds herself longing for something more.As Ellis and Raven each confront their powerful longings, their journeys will converge in unexpected and hopeful ways, pulled together by the forces of nature, love, and family.

Back in the Game (Bad Blood #2)


Caz Finlay - 2020
    She might have been the boss once, but now Grace just wants to live a normal life…Until she learns that her eldest son Jake has got himself mixed up in some bad business. In over his head and out of control, Jake needs pulling back in line, before he gets himself killed. But with Grace gone, no one can tell Jake what to do. Which means only one thing for Grace…The boss is back!

In Cold Blood


Jane Bettany - 2020
    The house she used to live in as a child…The forensic team estimate that the body has been in the ground for up to forty years – coinciding with the time Isabel’s family lived in the house.Isabel’s father vanished without a trace when she was fourteen years old. And with her mother remaining tight-lipped about her father’s disappearance, Isabel can’t escape the unnerving sense of dread that it’s his body, buried in the garden.

The House of Hidden Secrets


C.E. Rose - 2021
    As Serena and 4-year-old Lana walked up the long driveway, little did they know the dark secrets that lay within.When Serena Green accepted the role of housekeeper for wealthy widower Hayden Ramsay, she never imagined her new home would be Ramsay Hall, an ancient, sprawling mansion in Northern England.Serena quickly becomes an integral part of the household, making friends with Hayden’s younger son Hugh, despite Jack, his older brother’s, coldness towards her and Lana.But the hall’s beautiful exterior hides many ugly secrets. Though Serena and Jack begin to grow closer, she’s confused by his behaviour around Lana. What is he guilty of? And is there more to their mother’s death than the Ramsay men will admit, even to themselves?As the harrowing past of Ramsay Hall unravels, Serena fresh start becomes a fresh horror. She fears for her and Lana’s safety, but what are the bleak secrets in Serena’s own past?This house is built on a lifetime of lies… and the truth might just bring the walls crashing down.A twisty, gripping and utterly unputdownable new thriller that fans of Lisa Jewell, C.L. Taylor and Mark Edwards will love.

Those People


Louise Candlish - 2019
    The houses are beautiful, the neighbors get along, and the kids play together on weekends.But when Darren and Jodie move into the house on the corner, they donʼt follow the rules. They blast music at all hours, begin an unsightly renovation, and run a used-car business from their yard. It doesn't take long for an all-out war to start brewing.Then, early one Saturday, a horrific death shocks the street. As police search for witnesses, accusations start flying--and everyone has something to hide.

Behind Blue Eyes (Stockholm Murders #1)


C.S. Duffy - 2019
    The perfect man.The perfect life.The only problem is the dead body on the beach.Investigative reporter Ellie has just given up her life in London to be with the man of her dreams in Sweden when she stumbles across a half decomposed skeleton on Midsummer’s eve.She’s flung into a murder investigation in a country where she doesn’t speak the language and doesn’t know a soul.Except Johan.The love of her life.Who she is beginning to suspect knows a lot more about the body than he is admitting.Is he the perfect man, or has Ellie uncovered the perfect crime? A psychological suspense thriller with a twist of Scandi noir - perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Grab your copy now!

The Interview


Gill Perdue
    A missing man. A coded fairy tale. Detective Laura Shaw seems to have it all: a supportive husband, a happy two-year-old and a great career. She is her team's top victim interviewer, a genius at getting vulnerable people to open up.That's until she meets Jenny - a 14-year-old assault victim who talks only in fairy tales. Jenny's stepfather is missing and the blood on her clothes isn't her own, so Laura's colleagues need answers fast.But Laura's strange behaviour makes the girl shut down even more, leaving her bewildered partner, Niamh, desperately trying to rescue the situation.It seems that this case has triggered something deep within Laura, and Jenny is not the only one with secrets. As the clock ticks down, Laura teeters on the brink of disaster, grappling with the biggest question of all: Is every life worth saving?

Ten Days


Mel Sherratt - 2021
    As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I slowly start to recognise my surroundings: the small hole in the door and a narrow window allowing only a small chink of light. The jewellery given to me by my loving husband is gone and I am wearing someone else’s clothes. The room is exactly as the first woman described. And the second. And the third… It’s then I know, I am the fifth woman to be taken.Just days before, I had interviewed the third victim for the local paper. Her story was the same as those before her: an ordinary woman, locked away for ten days then released with no explanation, and nothing – nothing she could think of – to link her to the others. Throughout the ordeal, her abductor stayed eerily silent.I tell myself I’ll be safe; that I can brave the loneliness and survive just like the others. But as the days pass, I can’t help thinking of the fourth victim who is still missing.And then I hear the voice coming through the door. ‘You said everything would be fine. But it wasn’t was it?’ It is then that I realise. If I am to make it out alive, I need to revisit a dark secret of my own that I have spent a lifetime trying to forget.An absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller with a truly brilliant twist, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, T.M. Logan and C.L. Taylor.This book was previously titled Invisible Victim.

Her Sister's Lie


Debbie Howells - 2018
    Was it an accident or did she know her killer?Abe's life changes overnight when he goes to live with his aunt, Hannah, who hasn't seen him for ten years and who doesn't want him any more than he wants to be there.His silence disturbs her - Hannah's convinced he knows more than he's letting on. But while the police investigate her sister's death, Hannah's nightmare begins. Unexplained things start happening around her, but as Hannah's behaviour becomes more erratic, no-one believes her. Then she finds some letters that threaten to expose a secret she believed had been buried forever. If Abe has read them, he knows...

While You Slept


Richard Jay Parker - 2020
    When she and Maisie wake up the following morning in an exact replica of their home, held captive by that same man, the police are no longer an option.Surrounded by the rooms and things that once provided comfort and now only promote fear, Lily and Maisie must fight to survive. Because when no one knows where you are, you are your only hope.

The Silent Mother


Liz Lawler - 2021
    But your son is dead.’As I hear the words every mother dreads my pulse races and I go cold. But even as my world turns upside down I know the things I’m being told just don’t add up. I have to find out what really happened the night my beautiful boy died…The police tell me it was a tragedy no one could have prevented. But then they reveal the terrible things Tom was keeping from me. The person they describe is nothing like the decent, honest man I raised. Newly qualified as a doctor, Tom had such a bright future ahead of him.A mother knows her own child. And I’m determined to prove my son’s innocence.It’s the last thing I will ever be able to do for him. So I have come to the city where he lived and moved into his empty flat under a different name.When I discover his diary, it becomes clear his death wasn’t an accident.And as I get to know Tom’s friends and neighbours I realise they’re all keeping secrets.But as I get closer to the truth, I realise my life is in danger too…

Beyond Fear


Jaye Ford - 2011
    Now thirty-five, she is a teacher and mother, her memories of that past horror are buried deep – so when she sets out for a weekend in the country with friends, all she has in mind are a few laughs and a break from routine.Unknown to the four women, their secluded cabin was once the focus of a police investigation and, like Jodie, it nurtures a dark secret.As her friends relax, the isolation reawakens Jodie’s terrifying memories. When she finds evidence of trespassers, she is convinced they are in danger. But the other women don’t believe her and suffering flashbacks that threaten to ruin the weekend for everyone, Jodie begins to doubt herself.Until two men knock at their door … and Jodie’s fear could get them all killed.