Book picks similar to
The Esther Code by Michael Danneman


itbod
jewish
mystery-thriller-suspense
psychological-thriller

Promises to Keep


S.W. Vaughn - 2018
    Now he's back for revenge ... but this time, he wants her daughter. A gripping psychological thriller with a haunting twist. Twenty years ago, the Singing Woods Killer descended on the quiet suburban town of Dayfield to prey on sixteen-year-old girls, murdering four. Then his fifth victim escaped, killing him in the process. Or did she? Madeline Osborn is the girl who got away. Her ordeal left her with no memory of the week she spent with the killer, and a rare psychological disorder that preys on her mind, distorts what she sees. For years she's known that she can't trust her own thoughts. That's why no one believes her -- including herself -- when she starts seeing the dead man who abducted her. At the supermarket. In her back yard. But when her own sixteen-year-old daughter goes missing, Madeline begins to think she may not be crazy after all. He's back. And he wants her to suffer. Now, if she can't uncover the truth about what happened to her twenty years ago, she'll pay the ultimate price: her daughter's life. Powerful and captivating, PROMISES TO KEEP is an unrelenting, heart-stopping psychological thriller perfect for fans of Gone Girl, I Am Watching You, Silent Child, and The Girl on the Train.

God's Memory


Michael Landsberg - 2012
    Four strong, unconventional people. Their paths are destined to cross, leading them into a bloody war whose outcome could change the world.

The Burning of Juniper Slaide


Johanna Handley - 2016
    Nine years later, she's worked hard at putting the past behind her. She clings to her best friend James, the only person she's been able to trust since the fire. But one day James disappears. Juniper tries to find her friend, but she uncovers more than she bargained for. As tensions grow and friendships are tested, she begins to realise that James wasn't who she thought he was. And worst of all, his disappearance is connected to her somehow, and what happened to her all those years ago... An exciting, page turning thriller you wont want to put down!

Death Wish


Linda Huber - 2017
    Eleanor is the mother-in-law from hell and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Her daughter, Ashley, has her own reasons for hating her mother. The atmosphere is toxic and old wounds refuse to heal. Next door, eight-year-old Joya has a difficult life.Her parents argue constantly and her grandmother, who lives with them, is approaching death.Soon these two families will collide and the consequences might just be fatal…Linda Huber is the best-selling author of Baby Dear

Dead in the Water


A.J. Basinski - 2015
    Realizing he had retired too soon from police work, he signs on as the head of security aboard a Caribbean cruise ship. Shortly afterwards, he becomes involved in the investigation of the disappearance, seemingly into thin air, of a bride on her honeymoon. In the process of finding out what really happened to her, he uncovers an international plot involving a Chinese entrepreneur and a Miami trial lawyer. Just like P.D. James' Adam Dalgliesh, Morales conducts his investigation strictly according to the rules and solves another crime that had gone unnoticed.

Over the Borderline


Leanna Floyd - 2019
    She convinces her childhood friend, Jacob, to move to Tampa after his latest fiasco, where he finds a job at a legal firm, which is defending Zach Barton, a rich, young entrepreneur who is accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend. When Brooke has to provide expert testimony in Barton’s trial, Jacob and Brooke end up on opposite sides of the courtroom. As Brooke prepares to testify, she discovers a pattern of violent, impulsive behavior in Barton’s past, eerily similar to those of the Surfside Killer, the case she has been asked to help profile for the FBI. Brooke is swirling in dangerous waters with the killer lurking on the fringe of her life. Who will be his next victim? Will Brooke’s knack for profiling be enough to keep her safe?

Cloaks and Veils


J.C. Carleson - 2012
    Punished for her affair with a Jordanian spy, Dara is stuck in a dreary desk job at Langley headquarters when orders come down for her to assess whether recently widowed officer Caitlin Wolff is still fit to serve in the field.Dara soon discovers that the grieving widow has dark secrets; Caitlin and her late husband, Jonathan, were running a lurid shadow operation. Convinced that the couple’s unsanctioned acts led to Jonathan’s murder, Dara investigates their final operation. Her mission to track the terrorists responsible for the murder and salvage her career takes Dara to the hedonistic playground of Dubai and the chaotic streets of Barcelona. But when the investigation takes a jarring turn, she can no longer be sure who—if anyone—she can trust.

The Truth Hurts


Rebecca Reid - 2019
    Drew is enamored, devoted, and, okay, a little mysterious—but that's part of the thrill. What's the harm in letting his past remain private? Maybe he's not the only one… Fortunately, Drew never seems to wonder why his young wife has so readily agreed to their unusual pact to live only in the here and now and not probe their personal histories. Perhaps he assumes, as others do, that she is simply swept up in the intoxication of infatuation and sudden wealth. What's the harm in letting them believe that? How far will they go to keep the past buried? Isolated in Drew's sprawling mansion, Poppy starts to have time to doubt the man she's married, to wonder what in his past might be so terrible that it can't be spoken of, to imagine what harm he might be capable of. She doesn't want this dream to shatter. But Poppy may soon be forced to confront the dark truth that there are sins far more dangerous than the sin of omission…

Multiple Motives


Kassandra Lamb - 2011
    so far. Now a killer with a mysterious grudge against her and her closest friend, lawyer Rob Franklin, is threatening everyone and everything that she holds dear.When the detective assigned to their case decides they are lovers and the attacks against them and their families are veiled attempts to rid themselves of their spouses, Kate and Rob are forced to investigate on their own. Can they identify their mutual enemy, before he or she kills again?

Insanity Never Sleeps


Anthony Hulse - 2012
    Due to mass interest, I have published it again, and also have written a sequel. A normally mild mannered man becomes the most notorious serial killer of modern times. Billy Woods unconsciously murders the daughter of a local gangster and he is pursued across Turkey and Crete by the vengeful family and the police. Ruth Vickers, a detective with CID becomes infatuated with catching Woods and joins the manhunt. A brutally, blood curdling read that is a guaranteed page turner.

Urge to Kill


J.J. Franklin - 2012
    It was almost as if they had the copper’s nightmare to deal with - a child’s murder. Except this was no innocent child but a young woman, he would guess around twenty-two and with everything to live for. Though it was obvious she was a woman, the bows in her hair, her pink party dress and white ankle socks said she was a little girl.’ Detective Inspector Matt Turrell returns from honeymoon to face the most bizarre and dangerous case of his career after the body of a woman is found at a luxury spa near Stratford-upon-Avon. However, struggling within the confines of his new marriage, and haunted by a past mistake, Matt finds it difficult to concentrate. Killer, Clive Draper, is a clever, ambiguous character whose motives and personality is not beyond empathy. Empowered by his first kill, Clive uses his charm to draw further victims into his net. Seeing Matt as his mortal enemy, he uses his charisma to lure Matt’s new wife into his snare. With the danger coming ever closer to home, Matt finds himself drawn into a deadly duel, where he must put his own life on the line and where the stakes have never been higher. Urge to Kill is the first in a series of novels featuring DI Matt Turrell of the Warwickshire Police. It is a rich psychological thriller with great character development of both the detective and the serial killer. The reader quickly becomes engaged in the epic battle between the two men. The book is set within the historic district of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Rapid Falls


Amber Cowie - 2018
    The tragedy has become a local legend, but Cara has moved past her grief to have a successful career and a happy family. Pity about Anna. Recently released from incarceration, she’s struggling with addiction, guilt, and shame—a shattered life. Cara’s forgiveness seems to be the only thing that helps her pick up the pieces.But as Anna pulls herself together, her memories of that night on the bridge start to come into focus. And few of them match her sister’s.As past secrets unfold and nothing is what it seems anymore, Anna desperately searches for the truth. But what if Cara doesn’t want her to find it?

The Man in the House


Emmy Ellis - 2019
    He waits. He strikes. DI Helena Stratton has been through the wars on a previous case—torture that has scarred her for life, gifting her with nightmares. This new one is no different. On top of that… A partner she can’t stand. DS Andy Mald needs to buck his ideas up. A boyfriend she’s just ditched. Or is he a stalker? A triple murder. Who is doing such hideous things to the bodies? Someone out there knows. And he’s desperate to be the man in the house.

The Devil You Know


Terry Tyler - 2016
    Is she the only person who can see through Gary's friendly, sensitive façade?Tamsin is besotted with her office crush, Jake. Then love turns to suspicion...Steve is used to his childhood friend, Dan, being a loud mouthed Lothario with little respect for the truth. But is a new influence in his life leading him down a more sinister path?Dorothy's beloved son, Orlando, is keeping a secret from her—a chilling discovery forces her to confront her worst fears.THE DEVIL YOU KNOW is a character-driven psychological drama that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Someone Knows Something


Christa Weisman - 2019
    It lives in your bones and pulses in your blood, waiting for just the right moment to expose your sins. J.R. Hudson was the golden boy of Timber Falls. Born into privilege as the mayor’s son, he was the envied quarterback on the high school football team with big dreams and aspirations. Along with his teammates and best friends, Ethan Young and Caleb Weston, the trio ruled senior year at Timber Falls High and the small Washington town they lived in. And then one day they vanished. Now the town is in a desperate attempt to solve the mysterious disappearance of these strong, dynamic young men. Searching for answers dredges up dark secrets and haunting revelations, revealing the grim truth—that maybe these boys weren’t as perfect as they seemed. Author note: Set in the mid-1990s, before cellphones and social media was present, this book reminds us that when someone went missing, they left no trace. The boys are high school teens, though due to graphic scenes and mature content, this book is recommended for 18+