Book picks similar to
The Lost Twin by Diana Finley
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The Only Child
Miranda Rijks - 2021
One little lie. Where will it end?Chantal and Stuart are a golden couple. She’s a high-flying divorce lawyer dealing with the biggest case of her career, and he’s the darling of daytime television, on the cusp of A list celebrity. Their seventeen-year old son Alex is a passionate environmentalist, the apple of his mother’s eye.And it’s all built on a lie.A lie told by Chantal.When someone discovers her secret and starts to blackmail her, Chantal’s perfect life threatens to go into freefall. Her marriage, her career, and even her relationship with her son are at stake. She can’t let it happen!She decides to fight fire with fire, but soon finds her actions have extreme - and unexpected - consequences. As she is pulled ever deeper into a web of lies and deceit, she has to ask the most terrifying question of all…Where will it end?
The Parents
Claire Seeber - 2021
But it’s not long before I realise: I should have never made friends with them…I knew it wouldn’t be easy for my kids to adjust when we moved to a tiny village where they didn’t know a soul. But after the death of my husband, we needed a fresh start.Suddenly, we’re outsiders. I know the only way we’ll be accepted is if I throw myself into my new life, so when my son joins a local club, I volunteer to help along with the other parents.Before moving here, I didn’t know people like this really existed; their lives seem too perfect to be real. Although my own life couldn’t be more different, they welcome me into the fold. For the first time since my husband died, I feel like I made the right decision for my family…That is until I overhear something that tells me these other parents aren’t as perfect as they seem. Something that turns my world upside down again.My secret has already ruined my life once. I thought the truth had died with my husband… I should have known that it wouldn’t be buried for long.A completely addictive page-turner about the secrets and lies hiding beneath seemingly perfect lives. Fans of Big Little Lies, Lisa Jewell and Louise Candlish will be absolutely hooked by this pacey read with a jaw-dropping twist you just won’t see coming.
The First Lie
A.J. Park - 2019
Someone breaks in.In defending yourself, you end up killing the intruder.Now you're the one the police want.That is the situation that criminal barrister Paul Reeve arrives home to find.His wife Alice stands in the bedroom, clutching a bloodied letter opener in her shaking hand."What have you done, Alice?""I didn't have a choice..."We would all believe the person we love most.But would we all make the same choice Paul and Alice make next...?
Surrender: A Memoir of Nature, Nurture, and Love
Marylee MacDonald - 2020
Now she shares her story with the child she gave away.Adopted at birth, Marylee's parents told her she was a "chosen child." She tried her hardest to be a model daughter, but divorce sent her into the comforting arms of a handsome Catholic boy.It's a familiar story. Romeo and Juliet. Theirs was the love story of all time.Starry-eyed, she surrendered to passion. Unfortunately, it was 1961. Pregnant girls were sent away, and their babies given up for adoption. History was repeating itself.Nature vs. nurture: Which plays a greater role in who we become? The family we were raised in, or the parents we never knew?In telling her adult son the story of his birth, can the narrator find compassion for her own wounded inner child?If you like truthful accounts laced with the passion of youth and the wisdom of age, read Marylee MacDonald's funny and poignant memoir about how we grow up, grow old, and learn to accept ourselves.
Sisters at War
Clare Flynn - 2021
The pressures of war threaten to tear apart two sisters traumatised by their mother's murder by their father.With her new husband Will, a merchant seaman, deployed on dangerous Atlantic convoy missions, Hannah needs her younger sister Judith more than ever. But when Mussolini declares war on Britain, Judith's Italian sweetheart, Paolo is imprisoned as an enemy alien, and Judith's loyalties are divided.Each sister wants only to be with the man she loves but, as the war progresses, tensions between them boil over, and they face an impossible decision.A heart-wrenching page-turner about the everyday bravery of ordinary people during wartime. From heavily blitzed Liverpool to the terrors of the North Atlantic and the scorched plains of Australia, Sisters at War will bring tears to your eyes and joy to your heart.
The New Home
Chris Merritt - 2021
And her beautiful neighbour Emily is everything she’s ever wanted in a best friend. Finally, she has somebody to share her secrets with over a glass of wine. But as Freya watches her new friend setting the table for dinner one evening, she sees something shocking that makes her think that Emily’s life might not be as perfect as it seems. Days later, Emily and her daughter vanish…When you meet Emily’s husband, you will think you know what he’s hiding.You will ask yourself whether Emily and Freya really did meet by chance.You will think you know what happened to Emily and her little girl the night they went missing.But when you discover the truth, it will shake you to your core and you will lie awake at night wondering if you can ever really trust the people in the house next door…Fans of Claire McGowan, Shalini Boland and Lisa Jewell will love the gripping tension and unexpected twists of The New Home. Once you start reading, you’ll be hooked!
Destiny in Deadwood: The Complete Series
Cynthia Woolf - 2018
JAKE – He’s on the run for killing his fiancée’s murderer, he heads to Deadwood with his brothers. Can he overcome his grief and find love in this rough and rowdy town? LIAM – Grieving for his late wife, he decides to take his children and move to Deadwood, away from all the memories. Can one preacher's daughter remind him that he's still a man who can love? ZACH – He helped his little brother escape, and now he's a wanted man. Having vowed never to marry, will Deadwood be the end of his vow? Will all three brothers find love or will a man out for vengeance put an end to all their dreams?
One Night, Two Babies / Valente's Baby
Kathie DeNosky - 2010
Zach Forsythe, billionaire resort owner, was the man she’d had a week-long affair with. Why had Zach lied about his name and left her without a word?Valente’s Baby Maxine Sullivan For Matthew Valente, paternity trumped everything. Never mind that his ex-employee Lana had kept his baby a secret for nearly a year or that he considered her a liar and a thief. Their child would bear the Valente name…and so would she!
The Milk Wagon
Michael Hewes - 2020
It was the year Matt fell in love.It was the year Mark started a band.It was the year Hop actually, kind of, but not really got a girlfriend.And it was the year Nate Mayes disappeared.Matt, Hop and Mark have been friends since elementary school. They played ball together, they hung out together, and they somehow managed to work their way through the awkward years of junior high together. Now, they are finally starting to come into their own as they prepare to start eleventh grade, but on the first day of school, a new kid named Nate Mayes arrives, and with him, a secret. Once the boys learn the horrifying truth, they take it upon themselves to try and make it right, and in so doing, set in motion a chain of events that have unexpected and life-altering consequences for everyone.The Milk Wagon was there through it all.
The Lies I Tell
Joel Hames - 2020
Meet Emily. Meet Belinda.They're all me. My name is Lisa and I'm an identity thief. If I'm not inside your system stealing your money, I've probably already stolen it. I'm your friend. I'm a thief. I'm gone.I'm in control.Only now, the tables have been turned. I'm in danger. My son is in danger. And I don't know where that danger's coming from.Any friend.Any enemy.Any stranger.Anyone from the past I've been trying to outrun for years.NOBODY CAN BE TRUSTED.What readers are saying:“Breathless, clever, with twists I didn't see coming.”“Properly tense. I couldn't get to sleep!““Five stars hands down. Just LOVE Lisa - and hate her a little bit too!!!”
The Abandoned
Sharon Thompson - 2018
As a teenager, her mother was committed to an asylum and then a local priest forced her into an abusive marriage. But when her husband dies in an accident Peggy sees an opportunity to start again and trains as a midwife.In 1950s Dublin it is not easy for a woman to make a living and Peggy sees a chance to start a business and soon a lucrative maternity home is up and running. But when Peggy realizes that the lack of birth control is an issue for women, she uses their plight as a way to make more money. Very soon Peggy is on the wrong side of the law. What makes a woman decide to walk down a dark path? Can Peggy ever get back on the straight and narrow? Or will she have to pay for her crimes?Set against the backdrop of Ireland in the 1950’s The Abandoned tells the story of one woman’s fight for survival and her journey into the underbelly of a dangerous criminal world.The Abandoned is a debut novel not to be missed, it will appeal to fans of authors like Cara Hunter, Joy Ellis and Helen Fields What everyone is saying about The Abandoned: "Great fast paced book, great strong characters" Wendy Haines"An engrossing story which is so hard to look back at and think that things like this really happened not that long ago. A superb debut." Susan Hampson - Books From Dusk Till Dawn"I loved how fast-paced and chilling every part of this novel was, as it certainly kept me on my toes from start to finish, keeping my level of intrigued peaked until the very last second." Kaisha Holloway - The Writing Garnet"Brilliant. High expectations are set for future books by Sharon Thompson an author to keep your eye on. A story you won’t forget quickly." Gemma Myers - Between The Pages Book Club"The pace throughout is steady with some of the faster-paced parts providing some darker more grittier moments." Rachel Broughton - Rae Reads"The perfect mix of Historical Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, and Crime. I'm excited to read more from Sharon Thompson." Dash Fan Book Reviews"The Abandoned is a fabulous historical thriller and though I disproved of Peggy’s actions, I thoroughly enjoyed her story." Susan Corcoran - Booksaremycwtches"Cannot praise this author highly enough. I will be recommending this to anyone who listens." Philomena Callan - Cheekypee Reads And Reviews"This is a superbly written book with a good heavy plot that keeps on giving and opening more." Sue Ward - Read Along With Sue"It’s gritty, dark, vivid and sometimes very very brutal (see the blurb for her job descriptions, throw in some violence and you’re halfway there), but always gripping, with dark laughs in there to keep your head above water." Bernadette Maycock - BRMaycock's Book Blog"A very good read that will appeal to readers of thrillers and crime fiction.
Thief Catcher
John Drake - 2016
When an incriminating etched print is made and circulated in a book by the Lycanthropic Society, renowned thief-catcher Samuel Slym from Aldgate is put on the case to find those responsible and retrieve all existing prints before Prinny is subjected to public humiliation. Meanwhile across the Channel and revered by the French military, General Napoleon Bonaparte is waiting for a chance to invade England, and his fleet is ready to strike and land. Using the latest technology, the telegraph signal, there is a new opportunity to hatch a plan to conquer England at last and he employs sinister spies, among them the charming, but cold-blooded Sukolowsky. Bonaparte is not the only one with an eye for conquest. Lord Glenfeshie, survivor of the Battle of Culloden, leads the aged Highlanders and Jacobites, waiting for a chance to seize back power for the pretender, James Charles Stuart, son of Bonnie Prince Charlie. They plot in secret, waiting to take advantage of the weak king and political instability in London under Pitt’s government. Followers of the old Highlanders will stop at nothing to reinstate a Catholic as king. As Samuel Slym follows up his leads to track down Prinny’s print he uncovers far more than he expected at the start of his commission, and his quest unwittingly leads him higher in society than he believed possible, as well as rekindling an old fiery liaison with the mysterious Lady Sarah Coignwood. Can Slym get to the bottom of the plot to bring scandal to the Prince before it is too late? And will Napoleon succeed in his plan to conquer the ‘Rosbif Navy’? Charging headlong from the murky backstreets of London to the country palaces of English aristocracy and finally the outposts of Kent, Drake’s novel spins a gripping yarn of deception and scandal, patriotism and pride, bringing to life legendary characters of the 18th century, as well as some less well known to the annals of English history… For those who loved Sam Slym you can catch a further glimpse of him in John Drake's bestselling Fletcher's Glorious 1st June where he begins his doomed relationship with Lady Sarah Coignwood. Praise for John Drake’s Fletcher series "Swashbuckling adventure on the high seas doesn't get much better than this. […] John Drake writes beautifully, and you'll be torn between savoring the words and quickly flipping the pages. Any favorable comparison to Stevenson or Patrick O'Brian is totally justified." – Nelson DeMille, #1 New York Times bestselling author John Drake trained as a biochemist to post-doctorate research level before realizing he was no good at science. His working career was in the television department of ICI until 1999 when he became a full-time writer. John's hobby is muzzle-loading shooting, and his interests are British history and British politics (as a spectator), plus newspapers, TV news, and current affairs. He is married with a son and two grandchildren. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks.
The Color of Justice
Ace Collins - 2014
Two attorneys searching for the truth. But only one will stay alive long enough to find it.1964- Justice, Mississippi, is a town divided. White and black. Rich and poor. Rule makers and rule breakers. Right or wrong, everyone assumes their place behind a fragile faCade that is about to crumble. When attorney Coop Lindsay agrees to defend a black man accused of murdering a white teenager, the bribes and death threats don't intimidate him. As he prepares for the case of a lifetime, the young lawyer knows it's the verdict that poses the real threat--innocent or guilty, because of his stand Coop is no longer welcome in Justice. As he follows his conscience, he wonders just how far some people will go to make sure he doesn't finish his job?2014- To some, the result of the trial still feels like a fresh wound even fifty years later, when Coop's grandson arrives in Justice seeking answers to the questions unresolved by the trial that changed his family's legacy. When a new case is presented, again pitting white against black, this third generation Lindsay may have the opportunity he needs to right the wrongs of the past.But hate destroys everything it touches, and the Lindsay family will not escape unscathed.
Someone Else's Baby
Ruby Speechley - 2019
Now she wants them back.Charlotte Morgan knows how it feels to desperately want a baby. As a child, seeing her mum devastated by losing her longed-for babies, Charlotte wished another woman could give her mother what she so craved.Now Charlotte’s a mum herself, and knowing how much love her daughter, Alice, brings into her life, she vows to help others achieve their dreams of becoming a parent.When she meets Malcolm and Brenda on a surrogacy website, it seems that she has found the perfect couple. In their late forties, they’ve spent their life building a successful business and traveling the world, but there’s just one thing missing – a child of their own.When Charlotte falls pregnant with twins, the pair are overjoyed. And while Charlotte’s heart breaks as she hands them over, her reward is knowing how much happiness the two tiny babies are going to bring into their life.But are Malcolm and Brenda all they seem? As secrets become unraveled, Charlotte is forced to face that she has handed her babies over to virtual strangers. And when Malcolm and Brenda disappear without a trace, Charlotte is plunged into a frantic search for the babies she carried – before it’s too late…A gripping psychological thriller with a heart-stopping ending – readers of The Wife Between Us, Rachel Abbott and C.L Taylor will not want to put this down…
Twice a Daughter, A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging
Julie Ryan McGue - 2021
She is also a twin. Because their adoption was closed, she and her sister lack both a health history and their adoption papers―which becomes an issue for Julie when, at forty-eight years old, she finds herself facing several serious health issues.To launch the probe into her closed adoption, Julie first needs the support of her sister. The twins talk things over, and make a pact: Julie will approach their adoptive parents for the adoption paperwork and investigate search options, and the sisters will split the costs involved in locating their birth relatives. But their adoptive parents aren't happy that their daughters want to locate their birth parents―and that is only the first of many obstacles Julie will come up against as she digs into her background.Julie's search for her birth relatives spans years and involves a search agency, a PI, a confidential intermediary, a judge, an adoption agency, a social worker, and a genealogist. By journey's end, what began as a simple desire for a family medical history has evolved into a complicated quest―one that unearths secrets, lies, and family members that are literally right next door.