Book picks similar to
Your Life for Mine by Karen Clarke


mystery
psychological-thrillers
thriller
adult

Everybody Lies


Emily Maine Cavanagh - 2020
    But now they have found that poor girl down on the beach, I realize just how many secrets we’ve been keeping all along.Evvy has lived on the island of Great Rock all her life. Every year, after the holidaymakers have departed, storms begin to roll in off the Atlantic and the island returns to the small group of locals who, like her, have decided to make it their home.But when a body is found on the snow-covered beach it sends shockwaves through this tight-knit community and rattles Evvy to her core.The dead woman had worked on the island the previous summer and it seems strange she would have been visiting so out of season. What drew her back and who was she meeting? When Evvy learns that her partner, Ian, was the last person to see her alive, the shadow of the murder falls far too close to home.No stranger to being talked about on the island, where no one’s private life is their own, Evvy must protect her daughter, Daisy, from yet more island gossip. Her family’s happiness has felt fragile at the best of times and now with Ian under suspicion, she senses they are close to freefall once again.As the icy weather closes in, Evvy will discover that no matter how hard you try to hide it, the truth will always find a way out.A tense and atmospheric emotional drama that will keep you guessing. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Diane Chamberlain and Sally Hepworth.

The Family Friend


C.C. MacDonald - 2021
    IT ONLY TAKES ONE TO DESTROY YOU.Erin lives an idyllic life by the seaside with her baby boy and Australian fiancé. She's upbeat and happy - a natural mum.At least that's what her thousands of followers on Instagram think.In reality, Erin is struggling with anxiety and finding it difficult to connect with her screaming son. So, when an agent offers to make her the biggest Instamum out there, she can't refuse.And when Amanda, a family friend who's visiting from Australia, says she'll move in and babysit to help make it happen, it seems like the stars have finally aligned for Erin's exciting new career.But there's something Amanda isn't telling her.Something that will destroy Erin's carefully curated persona online.___________________________ Praise for HAPPY EVER AFTER: 'Kept me gripped and kept me guessing' Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said'Excellent domestic noir, chillingly plausible... I loved the ending' Jo Spain, author of The Confession'An absorbing story, a bunch of unexpected twists, great writing. I totally lost myself in this book' John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

The Truth


Naomi Joy - 2019
    Perfect life. Perfect crime.Anthony is not the man everyone believes him to be. And Emelia is not the woman he wants her to be.Theirs was a whirlwind romance, Anthony was the doting boyfriend, the charismatic and successful career man who swept her off her feet. But now Emelia is trapped in a marriage of dark secrets and obsession. She is no more than something Anthony wants to 'fix', one of his pet projects.Emelia has no escape from the life that Anthony insists on controlling, so she shares her story through the only means she can – her blog. Yet Anthony can never find out. Forced to hide behind a false name, Emelia knows the only way that Anthony will allow her to leave him, is death.Trapped with a man she knows is trying to kill her, Emelia is determined that someone will hear her story and Anthony will meet his ends. That everyone will discover the truth.Perfect for fans of My Lovely Wife, Liane Moriarty and The Mother in Law.

Every Little Secret


Ruby Speechley - 2020
    The truth will destroy her.Maddy Saunders’ life is unravelling. After the heartbreaking, unexpected death of 5-year-old daughter Chloe, she’s trying desperately to keep her family together for other daughter, Emily. But when the police inform her that husband Max is missing, the rucksack found at the bottom of a local canal leading them to believe he has taken his own life, her grief takes a new and sharper turn.Unable to believe that Max would abandon her and Emily, Maddy desperately searches for clues as to what has happened to her husband. But as she delves deeper into his secrets, Maddy finds a web of betrayal that forces her to re-examine everything about the life they have built together.Maddened by grief, and forced into untangling Max’s lies, Maddy will stop at nothing to uncover the truth – even if it destroys her in the process.A gripping, absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller that will have you hooked – perfect for fans of K.L. Slater, Shalini Boland and B.A. Paris.

No Sister of Mine


Vivien Brown - 2020
    They couldn’t be more different.Eve, the mature and sensible one. Sarah, headstrong and eager for a taste of life.When Eve brings a new face home for the holidays, Sarah does something that will change both of their lives forever. Something that Eve can never forget – or forgive.But life won’t keep them apart forever and decades later, one of them will have to choose whether to put the past behind her, or to hold on to hate forever…Praise for Vivien Brown:‘A truly gripping read … which keeps you on the edge of your seat’ My Weekly‘Nail-biting… Vivien carefully constructs this web of intrigue’ People’s Friend

The Perfect Sister


Zoë Miller - 2020
    But, though they barely speak these days, Alice knows her sister is hiding something.When she hears that discovery at a soon-to-be-demolished apartment building has led police to re-open an 'accidental death' case, Alice thinks nothing of it. Until someone knocks at her door, with questions about Holly...Alice doesn't believe her sister is capable of involvement in anything so sinister. But when she tries to contact Holly, she can't be reached...Forced to dig through the past in order to uncover the truth, Alice also starts to uncover years of Holly's secrets - and to doubt her innocence. And as the evidence mounts up, she has a choice to make: does she want to help her sister clear her name, even if Alice will end up paying the price?

The Perfect House


R.P. Bolton - 2021
    So why is it tearing them apart?A fresh startEllie knows she has found her dream home – number six Moss Lane. The place she and Tom can settle down, raise their new baby and start again.A dark secretBut why do their new neighbours think they’re so brave for moving in? Why are Ellie’s keys never where she left them? And why can Ellie hear strange noises in the night that Tom can’t?A living nightmareSuddenly their dream house no longer feels so perfect and when Ellie learns the truth about number six’s dark past, a truth that Tom has been keeping secret from her, she no longer knows who she can trust.Has their perfect home become her worst nightmare?A gripping new psychological thriller that you won’t be able to put down and will have your heart racing! Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Jackie Kabler.

The Beach House


P.R. Black - 2020
     Cora's on the island vacation of her dreams: a private beach in paradise, a romantic proposal, and an eight-figure cheque following the sale of her new fiancé’s business. When their island turns out to be not so private after all, Cora tries to make the best of a bad situation by inviting their strangely friendly neighbours to celebrate with them. But it doesn't take long for her once-in-a-lifetime holiday to take a very sinister turn...

I Lie in Wait


Amanda Brittany - 2020
    Amelia is certain that the answer lies at the holiday cottage and retracing their steps might unearth a vital clue that could help make a breakthrough.But during their second night at the cottage a shrill scream cuts through the darkness, just as it did a year ago, and a sense of dread engulfs everyone.Another girl has vanished.Leading the search, Amelia is convinced that both girls are alive, waiting to be found. But someone is determined to keep her from the truth at all costs…Will Amelia be able to find her sister, or is she too about to find herself in danger?Fans of The Perfect Couple, My Lovely Wife and The Silent Patient will love Amanda Brittany!

Keep Me Close


Jane Holland - 2021
    What would you do?When shy publisher Kate Kinley finds mysterious bruises on her mother’s arms she assumes the worst. Suffering with early onset dementia, her mother insists that nothing is wrong; it was just a clumsy accident. But was it an accident, or has her mother’s illness made her forget what really happened?In desperate need of someone she can trust, her isolation and paranoia grow as the closest people in her life become key suspects.With each heart-stopping revelation, Kate begins to realise that the perpetrator is no longer interested in inflicting bruises; they want blood.Keep Me Close is a compelling story of gross immorality, a cautionary tale of how easily wicked people can take advantage of the vulnerable elderly people in your life.If you love dark, psychological revenge-thrillers like The Sister-in-Law, The Babysitter and The Girl on the Train, you will love this twisty, sinister read. Perfect for readers of Gillian Flynn, Karin Slaughter, and Paula Hawkins.

The Man I Married


Elena Wilkes - 2020
    You’ll do anything for him. But do you really know him?This is the story of Lucy and Paul.They met. They fell deeply in love. They got married.Lucy thought that she had everything she wanted.Until she found the photograph from Paul's past life, read the text messages he's so desperately trying to hide. Until she uncovered Paul’s darkest secrets.Now Lucy realizes she doesn’t really know her husband. She doesn’t know if she can trust her own mind. She doesn’t know the lengths Paul would go to keep his perfect life.And worst of all, she doesn’t know that she’s in danger...A gripping, dark psychological thriller with an absolutely nail-biting ending that will keep you hooked - the perfect read for fans of Behind Closed Doors, Mark Edwards, and Lisa Jewell.

Shadow of a Doubt


Michelle Davies - 2020
    But she blamed it on a paranormal entity she swears was haunting her house.No one believed her and after two years of treatment in a psychiatric unit for delusional disorder, Cara was shunned by her remaining family and put into foster care.Now she's being forced to return to the family home for the first time since her brother's death, but what if she's about to re-discover the evil that was lurking inside its walls?

Secrets to the Grave


Steve Frech - 2021
    Deep bruises encircled the neck, but the most unsettling feature was the eyes, which stared lifelessly upwards. That was the moment the woman began screaming.When a teenage girl is found dead on a quiet suburban street, Detective Meredith Somerset is haunted by flashbacks to the day her little sister vanished—the day Meredith should have been watching her. But with a murder to solve, she doesn’t have time for painful memories to cloud her judgement.The victim is shoeless, the only clue to her identity a small silver medallion hidden in her grass-stained sock. Did she run from her killer across the smooth lawns of Willow Lane? And if so, how did no one in the surrounding houses see or hear a thing?Meredith needs answers, or she’ll never shake the image of her sister’s face begging her for help. But Willow Lane has more than one mystery behind its doors—and to find the killer, Meredith must venture into a community that’s determined to keep its secrets hidden at any cost…A nail-biting crime thriller with a shocking twist, perfect for fans of Harlan Coben, Robert Dugoni and Lisa Regan.

New Year's Eve


J.G. Murray - 2020
    No more run-down flats in dodgy areas. But behind the exterior of this beautiful Victorian house, things are less than picture-perfect, and the tight-knit community is unwelcoming.When Hayley befriends the woman next door, no-one is pleased. Least of all the man from upstairs. The one who watches them all from behind his window. Then they receive an invite for a New Year's Eve party. But what seems like a friendly gesture, proves to be anything but...

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?