Book picks similar to
The Good Teacher by Emily Shiner
psychological-thriller
suspense-mystery
02-06-21
0azw
The Stepmother
Ros Carne - 2021
When her husband Michael tells her he has shocking news, at first, she thinks the worst – he’s been having an affair. It would explain why he’s been so distant. Instead, he reveals that the daughter he abandoned twenty years ago is coming to stay.Kate is blindsided by the sudden arrival of Imogen mere hours later. Her new stepdaughter is beautiful but troubled and seems wary of her own father. All the same, Kate is pleased to find herself connecting with Imogen, until one day, Imogen reveals a disturbing secret to her stepmother, making her swear never to tell a soul.With Kate already keeping secrets of her own, she worries her marriage will crumble under the weight of another. But perhaps it’s not Imogen’s intrusion Kate should be worried about. Perhaps it’s Michael’s past she should have been looking at all along…A completely addictive thriller that will keep you guessing into the early hours of the morning. Perfect for fans of The Stepdaughter, Shalini Boland and K.L. Slater.
Looking for Leo
J.A. Baker - 2021
Lynda, a stern secondary school teacher who unwillingly gave evidence against him, recognizes her tutor as the troubled boy from all those years ago, bringing him the unwelcome attention he fears.When Sarah, a bored housewife, hears about Ashton’s return, she convinces herself he is responsible for Leo’s disappearance and reports him to the police.Terrified, the boy remains locked in a soundproof room, growing ever more scared of his unpredictable captor.But just who took Leo and why?And will he be found before it’s too late?
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.
The Last Door
M.M. Boulder - 2020
Because Amy Harrison's perfect life is a LIE. She has the perfect adoptive parents, perfect job, perfect friends, and she's about to marry the perfect man. There's only one problem. She can't remember the first twelve years of her life, and she's terrified something horrible happened, something she should have never forgotten. Amy starts taking an experimental drug in an effort to recover her lost past before her wedding, and all she can see is blood.Can her chaotic flashes of memory be real? Bloody halos. Doors and a car and chocolates. Whiskey. Pink. A voice. Someone who loved her. Someone she loved. And death. So much death. Determined to protect her fiancée and her unborn children from her past, she keeps pushing forward; but the memories take over more and more of her, pushing Amy away and replacing her with someone else.Will Amy be able to recover her past, learn the terrible secret that made her forget it all, and save her own life before she loses everything?
Dying Embers
Margaret Murphy - 2000
Things were never supposed to end this way for smart, athletic Ryan Connelly.The star of his Sixth Form, he was meant to shine. Not burn out.Everyone’s saying his death was a tragic accident. But teacher Geri Simpson knows there’s more to it than that.Desperate for answers, she calls on Ryan’s closest friends. But no one wants to talk.WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF? OR WHO?Then another student vanishes. And the killer delivers a blood-stained warning that Geri can’t ignore.Whoever did this to Ryan isn’t done with her students yet. And next time he may come for Geri herself . . .
The Lost Twin
Diana Finley - 2020
Penniless and alone, Marie is forced to make an impossible choice. One she will regret for the rest of her life.Against the odds, Marie raises her son Barry and gives him a good life. Yet she can never bring herself to tell him that somewhere out there, he has a twin brother.But secrets can’t stay buried forever. And when Barry learns the truth, it threatens to tear mother and son apart all over again.Will the family ever be reunited? And can the scars of a lifetime ever truly heal?
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.
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…
The Wave
L.E. Luttrell - 2020
When they meet in Phuket in December 2004 and share their troubles, the future begins to look more promising. Lucy devises a plan to help Kelly escape from her controlling and violent partner. But a tsunami sweeps through the resort causing tragedy and chaos.After recovering from her injuries, Lucy, whose husband died in the tsunami, travels to Llandudno in Wales to visit her in-laws. Thirteen years later, still in Llandudno and having established a successful business there, an unexpected visitor turns up on Lucy’s doorstep who turns her whole world upside down. She then has to consider how far she will go to protect all she holds dear.The Wave is a psychological thriller set in: Phuket, Thailand; Melbourne, Australia and Llandudno, Wales.
Terms May Apply
Keith A. Pearson - 2020
As he blows out the candles on his cake, he makes a token wish. Three days later, to his utter astonishment, that wish comes true.All his problems solved, Kyle is busy counting his blessings when a gaunt pensioner turns up at his door unannounced. The stranger then confounds Kyle by claiming credit for his recent good fortune, followed by a bizarre declaration … when Edmund Wishkin grants a wish, there’s always a price to pay.Whether he believes the old man or not, Kyle is about to discover the true cost of a wish fulfilled.
The Other Woman
N.L. Hinkens - 2020
Her marriage is already strained but things are about to take an even more shocking turn when her family is suddenly torn apart by a horrific crime they all become entangled in. Her trust is shattered, her husband is on the run, and her son is hiding a dark secret. Bridget’s life has become a dangerous lie and the clock is ticking as the police close in on a killer.But who can she trust when all roads lead back to her husband and son?
The Perfect Home
Kevin Lynch - 2022
Or die.June is very happy in her home. It’s where she raised her two kids – now college age – and every room is filled with memories, some beautiful, some painful. She loves the garden she has worked so hard to create. She likes her neighbours in this pleasant, leafy suburb.But lately, something has changed.There’s the new guy across the street. He seems rough, possibly criminal. And he’s been taking a definite interest in June’s rebellious daughter, Cathy.And there’s June’s son, Sam. He’s always been open and friendly but recently he’s been sullen and secretive.Even more disturbing, June’s cheating ex-husband suddenly seems to be everywhere. It’s almost as if he’s stalking her.Then, when someone she knows is murdered, June begins to understand that all these different things are connected. And as she investigates further, she realises that she herself is in terrible danger.Because someone out there wants June gone. Permanently.
All Your Fault
N.J. Moss - 2021
Can you ever forgive yourself?Some secrets are better off buried…With Grace’s son starting reception, it is the ideal time to apply for a new job. And when the perfect job lands in her lap, she can’t believe her luck.But soon the idyllic opportunity becomes a living nightmare, and she is catapulted back to a childhood tragedy; the day her little sister was killed in a hit-and-run.When Grace suspects she is being followed, she struggles to keep herself together for her family’s sake.Unable to sleep, she starts to wonder if she is losing her mind? Is she going mad, inheriting the schizophrenia from her grandmother that has become a macabre family myth?The perfect job is becoming the perfect nightmare, and Grace is running out of places to hide.
Ripple Effect
N.A. Cooper - 2022
. .Fifteen years ago, teenage Erin had an affair with her teacher that led to tragedy and changed Erin’s life. Today, she’s a married woman who keeps to herself and stays close to home, still scarred by the experience.When she’s attacked while running in the park, Erin doesn’t tell her husband—but she does confide in Nick, the man who came to her rescue. Then letters start to arrive, making references to her past and leaving her even more unnerved. When a neighbour reports that someone’s been watching her house, Erin’s world starts to crumble.Erin has worked hard to distance herself from her past. But her life may be in mortal danger, and as she’s plunged back into trauma, she might finally learn the truth about what really happened all those years ago . . .