Book picks similar to
It Was Always You by Sarah K. Stephens
thriller
fiction
mystery
adult
The Wife Upstairs
Rachel Hawkins - 2021
Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates—a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can’t help but see an opportunity in Eddie—not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she’s always yearned for. Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past—or his—catches up to her?
The Doctor
Lisa Stone - 2019
Outgoing and sociable, Emily tries to befriend the doctor’s wife, but Anita is strangely subdued, barely leaving the house, and terrified of answering the phone.When Emily goes missing a few weeks later, Ben is plunged into a panic. His wife has left him a note, but can she really have abandoned him for another man? Or has Emily’s curiosity about the couple next door led her straight into danger?
The Daughter
Michelle Frances - 2019
By the time Becky is making her own way in the world as a tenacious trainee journalist, Kate couldn't be prouder.But when the unthinkable happens, Kate's life is changed forever. Desperately trying to understand, Kate stumbles across a story Becky was researching.Is it possible that this cruel twist of fate wasn't an accident?The Daughter is a gripping, powerful story of a mother's courage and devotion, by the number one bestselling author of The Girlfriend.PRAISE FOR MICHELLE FRANCES‘I was blown away . . . Marvelous’ Jilly Cooper‘Sharp, sinister and addictive’ Sunday Mirror‘Taut and suspenseful’ Heat‘Abounding with mysteries, revelations and lies’ Library Journal
Keep You Safe
Rona Halsall - 2018
It has been more than three years since she saw Harry. Three long years in prison for a crime she knows she didn’t commit.But her husband believed the police, and took their son.Who has gone to such great lengths to destroy Natalie’s life? Everyone she once trusted – friends, family, everyone close to her – what secrets do they hide?If Natalie finds the truth, will she get Harry back, or lose him forever?A totally gripping psychological thriller– perfect for fans of Big Little Lies, The Girl on the Train and C.L Taylor.Previously titled GUILTY LITTLE SECRETS
The Hidden Girl
Louise Millar - 2014
Hannah, a human rights worker, is desperate for a child and she hopes that this new life will realise her dream. Yet when the snow comes, Will is working in London and Hannah is cut off in their remote village. Life in Tornley turns out to be far from idyllic, who are the threatening figures who lurk near their property at night? And why is her neighbour so keen to see them leave? Plus Will's, behaviour is severely testing the bonds of her trust. Hannah has spent her professional life doing the right thing for other people. But as she starts to unbury a terrible crime, she realises she can no longer do that without putting everything she's ever wanted at risk. But if she does nothing, the next victim could be her...
What Have You Done
Matthew Farrell - 2018
Instead, the victim turns out to be a woman he'd had an affair with before breaking it off to save his marriage. But there's a bigger problem: Liam has no memory of where he was or what he did on the night of the murder.Panicked, Liam turns to his brother, Sean, a homicide detective. Sean has his back, but incriminating evidence keeps piling up. From fingerprints to DNA, everything points to Liam, who must race against time and his department to uncover the truth - even if that truth is his own guilt. Yet as he digs deeper, dark secrets come to light, and Liam begins to suspect the killer might actually be Sean ...When the smoke clears in this harrowing family drama, who will be left standing?
The Replacement Wife
Darby Kane - 2021
She’s also convinced her brother-in-law is a murderer. Josh has one dead wife and one missing fiancée, and though he grieved for them he starts dating someone new. Elisa fears for that woman’s safety, and she desperately wants to know what happened to her friend, Josh’s missing fiancée.Searching for clues means investigating her own family. And she doesn’t like what she finds. A laptop filled with incriminating information. Other women.But when Elisa becomes friends with Josh’s new girlfriend and starts to question things she thinks are true, Elisa wonders if the memories of a horrible incident a year ago have finally pushed her over the edge and Josh is really innocent. With so much at stake, Elisa fights off panic attacks and a strange illness. Is it a breakdown or something more? The race is on to get to the truth before another disappearance because there’s a killer in the family… or is there?
The Woman at Number 19
J.A. Baker - 2019
Her only friend is Amy, a young lady who lives close by and visits Esther to keep her company. Esther’s sister, Charlotte, also visits from time to time but Esther despises her. She believes that Charlotte had an affair with Julian and was planning to run off with him and the children on the same journey that killed her family and left Charlotte seriously injured.From her window, Esther watches her new neighbour and becomes concerned about the erratic and abusive behaviour she displays towards her husband and children.Spurred on by her own loneliness and a need to make amends for not being able to save her own children, Esther takes it upon herself to watch the woman who lives at number 19 and keep a record of her cruelty with a mind to reporting it to the authorities.When unexplainable incidents begin to happen in Esther’s house, she begins to fear for her safety and as more and more strangers appear in her life uninvited, she becomes bewildered and disorientated. Meanwhile, over at number 19, the woman’s behaviour is becoming more explosive and unpredictable.As Esther starts to lose her grip on reality, her world begins to unravel, leaving her wondering - just who is this strange woman at number 19 and why is Esther so obsessed with her?
Malevolent
E.H. Reinhard - 2014
His day to day consists of decomposing dead bodies and removing murderers from the general public. But, when two women’s bodies are found under similar circumstances, it quickly turns into more than your average case. The killer is clearly looking to make a name for himself, and his plans for these women go far beyond death. When the media runs with the story, the killer’s moment in the spotlight arrives. It’s up to Lieutenant Kane to bring the man the press has dubbed the ‘Psycho Surgeon’ to justice. Yet, being the lead on the case has its drawbacks—like becoming the focus of the killer yourself. As Lieutenant Kane closes in on his suspect, he soon realizes that the case has become far more personal than he could have ever imagined.
The Sorority Murder
Allison Brennan - 2021
An unsolved murder. A campus podcast with chilling repercussions. Lucas Vega is obsessed with the death of Candace Swain, who left a sorority party one night and never came back. Her body was found after two weeks, but the case has grown cold. Three years later while interning at the medical examiner's, Lucas discovers new information, but the police are not interested.Lucas knows he has several credible pieces of the puzzle. He just isn't sure how they fit together. So he creates a podcast to revisit Candace's last hours. Then he encourages listeners to crowdsource what they remember and invites guest lecturer Regan Merritt, a former US marshal, to come on and share her expertise.New tips come in that convince Lucas and Regan they are onto something. Then shockingly one of the podcast callers turns up dead. Another hints at Candace's secret life, a much darker picture than Lucas imagined—and one that implicates other sorority sisters. Regan uses her own resources to bolster their theory and learns that Lucas is hiding his own secret. The pressure is on to solve the murder, but first Lucas must come clean about his real motives in pursuing this podcast—before the killer silences him forever."Fans of Jeff Abbott and Karin Slaughter will find this crime novel hard to put down." —
Publishers Weekly
on The Third to Die"Downright spectacular… [A] riveting page turner as prescient as it is purposeful." —Providence Journal on Tell No Lies
Her Every Move
Kelly Irvin - 2021
And she’ll stop at nothing to clear her own name. When a deadly bomb goes off during a climate change debate, librarian and event coordinator Jackie Santoro becomes the prime suspect. Her motive, according to Detective Avery Wick: to avenge the suicide of her prominent father, who was accused of crimes by a city councilman attending the event. Though Avery has doubts about Jackie’s guilt, he can’t exonerate her even after an extremist group takes responsibility for the bombing and continues to attack San Antonio’s treasured public spaces. As Jackie tries to hold her shattered family together, she has no choice but to proceed with plans for the Caterina Ball, the library system’s biggest annual fundraiser. But she also fears the event provides the perfect opportunity for the bomber to strike again. Despite their mistrust, Jackie and Avery join forces to unmask the truth—before the death toll mounts even higher. Bestseller Kelly Irvin is back with a nail-biting romantic suspense where nothing is certain until the very last page.
Trap Door
Dreda Say Mitchell - 2020
Is history about to repeat itself?
Rachel, a young woman in serious debt, needs to find a job fast before she’s made homeless. She gets a lucky break when she is offered a great position in a successful company. Then she discovers that the building was once a Victorian sweatshop with a tragic history. Is this why Rachel feels something increasingly sinister? Soon her new job becomes a living nightmare. Rachel desperately wants out, but she has no other way of escaping her debts. She’s trapped. Then she makes a shocking discovery. Haunted by the death of others and as the present and past begin to close in, Rachel needs to find answers before she finds herself in grave danger… What is really going on in her workplace?
And can she ever escape her inner demons?
The Missing Ones
Patricia Gibney - 2017
A white flour bag encased the little body. Three small faces watched from the window, eyes black with terror. The child in the middle spoke without turning his head. I wonder which one of us will be next?When a woman’s body is discovered in a cathedral and hours later a young man is found hanging from a tree outside his home, Detective Lottie Parker is called in to lead the investigation. Both bodies have the same distinctive tattoo clumsily inscribed on their legs. It’s clear the pair are connected, but how? The trail leads Lottie to St. Angela’s, a former children’s home, with a dark connection to her own family history. Suddenly the case just got personal. As Lottie begins to link the current victims to unsolved murders decades old, two teenage boys go missing. She must close in on the killer before they strike again, but in doing so is she putting her own children in terrifying danger? Lottie is about to come face to face with a twisted soul who has a very warped idea of justice. Fans of Rachel Abbott, Karin Slaughter and Robert Dugoni will be gripped by this page-turning serial killer thriller, guaranteed to keep you reading late into the night.
Frozen Stiff
Patrick Logan - 2017
Naked. Frozen solid. It's only a matter of time before the killer strikes again.
With no evidence, no leads, and no clues, the local PD has no choice but to call in the FBI.
Enter FBI recruit Chase Adams. While she may be new to the Bureau, Chase is no rookie when it comes to murder. First a Narcotics Officer in Seattle, then a NYPD Detective, Chase has insight into the workings of some of the most demented minds of our society.
But this case will push even Chase to the limits–it's like nothing she has investigated before. The local PD thinks they have things wrapped up nicely, but Chase isn't at all convinced. When a third and fourth body surfaces across the country, Chase realizes that she is on the hunt for a killer whose murder spree knows no boundaries.
What sort of animal could commit such atrocities? And why?
Chase fears that these murders are only the beginning. But what she doesn't know is that as she closes in on the murderer, he's closing in on her.
And her family.
This might be FBI recruit Chase Adams' first case, but if she doesn't catch the killer soon, it may also be her last.
A brutal, fast-paced serial killer thriller perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Robert Bryndza, L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain, and T
aylor Adams.
Order your copy of FROZEN STIFF, the first book in the exciting Chase Adams FBI Thriller Series now!
Devotion
Alex Sinclair - 2019
He is angry with her and careless toward Ava.Something has changed. Something is wrong.As Katherine feels her mind slipping away from her, she wonders if she has been wrong about the man she loves.
Is Corey really that bad? Katherine is about to find out…
Alex Sinclair is also the author of He's At Your Door. Devotion is an unmissable psychological thriller, which readers of domestic noir will love. It will also appeal to fans of authors like Cara Hunter, Lucy Dawson and Samantha Hayes.