Book picks similar to
Behind Closed Doors by A.L. Smith


fiction-ish
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reviewed-books

An Honest Deceit


Guy Mankowski - 2016
    If I have a criticism to make is that I wish the book were longer. A book of outstanding quality.' Daniela Quaglia, Huffington Post'This novel would satisfy even the most discerning reader. I was hooked. I loved it.' Ruth Dugdall, bestselling author of The Sacrificial Man and Nowhere Girl'A mesmerising observation of speaking truth to power. I finished it in one night.' Hanna Jameson, CWA shortlisted writer and author of Something You Are and Girl SevenBlurb-When Ben and Juliette's young daughter dies in a tragic accident on a school trip, they begin searching for answers. But will they ever know the truth? What was the role of the teacher on the trip - and are the rumours about his past true? As Ben and Juliette search for the truth and the pressure rises, their own secrets and motivations are revealed.... An Honest Deceit is an intelligent and gripping contemporary psychological thriller that questions not just the motives of others, but the real reasons for discovering the truth.

Scarlett 3


Tiece - 2014
    Luke loves her with all his heart, but the only thing standing in the way of their happiness is the fact that he could be April’s baby daddy. Scarlett feels hurt and finds herself drawn in an unlikely relationship with Troy as he sets out to win her heart. However, unbeknownst to him, she’s not exactly keeping things completely honest. Nina wants nothing more than to get back with her kid’s father, Stephen. However, Stephen has moved on with an old friend of Nina’s and this union threatens any type of chance that she and Stephen have at being together. Rick continues to lurk in the shadows, definitely making it hard for Nina to ever find happiness with anyone other than himself. Sheila struggles with loving Jay as Jay struggles with losing Scarlett. To add to the confusion, Jay refuses to come to terms with the possibility of being April’s other baby daddy to her unborn child. Sheila is still on a road to redemption, but finds herself questioning Scarlett’s loyalty to her as veiled secrets are slowly being revealed. Will she find out the truth about Scarlett and her father messing around or will the tables turn and reveal some nasty details about herself? There are always two sides to every story. However, in this series, there are numerous sides to a story that only one can imagine… SCARLETT3

The Wrong Husband 2: The Finale


B.M. Hardin - 2017
    She'd lost everything behind her infidelity but no matter what, she was determined not to give up. She wanted her life back. She wanted her husband back too. But he wasn't making it easy. And on top of everything else, she still had to deal with the infamous Polo. They say that sometimes a person can be a blessing and a curse and there are those times that what looks like a mistake, could actually be a blessing in disguise. The problem is that no one ever realizes it, until it's just too late. Lies are told and secrets unfold and Sassi finds herself in more mess and more trouble then she knew how to get herself out of. Who can she trust? Who should she love? And more importantly, who in the heck is Vanessa? What happens when the truth doesn't actually set you free? What if it damn near kills you instead? A woman must always remember you are playing with fire, when you allow you husband's best friend into your bed.

A is for Abigail: Sixpenny Cross Series Book 1


Victoria Twead - 2016
    Abigail Martin has everything: beauty, money, a loving husband, and a fabulous house in the village of Sixpenny Cross. But Abigail is denied the one thing she craves... A baby. When a gypsy offers to change her life, will Abigail accept? Can she deal with the shattering consequences that threaten to send her world spinning out of control?

Wait for Me in Vienna


Lana M. May - 2015
    There, among the baroque castles and gardens of the bustling capital, she struggles to restart her life. Finding her passion through a cooking school, Johanna is soon intrigued by the attentions of handsome Thomas, who is eager to make Johanna his own. Thomas works hard to win her trust, but just as they establish a fragile faith in each other, Thomas receives news: the job of his dreams is waiting in New York. Anchored by family and her hard-won sense of belonging, Johanna remains in Vienna. Can Johanna and Thomas’s passion survive a distance of four thousand miles? Told with humor and grace, Wait for Me in Vienna paints a portrait of two lovers helping one another emerge from isolation, risking their hearts for a chance at that one great love.

The Five Shilling Children


Lindsey Hutchinson - 2019
     Adam and Polly Fitch face a bleak future after being sold for just five shillings to Miss Reed's orphanage by their bullying father. Missing their mother Minnie, and their three brothers still at home, they know they must stick together to survive. But the orphanage does have one advantage – a merry band of children who soon form their own kind of family – and they're all determined to escape the clutches of the wicked Miss Reed. Adam decides to survive he'll need to fight, so he sneaks out to have boxing lessons with the famous pugilist Billy Marshall. Lessons he needs sooner than he expects when his beloved sister Polly is sold to the rich Bellamy family, and Adam decides to go to her rescue. Can Adam, Polly and their band of friends survive life with only each other to rely on, and will they ever have the happily ever after they so long for...

Southern Gothic


Dale Wiley - 2017
    Meredith can keep the manuscript to herself, or publish it under her own name. Her decision results in a bestseller, but the novel contains a coded secret; one that will put her on trial for murder and in hiding from "the blood stalker," proving too late that making a deal with the devil comes at a heavy price.

In the Matter of Michael Vogel


Drew Yanno - 2013
    At first, the townspeople accept the initial ruling of an accidental drowning, despite the fact that the boy's body wasn’t discovered when the lifeguards searched the pool earlier in the day after his sister reported him missing. However, when an autopsy reveals an unanticipated result, it sets in motion a search for a killer, in a town unaccustomed to murder. The story is told from the perspective of three members of the community: a twelve year old boy with a future he hopes to avoid; a sheriff with a past he longs to forget; and a forty year old bachelor with a secret he wants desperately to protect. Their stories all come together in a stunning and heart-stopping conclusion that helps to provide each of them a measure of redemption.Librarian please note:This is an alternate cover edition. The original ISBN numbers are:ISBN10 - 0615757588ISBN13 - 9780615757582

At Home by the Sea


Pam Weaver - 2021
    And when their father’s temper flares up, Izzie knows the girls are better off on their own.   But when a handsome Italian chef moves to Worthing and offers Izzie a job in his cafe, she is forced to choose between her responsibilities and her desires. Then her mother resurfaces, and Izzie discovers there’s more to her abandonment than meets the eye.   Will Izzie be able to come to terms with the past in order to pursue the future she deserves?

All That Followed: A story of cancer, kids and the fear of leaving too soon


Emma Campbell - 2018
    This is a deeply felt memoir about motherhood, survival and learning to live for whatever life throws at you." CLOVER STROUD, author of The Wild OtherAn extraordinary story of facing life s multiple (!) trials with love, resilience and courage, told in Emma s warm, funny and unflinchingly honest style. AMY McCULLOCH, author of Jinxed and The Potion DiariesWith four children (three of them triplets!) and a relationship break-up to contend with, some things get a little lost in the mix. Like symptoms. Emma Campbell bravely and honestly offers heartfelt thoughts on what happens when cancer becomes an unwelcome guest at an already crowded party. She shares her own terror and pain, mixed with the heartwarming and unexpected. The extraordinary kindness of people and the gritty detail of battling a life-threatening illness, all while being a single mum to four children. She opens up about her angels and demons, losing and then finding love again, a constant fear of death mixed with the joy and relief of living, the anxiety of cancer returning - then facing it when it does. This book has grown from Emma's blog Me And My Four. Eager to share with her followers in more detail, the secrets, the fears, the triumphs and the terrors that she faces each day, in a life as unpredictable as your own...www.meandmyfour.com

The Orphan Daughter


Sheila Riley - 2019
     Evie Kilgaren is a fighter. Abandoned by her mother and with her father long gone, she is left to raise her siblings in dockside Liverpool, as they battle against the coldest winter on record. But she is determined to make a life for herself and create a happy home for what's left of her family.Desperate for work, Evie takes a job at the Tram Tavern under the kindly watch of pub landlady, and pillar of the community, Connie Sharp. But Connie has problems of her own when her quiet life of spinsterhood is upturned with the arrival of a mysterious undercover detective from out of town. When melting ice reveals a body in the canal, things take a turn for the worst for the residents of Reckoner's Row. Who could be responsible for such a brutal attack? And can Evie keep her family safe before they strike again? A gritty, historical family drama full of laughter and tears from the author of Annie Groves' bestsellers including Child of the Mersey and Christmas on the Mersey. Perfect for fans of Lyn Andrews, Katie Flynn and Nadine Dorries.

Faking Lucky


Q.D. Purdu - 2016
    The trashy television show gets people to spill all the secrets of their sex lives, and Desdemona’s ex-boyfriend just happens to be a guest. To her shock and horror, Desdemona’s ex announces on national television that he dumped her because-- Gasp! --she never got the big O. “She faked…,” he says. Every single time. Her life is wrecked! If her friends, family and colleagues haven’t seen the interview yet, they will. How do you survive a scandal like this? How did he know she faked? And why is it that in the bedroom, Desdemona never, ever gets lucky? The lovable, creative and quirky heroine of Q. D. Purdu’s FAKING LUCKY tackles these challenges. As Desdemona tries to run damage control on her reputation, she begins to explore her sexuality. Along the way, she will get a second chance at genuine love.

The Paragon Element


Lezlee Cheek Hale - 2012
    If the boy next door is secretly a sorcerer who hunts and kills nightmarish creatures the world doesn’t know exist. Aerick works for MAGE (Mind and Aetheric Government Enforcers), a centuries old organization that keeps humans oblivious to the existence of magic. It also protects the Barrier, a metaphysical wall that separates this realm from one of wild magic and things of dreams and darkness.But now the Barrier is failing. As Aerick is sent on his most dangerous assignment yet, he begins to suspect MAGE’s reasons for protecting the Barrier may not be all they seem. A partnership with an exiled fae princess and a visit from the legendary Merlin put Aerick on a path to discover he is more than what he knows.Aerick’s blood might very well be the key to the Barrier’s destruction. MAGE convinced him that protecting the Barrier was the only way to save the world. Now Aerick isn’t so sure. The only way to save the world may be to pull the Barrier down and hope humanity can survive the aftermath.Note: this book was previously published with Kindle under the same title. This is a 2nd Edition revision of that book.

Don't Say a Word


Rebecca Tinnelly - 2019
    . .Connie lost her words at the age of five, the day she witnessed her mother and father's untimely death.Since then she has been all but mute, only being able to choke out a few select words. Now, years on, Connie's husband is on his deathbed and all she can do is quietly sit by his side.But there are so many dreadful secrets locked up in Connie's silent prison. And time is running out to set them free . . .

Murder By The Broads


Anthony Tamiozzo - 2018
    While at a crime scene he is informed of another murder. But Burnt is also having problems at home. He suspects his wife is having an affair. As the clues unfold DS Burnt begins a game of cat and mouse.What links the two murders to a doctor and a psychiatric hospital? Trying to juggle his personal life and the job, Burnt must navigate Great Yarmouth and the surrounding areas to catch a killer and stop a vicious gang.