Book picks similar to
Living the Dream by M.J. Hardy


psychological-thriller
3-stars
h-authors
too-perfect

NOT MINE TO TAKE: a dark and twisty, psychological thriller


Keiron Cosgrave - 2021
    What starts out as an escape soon becomes something far more sinister.The locals in the nearby town seem resentful of her presence and Erin can't understand why?Alone and isolated, cut off from the mainland twice a day, Erin's imagination runs wild.Is someone out there? Is someone watching her every move?Is someone biding their time?Not Mine to take was briefly published under the pan name CB Cox.

She's Listening


Cathryn Grant - 2018
     Gemma goes to Dr. Ann Wilcox for therapy. What she uncovers will lead her on a journey through her long-forgotten nightmares. A dedicated and caring therapist, Ann wants to see her patients achieve the lives they deserve, but with Gemma, it might not be possible. As Ann begins the delicate task of helping her patient unravel the twisted threads in her subconscious mind, she begins to fear for her own sanity, and her life. The two women begin a psychological dance, trying to peer behind one another’s masks, while the men in their lives can only watch from the sidelines, knowing the women are dancing near the edge of a precipice and that someone is destined to die.

Neighborly


Ellie Monago - 2018
    Minutes from the city, affluent without pretension, low crime with a friendly vibe—it’s everything Kat never had, and that she’s determined to provide for her infant daughter. Snagging a nice bungalow in this exclusive enclave was worth all the sacrifice. But everything changes overnight when Kat finds a scrawled note outside their front door.That wasn’t very neighborly of you.As increasingly sinister and frighteningly personal notes arrive, each one stabs deeper into the heart of Kat’s insecurities, paranoia, and most troubling, her past. When the neighbors who seemed so perfect reveal their open secret, the menace moves beyond mean notes. Someone’s raising the stakes.As suspicious as she is of every smiling face and as terrified as she’s become of being found out, Kat is still unprepared for the sharp turn that lies just ahead of her on Bayberry Lane.

The Wife


Alafair Burke - 2018
    Her secret.When Angela met Jason Powell while catering a dinner party in East Hampton, she assumed their romance would be a short-lived fling, like so many relationships between locals and summer visitors. To her surprise, Jason, a brilliant economics professor at NYU, had other plans, and they married the following summer. For Angela, the marriage turned out to be a chance to reboot her life. She and her son were finally able to move out of her mother’s home to Manhattan, where no one knew about her tragic past.Six years later, thanks to a bestselling book and a growing media career, Jason has become a cultural lightning rod, placing Angela near the spotlight she worked so carefully to avoid. When a college intern makes an accusation against Jason, and another woman, Kerry Lynch, comes forward with an even more troubling allegation, their perfect life begins to unravel. Jason insists he is innocent, and Angela believes him. But when Kerry disappears, Angela is forced to take a closer look at the man she married. And when she is asked to defend Jason in court, she realizes that her loyalty to her husband could unearth old secrets.

Where I Left Her


Amber Garza - 2021
    She’d never met the parents, and usually she’d go in, but Amelia clearly wasn’t going to let something so humiliating happen, so instead Whitney waved to her daughter before pulling away from the little house with the roses in front.But when she goes back the next day, an elderly couple answers the door—Amelia and Lauren aren’t there, and this couple swears they never were, that she’s at the wrong house. As Whitney searches for Amelia, she uncovers a trail of lies her daughter has told her—from the Finsta account to rumors of a secret relationship. Does she really even know this girl she’s raised? And Amelia’s not the only one with secrets. Could Whitney’s own demons have something to do with her daughter’s disappearance, and can Whitney find her before it’s too late?

The Perfect Nanny


Cole Baxter - 2020
    A troubled child. An amazing nanny with an instant connection. A terrible truth hidden beneath the surface...When Michael and Cynthia Thompson hire Olive to carry their second child, it seems like the perfect it.Olive, the widow and mother of two, is thrilled to be able to help them, and successfully gives birth to their son Grant.Yet things with Grant are not well.He’s plagued by childhood schizophrenia, and Cynthia is overwhelmed caring for their special needs son and their daughter Anna.They hire Helena, who is a godsend.The nanny demonstrates an unusual ability to cope with Grant’s problems and instantly bonds with him.But this seemingly perfect arrangement hides sinister intents.Truths will be revealed and loyalties tested.Who will survive the fall-out?A thrilling psychological thriller that you won't be able to put down!

Rage


Netta Newbound - 2019
     Unbeknownst to Lizzi, Charlie’s doctors have agreed to allow his sister, Miriam, to take him home to die on the strict understanding he remains in an induced coma, due to his history of assaulting women—a side effect of his brain tumour. Miriam goes away on business, leaving Lizzi in charge, but a mishap with Charlie's medication has Lizzi questioning why he is spending his final days comatose. Deciding he is being sedated without just cause, she makes the call to wake him up. However, a string of events and the discovery of a girl's body at the bottom of the garden lead her to wonder if she’s made the right decision. Who is the killer? Could Lizzi be his next victim? Don’t miss RAGE by bestselling author Netta Newbound - A gripping psychological thriller that will keep you turning pages long into the night.

The House


Simon Lelic - 2017
    It seemed like their dream home: tons of space, the perfect location, and a friendly owner who wanted a young couple to have it.So when they made a grisly discovery in the attic, Jack and Syd chose to ignore it. That was a mistake.Because someone has just been murdered. Right outside their back door.And now the police are watching them...

Liar


K.L. Slater - 2017
    Life isn’t easy, but Judi’s family means everything to her and together, they manage. Then Ben meets Amber. Everyone thinks this is a perfect match for Ben but Judi isn’t sure … there’s just something about Amber that doesn’t add up. Ben can’t see why his mother dislikes his new girlfriend. And Amber doesn’t want Judi anywhere near her new family. Amber just wants Ben and the children. The further Judi delves into Amber’s personal life, the closer she gets to shocking secrets that could change everything. And Judi must make a decision that could lead to the most disastrous consequences.

Watched: When Road Rage Follows You Home


Kerry Wilkinson - 2013
    He’s won awards for his work with children, his brother is a chief inspector and he runs the neighbourhood watch scheme.But Esther Pooley sees him differently.After a road rage incident, she’s convinced he’s the person terrorising her and husband, Charlie, at their suburban dream home.As the stakes begin to rise, they must decide if bricks and mortar are worth more than their relationship, with Charlie stuck on the toughest of all dilemmas. How far will he go to protect his wife?This is the latest novel from Kerry Wilkinson, Kindle No.1 bestselling author of the Jessica Daniel series."Wilkinson’s story spreads like a pool of blood...his talent becomes ever more obvious."- Daily Mail on Think of the Children"Locked In has changed my mind. Expecting little, I was pleasantly surprised."- The Guardian on Locked In"Plotting, high drama and characterisation are becoming the hallmarks of the his thrillers"- Lancashire Evening Post on Playing With Fire

All My Lies


Sophie Flynn - 2021
    All she knows is that she needs to leave before it’s too late. And she has a plan.When Anna reconnects with her childhood sweetheart, Sam, she sees it as the answer to her problems. Finally, they’ll have a life together, like they’d always planned – the life she was meant to have. But the lies are catching up with her . . .On the morning of their escape, Sam goes missing. Anna knows he wouldn’t leave her, that something must have happened to him.Her search for answers will force her to confront her past, something that she has been running from for a very long time . . . Perfect for fans of Louise Jensen, Phoebe Morgan and K.L. Slater, this is a twisty, tense psychological thriller about one woman’s hunt for the truth and her ultimate fight to break free.

Nasty Little Cuts


Tina Baker - 2022
    She leaves the kids tucked up in their beds and goes downstairs. There's a man in her kitchen, holding a knife. But it's not an intruder. This is her husband Marc, the father of her children. A man she no longer recognises.Once their differences were what drew them together, what turned them on. Him, the ex-army officer from a good family. Her, the fitness instructor who grew up over a pub. But now these differences grate to the point of drawing blood. Marc screams in his sleep. And Debs hardly knows the person she's become, or why she lets him hurt her.Neither of them is completely innocent. Neither is totally guilty. Marc is taller, stronger, and more vicious, haunted by a war he can't forget. But he has no idea what Debs is capable of when her children's lives are at stake...

The Darkest Summer


Ella Drummond - 2019
    Now she’s back…but she’s not the girl you knew. Sera and Dee were the best of friends.Until the day that Dee and her brother Leo vanished from Sera’s life, during a long hot summer fifteen years ago.Now Sera is an adult, with her own child, five-year-old Katie, and has returned to her childhood home after her husband’s death.While she grieves, the past haunts Sera at every turn … and then Dee and Leo return to their small Hampshire village, along with Dee’s young daughter.But Dee is silent and haunted by her demons; no longer the fun-loving girl that Sera loved. And when Sera uncovers the shocking secret that Dee is hiding, it’s clear that the girl she knew is long gone – and that the adult she has grown into might put all of them in danger…

As Long as We Both Shall Live


JoAnn Chaney - 2018
    They start a search, but they aren't hopeful: no one could have survived that fall. It was a tragic accident.But Matt's first wife also died in suspicious circumstances. And when the police pull a body out of the river, they have a lot more questions for Matt.Detectives Loren and Spengler want to know if Matt is a grieving, twice-unlucky husband or a cold-blooded murderer. They dig into the couple's lives to see what they can unearth. And they find that love's got teeth, it's got claws, and once it hitches you to a person, it's tough to rip yourself free.So what happens when you're done making it work?

Never Alone


Elizabeth Haynes - 2016
    But she doesn’t consider herself lonely. She has two dogs, a wide network of friends and the support of her best friend, Sophie.When an old acquaintance, Aiden Beck, needs somewhere to stay for a while, Sarah’s cottage seems ideal; and renewing her relationship with Aiden gives her a reason to smile again. It’s supposed to be temporary, but not everyone is comfortable with the arrangement: her children are wary of his motives, and Will Brewer, an old friend of her son’s, seems to have taken it upon himself to check up on Sarah at every opportunity. Even Sophie has grown remote and distant.After Sophie disappears, it’s clear she hasn’t been entirely honest with anyone, including Will, who seems more concerned for Sarah’s safety than anyone else. As the weather closes in, events take a dramatic turn and Kitty too goes missing. Suddenly Sarah finds herself in terrible danger, unsure of who she can still trust.But she isn’t facing this alone; she has Aiden, and Aiden offers the protection that Sarah needs. Doesn’t he?