Book picks similar to
The Lies I Tell by Joel Hames


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Perfect Stranger


Jake Cross - 2019
    It’s your daughter. Following a whirlwind romance, Rose and Chris’s marriage has been unshakeable for twenty years. But when Katie turns up on their doorstep, blonde, wide-eyed and beautiful, their perfect life threatens to crumble to pieces. Because Katie says she’s Chris’s long-lost daughter, the product of a forgotten summer fling. Kind-hearted Rose invites Katie to stay, despite Chris’s protests. The poor girl has only just lost her mother – they can’t leave her out on the street. But soon after Katie moves in, strange things start happening. Someone crashes into a neighbour’s fence. An unexplained fire starts in the couple’s kitchen. And a family friend coming to visit disappears on the way to the house. Chris insists Katie has to go. But it’s Chris who won’t explain where he was at the time their friend went missing… The couple’s dream life seems to be turning into a nightmare. With dark secrets about Chris’s history with Katie’s mother coming to light, Rose no longer knows who to trust. Soon, she isn’t sure whether she’s invited a dangerous stranger into her home, or whether she’s been living with one all along… A chilling thriller that will make you question everything you think you know about your loved ones. Fans of The Woman in the Window, Then She Was Gone and The Perfect Child won’t be able to put this book down.

You Are Mine


Diana Wilkinson - 2020
    When he returns a happy ending appears within their grasp but there is no escape from the past. And Arthur, Rebecca’s friend who has formed an unhealthy obsession with her, has no intention of letting her go.When Arthur realises that Mitch is the only person standing in the way of his happiness, his thoughts turn to murder…When love and obsession collide, the results are deadly.

Forget Her Name


Jane Holland - 2018
    Or is she? As she prepares for her wedding to Dominic, Catherine has never been happier or more excited about her future. But when she receives an anonymous package—a familiar snow globe with a very grisly addition—that happiness is abruptly threatened by secrets from her past.Her older sister, Rachel, died on a skiing holiday as a child. But Rachel was no angel: she was vicious and highly disturbed, and she made Catherine’s life a misery. Catherine has spent years trying to forget her dead sister’s cruel tricks. Now someone has sent her Rachel’s snow globe—the first in a series of ominous messages…While Catherine struggles to focus on her new life with Dominic, someone out there seems intent on tormenting her. But who? And why now? She doesn't have the answers - and in one final question lies her greatest fear.Is Rachel still alive?

My Better Half


M.M. Boulder - 2020
    Until now. Everything and everyone is making her see red, especially her condescending husband of thirty years. She desperately wants to kill him, and it terrifies her.Attacked during a home invasion, Lucille finds an unexpected outlet for her rage. Killing. Afterwards she feels lighter, in control, reborn, and she begins making her own decisions, having opinions, becoming her true self, much to the disapproval of her husband. But even though she's freeing herself from a lifetime of repressive chains, the anger hasn’t gone away. And it wants to be fed.To maintain her tenuous control, Lucille starts playing a dangerous game, unaware that a relentless detective is closing in. But she can’t stop. Killing bad people is the only thing keeping her from strangling her husband.Can Lucille find a way to preserve her newfound freedom, or will she lose everything to her burning rage?

The One Before


Miranda Smith - 2020
    I trust him. But what if I’m wrong?My life should be perfect.I’ve moved to my fiancé Cooper’s hometown on the shores of a beautiful lake. His family have welcomed me with open arms. We’re planning the summer wedding I’ve always dreamed of.But the week after I arrive, one of Cooper’s classmates corners me at the store. She says that Cooper’s not fooling anybody. Everyone in town remembers what happened to Celia Gray…Celia was Cooper’s high school sweetheart, who died in a tragic accident the year they graduated. But some people think it was no accident. That my kind, loving husband is a killer.I don’t believe it. But the only way to be sure is to find out what happened to the woman before me…A dark, gripping suspense novel with a brilliant twist, The One Before is perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and The Girl Before

The Resort


M.J. Hardy - 2021
    When three women win a holiday in a Facebook competition, they think it’s by chance.It’s not.When one woman accompanies her husband on business, she thinks she’ll return with him.She won’t.Welcome to the resort, where nothing is as it seems.Invited guests testing the facilities before it opens its doors in one weeks’ time face some uncomfortable truths.Who will survive the week and who won’t leave at all?

The Last One To See Her


Mark Tilbury - 2020
    So why did he lie?Mathew Hillock was the last person to see eleven-year-old Jodie Willis alive. When her dead body turns up four days later in his garden shed, the police think he’s guilty of her murder. So do most people in the town. But there’s no DNA evidence to link him to the crime. Battling the weight of public opinion and mental illness due to a childhood head trauma, he sinks into a deep depression. Can Mathew do what the police failed to do and find evidence linking the real killer to the crime?The Last One to See Her is a terrifying story of what happens when you’re accused of a crime and no one believes you are innocent

In the Absence of Miracles


Michael J. Malone - 2019
    Malone‘A tense, immersive thriller that kept me guessing’ Ian Rankin‘Malone is the master of twists, turns and the unexpected, with the skill to keep things grounded. So much so, that the reader can picture themselves in the very circumstances described. Superb storytelling from a master of his craft’ Herald Scotland‘Beautiful, lyrical prose takes the reader through a perfectly constructed, often harrowing tale’ Denzil Meyrick_________________John Docherty’s mother has just been taken into a nursing home following a massive stroke and she’s unlikely to be able to live independently again.With no other option than to sell the family home, John sets about packing up everything in the house. In sifting through the detritus of his family’s past he’s forced to revisit, and revise his childhood.For in a box, in the attic, he finds undeniable truth that he had a brother who disappeared when he himself was only a toddler. A brother no one ever mentioned. A brother he knew absolutely nothing about. A discovery that sets John on a journey from which he may never recover.For sometimes in that space where memory should reside there is nothing but silence, smoke and ash. And in the absence of truth, in the absence of a miracle, we turn to prayer. And to violence._________________Shocking, chilling and heartbreakingly emotive, In the Absence of Miracles is domestic noir at its most powerful, and a sensitively wrought portrait of a family whose shameful lies hide the very darkest of secrets.‘With each turn of the page, a more shocking detail is revealed and some of the people John thought might help him are not who they seem … The domestic noir tale is one that many families will be able to relate to … There is barely enough time to catch your’ Scotsman‘Challenging and emotional, In the Absence of Miracles enthrals as it corkscrews to a shocking, yet ultimately rewarding end’ LoveReading‘Malone’s latest is an unsettling, multi-layered and expertly paced domestic noir drama that delves into one family’s dark secrets, shame and lies’ CultureFly‘Malone is a poet, there are wonderful lyrical passages here and very skilful storytelling. Some issues are not spoken about enough, Malone raises a couple of those issues and sensitively but realistically addresses them…’ New Books Magazine‘Engrossing, hard-hitting – even shocking – with a light poetic frosting. Another superb read!’ Douglas Skelton‘A chilling tale of secrets, lies and the ultimate betrayal’ Theresa Talbot‘Emotional. Brave. Dark. Raw. Utterly beautiful’ Louise Beech’A breathtakingly good book; powerful yet tender and an emotional master class in how to write about harrowing and difficult issues.

The Pupil


Dawn Goodwin - 2018
    Four shattered lives. Psychological suspense that explores a labyrinth of lies, manipulation and revenge. Perfect for fans of Louise Jenson and Katerina Diamond. Literary agent Viola Matthews is sure she's met Katherine Baxter before. So when her husband and bestselling novelist Samuel Morton introduces Viola to the quiet, unassuming woman he has offered to mentor, she knows their paths have crossed before. The question is where? As their worlds collide and the bond between Samuel and Katherine deepens, Viola realises she must take control. If Viola is right, then Katherine needs to pay for something that happened twelve years ago.

Into Thin Air: A gripping NEW fast-paced mystery


Deborah Rogers - 2020
    A sister's worst nightmare.When Julia's estranged sister, Toni, goes missing in Turkey, Julia thinks it’s just another one of her sister’s irresponsible stunts. But when Toni’s backpack and passport wash up along the Istanbul seafront, Julia realizes the situation is far more serious than first thought.Desperate for answers, Julia travels to Istanbul to find out what’s happened to Toni. As she delves deeper into her sister’s mysterious disappearance, everything points to Toni being abducted. But as a stranger in a strange land, who will believe Julia? And as she gets drawn into a web of lies and betrayal, could Julia be in danger herself?Set against the stunning backdrop of Istanbul, Into Thin Air is a gripping, fast-paced mystery with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end.If you like page-turning mysteries set in exotic locations, you love this latest standalone novel from Deborah Rogers.

Her Best Friend's Lie


Laura Wolfe - 2021
    Can’t you?This trip was a chance to reconnect away from our busy lives. The five of us used to be so close—going right back to our college days, when we shared a rickety house and all our favorite clothes, as well as every high and low of our lives—but that was then.Now, the thought of three days in a small cabin far from anywhere, surrounded only by water and trees, with my four oldest friends makes my stomach sink and my hands sweat. Because if they knew what I’d done—the betrayals I’ve committed—they’d never forgive me. And neither would you.The straight-A student, the sports star with a bright future ahead of her, the sheltered girl who blossomed away from her family and the hippie child who was going to save the world. Their lives have turned out so differently to how we pictured all those years ago. I try not to think about why.But then danger strikes, and too late I discover I’m not the only one keeping secrets. And I wonder: who will go furthest to keep the truth hidden?Gripping, addictive and totally unputdownable, The Lake House will have you reading late into the night. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window and Big Little Lies.

The Secret Surrogate


Stephanie Mitchell - 2021
    Married, successful and living a life she created from scratch, Brooklyn only needs one thing to feel complete- a baby. Unable to have one, she hires a surrogate in secret. And then she gets a positive pregnancy test of her own. But, just weeks before their due dates, Brooklyn’s surrogate vanishes and her perfectly crafted life begins to crumble.Desperate and running out of time, she does everything she can to find her missing baby before it is too late. But as she also tries to keep the disappearance, and her connection to the surrogate, under wraps, the media pounces on the story.Almost immediately the headlines turn against her in a flurry of secrets and lies. Her life, her business, and her family are all under attack. Why was the owner of an exclusive adoption center keeping a surrogate a secret? What happened to the heavily pregnant surrogate and Brooklyn's unborn child? Does her agency have anything to do with it?Does her husband?Does she?

The Perfect Couple


Lisa Hall - 2020
    For good.To the outside world, they really seem to be a perfect match. There’s just the small issue of what really happened to Rupert’s first wife…A gripping, razor-sharp game of cat and mouse, from the bestselling author, Lisa Hall.Praise for The Perfect Couple:‘Chillingly believable and utterly compelling with thrills aplenty — I loved this book’ Lucy Foley, No.1 bestselling author of The Hunting Party‘The Perfect Couple is the perfect summer read.  A classy thriller that’s stylish, twisty and full of suspense, Hall’s novel is garnished with echoes of the classics such as Rebecca and Gaslight, but is very much a delicious cocktail all of its own’ Sarah Pinborough, No.1 bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes‘I raced through The Perfect Couple. It’s the perfect one-sitting read. Chock-full of menace, red herrings, and well-drawn characters who pull you one way, then hurl you in the opposite direction. I had my theories – they were all wrong! Highly recommended’ Caz Frear, No.1 bestselling author of Sweet Little Lies‘Think Rebecca, Body Heat, and Gaslight. Lisa Hall’s dark thriller plays on three classic tropes and does the seemingly unimaginable: it improves on them. You’re going to devour this one’ Christina Dalcher, bestselling author of Vox and Q‘Darkly addictive and impossible to predict, this is Lisa Hall at her absolute best’ CWA Dagger-winning author Chris Whitaker

Don't Let Me In


Phil Kurthausen - 2018
    When she starts to seek the truth about the murder of a teenage girl 12 years earlier, she soon finds herself the centre of unwanted attention.While trying to manage her agoraphobia, as well as the online trolls and her family life, Sarah begins to uncover some uncomfortable facts relating to the cold case.As she edges closer to accusing someone of the murder, the online threats soon become physical and as the outside world draws closer and closer to her front door threatening her home, her family and her life, Sarah must decide between fight or flight…

Revelation


Jo Fenton - 2020
    Manchester, 1989A student, Rick, is found dead in halls of residence.His friends get caught up in the aftermath: Dan, who was in love with Rick; and Becky, who is in love with Dan.Their fraught emotions lead them into dark places – particularly a connection to a mysterious Kabbalistic sect.Will Becky discover who killed Rick in time to save her best friend?