Book picks similar to
She's Missing by Cole Baxter


thriller
mystery
mysteries
psychological-thriller

A Simple Lie


Mary Bush - 2019
    With foreclosure looming she acts in desperation, lying to get a position as an assistant to the county medical examiner. Val’s relieved. She won’t be homeless. But Val didn’t count on the lie trapping her in a dangerous game with a killer. Val quickly becomes involved in the case of Francine Donohue, who disappeared from her neighbourhood and is discovered dead six months later. The bizarre circumstances surrounding the murder are not the first of their kind. With the evidence pointing to a serial killer, and a calling card Val understands, she quickly gets sucked into the case.   As Val is pulled in further, the situation takes a darker turn. Someone is aware of the lie she told. Someone who is prepared to kill…

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.

Come a Little Closer


Karen Perry - 2019
    It should be the happiest summer of her life, but she can't help feeling lonely with Jake's attention divided between her, his ex-wife and his young son. As insomnia sets in, the walls of their new basement flat feel as if they're closing in around her.Until she meets her upstairs neighbour, Anton, who has recently moved back in after a long absence from the street. He's a sympathetic ear when Jake can't be, and even though others on the street seem strangely hostile towards him, Leah soon comes to rely on Anton and their secret conversations in the night.Leah has no idea that nineteen years before, Anton was convicted of killing his wife. A wife who looked a little bit like Leah. He has always said he didn't do it.Is Leah his redemption? Or is she befriending a killer intent on luring her closer and closer?

YOU DID THIS


Jamie Millen - 2022
    A homicide detective’s destiny.Everybody loves Claire’s little sister, Tina. But only Claire sees the twisted psychopath hiding behind her sister’s angelic face. When Tina is brutally murdered on her fourteenth birthday, the day Claire failed to walk her home from school, Claire never forgives herself. And neither does their mother.Twelve years later, more girls turn up dead in Newburgh exactly like Tina. Claire, now a police detective, suspects that her sister’s murderer is still on the prowl. But the serial killer stumps the FBI forensic profiler assisting the case and Special Agent Robert Cline—Claire’s old flame.When Claire becomes the lead suspect in the murder investigation, the system turns against her. Unable to trust anyone—not even herself—Claire must break every rule in the book to save the next girl.With time running out in this nerve-shredding psychological thriller and harrowing family drama, a shocking discovery changes everything. Is Claire’s sister truly dead—or is she playing one final lethal prank?YOU DID THIS is the first book in the Claire Wolfe Thrillers series and can be read as a standalone mystery. Fans of Mike Omer, Robert Dugoni, Melinda Leigh, and Karin Slaughter should get to know Claire Wolfe.

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.

The Perfect Family Man


M.M. DeLuca - 2021
    Now my husband’s vanished, too.I wish I could say that the tragedy of little Jack disappearing brought me and Nate closer together. But my husband is more distant from me now than he’s ever been. Perhaps that’s why I don’t ask him exactly where he’s going when he sets off on another business trip.Or perhaps I was too distracted by the woman moving in across the street with bouncing blonde hair and a cherubic toddler boy. He reminds me so much of the child I lost. But his mother doesn’t seem to properly watch him. And I can’t be sure, but I’m sure Nate and this woman share a look of recognition before he leaves.The first day Nate’s away, things feel okay, even though I know when he returns we’re going to have to discuss what I found in his coat pocket. But one day turns into two, and then three. I don’t want to seem like the crazy wife, but I have to call his work and ask what’s going on. And that’s when they tell me the shocking truth.Nate hasn’t worked for the company in six months.Once I’ve found this lie, it’s hard not to pick at the scab of our marriage, see what other secrets lie beneath his apparent love for me. By the end of the week, I hope I might finally learn the truth about my husband, about the woman across the street, and about what really happened to my little boy.

The Little Lies


Valerie Keogh - 2021
    Little does she know that Victor Hill, a man from her childhood, has been following her for years and thinks it's time he makes his presence felt... Oblivious to the evil lurking behind her, Jodie is certain that nothing can spoil her life, but a call from the manager of the nursing home where she works changes everything. Then the discovery of a parcel tied to her front door rocks her world further and as everything begins to crumble around her, she wonders who she can trust. Is the man from her past responsible for her torment or does someone much closer to home have Jodie in their sights?

And Then She Was Gone


Christopher Greyson - 2016
    Only a few more steps and she’d be within its grasp. Stacy Shaw has her whole life ahead of her. New job, new house and now a baby on the way—everything she’s ever hoped for is finally coming true. But on a warm summer night on the way home from work, she vanishes. The police race to find her, but the clues don’t add up. Conflicting facts emerge as her story twists and turns, sending the trail spiraling in all directions. A hometown hero with a heart of gold, Jack Stratton was raised in a whorehouse by his prostitute mother. Jack seemed destined to become another statistic, but now his life has taken a turn for the better. Determined to escape his past, he's headed for a career in law enforcement. When his foster mother asks him to look into the girl’s disappearance, Jack quickly gets drawn into a baffling mystery. As Jack digs deeper, everyone becomes a suspect—including himself. Caught between the criminals and the cops, can Jack discover the truth in time to save the girl? Or will he become the next victim?And Then She Was Gone is part of the Detective Jack Stratton Mystery Series

Lie for Me


Mick Bose - 2018
    Loving husband and perfect daughter. But she gets an email from an unknown person who has photos of little Molly. More messages arrive, and the threat against Molly rises to a critical point. Who is sending them? And why are they after Molly? Someone tracks every move Emma makes. They will not let go. When Emma

The Perfect Daughter


Joseph Souza - 2020
    In this riveting new novel, a mother is unwittingly drawn into the dark underbelly of her picture-perfect Maine town . . .   Shepherd’s Bay has been home to generations of lobstermen and their families. Lately, affluent newcomers have been buying up waterfront property and mingling uneasily with the locals. Tensions are high, especially since Dakota James, a teenage boy from the wealthier side of town, disappeared weeks ago. But another disturbing incident soon follows.   When high school junior Katie Eaves and her friend, Willow Briggs, fail to come home after a night out, Katie’s mother, Isla, is frantic. Two agonizing days go by before Katie is found, bruised and bloodied, yet alive. Isla is grateful. But Willow, a wealthy newcomer from Los Angeles, is still missing. And Katie can’t remember anything about the night of their disappearance.   Isla tries to help her daughter sort through her hazy recollections, and to recall the truth of her tangled friendship with privileged, beautiful Willow. At the hair salon she owns, Isla hears dark whispers about wild parties, drug deals, and love triangles gone wrong. How much truth is in the gossip? Is Dakota’s disappearance linked to the others? And what other shocking secrets lie at the heart of Shepherd’s Bay—and of the family Isla is struggling to hold together?

The Other Couple


Sarah J. Naughton - 2018
    Gripping. Colourful. Great setting. Absorbing characters.' - Jane Corry, bestselling author of MY HUSBAND'S WIFE and BLOOD SISTERS It was meant to be the perfect honeymoon. A five-star resort in paradise.White sands, a private villa and world-class cuisine.A chance for newlyweds Asha and Ollie Graveney to recover from a recent tragedy, and enjoy the holiday of their dreams.Except someone has other plans... And paradise has turned into a nightmare. If you like Clare Mackintosh, BA Paris, Jenny Blackhurst, Rachel Abbott, Laura Marshall, Elle Croft, Cara Hunter or Lisa Jewell then you will be utterly gripped by this dark, twisty tale ************* "From the moment Asha and Ollie set off on honeymoon the cracks begin to show, as Naughton skilfully weaves three timelines into a chilling drama... As the tension rose, I turned the pages faster and faster - until the denouement hit me like a juggernaut." - Alison Belsham, author of THE TATTOO THIEF'Brilliantly chilling and claustraphobic, the thought of being trapped in paradise yet knowing something wasn't right was such a frightening concept. I didn't guess at any point what was going to happen... I loved it!' - Karen Hamilton, author of THE PERFECT GIRLFRIEND"I am sleep deprived having stayed awake desperate to find out what happened to Asha & Ollie in Vietnam. I wasn't disappointed, this is a very well setup ending, everyone is under suspicion with lots of clever red herrings." - Amazon reviewer, 5 stars Praise for Sarah J. Naughton's Tattletale: 'A perfect example of how a psychological thriller should be written - intricately plotted and full of shocking surprises.' Lisa Hall, author of BETWEEN YOU AND ME'a fast paced, brilliant page-turner...I predict a hit' Liz Nugent'...deliciously clever - I still haven't stopped thinking about the magnificent, twisted construction of it' Emma Kavanagh, author of THE MISSING HOURS'It's one of the best debuts I've read. It deserves to be MASSIVE.' Julia Crouch'Lies, mystery and murder wrought by childhood trauma in this compulsive, twisty thriller.' Helen Smith, author of BEYOND BELIEF'Like any great mystery, Tattletale would, at every twist, lead me to think I'd put the pieces together - only to turn the puzzle upside down.' Grazia'A twisty thriller that will leave you gasping your way through it as the story twists and turns.' Goodreads'This is a psychological thriller with a twist, and a very twisted heart. This story is what happens when two people from very broken beginnings are brought together. This story is what happens when fear eclipses the need for justice and fairness, when the strong and arrogant prey upon the weak. This book is one which deserves every bit of praise it is undoubtedly going to get.' Goodreads

A Mother's Lie


Leah Mercer - 2021
    But how do I keep you safe?When Ali retreats to her seaside cottage, all she wants is to be alone. To reconnect with a place that has always felt like home until her baby is born.But then her life collides with the people living in the house next door, Michael and Meg, and she is immediately welcomed into their perfect life with their beautiful baby Jem. As they help her prepare for her own arrival, Ali knows she has made the right choice for her baby in returning to Seashine Cottage.When Michael leaves suddenly for a work trip, and Meg impulsively invites Ali to move in, it becomes clear things aren’t as perfect as they first seemed.Meg is holding on to a dark secret. And as her behaviour becomes ever more erratic – leaning on Ali for increasing amounts of help – while Michael shows no signs of returning, Ali begins to worry.Does she need to protect herself and her unborn child from the new friend she thought would help keep her safe? And what about her own devastating secret… the one she’s been running from?From the bestselling author of Who We Were Before comes an unputdownable and heartbreaking read about how far we will go to protect those we love the most. Perfect for fans of The Silent Daughter, Diane Chamberlain and Kerry Lonsdale.This book was previously titled Safe From Harm.

Not My Mother


Miranda Smith - 2021
    When a baby is snatched from her mother’s arms, the whole country knows about it. I knew about the parents left lying by the swimming pool, the open window in the nursery. But I never dreamed it had anything to do with me.Today, my beautiful daughter turned one. We were unwrapping gifts and blowing out candles when the knock came at the door, and they took my mother away.The police say she’s not really my mother. That she stole me, thirty years ago.When I visit her, desperate for answers, she looks me in the eye, and says nothing. I can barely breathe. Is my whole life a lie?I have to find out, but the more I learn, the more scared I become. And soon I start to wonder, am I losing my grip on reality or is my own daughter in terrible danger?An absolutely gripping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell.

Doppelgänger


Susan Cory - 2019
    The license of the getaway car is traced to Architect Iris Reid. When the police arrest Iris and show her security footage of the robbery, she sees her own face looking back.Scrambling to defend herself against an airtight case, Iris discovers that her mail's been diverted to an abandoned apartment in the next town. She's able to find a clue there that allows her to pick up her doppelganger’s trail.But someone is watching her every move.Doppellgänger, the third Iris Reid mystery from real-life architect Susan Cory, is a psychological thriller about obsession, identity and what it means to have parts of your life stripped away.

Never Reply All


Dan Friedman - 2020