Book picks similar to
Alone by J.L. Butler


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Her Name Was Rose


Claire Allan - 2018
    I read it in one go. I was totally hooked.’ MARIAN KEYES ‘Utterly addictive. Compulsive, twisty, tense.’ CLAIRE DOUGLAS, author of Local Girl Missing Her name was Rose. You watched her die. And her death has created a vacancy. When Emily lets a stranger step out in front of her, she never imagines that split second will change her life. But after Emily watches a car plough into the young mother – killing her instantly – she finds herself unable to move on.And then she makes a decision she can never take back.Because Rose had everything Emily had ever dreamed of. A beautiful, loving family, a great job and a stunning home. And now Rose’s husband misses his wife, and their son needs a mother. Why couldn’t Emily fill that space?But as Emily is about to discover, no one’s life is perfect … and not everything is as it seems. 'A powerful and emotional psychological thriller that will keep you guessing and leave you breathless.' C. L. TAYLOR, author of The Fear ‘I devoured it in a couple of days. Claire Allan managed to maintain an unsettling sense of unease that started at the very beginning and didn't let up at all.’ ELLE CROFT, author of The Guilty Wife ‘A psychological thriller with a heart: taut, emotionally challenging and unlike so many thrillers, each twist and turn is here because it deserves to be and not for the sake of it.’ JOHN MARRS, author of THE ONE

The Life She Wants


J.M. Hewitt - 2021
    She wants to destroy it.Paula worries that her marriage to Tommy is hanging by a thread. She loves how safe her husband makes her feel, but lately, it seems like he’s pulling away from her, and he keeps avoiding a much-needed conversation about finally having children.When Tommy suggests a cruise getaway for the two of them, Paula is thrilled. He’s fighting for this marriage, and he’s even promised that they will talk about growing their family. It’s Paula’s dream come true. Until the couple meets beautiful Anna.From the moment Anna appears in their lives, things start to go wrong for Paula. She finds herself trapped in a sauna. Her hair is destroyed at the salon. Money goes missing from her cabin. At first, Paula thinks she’s paranoid in suspecting Anna is turning her dream holiday into a nightmare. But soon, it becomes clear that Paula may not be the only woman fighting for Tommy’s affections. The only question is why…The Life She Wants is a suspenseful psychological thriller with a twist. Perfect for fans of Catherine Ryan Howard, Ruth Ware, and Lisa Jewell.

Precocious


Joanna Barnard - 2015
    Her schoolgirl crush developed into an intense relationship, but it was always one which she controlled.Or did she?

The Mistress


Jill Childs - 2020
    He asked me to come.He didn’t need to ask twice. He knew I’d agree. Kind Laura. Obedient Laura. Laura the soft-spoken schoolteacher with the faded cardigans and flat shoes. Nobody ever suspected someone like me would appeal to handsome, charismatic, happily married Ralph. I think even he was surprised by his choice. But I’m used to people underestimating me.But then maybe I underestimated Ralph too. Because I never thought he’d be capable of doing what he did. It wasn’t only dangerous, it was very, very wrong. And I’m not talking about cheating on his wife.As I said, I didn’t turn up uninvited. He asked me to come. The last thing on my mind was killing him.A compulsively unputdownable domestic thriller about secrets, lies and how no marriage is ever what it seems from the outside.

The First Lie


A.J. Park - 2019
    Someone breaks in.In defending yourself, you end up killing the intruder.Now you're the one the police want.That is the situation that criminal barrister Paul Reeve arrives home to find.His wife Alice stands in the bedroom, clutching a bloodied letter opener in her shaking hand."What have you done, Alice?""I didn't have a choice..."We would all believe the person we love most.But would we all make the same choice Paul and Alice make next...?

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…

The New Mother


Julia Crouch - 2021
    You trust her. But you don’t know her…Wanted: full-time, live-in help for expectant mother. Must be organised, friendly and willing to do anything.Rachel is determined to be the perfect mother. She has a birth plan, with a playlist and a bag ready by the door. She’s chosen a lovely light cream paint for the nursery, and in wide-eyed, innocent Abbie she’s found the perfect person to help her with her baby.Because every mother needs a bit of help, don’t they?But Rachel needs a little more than most.She still makes sure her bedroom door is locked before she goes to sleep. She still checks the cameras that are dotted throughout the house.Rachel trusts Abbie.She just knows better than to trust herself…From the bestselling author of Her Husband’s Lover, this is a truly gripping story about how far people will go to find a family. Filled with tension and twists to keep you glued to every page, it is perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Shari LaPena and The Girl on the Train.

Guilty


Laura Elliot - 2017
    It ends with a missing child. On a warm summer’s morning, thirteen-year-old school girl Constance Lawson is reported missing. A few days later, Constance’s uncle, Karl Lawson suddenly finds himself swept up in a media frenzy created by journalist Amanda Bowe implying that he is the prime suspect. Six years later … Karl’s life is in ruins. His marriage is over, his family destroyed. But the woman who took everything away from him is thriving. With a successful career, husband and a gorgeous baby boy, Amanda’s world is complete. Until the day she receives a phone call and in a heartbeat, she is plunged into every mother’s worst nightmare.

Mine


Courtney Cole - 2019
    Lindsey was the storm she didn’t see coming.When Tessa Taylor unlocked her husband Ethan’s iPad to discover nude photos from a twenty-six-year-old bombshell named Lindsey, her seemingly perfect life came to a screeching halt.With a hurricane barreling toward Florida and Ethan stuck on a business trip, Tessa finds herself imprisoned in her own home with a choice to make: Does she ride out the storm until she can confront Ethan in person, or does she take matters into her own hands?Increasingly restless and desperate for revenge, Tessa resolves to act. And when she lures Lindsey over a few hours later, there’s no turning back.What ensues is a battle of wills between two well-matched opponents, blinded by love for the same man but driven by demons of their own. Like storm-ravaged Florida, neither woman will be the same when the skies clear.

The Other Wife


Claire McGowan - 2019
    But she knows who you are…Suzi did a bad thing. She’s paying for it now, pregnant, scared, and living in an isolated cottage with her jealous husband, Nick.When Nora moves into the only house nearby, Suzi is delighted to have a friend. So much so that she’s almost tempted to tell Nora her terrible secret. But there’s more to Nora than meets the eye. It’s impossible—does she already know what Suzi did?Meanwhile, Elle spends her days in her perfect home, fixated on keeping up appearances. But when her husband betrays her, it unravels a secret going all the way back to her childhood. She’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to him, even if that means murder. After all, she’s done it before…Caught up in their own secrets and lies, these strangers will soon realise they have more in common than they could ever have imagined. When a shocking event brings them together, their lives will never be the same again.

Her Perfect Secret


T.J. Brearton - 2021
    The boy whose mother I helped put in prison for life.I recognize the sharp nose and flare to the nostrils. His thick eyebrows and defined cheekbones. But mostly it’s the eyes. Sea green.But my daughter, Joni, keeps calling him Michael. And they’re here at the lake house telling us they’re getting married.It can’t be him. But even if it is, what can I say? Suddenly I’m thrust back fifteen years, looking through photos of a violent and bloody crime scene.I can’t be sure.We haven’t been the perfect family. Joni went through a rebellious phase. Her dad had an affair. But we got through it together. I will do anything to protect us, to protect the life we’ve fought for.Anything.A gripping psychological thriller ready to be devoured by fans of K.L. Slater, Teresa Driscoll, Lisa Jewell, Natalie Barelli, Shalini Boland, Alex Michaelides and Susanna Beard.

The Birthday Party


Wendy Dranfield - 2022
    Little red boots on, cowboy hat crooked over her blonde pigtails, she’s been looking forward to this party for weeks. Moments later, she disappears without a trace…Kathy Hamilton drives away from her sister-in-law’s pristine-white suburban house in Maple Falls certain she’s left her daughter in safe hands. On the hottest day of the year, a birthday is the perfect excuse to gather friends, family and neighbors around the pool for a barbecue. But when she returns hours later to find her little girl has vanished, her world shatters.Nobody laughing and drinking in the garden that day saw anything unusual.Kathy’s eldest daughter is anxious and hardly eating. Is she sick with worry for her sister, or hiding a terrible secret?The phone rings and rings, but why can’t Kathy get hold of the babysitter?And is she imagining it, or when her husband rushed from work to join the search, was he wearing a different shirt to the one she saw him leave the house in that morning?As the temperature rises, and long-buried secrets begin to surface, it’s clear that even the most perfect families keep devastating secrets. But in a town as small as this, is there anyone you can trust?A totally gripping and utterly addictive page-turner that will have you racing through and reeling at the twists. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Gone Girl and Teresa Driscoll, it will keep you up reading all night long!

Her Sister's Lie


Debbie Howells - 2018
    Was it an accident or did she know her killer?Abe's life changes overnight when he goes to live with his aunt, Hannah, who hasn't seen him for ten years and who doesn't want him any more than he wants to be there.His silence disturbs her - Hannah's convinced he knows more than he's letting on. But while the police investigate her sister's death, Hannah's nightmare begins. Unexplained things start happening around her, but as Hannah's behaviour becomes more erratic, no-one believes her. Then she finds some letters that threaten to expose a secret she believed had been buried forever. If Abe has read them, he knows...

Safe at Home


Lauren North - 2021
    So when she has to leave eleven-year-old Harrie home alone one evening, she can't stop worrying about her daughter. But nothing bad ever happens in the sleepy village of Barton St Martin.Except something goes wrong that night, and Anna returns to find Harrie with bruises she won't explain. The next morning a local businessman is reported missing and the village is sparking with gossip.Anna is convinced there's a connection and that Harrie is in trouble. But how can she protect her daughter if she doesn't know where the danger is coming from?'A wonderfully dark, addictive, intriguing and twisty read' Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect Girlfriend'If you're in the mood for a dark family drama, this novel will be right up your street . . . Expect plenty of twists and turns.' Heat'A deliciously gripping thriller; the twists blew my mind!' Emma Curtis, author of Keep Her Quiet'Razor-sharp and shocking - a breathless thriller that never lets up the pace' Charlotte Duckworth, author of The Perfect Father'A chilling thriller, perfect for a long weekend.' Daily ExpressReaders are gripped by Safe at Home:***** 'This is psychological suspense at its very best'***** 'Such a gripping, intense story with so many secrets being exposed'***** 'Many characters weren't who they seemed and just when I thought it was all wrapped up, there was a twist I didn't see coming!'

Train Wreck


Elise Faber - 2017
    A chaotic or disastrous situation. 2. An utter catastrophe or mess. 3. A devastating calamity or source of trouble. 4. Pepper O’Brien. As the daughter of a famed film producer, Pepper O’Brien is Hollywood royalty. Also, her life sucks. Because, unfortunately for her, the old adage is true: money can’t buy everything—including grace, true love, or the ability to not screw up every single opportunity her life has brought her. After her latest disaster, Pepper moves across the country to start over but, as usual, her life has other plans, namely in the form of Derek Cashette, her former teenage crush and now ridiculously handsome friend of her older brother. Derek is determined to salvage the train wreck of her life and Pepper’s determined not to let him. Her life is her problem and, dammit, why can’t she be her own hero? But sometimes fate has other plans. Or maybe it’s hormones. Especially when her rescuer comes with a killer smile, a chest Thor would be jealous of, and a butt that any girl just wants to—