Book picks similar to
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The Dinner Party


Richard Jay Parker - 2019
    But which of them will survive?An addictive and twisty psychological thriller about the dark secrets that lie within a peaceful neighbourhood.Eight friends. Eight secrets. One killer.A group of old friends gather in a peaceful suburban street for a dinner party. They are expecting a fun evening of wine, food and pleasant company. But then they start to play the game… It’s about trust and dark secrets – it tests marriage to its limits – and none of them can begin to imagine its consequences. Because the next day, two guests are dead and the others are trapped in a nightmare…

The Guilty Friend


Joanne Sefton - 2019
    Alex, Karen, and Misty are an inseparable trio at Cambridge University – one can never be found far from the others. But when Alex dies suddenly, the remaining two friends can’t look one another in the eye – knowing they both had a part to play in her death.Present day. Misty and Karen haven’t spoken in years, but, convinced she has seen a picture of Alex alive, Karen doesn’t know who else to turn to. She soon becomes obsessed with a past she thought she’d left behind her… and her life begins to spiral out of control.Because, when you’re living in the past, who is keeping an eye on the present?

Once Upon a Lie


Lisa Ballantyne - 2020
    1 bestselling author of The Guilty One is back with a gripping and emotional new moral thriller about a woman, a child, the gulf that stands between them, and about how far people will go to keep a secret...Magpie is an independent, unconventional and troubled woman with secrets. Returning home late one night she finds a young girl covered in bruises who claims to have run away from home. Deciding to protect her at all costs, Magpie takes the child home with her. At first this is easy, because of her bohemian lifestyle, but it soon becomes clear that someone is looking for the child.In a story that reaches from the mid-20th Century to the present day, we discover why Magpie has risked everything to hide the child, and what she herself is running away from.

Multiple Motives


Kassandra Lamb - 2011
    so far. Now a killer with a mysterious grudge against her and her closest friend, lawyer Rob Franklin, is threatening everyone and everything that she holds dear.When the detective assigned to their case decides they are lovers and the attacks against them and their families are veiled attempts to rid themselves of their spouses, Kate and Rob are forced to investigate on their own. Can they identify their mutual enemy, before he or she kills again?

The Sisters


Claire Douglas - 2015
    One died. When one sister dies, the other must go to desperate lengths to survive. Haunted by her twin sister's death, Abi is making a fresh start in Bath. But when she meets twins Bea and Ben, she is quickly drawn into their privileged and unsettling circle. When one sister lies, she must protect her secret at all costs. As Abi tries to keep up with the demands of her fickle friends, strange things start to happen - precious letters go missing and threatening messages are left in her room. Is this the work of the beautiful and capricious Bea? Or is Abi willing to go to any lengths to get attention? When the truth outs, will either sister survive?

The Missing


Karl Vadaszffy - 2012
    He pulls into the London Gateway Services, leaving Jennie in the car. But when he returns, she has disappeared. Frantic with worry, he turns to the police for help. The police doubt that Jennie exists: there is no trace that she ever existed.John, convinced Jennie was not a figment of his imagination, sets out in a desperate attempt to find the woman he fell in love with. He has the help of Detective Sergeant Kate Nielsen, herself haunted by a botched undercover operation that led to her being raped four years earlier.Everything he can remember of Jennie – where she worked, where she lived – turns out to be untrue. Nielsen, following John as he lurches from one lead to another, begins to wonder if Jennie could be the eleventh victim of a serial killer. Their investigation becomes increasingly urgent and threatens to bring back dark and murky images from Nielsen’s past.Praise for The Missing:“Karl Vadaszffy’s The Missing is a terrifying and perplexing debut mystery, spare and fast-paced with a terrific ending. I wouldn’t be surprised if it spawns a DS Kate Nielsen series.”
 Glenn Cooper (Library of the Dead and Book of Souls)“A thriller to make your pulse race. Desperation and frustration stain the pages – a cracking good read.”
 James Becker (The First Apostle and The Moses Stone)“Karl Vadaszffy delivers a real treat in The Missing, a thriller written with the passion and intensity of a master storyteller. Mystery, action, a flawed but determined protagonist, this book has it all. I’m a fan of Karl’s skill.”
 Matt Hilton (Dead Men’s Dust and Judgement and Wrath)“A mystery that grips, provokes and most definitely causes the spine to tingle. Nothing is as it seems in this suspense-laden tale, the pith darkening on each exquisitely written page. The Missing moves at a relentless pace, taking the reader on a journey into the twisted mind of a very dark soul. A spellbinding thriller.”
 C. M. Palov (The Templar’s Quest and The Templar’s Code)“The Missing plunges you into a nightmare scenario worthy of Harlan Coben at his best. However, this is more than a suspense novel, it is a perceptive and intriguing human drama. All the interactions ring true and the characters – even the monsters – are always believable.” Elly Griffiths (The Crossing Places and The Janus Stone)
“The Missing is a fast and compelling book, by turns tender and brutal, with a pounding sense of approaching crisis. The author’s command of the scenes is impressive.” Patrick Lennon (Corn Dolls and Steel Witches)“The Missing is a nightmare of a book, triggering a reader’s darkest fears and keeping him in a state of tension from the first page until the last.” Thomas Perry (Strip and Silence)"Karl Vadaszffy's 'The Missing' is a superior thriller, at once an exercise in vicarious paranoia and a horrifyingly convincing look into the mind of a killer. It's a shame Hitchcock isn't around to film it, it's exactly the kind of story he did best." Scott Phillips (The Ice Harvest and The Walkaway)“Karl Vadaszffy is just the sort of writer we should encourage – young, ambitious and creative.” Michael Dobbs (House of Cards and Winston’s War)Visit karlvad.com for Karl's official website.

No One I Knew


A.J. McDine - 2021
    Because all her instincts tell her someone took her daughter. Someone she knew.With time running out, Cleo sets out to uncover the truth. But the deeper she probes, the more she realises everyone has a secret to hide. Especially her husband.And as Cleo unpicks the lies, she discovers her carefully constructed life was just an illusion.No One I Knew is the compulsive new psychological thriller by A J McDine.

The Abandoned


Sharon Thompson - 2018
    As a teenager, her mother was committed to an asylum and then a local priest forced her into an abusive marriage. But when her husband dies in an accident Peggy sees an opportunity to start again and trains as a midwife.In 1950s Dublin it is not easy for a woman to make a living and Peggy sees a chance to start a business and soon a lucrative maternity home is up and running. But when Peggy realizes that the lack of birth control is an issue for women, she uses their plight as a way to make more money. Very soon Peggy is on the wrong side of the law. What makes a woman decide to walk down a dark path? Can Peggy ever get back on the straight and narrow? Or will she have to pay for her crimes?Set against the backdrop of Ireland in the 1950’s The Abandoned tells the story of one woman’s fight for survival and her journey into the underbelly of a dangerous criminal world.The Abandoned is a debut novel not to be missed, it will appeal to fans of authors like Cara Hunter, Joy Ellis and Helen Fields What everyone is saying about The Abandoned:  "Great fast paced book, great strong characters" Wendy Haines"An engrossing story which is so hard to look back at and think that things like this really happened not that long ago. A superb debut." Susan Hampson - Books From Dusk Till Dawn"I loved how fast-paced and chilling every part of this novel was, as it certainly kept me on my toes from start to finish, keeping my level of intrigued peaked until the very last second." Kaisha Holloway - The Writing Garnet"Brilliant. High expectations are set for future books by Sharon Thompson an author to keep your eye on. A story you won’t forget quickly." Gemma Myers - Between The Pages Book Club"The pace throughout is steady with some of the faster-paced parts providing some darker more grittier moments." Rachel Broughton - Rae Reads"The perfect mix of Historical Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, and Crime. I'm excited to read more from Sharon Thompson." Dash Fan Book Reviews"The Abandoned is a fabulous historical thriller and though I disproved of Peggy’s actions, I thoroughly enjoyed her story." Susan Corcoran - Booksaremycwtches"Cannot praise this author highly enough. I will be recommending this to anyone who listens." Philomena Callan - Cheekypee Reads And Reviews"This is a superbly written book with a good heavy plot that keeps on giving and opening more." Sue Ward - Read Along With Sue"It’s gritty, dark, vivid and sometimes very very brutal (see the blurb for her job descriptions, throw in some violence and you’re halfway there), but always gripping, with dark laughs in there to keep your head above water." Bernadette Maycock - BRMaycock's Book Blog"A very good read that will appeal to readers of thrillers and crime fiction.

The Accusation


Zosia Wand - 2018
    After years of trying, and failing, to become parents, they are in the final stages of adopting four-year-old Milly. Though she already feels like their daughter, they just have to get through the 'settling in' period: three months of living as a family before they can make it official.But then Eve's mother, Joan, comes to stay.Joan has never liked her son-in-law. He isn't right for Eve; too controlling, too opinionated. She knows Eve has always wanted a family, but is Neil the best man to build one with? Then Joan uncovers something that could smash Eve's family to pieces...

Single


K.L. Slater - 2019
    She clutches his small, limp body, frozen, until a pair of strong hands push her aside, and she watches as George, a local doctor, saves her son’s life. George is a single parent too, and with his twinkling hazel eyes, easy charm, and lack of wedding band is almost too good to be true, but coffee becomes lunch, lunch becomes dinner, and soon they can’t go an evening without seeing each other. When he invites her to move into his beautiful home with its sprawling garden for her boys, Darcy doesn’t hesitate. But as Darcy is settling in, she receives a bunch of flowers with a chilling message. George says they’re from an obsessed ex-girlfriend, Opal, and days later Opal turns up at Darcy’s son’s football match. She claims to have shocking information that could threaten George’s custody of his daughter. Darcy doesn’t know who to trust, but she’s starting to suspect that, whatever the truth, she might have put her beloved boys into terrible danger…

Open Your Eyes


Paula Daly - 2018
    Given the choice, she'd prefer to focus on what’s going well, the good things in life.But when her husband, Leon, is brutally attacked in the driveway of their home, in front of their two young children, Jane has to face reality. As he lies in a coma, Jane must open her eyes to the problems in her life, and the secrets that have been kept from her, if she’s to find out who hurt her husband – and why.Maybe it’s time to face up to it all. Who knows what you might find . . .

Remember Mia


Alexandra Burt - 2015
    Then a terrifying reality sets in: her daughter is missing.Days earlier, Estelle discovered her baby’s crib empty in their Brooklyn apartment. There was no sign of a break-in, but all traces of seven-month-old Mia had disappeared. Her diapers, her clothes, her bottles—all gone. Frustrated and unable to explain her daughter’s disappearance, Estelle begins a desperate search. But when the lack of evidence casts doubt on her story, Estelle becomes the number one suspect in the eyes of the police and the media.As hope of reuniting with Mia becomes all she has left, Estelle will do anything to find answers: What has she done to her baby? And what has someone else done to her?

The Bridesmaid


Nina Manning - 2021
    Your worst nightmare...From the moment they met as children, Sasha knew that beautiful, wealthy, and confident Caitlin would always be her absolute best friend. Sasha would do anything to make Caitlin happy.Even keep her darkest secrets…The years have passed, but their friendship remains. And when Caitlin announces she’s getting married there is only one choice for the role of bridesmaid. Sasha will make sure Caitlin’s wedding is as beautiful and perfect as she is. Won’t she?But as the big day approaches, cracks begin to appear. Because no matter what Sasha does, she never seems to make Caitlin happy.And the secrets that once bound these two friends, now threaten to rip them apart for good...

How I Lost You


Jenny Blackhurst - 2014
    Watson and Ruth Ware.I have no memory of what happened but I was told I killed my son. And you believe what your loved ones, your doctor and the police tell you, don't you? My name is Emma Cartwright. Three years ago I was Susan Webster, and I murdered my twelve-week-old son Dylan. I was sent to Oakdale Psychiatric Institute for my crime, and four weeks ago I was released early on parole with a new identity, address, and a chance to rebuild my tattered life. This morning, I received an envelope addressed to Susan Webster. Inside it was a photograph of a toddler called Dylan. Now I am questioning everything I believe because if I have no memory of the event, how can I truly believe he's dead? If there was the smallest chance your son was alive, what would you do to get him back?

The Guesthouse


Abbie Frost - 2020
    One Killer. A holiday to remember…A dark and addictive psychological thriller about seven strangers who find themselves cut off from civilization in a remote guesthouse in Ireland…Not all the guests will survive their stay…You use an app, called Cloud BNB, to book a room online. And on a cold and windy afternoon, you arrive at The Guesthouse, a dramatic old building on a remote stretch of hillside in Ireland. You are expecting a relaxing break, but you find something very different. Something unimaginable. Because a killer has lured you and six other guests here and now you can’t escape. One thing’s for certain: not all of you will come back from this holiday alive…