Book picks similar to
The Couple Upstairs by Ann Girdharry


domestic-abuser
domestic-thriller
psychological-thriller
4-domestic-psychological-thrillers

The Ruined Wife


Marin Montgomery - 2018
    Together they've built a successful life, had a beautiful child, and still behave like newlyweds long since the day he carried her over the threshold. But all of that changes in an instant thanks to a thoughtless deed that has lifelong repercussions. With secrets bubbling to the surface, the pair find their American dream life suddenly in jeopardy, and neither one of them are willing to let go at any cost.

The Man in the House


Emmy Ellis - 2019
    He waits. He strikes. DI Helena Stratton has been through the wars on a previous case—torture that has scarred her for life, gifting her with nightmares. This new one is no different. On top of that… A partner she can’t stand. DS Andy Mald needs to buck his ideas up. A boyfriend she’s just ditched. Or is he a stalker? A triple murder. Who is doing such hideous things to the bodies? Someone out there knows. And he’s desperate to be the man in the house.

Bring Him Home


Nicole Trope - 2021
    Please keep him safe, I silently beg, please, please just keep him safe.‘Your son is missing,’ they say, and life as I know it is over. ‘Where would he go?’ the police ask. ‘Where would he be?’ my daughter begs.My heart races as images flash in my mind. The cabin we rent every autumn, surrounded by fiery red maple trees. Voices raised. Tears falling. A marriage falling apart. And worst of all my husband telling our child, Theo, to run.The rest is a blank in my memory. If I close my eyes I can almost see it. A betrayal that has left me alone, in tatters, grieving for what we had.It wasn’t meant to be like that. It should have been precious time as a family, with boardgames, walks in the mountain and pancakes for breakfast.Instead my little one has vanished. ‘They are looking for him,’ the nurse told me, ‘but the storm is slowing down the search.’The police think Theo has the answers, that he knows what tore our family apart. But I have no idea where he is. No clue if he is safe. And that’s the most terrifying thing of all…A completely gripping, beautifully written and totally heartbreaking page-turner, which examines what happens behind closed doors, and the secrets that can shatter a family. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Liane Moriarty will be totally addicted to this breathtaking novel.

Living the Dream


M.J. Hardy - 2019
    Hardy is an exciting new voice in the psychological thriller genre *** Have you ever wondered what it’s like to have it all? Four couples live a charmed life behind the security gates of an exclusive development. To everyone else, they have a dream life. Beautiful homes, designer clothes and more money than sense. Behind closed doors, the story is very different. Beauty is skin deep and when you scratch the surface the blood runs cold. Betrayal, dishonesty and lies are about to blow their worlds apart and not everyone will survive. Who is telling the truth and who is hiding a secret they would do anything to protect? Money doesn’t buy happiness; it buys a more expensive kind of trouble. When your friends are your enemies in disguise, expect things to get ugly.

Shh


Jocelyn Dexter - 2020
    Teaming up with the lead Detective, the pair attempt to understand the psychology driving the killer.Having a voice, and being able to read not only lips, but body language, Annie realises that the killer is targeting people she knows. And Annie has lots of friends. Friends now at risk.Desperate to save those around her Annie and the police find themselves in a race against time to save people in the deaf community.And as the murders escalate, the killer’s obsession grows.Will the police untangle the killer’s motivation before it’s too late for Annie?Shh is a chilling and twisty psychological thriller from debut author Jocelyn Dexter. It will appeal to fans of authors like Claire McGowan, Cara Hunter and Lisa Jewell.

The Good Mother


Rae Cairns
    Can she save them from her past?Sarah Calhoun is a regular Sydney soccer mum, but she's keeping terrifying secrets from everyone she loves . . . and her past is about to catch up with her.When two men from Northern Ireland hunt her down, she's forced to return to Belfast to testify at a murder trial. Caught in the crossfire of an obsessive policeman, driven by a disturbing past, and a brutal IRA executioner, Sarah faces an impossible choice: lie and allow a killer to run free, or tell the truth and place her children in the line of fire.With her family and innocent people at risk, Sarah must find the courage to fight for the truth. But righting the wrongs of the past just might cost her everything . . .This taut, plot-fuelled thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat to its gripping finale.'Show me a soldier who would fight harder than a mother to save her son.'PRAISE'This story wouldn't let me go' Michael Robotham'Past and present collide on and off the page in this explosive debut . . . a pacy, plot-driven thriller that stands up against some of the best in the genre.' Sunday Telegraph

The Donor


J.J. Burgess - 2021
    But who is he really?Anna’s life is almost perfect. She has a great husband, a huge home, wonderful friends and a soaring career. There’s just one thing missing - a child.Anna has always dreamed of being a mother, it’s what she wants more than anything else in the world.So when it becomes clear that she and her husband can’t conceive, the way forward is obvious – they will use a sperm donor.They select the perfect candidate and Anna soon falls pregnant. She’s never been so happy.But then some disturbing information about their donor comes to light. And Anna begins to wonder about the father of the child she is carrying… Who is he really?She begins to dig for the truth and uncovers a secret more horrifying than her worst nightmare. Because even though she has what she always wanted, she realises she may have to pay a terrible price…The Donor – the stunning psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Mark Edwards, K L Slater, Miranda Rijks.

The Party


Lisa Hall - 2018
    But it turned into a nightmare.‘Compelling, addictive…brilliant’ B A ParisWhen Rachel wakes up in a strange room, the morning after a neighbour’s party, she has no memory of what happened the night before. Why did her husband leave her alone at the party? Did they row? Why are Rachel’s arms so bruised? And why are her neighbours and friends so vague about what really happened?Little by little, Rachel pieces together the devastating events that took place in a friend’s house, at a party where she should have been safe. Everyone remembers what happened that night differently, and everyone has something to hide. But someone knows the truth about what happened to Rachel. And she’s determined to find them.The Party is the gripping new novel from bestseller Lisa Hall.

Cry to Me


J.A. Schneider - 2021
    No one heard the shots that killed him and wounded Liddy. The band was loud and guests were scattered. When the police declare the crime a failed murder-suicide attempt and Liddy as their suspect, her sister Kim is devastated and insists it's a setup. Wyatt's handsome brother David and Liddy's closest friends try to help Kim investigate...but questions arise. Could Liddy have only pretended to be happy, snapped, and shot her husband? Above all, Kim's worst anguish is wondering if she ever really knew her sister... With a hurricane approaching, the police put their investigation on hold, and those closest find themselves all under one roof. Relationships unravel, and Kim thinks, "This is terrifying. We're all five of us in this house. At night in a hurricane with no power...and a terrible feeling of menace. I can't shake it."

Forget Me Not (Summit Lake Thriller, #1)


Kristen Middleton - 2018
     When a deranged lunatic starts targeting single mom, Amanda Schultz, with threatening letters and "presents" on her doorstep, she turns to the police, who offer advice but no real help. At the mercy of a psychopath, Amanda realizes she's in a game of cat-and-mouse, where the killer keeps changing the rules and the winner... is the only one left standing. Language, violence, and adult situations. Warning - reference to sexual abuse but no graphic details.

The Bad Nanny


Emily Shiner - 2021
    She believes that a nanny is just what she needs to let her be a better mother and get back to work.At first, her husband isn’t so sure. But after Abigail gets what she wants and hires Haley to take care of her daughter, she knows that her life is about to get better.She can work. Get a full night’s sleep. Be the mother she wants to be.But then she starts losing time. And when she finally finds out the truth of what’s happening, it may all be too late.She trusted Haley to take care of her daughter. She never thought it would go this far.

The Opus Dictum


Gary McAvoy - 2022
    What wasn’t found was the briefcase he was known to have had with him the night before, reportedly stuffed with explosive documents blackmailing some of the most powerful people in Italy, and perhaps more. When the briefcase mysteriously reappears in the Vatican Archives, Father Michael Dominic and his team—Hana, Marco, Karl, Lukas, the feisty Pauline nun Sister Teri, and Dominic’s new assistant, Ian—are up against two powerful and enigmatic organizations, Opus Deus and the secret, outlawed Masonic Lodge P2, who savagely fight for control of the briefcase and its secrets. Their goal? To carry out one of the most dangerous conspiracies the Church has ever faced—all happening during an unexpected conclave to elect a new pope.From Rome, Italy, to Geneva, Switzerland, join Dominic and friends as they fend off plotters, kidnappers, and blackmailers who have threaded their way into Vatican politics for decades, in a conspiracy known as The Opus Dictum.

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

14 Days to Die


A.B. Whelan - 2016
    At least, that’s what she’s been telling herself for years. After the tragedies in her youth, Sarah deemed living a lie easier than dwelling on the past and facing her everyday failures. To avoid any kind of confrontation at home she doesn’t read her husband’s emails or spy on him like most jealous wives do. She wouldn’t jeopardize her comfortable but dull life for anything. But Sarah’s world is about to crumble around her when she receives a phone call from a man with a heavy foreign accent telling her that her perfect husband has put a price on her head. She is offered two weeks to come up with a counteroffer or die. Why would her model husband Mike want her dead? Hasn’t she been the perfect wife? Or has her karma finally caught up with her—making her pay for her former transgressions? The final countdown begins and now Sarah has to race against time to find out what went wrong in her marriage and find a way out of this nightmare. So the game of life or death begins. Secrets are unveiled. Emotions are unleashed. Actions are taken. Will there be a winner in this dangerous game when no one can escape the twist of fate?

Scorpion Trail


Geoffrey Archer - 1995
    Though he is an aid worker, the secret service minders who have protected him for twenty years have reactivated him: they want information about the man who perpetrated a massacre in a Muslim village in Bosnia. His target is the most ruthless killer in the whole war zone: Milan Pravic, codename the Scorpion. And the only eyewitness to the massacre is a twelve-year-old girl whom Pravic will do anything to silence-