Book picks similar to
A Deadly Game by Joanne Griffiths


thriller
fiction
complex-personalities
crime

Her Dark Retreat


J.A. Baker - 2017
    Both damaged by issues from their childhoods, they are trying to get on with their lives. But this is hard for them to do when they both believe they are being watched. As a result, Peggy, who has terrible scars on her face, becomes more agoraphobic.To make matters worse, Peggy discovers her estranged mother is stalking both she and Alec, claiming she has a dark secret that is putting Peggy in danger.What caused the scars on Peggy’s face? Is Alec really the monster Peggy’s mother believes him to be? And what secrets does Chamber Cottage hold?

Strategy


Anita Waller - 2017
    But it’s not only the letters that Jenny has in her sights… Strategy is the follow up to the international best-seller 34 Days, it can be read as a sequel or an unmissable stand-alone.Anita Waller is the best-selling author of Beautiful, Angel, 34 Days & Winterscroft

Divine Poison


A.B. Morgan - 2017
    But how are they connected? And why?When it becomes obvious that she’s unwittingly stepped into a trap set for someone else, Monica’s career, her own sanity and her life are placed at risk. But where can she turn to for help?AB Morgan is the author of the acclaimed psychological thriller A Justifiable Madness. Divine Poison will appeal to fans of authors like LJ Ross, Joy Ellis, Faith Martin and Ed James

Wormwood (Rob Soliz and Frank Pierce, #1)


Larry Enmon - 2017
    As the mayor's daughter, her kidnapping triggers mounting political pressure and forces the Chief of Police to put two senior detectives on the case. Rob Soliz and Frank Pierce have done the impossible in the past, but their methods are unconventional.The only evidence at the scene is a Bible found in the girl's car and soon Frank and Rob find themselves involved in a disturbing investigation shrouded by Bible prophecy, doomsday cults, and murder.Is Katrina still alive? And what exactly is Wormwood?As the trail leads them into the woods of rural East Texas, Frank must deal with his lingering religious doubts and solve the case. His worst fears will be realised when he must discover the ugly truth about Wormwood. But he and Rob will have to get out alive to tell the story…

Degrees of Darkness


Tony J. Forder - 2017
    In an unexpected turn of events, the killer contacts the police and says he is willing to talk, but only to Frank.When the body of the first abducted girl is discovered, Frank realises it is a race against time to save his daughter. In order to solve the case, Frank must work out how the killer is picking his victims.  But how do you catch a murderer who is hiding in plain sight? And can Frank unravel the mystery, when he has so much to lose?

Standstill


J.A. Marley - 2016
    Marley's unmissable debut, Standstill.Even the deadliest criminals leave a trail…When a psychotic policeman drags the young, ambitious thief, Danny Felix out of bed, he could not imagine he was about to be plunged into the robbery of a lifetime. Corruption and coercion follow the corrupt Detective Inspector Harkness everywhere he goes and now he has Danny just where he wants him. But Harkness isn’t the only officer with Danny in his sights. Christine Chance is getting closer to him while doing her best to be a mother to her seriously ill daughter. Can Danny escape Harkness with his life intact? Can he avoid detection by Chance? And does he have what it takes to use the streets of modern-day London to pull off the theft of the 21st Century? Danny thinks he can...but there will be bloodshed. Standstill is hard-boiled crime thriller which will appeal to fans of authors like Jeffery Deaver, Robert Bryndza, Lisa Unger, Michael Connelly, and Barbara Nickless

Death And Deception


B.A. Steadman - 2016
    And the clock is ticking …This is the first Detective Dan Hellier novel.

Your Only Friend


R.J. Lindsey - 2020
    It's the perfect read for fans of authors like Teresa Driscoll, Dean Koontz and Samantha Hayes

It Was You


Jade Lee Wright - 2018
    Everything I did, I did for her..."When Regan Pen discovers that her long-term boyfriend has been cheating on her with over eight women, she packs her bags and leaves the sunny island in Spain that she had called home for a year. She returns to South Africa where she is given the chance to start over in life. Reassemble herself. Now is her time to be selfish. Find a new career, get a home of her own. Become whoever she wants to be... but when her best friend, Peyton, is brutally murdered, Regan is forced to put her life on hold to take responsibility for her friends thirteen year old daughter, Harley. As the police battle to solve the murder of Peyton and her unborn child, Regan becomes convinced that her Godchild is not the sweet, innocent little girl everyone seems to think she is. Could Harley have been so consumed by her jealousy and fear of not being the epicenter of her mothers universe that it lead to murder? If so, is Regan safe in her own home?

The Watcher


Netta Newbound - 2017
    She accepts her dream job in Manchester, and easily makes friends with her new neighbours.When she becomes romantically involved with her boss, she can’t believe her luck. But things are about to take a grisly turn.As her colleagues and neighbours are killed off one by one, Hannah’s idyllic life starts to fall apart. But when her mother becomes the next victim, the connection to Hannah is all too real.Who is watching her every move?Will the police discover the real killer in time?Hannah is about to learn that appearances can be deceptive.

Catch as Catch Can (Merseyside Crime, #1)


Malcolm Hollingdrake - 2021
    Together with new colleague Skeeter Warlock, Decent quickly discovers there’s a sinister link between them all, one that will bring them face-to-face with some uncomfortable home truths.Catch as Catch Can is the first in the Merseyside Crime Series from Malcolm Hollingdrake – bestselling author of the Harrogate Crime Series.

Murder on the Marsh


Anne Penketh - 2016
    HIS HEART HAS BEEN CUT OUT . . .DI Sam Clayton has never dealt with such an extreme crime in the quiet Norfolk villages that are part of his patch. When a waitress, Emma Dawson, disappears, it looks like the police might have a serial killer on their hands. Emma seems to have been part of cultish group obsessed with contacting the dead via a medieval mystic. But a mysterious Frenchman and one of the local nature wardens are also suspects. The mystery is further complicated by the locals’ reluctance to share their secrets with the police. DI Clayton’s team also harbour some tragic secrets and it looks like only one of his detectives will be kept on, even if they do catch the vicious killer.When another child disappears, DI Clayton faces a race against time to prevent any further crimes. Not only that, but he must confront local superstitions and keep his team under control as violence threatens to spiral out of control.MURDER ON THE MARSH is the first in a new series of page-turning crime thrillers set in an atmospheric part of Norfolk. Perfect for fans of LJ Ross, Mel Sherratt, Angela Marsons, Colin Dexter, or Ruth Rendell.THE TEAMDetective Inspector Sam Clayton leads the investigation into the North Norfolk murders, joined the police straight from school as a beat bobby in Manchester before rising through the ranks of the CID. He was transferred to Norwich after being promoted to DI following a high-profile case investigated by Lancashire Constabulary. He struggles with anger issues and finds solace in playing classical guitar. He lives in hope of a reconciliation with his ex-wife, Claire.Detective Sergeant Neil Pringle lives with his third wife in Norwich, where he was born. But taking care of his two sons with his wife Megan, and two other children with previous wives, has put his finances under strain. He never misses a chance to shine in hopes of securing promotion, and can’t help showing off his local knowledge to colleagues.Detective Sergeant Julie Everett is an intuitive officer who was promoted to detective sergeant from her home town of Ipswich where she had a background in child protection. She is discreet about her personal life among colleagues, particularly about the tragedy which haunts her, but is stressed out because of her work-life balance. She has to deal with a high-pressure job while raising a six-year-old child who moved with her to Norwich.THE SETTINGThe mists sweep across the Glaveny marsh and its muddy channels on the North Norfolk coast, where the reeds rustle and the waist-high grasses whisper in the wind. It is a place, frequented by dog walkers and birdwatchers, where myth and reality collide. Locals talk about a hell hound that roams the marsh in the mist, bringing death in its wake. A medieval mystic who wrote about sin, Mother Julian of Norwich, may have had a connection to the villages dotted with fishermen’s flint cottages. Standing beside the majestic white sails of the windmill in the neighbouring village of Pelham on a clear day you can look over the marsh towards the seal colony on Glaveny Point. As you approach them you can hear the seals and their pups moaning on the shingle. The sound is almost human, like a mermaid’s siren call. When the mist rolls in, it is blindingly thick in minutes. When it retreats, who knows what will be left behind?

Stitched: A gruesome tale of control, fear and brutality


Cheryl Elaine - 2019
    To the outside world, Andrew Brooke is a cop who’s obsessively committed to his job. But behind closed doors, he enforces his dominance and disciplines his wife, Emily, in the most inhumane ways. When his life begins to fall apart and his reputation becomes tarnished, he unleashes his anger and seeks revenge on those who dare to encounter him. Emily Brooke is left broken by her husband’s hand, with no means of escape. Eventually, though weak and confused, she manages to flee. But is the life she escapes to a better one? Detective Donavan has his own demons to battle following his wife’s death. Assigned a missing person’s case that leads to a series of brutal attacks, he follows the trail of a serial killer dubbed ‘The Stitcher’ - but will his own dark secrets get in the way of justice being served? Stitched perfectly demonstrates how cruel life – and people – can be.

Death Wish


Linda Huber - 2017
    Eleanor is the mother-in-law from hell and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Her daughter, Ashley, has her own reasons for hating her mother. The atmosphere is toxic and old wounds refuse to heal. Next door, eight-year-old Joya has a difficult life.Her parents argue constantly and her grandmother, who lives with them, is approaching death.Soon these two families will collide and the consequences might just be fatal…Linda Huber is the best-selling author of Baby Dear

The Mother's Tale


Camilla Noli - 2009
    She used to be a successful career woman in control of her life and with her husband's undivided attention. But now her control is slipping away. Motherhood is devouring her life. She is desperate to reclaim her sense of self, even if that means thinking the unthinkable.