Book picks similar to
The Sanctuary by Charlotte Duckworth
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psychological-thriller
thriller
mystery
The Vacation
M.M. Chouinard - 2021
But they’re each hiding something:Rose hopes the pretty house overlooking the sea is just the break her family needs. But as she gazes at the water and remembers her own childhood, she is utterly terrified.Brandon knows his wife Rose has barely forgiven him for his affair. He’s started drinking again, a road that led him to disaster once before.Brianna, Rose’s sister-in-law, is recovering from her fifth miscarriage, and when she looks at her adorable niece, she can’t help but see the daughter she deserves.Then three-year-old Lily disappears from her bed in the villa. Isolated in what should have been paradise, it quickly becomes clear that one of them took her.As one by one their secrets are uncovered, who will be destroyed next?A completely addictive thriller about every parent’s worst nightmare that will keep you guessing into the early hours of the morning. Perfect for fans of The Guest List, One by One and The Sister-in-Law.
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.
She Lies Alone
Laura Wolfe - 2020
Gossip spreads faster. Deadly secrets spread fastest of all.Jane Bryson obeys the rules. A long-standing science teacher at Ravenswood High School, she lives a simple life with her husband Craig and Moose the black Labrador. When free-spirited new English teacher Elena Mayfield joins Ravenswood, Jane’s excited to have a friend who is ready to challenge authority, and Elena’s soon shaking things up.When Elena starts a controversial club, Jane is ready to support her. When Elena begins an illicit romance with a colleague, Jane is there to help her shield her secret. When people begin asking questions about Elena, Jane backs her all the way.But the morning after the annual fundraiser, Elena’s body is found crumpled on the soccer field.It soon becomes clear that not everyone found Elena charming and funny. A thousand people were at the fundraiser: there’s a town full of suspects and a long list of motives. Who was angry with Elena? What had her curiosity and rule-breaking uncovered? Who wanted to shut her up?Who has told lies they would kill to hide?A totally gripping psychological suspense novel that you won’t be able to put down, She Lies Alone is a compelling thriller that will keep you turning the pages. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware and The Woman in the Window.
The Liar's Daughter
Rona Halsall - 2021
But you don’t have a sister… do you?You’ve never doubted your parents. You’ve loved them without question your whole life. But your stepmother is uncharacteristically speechless, and your father isn’t well enough to understand.So you get in your car.Turn the key in the ignition.Knowing everything behind you is a lie.Not knowing what lies ahead: the truth… or something far darker?A deliciously dark and twisty tale of deception, secrets and family ties, The Liar’s Daughter is perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window and The Family Upstairs.
The Vanishing Child
Jennifer Harvey - 2021
His blond hair neatly combed, smiling for the camera. I thought, you will disappear, Johnny. This will be the last photo taken of you.Forty years ago: Cece’s son went out on his bike on a hot summer’s day and never came home. Every evening she lingers on her front porch, hoping to see him coming up the driveway. But the street remains empty and, with her heart aching, Cece goes back inside and closes the door behind her…Forty years later: On a rare visit to her father, Carla stumbles across a box tucked away in one of the cupboards. Full of her father’s diaries and old newspaper clippings, it tells the story of the disappearance of three boys when her father was just a child.Her father refuses to discuss the missing children and his silence only makes Carla more curious. When she meets the mother of the last boy who went missing, and sees her pain first-hand, Carla becomes determined to help Cece finally lay her child to rest.But as Carla begins to read the diaries and discovers more about the dark days all those years before, she realises the truth might be more complicated than she thought. There are people in this town who will do anything to stop her digging up the past, and uncovering the truth could change her world in ways she never imagined possible…A totally gripping, emotionally charged suspense novel about small-town secrets and the price of facing up to the truth. Fans of Liane Moriarty, Diane Chamberlain and The Silent Daughter will be gripped from the very first page until the final, heart-stopping twist.
The Liar's Wife
Samantha Hayes - 2018
Close to tears, her eyes fall on a get-well-soon card on the window sill and the nurse reassures her that her loving husband will be back soon...But Ella has never been married.In fact, she has lived alone her whole adult life; working hard, rarely socialising, quietly harbouring a terrible secret from her past.Fear sweeps through Ella when she instantly recognises the man who enters the ward. He is not her husband, but she knows that she must do as he says and play the part of dutiful wife.What choice does she have? He was there the night of the fire, he knows her secret too…
The Perfect House
R.P. Bolton - 2021
So why is it tearing them apart?A fresh startEllie knows she has found her dream home – number six Moss Lane. The place she and Tom can settle down, raise their new baby and start again.A dark secretBut why do their new neighbours think they’re so brave for moving in? Why are Ellie’s keys never where she left them? And why can Ellie hear strange noises in the night that Tom can’t?A living nightmareSuddenly their dream house no longer feels so perfect and when Ellie learns the truth about number six’s dark past, a truth that Tom has been keeping secret from her, she no longer knows who she can trust.Has their perfect home become her worst nightmare?A gripping new psychological thriller that you won’t be able to put down and will have your heart racing! Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Jackie Kabler.
The New Friends
Daniel Hurst - 2021
Pray you never meet them.Becky and Jamie are an ordinary hard-working couple trapped in the daily grind, dreaming of an easier life. On one of their rare vacations, they meet a wealthy couple, Phil and Mel, who seem to have it all – they are fun, well travelled, and very generous with their money.But they are also very, very dangerous.Because Phil and Mel are not who they say they are. And this is no random vacation friendship, they have chosen Jamie and Becky carefully, seducing them with the promise of a lifestyle just like theirs.By the time Jamie and Becky realise what their new friends really want, it’s too late, they’ve lost everything, their hopes and dreams lie shattered.The only question now is how far will they go to get even?
Shadow of a Doubt
Michelle Davies - 2020
But she blamed it on a paranormal entity she swears was haunting her house.No one believed her and after two years of treatment in a psychiatric unit for delusional disorder, Cara was shunned by her remaining family and put into foster care.Now she's being forced to return to the family home for the first time since her brother's death, but what if she's about to re-discover the evil that was lurking inside its walls?
Simon Says
Jo Wesley - 2019
Until she makes a terrible decision – and learns the hard way that home is not a place of refuge. Not while Simon lurks in every shadow. He groomed her as a teen: terrorised her into fleeing and leaving her baby behind. Now the man who destroyed her childhood has become the perfect father to her teenage daughter. And her return threatens his future. A desperate man is a dangerous one. Simon says she must leave or suffer the consequences. She refuses. Now it’s his move. Because it's not enough to face your demons. Sometimes, you must destroy them.
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!'
The New Family
Victoria Jenkins - 2021
Finally, someone to bring happiness to the rundown house across the street. They seem like the perfect tenants, but Brooke is a little unnerved when they move in with just a single bag between them. Where are their belongings?When Brooke asks Oliver about his past, he quickly changes the subject. Her best friend tells her to leave it, after all, Brooke has been through enough trauma in her life. But Brooke can’t shake off the feeling that something isn’t right. Why aren’t her new tenants’ names listed anywhere online?Then Brooke arrives home to find orange flames dancing in the upstairs windows. As her whole life goes up in smoke, she is convinced it wasn’t an accident. And when she finds Finley drawing a picture of an angry burning house with terror in his eyes, her blood runs cold. What is Finley so frightened of? And why does Oliver snatch the drawing away the moment he sees it?Brooke is convinced Finley is in serious danger, but given her past, she’s not sure anyone will believe her. Is Brooke ready to face up to her own demons to save the little boy? And when the truth is finally revealed, who is really the one in danger?
I Let Him In
Jill Childs - 2021
I thought I was over it. I thought I’d finally learned to block it out. But I’m right back there, all over again, inside the house, and I’m afraid...When Louise Taylor is hit by a car as she cycles home in the rain following a fight with her boyfriend, she’s left hurt, confused, and housebound in her cramped apartment while she recovers. And worse, something tells her it wasn’t an accident.Desperate to keep busy and distract herself from the flashbacks to her childhood that are beginning to resurface, she hires Edward – a friend of a friend – to repaint her shabby living room and, hopefully, keep the past at bay.But when Edward arrives – quiet, considerate and handsome – Lou instantly feels like they’ve met before, that she can trust him. Tired of carrying the guilt alone after all these years, Lou tells Edward her secret. And to her surprise, he doesn’t pull away. He doesn’t gasp, or grimace or preach about what she did. And Lou is so relieved to finally be free of this burden at last.Until she learns that Edward has a secret of his own. One he’s been waiting a very, very long time to tell...A gripping domestic drama from a USA Today bestselling author full of twists and turns, and with a very unexpected ending. Fans of Amanda Prowse, Kerry Fisher and Jodi Picoult won’t be able to stop turning the pages.
A Good Mother
Sam Hepburn - 2021
Time stands still. Where is he? Deafened by my own heartbeat, I keep looking but I can’t see him. This is all my fault. My punishment for the things I did, and the things I should have done.All I ever wanted was to keep my son safe. I married the perfect husband, built the perfect home. I’ve tried to give Finn the life I never had.Everything was going so well. Until now.It’s just small things at first – a punctured tyre, an open gate that I'm sure I locked. But then I see the photograph of two young girls, and a night I’ve tried to forget.I know I have to stop pretending that nothing is happening. I can’t escape the truth.Someone knows my secret. But what do they want from me?
The Game You Played
Anni Taylor - 2016
International visitors surge into Sydney's Darling Harbour. Two-year-old Tommy is sailing his toy boat in the park when he vanishes. Six months later, taunting notes written as nursery rhymes begin arriving at his parents' home.Little Boy Blue, where did you go? Who led you away? Only I know . . . . The police believe the messages are just a cruel prank. But Tommy's mother Phoebe becomes obsessed with tracking down the writer of the rhymes. Her life and marriage shatters.When the shocking identity of the message-writer is discovered, Phoebe's desperate race for the truth has only just begun."I love love love this author! This is the sort of book I love but never find very often!" - reviewer