Book picks similar to
The New Home by Chris Merritt


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thriller
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chris-merritt

His Loving Wife


Miranda Smith - 2021
    It’s my fault they’re in danger…A year ago, someone broke into our home. He stood outside our bedroom, with our children asleep down the corridor, and knocked on the door.But the worst moment came later, when I found out who had nearly destroyed my family, and why.Now my husband has booked us a surprise vacation. In a beautiful cabin on the shore we will rest, talk, recover.But I can’t relax. When I drive to the store, or stroll down the beach, I am always looking over my shoulder, my heart racing.Because no matter how hard my husband tries to pretend, we both know it’s not over.And I know he still doesn’t trust me…An absolutely compelling psychological thriller that will make you question how well you know those around you—and how safe you ever are. Fans of The Girl on the Train, Behind Closed Doors and Gillian Flynn will be completely hooked by His Loving Wife.

The Other Couple


Sarah J. Naughton - 2018
    Gripping. Colourful. Great setting. Absorbing characters.' - Jane Corry, bestselling author of MY HUSBAND'S WIFE and BLOOD SISTERS It was meant to be the perfect honeymoon. A five-star resort in paradise.White sands, a private villa and world-class cuisine.A chance for newlyweds Asha and Ollie Graveney to recover from a recent tragedy, and enjoy the holiday of their dreams.Except someone has other plans... And paradise has turned into a nightmare. If you like Clare Mackintosh, BA Paris, Jenny Blackhurst, Rachel Abbott, Laura Marshall, Elle Croft, Cara Hunter or Lisa Jewell then you will be utterly gripped by this dark, twisty tale ************* "From the moment Asha and Ollie set off on honeymoon the cracks begin to show, as Naughton skilfully weaves three timelines into a chilling drama... As the tension rose, I turned the pages faster and faster - until the denouement hit me like a juggernaut." - Alison Belsham, author of THE TATTOO THIEF'Brilliantly chilling and claustraphobic, the thought of being trapped in paradise yet knowing something wasn't right was such a frightening concept. I didn't guess at any point what was going to happen... I loved it!' - Karen Hamilton, author of THE PERFECT GIRLFRIEND"I am sleep deprived having stayed awake desperate to find out what happened to Asha & Ollie in Vietnam. I wasn't disappointed, this is a very well setup ending, everyone is under suspicion with lots of clever red herrings." - Amazon reviewer, 5 stars Praise for Sarah J. Naughton's Tattletale: 'A perfect example of how a psychological thriller should be written - intricately plotted and full of shocking surprises.' Lisa Hall, author of BETWEEN YOU AND ME'a fast paced, brilliant page-turner...I predict a hit' Liz Nugent'...deliciously clever - I still haven't stopped thinking about the magnificent, twisted construction of it' Emma Kavanagh, author of THE MISSING HOURS'It's one of the best debuts I've read. It deserves to be MASSIVE.' Julia Crouch'Lies, mystery and murder wrought by childhood trauma in this compulsive, twisty thriller.' Helen Smith, author of BEYOND BELIEF'Like any great mystery, Tattletale would, at every twist, lead me to think I'd put the pieces together - only to turn the puzzle upside down.' Grazia'A twisty thriller that will leave you gasping your way through it as the story twists and turns.' Goodreads'This is a psychological thriller with a twist, and a very twisted heart. This story is what happens when two people from very broken beginnings are brought together. This story is what happens when fear eclipses the need for justice and fairness, when the strong and arrogant prey upon the weak. This book is one which deserves every bit of praise it is undoubtedly going to get.' Goodreads

The Baby Shower


S.E. Lynes - 2022
    She slides her hand under her blouse. And then I see something impossible. She isn’t pregnant…She bursts into my life like a storm, and nothing is the same again. She seems so perfect, with her lilting laugh and her beautiful face. One by one, I watch as my friends fall under her spell.Only I seem to suspect something. Only I see that her smiles don’t reach her cold, furious eyes. And when I’m accused of things I didn’t do, when my home is vandalized, I know she’s behind it. But she only lets her mask slip when no one is looking, so if I say anything, I’ll look crazy.So when the baby shower comes around I’m there, sitting on a velvet sofa in a posh hotel room, surrounded by balloons. We share gifts, we pour small glasses of champagne, and she beams, her bump just visible under her bright red shirt.But that afternoon, I finally learn the unbelievable truth.There is no baby…

The Perfect Family Man


M.M. DeLuca - 2021
    Now my husband’s vanished, too.I wish I could say that the tragedy of little Jack disappearing brought me and Nate closer together. But my husband is more distant from me now than he’s ever been. Perhaps that’s why I don’t ask him exactly where he’s going when he sets off on another business trip.Or perhaps I was too distracted by the woman moving in across the street with bouncing blonde hair and a cherubic toddler boy. He reminds me so much of the child I lost. But his mother doesn’t seem to properly watch him. And I can’t be sure, but I’m sure Nate and this woman share a look of recognition before he leaves.The first day Nate’s away, things feel okay, even though I know when he returns we’re going to have to discuss what I found in his coat pocket. But one day turns into two, and then three. I don’t want to seem like the crazy wife, but I have to call his work and ask what’s going on. And that’s when they tell me the shocking truth.Nate hasn’t worked for the company in six months.Once I’ve found this lie, it’s hard not to pick at the scab of our marriage, see what other secrets lie beneath his apparent love for me. By the end of the week, I hope I might finally learn the truth about my husband, about the woman across the street, and about what really happened to my little boy.

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 Little Lies


Valerie Keogh - 2021
    Little does she know that Victor Hill, a man from her childhood, has been following her for years and thinks it's time he makes his presence felt... Oblivious to the evil lurking behind her, Jodie is certain that nothing can spoil her life, but a call from the manager of the nursing home where she works changes everything. Then the discovery of a parcel tied to her front door rocks her world further and as everything begins to crumble around her, she wonders who she can trust. Is the man from her past responsible for her torment or does someone much closer to home have Jodie in their sights?

The Liar Next Door


Nicola Marsh - 2021
    Thirty houses surrounding a square of garden that is perfect for our kids. We congregate here on major holidays, each family bringing a plate and sharing food and conversation. It’s in the garden that I first met her. The woman who would worm her way into my family and piece by piece tear it apart…I should have known something was wrong from the very beginning. She seemed perfect in so many ways: she floated through the baby shower, a warm smile on her face, chatting to strangers with ease. At first I thought it was sweet that she offered to help me, that she made an effort to get to know us, that she brought over games and knew Luna’s favorite foods… I had no idea that I couldn’t trust another mother…I should have known that someone would eventually discover the secret in my marriage. Why I never believe a word my husband says—and why he shouldn’t believe me. But how could a woman I only just met be the one to find it out?If I’d known, I’d have called the police sooner.And maybe I’d have prevented that dreadful scene. Every neighbor peering through their curtains as the sirens wailed in our street.I could have protected my family.I could have stopped what happened next…Fans of Liane Moriarty, Sally Hepworth and The Girl on the Train will love this utterly unputdownable domestic thriller from USA Today bestselling author Nicola Marsh.

The Neighbours


Daniel Hurst - 2021
    Until they met the neighbours...Happily married couple Katie and Sean have plenty to look forward to as they move into their new home and plan for the future. But then they meet two of their new neighbours and everything on their quiet street suddenly doesn't seem as desirable as it did before. Having been warned about the other neighbours, and their adulterous and criminal ways, Katie and Sean realise that they are going to have to be on their guard if they want to make their time here a happy one. But the other neighbours seem so nice and that's why they choose to ignore the warning and get friendly with the rest of the people on the street. And that is why their marriage will never be the same again...Four houses. Six neighbours. And one shocking twist.

The Missing


C.L. Taylor - 2016
    They make you feel safe. You trust them. Or do you…?When fifteen-year-old Billy Wilkinson goes missing in the middle of the night, his mother, Claire Wilkinson, blames herself. She's not the only one. There isn't a single member of Billy's family that doesn't feel guilty. But the Wilkinson’s are so used to keeping secrets from one another that it isn't until six months later, after an appeal for information goes horribly wrong, that the truth begins to surface.Claire is sure of two things – that Billy is still alive and that her friends and family had nothing to do with his disappearance.A mother's instinct is never wrong. Or is it?

The Liar's Child


Sheryl Browne - 2021
    With the same heart-shaped face, long brown hair and dark eyes, the two girls look identical. In fact, they look like sisters.Is the secret I’ve been holding on to for so long about to be revealed?That night, I cuddle Poppy even harder, desperately trying to decide what to do. And then my husband’s phone vibrates. A message. And then another. And another. All from a number I don’t recognise.Is someone going to tell my husband what I did? Could I be about to lose everything I have worked so hard to protect?But I’ve spent so long hiding the truth, I never stopped to wonder if I was the only liar in the family… The only thing I’m sure of is that nobody is going to take my child away from me.If you can’t get enough of addictive psychological thrillers like Gone Girl, The Wife Between Us and The Marriage, you’ll love The Liar’s Child. With nail-biting suspense and an ending that will make your heart pound, this is one book you simply won’t be able to put down.

The Wrong Family


Tarryn Fisher - 2020
    Only now that she’s living in their beautiful house, she sees the cracks in the crumbling facade are too deep to ignore.Still, she isn’t one to judge. After her grim diagnosis, the retired therapist simply wants a place to live out the rest of her days in peace. But that peace is shattered the day Juno overhears a chilling conversation between Winnie and Nigel…She shouldn’t get involved.She really shouldn’t.But this could be her chance to make a few things right.Because if you thought Juno didn’t have a secret of her own, then you were wrong about her, too.

The Parents


Claire Seeber - 2021
    But it’s not long before I realise: I should have never made friends with them…I knew it wouldn’t be easy for my kids to adjust when we moved to a tiny village where they didn’t know a soul. But after the death of my husband, we needed a fresh start.Suddenly, we’re outsiders. I know the only way we’ll be accepted is if I throw myself into my new life, so when my son joins a local club, I volunteer to help along with the other parents.Before moving here, I didn’t know people like this really existed; their lives seem too perfect to be real. Although my own life couldn’t be more different, they welcome me into the fold. For the first time since my husband died, I feel like I made the right decision for my family…That is until I overhear something that tells me these other parents aren’t as perfect as they seem. Something that turns my world upside down again.My secret has already ruined my life once. I thought the truth had died with my husband… I should have known that it wouldn’t be buried for long.A completely addictive page-turner about the secrets and lies hiding beneath seemingly perfect lives. Fans of Big Little Lies, Lisa Jewell and Louise Candlish will be absolutely hooked by this pacey read with a jaw-dropping twist you just won’t see coming.

The Silent Mother


Liz Lawler - 2021
    But your son is dead.’As I hear the words every mother dreads my pulse races and I go cold. But even as my world turns upside down I know the things I’m being told just don’t add up. I have to find out what really happened the night my beautiful boy died…The police tell me it was a tragedy no one could have prevented. But then they reveal the terrible things Tom was keeping from me. The person they describe is nothing like the decent, honest man I raised. Newly qualified as a doctor, Tom had such a bright future ahead of him.A mother knows her own child. And I’m determined to prove my son’s innocence.It’s the last thing I will ever be able to do for him. So I have come to the city where he lived and moved into his empty flat under a different name.When I discover his diary, it becomes clear his death wasn’t an accident.And as I get to know Tom’s friends and neighbours I realise they’re all keeping secrets.But as I get closer to the truth, I realise my life is in danger too…

Her Biggest Fan


Nora Valters - 2020
    He’s uber famous. Who’s stalking who?Author Sally Speck has it all – a promising career, great friends, a loving family. So when superstar celebrity Tom Darlington takes an interest in her, she thinks, why not?But the fun fling soon turns into a nightmare, as she’s relentlessly hounded by the media and harassed by Tom's crazed fans. But more worrying is Tom's increasingly obsessive and frightening behaviour.As Sally's life crumbles around her, she learns a shocking family secret that threatens to tip her over the edge. Perhaps drastic action is her only hope of escape...What happens when a celebrity stalks a fan? Find out in this gripping psychological thriller about dark obsessions, family bonds spiralling out of control and just how far we’ll go when pushed past our limits.

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?